Silver Linings

Shortly after the episode with the bat in the woodbox, my grandmother announced her plans to disinfect the garage and woodshed. She made a trip to the mainland and hired an exterminator from Yarmouth who would arrive in a week or so and survey the situation. My mother protested the expense and ridiculed the idea but Nana would hear none of it. My grandchildren play in there, she told my mother sharply, And they will play safely. My mother shrugged and argued no more.

The exterminator arrived as promised - Nana knew the instant he drove onto the ferry 12 miles up island - and his truck and crew were soon descending the driveway. He was a skin and bones, tall drink of water, Nana would tell Aunt Vi later, a strong wind would've carried him off and he wore denim - cap, jeans, shirt - with his name boldly embroidered over his shirt pocket, "Darryl". Island folk, curiosity aroused by this outsider, had already gathered in and about the yard and Nana dispatched my mother to bring iced tea and a plate of cookies. No one had had seen such a sight before - islandfolk took vermin and rodents pretty much for granted and followed the rule of peaceful coexistenence for the most part. Unless some unwelcome things got into the corn crop or were bold enough to venture inside during supper, they were left alone as part of God's plan. With of course, the exception of things that crawled on their bellies which almost to a one, islanders despised and would not tolerate without the aid of a 12 gage. So it was something of a mystery as to why Nana would be willing to pay cold cash for someone to sanitize the woodshed and it brought out the onlookers in force.

Soon someone had turned on a small, battery operated radio and Darryl began his work to Ernest Tubbs' orginal "Hello, Walls". Cookies and tea gave way to sandwiches, salad and carbonated drinks and while the little ones began playing with the dogs, the teenagers began dancing on the grass and the old fishermen settled in with their pipes and hand rolled cigarettes. Uncle Willie came across the road with his accordion and the Sullivan Boys arrived with their dogs in tow and when John Sullivan arrived for water, he was persuaded to return with his harmonica.
A process of extermination had turned into a party.

Meanwhile, Darryl had donned his exterminator suit and done battle with the rats, mice, bats and assorted insects infesting the woodshed. He washed it all down with a lethal spray and pronounced it fit for human occupation once again. The sun set in a blaze of pink and white and blue over Westport and a party turned to a celebration that lasted til well after midnight. Having missed the last ferry crossing, Darryl spent the night on Uncle Willie's faded front room couch and had made a island full of new friends by the following morning. He later married on of the Elliot girls and moved to Central Grove. Nana said it was a lesson about clouds having silver linings and she hoped I'd been paying attention. I had been.