I finally took delivery of the gramophone I bought for Anthony a while ago so yesterday I met my mother and sister-in-law at the nursing lodge and we cranked it up. Anthony was invisibly thrilled – ha – but it was definitely a success. It just fits into the cupboard in his room so that’s good because now, whenever I go in, I can bring it out and put it on.
For some reason, I have woken up in the middle of the night for the last few nights, boiling with anger against the person who stole Anthony’s portable gramophone.
I’m not sure why I am now so angry when the disappearence of the gramophone happened nearly two years ago.
Anthony, toddler Ming and I bought this gramophone from an antique dealer years ago and it is one of the many things that has enlivened our lives, and entertained visitors over and over and over again. It came with lots of old records and we used to bring it out to the front veranda and entertain people.
But, one day, it disappeared.
I vividly remember us showing it to one of the numerous agency employees who would come once a fortnight to either clean or cook or keep Ants company while I was at work and Ming was at school. Well, she absolutely loved that gramophone and wanted one just like it.
One day, I had to take Ants to the doctor’s and, as it never occurred to me not to trust this agency employee, I just told her not to bother locking the house as we would be back soon. She then told me it was her last day of working for the agency because she was resigning, so I just gave her a bit of a hug and said thank you.
And we never saw that gramophone again.
I have decided to find another one soon so that I can take it into the nursing lodge.
jmgoyder 