Baldwin

Conni Berns

April 24, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oma had worked for years with my Mom as a secretary, and joined her in Eagle Bay for many summers.  She had the green room, or middle room (number 2).  She had an active correspondence with many relatives and friends around the world, so she insisted on a desk where she kept all kinds of writing supplies in the dining hall.

She always sent her mail air mail, and either my brother, Tyll, or I would have to personally go to the post office to mail her letters and request the proper stamps.  Her list would read something like
this,
5- 23 cent stamps
6-14 cent stamps
4 international exchange coupons 1.50 each
total 7.99.  I will give you 8.00 so I get back 1 cent.

Tyll and I hated going to the post office, mainly because she would recite the note to us, and when we returned ask us how many letters we mailed (so we didn’t drop any on the way), and make us wait while she counted the change.  One summer she noticed a chipmunk hanging around the cabin.  They were always a problem, getting into the bedding and food over the winter, so that we put everything into mothballs, and steel garbage cans.   She ordered Tyll to buy some peanuts.   She began to feed the chipmunk.  This little chipmunk was special to her, and one day she told us his name was Baldwin.

“How do you know it is a he,” we asked.

“I just know,” was the answer.

The chipmunk got bolder as the summer went on, coming into the kitchen for its peanut.   The chipmunk would fill its pouches with peanuts, and scurry off.   Soon Oma had it coming to her foot as she sat at her writing desk, which she did for hours each day.   You see, she did not whip off a letter in haste.   She meticulously penned a letter with handwriting that ressembled caligraphy.   She used onion skin paper, so the weight of the letter was minimal and she could write more.   She wrote to each relative in Germany in her close and extended family, her son in South Africa, her daughter in Oregon, her sister-in-law and family in Arizona, et cetera.  The summer ended, and we all knew Baldwin was all set for the winter with a large stockpile of food.

The next summer we all wondered what would happen with the chipmunk.   Sure enough, Oma sat at her desk, and Baldwin arrived to get his treat.  Only this time he started climbing up onto the top,
to look down on what she was writing.  She fed him out of her hand in between sentences.   She enjoyed her time writing and feeding Baldwin.   I know we have pictures of them at the desk.   Another
summer, and another, and STILL Baldwin came to visit.   And then one summer, the inevitible.  No Baldwin.  At All. 

The next summer we did see another chipmunk.   Oma was hopeful it might be Baldwin, but she knew right away it was not.   She knew HER friend Baldwin.   But something was strange about this little chipmunk.   Oma wanted to feed it, and it started to come to her, as had Baldwin.   She had Tyll buy peanuts, and put them out.  Sure enough, she started to tame this second chipmunk, and it came
into the kitchen.   She also named this one.   She always felt it was a messanger sent by Baldwin, so she named her Baldwina.

“How do you know its a girl?”, we asked.

 ”I just know,” she answered.

Oma saw Baldwina in the yard at the end of the summer with some baby chipmunks, she thought Baldwina wanted her to see.   Baldwina did not return the next summer.