On Our Merry Way | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Please join me in welcoming Author Michele Rhem, who presents us with her poignant memoirs of the Rabbit Patch, where her diaries weave tales of a simpler, expressive life lost to many, but gathered together in her most familiar environs - the Rabbit Patch.

    Not long, after waking, I go out to say good morning to the world. Yesterday morning, I had company. The backdoor, at Will and Jennys' home has a small porch. What a pleasant surprise to find the bunny that lives under the garden shed, stretched out, like "he owned the joint", on the porch! As soon as he saw me, he sat up like a statue. I was very quiet and eased back in the door, so as not to frighten him, further. I smiled at the thought of him, traveling up the seven steps to the door outside of the kitchen.

    The morning was "picture perfect". The sky was bright, and the grass was greener, on both sides of the fence. There was a cool breeze, that reminded me of early May. I was anxious for Lyla to wake, so we could be on "our merry way" along the streets of the riverside village.

    One of my first missions, was to visit Miss Thelma, with Lyla. I did not take a basket of strawberries this time. Instead, I concocted a large pitcher of "orange ade". Lyla does not care for orange ade, and so I thought we could make amends quite easily. I also, did not allow Lyla, to think for a moment, that the orange ade belonged to her. Lyla was there to observe the transaction. I am happy to say, things went along nicely and I left without the need to apologize.

    Lyla is saying all sorts of things these days. She will attempt anything she hears. A few weeks ago, Lyla said "I love you" to her Papi. Since then, we have all been hoping we were next. I have begged and pleaded, several times daily. I am in the habit anyway of saying "I love you to her" dozens of times a day. She smiles sweetly and will often wrap her little arms around me, at such times, and I know that means, "I love you, too." On our stroll, a cat that looks like my "Moon Shine" came out as usual, to greet us. Lyla said "Hi" and waved as she always does. When we said goodbye, Lyla called out, "Bye . . I love you!" I had to laugh aloud at that. The cat was not fazed and waltzed back to the shade.

    We came back at lunch. Will comes home most everyday. He declares this a "perk" of working close to home . . . and it surely is. Will is a good father and a good son. After lunch, I tried to convince Lyla that pulling the spent canes from the long row of lilies was fun. She however, decided early on, that exploring the lane, alongside the house was a better use of her time. Untethered from a stroller, or my hand, she wandered about, making my work slow. I did not have the heart to stop her, as I wandered lanes half of my life, as a child . . and I have never been sorry for that.

    After my task was completed and I had coaxed Lyla back inside the fenced back yard, we set off again-this time to rivers' edge. There is a wonderful grassy area where one can sit as long as they please, in the presence of the Pasquotank river, that I call the laughing river. I just could not pass up a cool day in June with a blue cloudless sky, overhead. It seemed sinful, not to be outside.

    It is a short walk to the "meadow " by the river. The river was as smooth as glass. The laughing river only giggled on the occasion of a passing boat. I, who price things like mustard and buy most clothes second hand, felt like a millionaire, at that moment by the river . . .because, in that moment I was. I was as content as a person can be. Lyla and I sat there in silence. We often do that by the river. Sometimes, after a while, we will look at one another and smile. Words just do not seem necessary on the banks of a river. Lyla got drowsy and so I started for home. She was asleep when I reached the yard. Jenny was on the porch and so we opted to let Lyla nap in the cool shade of a a grove of young trees. A pair of cardinals were quite curious about this and lingered on the lowest branch peering at the sleeping child. They cocked their heads from one side to the other a few times-and then flew off without any further ado.

    Jenny had put a roast in the slow cooker for supper. I fixed potato salad, the only way that Will likes it-with bacon , garlic , cheese and sour cream, so it really is a far cry from "potato salad". We had squash too . It was a nice hearty meal and a a good conclusion to a mostly uneventful day . . unless you remember that, a little wild rabbit slept on the back porch, and a little girl, slept in the shade , in the company of cardinals.

    Dear sweet rabbit patch diary, I was glad for this day. I am glad for the blue sky to walk beneath and the cool breeze that blew. I am glad for little shady lanes and grassy meadows by rivers. I am glad Miss Thelma got her orange ade without having to battle . . . and I am glad for Lyla, who loves cats.