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Show Tom was really twelve stepping now for the AA, bringing home "alkies" from the streets, the jails, and even the hospital. In the big house there were rooms on the second floor with beds, where the patients were not allowed, he took the prospective AA's there, fed, cheered, and encouraged and sobered them. They stayed days, weeks, or months, free. Olive was 'with Tom in all this. The St. George police were soon cal1in~J Tom in place of jailing alcholics, especially the transient women alcoholics. Those in rags and those in diamond rings all got the same treatment from Tom and Olive; being childless this work seemed to fi 11 the v~cancy in their lives that the now grown up nephews and nieces had benef i tted from through the years. The business and the AA's were overflowing the big house. More small rooms for one or two patients, more bathrooms and a 10un~Jc and reception room with a large two faced fireplace divider appeared on butcher paper under Olive's pencil and ruler. She did not have money for a contractor o~ an architect, and she wanted her own plans, she had been planning this house since back on the farm. So she was the contractor, and hired tradesmen she knew and could trust. A nephew who was a licensed plumbing and heating contractor came and installed these two systems for her. It was not easy to go on managing the home, also help take meals to the friends upstairs through it all, but she made it work. All the activity thrilled and entertained the patients. Ruby, a spastic i~ a wheel chair who could use only -her feet, swept the large cement floor after the workers left, almost every night. She had lots of fun teasing everyone who came around. The patients loved to sit in the yard and watch the builders. Ruby sat there early and late. She seldom could say a word that anyone could understand, but she soon learned to croak, "More mud" and just before the brick layers trowel was empty Ruby's "More mud could be heard by all and the workers took up the call "More mud, Ruby wants more mud", it speeded up and cheered everyone. Ruby was helping to build a new home. A big party was held for the patients and their friends on the cement floor before the partitions were in, or the roof on. I sat there that evening and watched the stars come out, humming "A Pocket Full of Dreams". There was always so much fun at Olive's parties, always a mixed group, AA 's were invited too. You took part in the group singing, and maybe danced with someone's grandmother. This building was to become a forty-bed rest home before Olive finished -drawing plans and maneuvering to get them built. Before the new home could be finiShed Tom and Olive were involved in a s~rious automobile accident, cau~ed by another driver being drunk and hitting them on their side of the line. As a result of this accident Tom's foot was crushed and Olive was seriously injured, no one expected her to live. But her determination, and the prayers of those who loved -22- |
