In 2005, during the same time I was in and out of the hospital, we experienced the usual storm and tornado season. During one of these storms the privacy fence at the home my husband left for our children, was blown down. There was other damage to the home, shutters torn loose and the deck was rattled, but Melvin was mostly concerned with the fence. We contacted the insurance company, took photos, and secured estimates, they inspected and gave us a mere pence for the damage. Melvin finally decided he would replace the wall himself and use cinder blocks and cement as opposed to wood as was once the barrier. We both thought this would be a good project for he and the boys.
I told them the story I had heard Will Smith tell, about his father having him build a wall and tear it down for an entire summer. The act was a punishment and a character building lesson. I teased the boys and Melvin telling them there would be significance in their building the wall.
In theory, laying bricks seems like a relatively easy task, but in practice, the job can be daunting especially if this is not something you've ever done or do as a trade on a regular basis. Needless to say, the chore took months. Some days Melvin would go it alone, some days Wind would help, some days Fire and some days all three would work together. I don't remember Earth participating in this endeavor too much and that vexed Melvin to cursing at times, and that was a running joke for us. If you asked Fire and Wind I'm sure they would tell you of a significant or precious moment they shared with their dad during the building of this wall. By the last week of Melvin's life, it was 95% completed.
One windy day, after he left me, I sat in front of that wall and cried
...tomorrow
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