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For over fifty years, the Victoria’s Day
weekend has been the date set aside for the official opening of the Moodie
Cottage. The date had been selected by Mom, Mary Celia, and her parents before
her, as the earliest date to cross the lake, open, and connect the water pump without
fear of a hard frost, and the opening almost always went well. In May of 2006, however,
the younger generation, David and Celia Jean, together with their spouses, came
to Sesekinika to open the cottage and their experience connecting the water
proved to be a trying and frustrating one. Several days of work in miserable
weather, and a lot of help from Andy Beaudoin (referred to below as St. Andrew
of the Mine) finally resulted in an operating water system. In retrospect of
their week dealing with water pumps, Celia Jean’s husband, Doug Topping, wrote
of their trials in the form of the following document or scroll from long ago:
The Book of the Flowing Waters
Now it came to pass in those
days that the annual pilgrimage of the foremothers was decreed. And David and
his sister went forth, with their spouses trailing after. And they followed the
northern star beyond the Wilderness of Tema-gami to the nether regions of the watershed
as had been their ancient custom during the Festival of the Birthday of the Long
Dead Queen. And this journey was accomplished in order to make plans for the creation
of a summer work site. And as part of these plans, they set about to cause the
flowing of the waters.
But the wrath of the Gods was
upon them, and the Gods set out to test the people to the core of their souls.
And sheets of rain and torrential winds were cast upon the people on the first
day, and no work could be accomplished.
Now on the second day, the people
labored long and hard, and they cried out for help, and lo, St. Andrew of the Mine
appeared and gave them assistance. But though they labored from sunrise to
sunset and many wrenches were used, there was no water, and the people beat
their breasts and rent their clothes asunder. And thus ended the second day.
And the Gods conspired in the
night following the second day, and they said, let us bring ice and snow to
these people, and tiny flying black beasts out of season in order to anger and
frustrate them, and it was so. And on the third day the ice and snow came from
the skies unabated, and they were as at an ocean, because they could not see
the mainland shore. And yet the waters did not flow even though the people followed
the holy writings, edicts, laws, and parental directives. They made seven, yea,
seventy times seven attempts, and all their efforts yielded only the dust of
the earth. And the ability of the pump driving the flowing waters was
questioned. And the people wept and gnashed their teeth, and the sun departed
from the third day.
Now on the fourth day, it was
seen by midday that there would be no relief for the people from their
trials. And St Andrew spirited forth the Pump of Methuselah, so named because
of its great age; and though the pump was from the sacred Mount of Trash, the
Gods said, we will let this pump do according to its design, for after four
days the people still have nothing to drink. And the people were given small
amounts of flowing water. And they rejoiced exceedingly for this small kindness.
And on the fifth day, the
people went to the marketplace known as Kirkland of the Disappearing Lake, and they took with them sacks of loons for barter, and
spake there with the traders in the stalls, and they bought a new pump from
them for the delivery of flowing water. And on the sixth day, a man came from
the wilderness of Ramore, and he was trained in bringing about the transport of
water. This man worked during the rising of the sun, and during the attacks of
the small black flying beasts of the air. And there was flowing water between the
twelfth and thirteenth hours of the sixth day. And there was great rejoicing
among the people.
But not all that occurred on
this journey was trial and tribulation, for during these hardships, the people were
blessed with flowing electrons in the wires of their abode, and were warmed by
fires of their own making. And the people ate well. Knowing there would be neither
manna nor fatted calves on their chosen island, they brought with them great
feasts: lasagna and casserole, cole slow and bananas and strong tea from the
orient. And they sat before the fire and told stories of old. And on the sixth
day they celebrated the flowing of water with strong drink, in the form of
Mike’s hard lemonade. And they were satisfied.
But to keep the people humble
and fearful of what might befall them, the Gods gathered together and decreed
that there would be no TV for the people. They called upon obscure rules and
enlisted the help of the Mother of the Bell, and the people were denied access to the
satellite-stars of the sky. And this continued for eight full days, even unto
the end of the journey of the people. And the people cried out and they donned
sackcloth and ashes, for they were denied, yea, even one minute of Stanley Cup
hockey.
And these are the writings
that have been written in the Book of the Flowing Waters. THE END
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