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There was a deeply sentimental side to him that rarely showed. Indeed, in my own memory I can’t remember of any instances at the moment where he showed genuine affection and love for someone, other than stereotyped hugs and kisses with his wife. Perhaps he repressed, buried, concealed, hid or whatever this part of him becuase of traumas he experienced as a kid when he revealed his emotions and affections. That is the only thing I can guess and there is no basis for that, other that to remember hearing that his grandfather was a hard man, and to remember that his dad pretty much told him he was on his own. What Sam said was, You get into trouble alone, and you get out of trouble alone.” That’s an admirable theory I know but when push comes to shove, the kid needs someone on his side and he had no one. Also note that my mom finally refused to visit Leamington any more because she was tired of hearing the town folk tell her again and again how terrible Alvin’s mom had been what a mean person she was. I suppose those things do give a glimmer at why he was so closed and constipated about showing love.
But he showed it to his wife sometimes. One of the best experessions of his affecton is this poem written in the last 2 years of his life in anticipation of his death. It is sentimental and old fashioned but that was his world. It is well to remember that he married her 1 month after she turned 18 so her entire adult life was spent with him, in service to him. I don’t know of another person who dedicated herself to a person like she did. When he died, she gave up living and wasted away in a nursing home, longing for the time “When they will come and tell her it’s time to go to Jim”. She would have wept with joy.
The last line refers to her love of flowers which produced a remarkable array of pots and flowers in her front yard which also attracted visitors who had heard about it.
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