It Can't Talk With It's Mouth Full

It was an odd conversation. Much odder than the one she had with the big plastic swan she uses to ride in the swimming pool. But I'm sure the swan loved hearing how much she loved the big blue diamonds in her crown. So, I stayed in the washroom and just listened in to what she had to say.

We were staying at a hotel in Ottawa while presenting in Carleton Place so we used the time to visit with Mike, Marissa, Sadie and Ruby. Mike was all excited because he wanted to show us a picture that Ruby had done of us. It's a kids drawing but it's absolutely impossible to miss my wheelchair in the picture. She has always liked my chairs and has used them at various times as a fort, a climbing tree and a jet plane. Now she has incorporated the chair into a portrait of me.

I had rolled over to the washroom and then locked the wheels so I could get up and go into use the facilities. Ruby seldom sees me out of my chair and, the corollary to that she seldom sees my chair without me. I heard her little voice through the door before noticing that she was talking to my chair.

"Don't worry, Dave will be back in a minute," she said comforting my obviously lonely chair.

The chair must have said something back because then she said, "Dave likes riding in you too."

After that I couldn't hear much of the conversation and then she was distracted by what was happening in the room. I came out and took my seat. Oddly, I felt that I should say something, as if the chair was waiting for me to continue a chat that Ruby had started.

I felt silly but I said, meaning it, "Thanks for waiting."

Ruby, glanced over grinning. She approved.