Chapter 2: Diversions (Norman Owens)
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2016 2:26 pm
Boston 19th November, 9.00am
As the rain pelts against the window of his cheap boarding house in Charlestown, Norman Owens regards the street outside. He has been in Boston for 3 months, waiting for news of when he will be joining Professor Putnam’s next expedition to do fieldwork with the Cree of James Bay in the Canadian north. During the time, he has been using the university library to read up on previous studies of the Cree, their language and the local environment.
Despite keeping busy with research, he is restless, and longs to be out in the solitude of the wilderness, breathing the clean air. He has never really enjoyed the bustle of Boston, and cannot wait to leave. Ideally he would have never have left Finland, but he knows deep down that he will not return there. The fighting between the Reds and Whites and the schism it caused, setting families and friends against each other has poisoned the place for him. So, now he must think of the future and the opportunities it presents. But commissions for conducting exploring have not been in great supply as of late, although things are now starting to recover after the upheaval of the war and the influenza pandemic.
He's excited about visiting the Cree, but knows that he'll need to leave soon. He is existing on a small grant from the university until the expedition starts, and he has very little disposable income. This, combined with a lack of friends and dislike of the city, means that his only outlet is research and preparation, and so he is becoming a little bored and frustrated. He could contact his parents for funds, but it could mean to them vindication of their view that his best future lays in helping with the family business concerns back in Washington. So that is no course of action.
As he is lost in his thoughts, he doesn't hear the ringing of the telephone in the entrance hall downstairs, and almost doesn't hear the knocking of his landlady, telling him Professor Putnam is on the phone.
The Professor usually saves his conversation for their meetings at the university - he rushes downstairs hoping finally to hear the news he has been waiting for.
"Hello Professor!' Norman is almost breathless. "I'm like a big kid!" He thinks to himself.
"Ah Norman! Good morning to you!" comes the professors calm and measured tones. "I have some good news for you, but it won't exactly be what you're wanting to hear, so let me apologise in advance if I've got your hopes up unduly. Our grant has been approved, but due to university bureaucracy it won't be available until late next month, so we can't purchase our supplies until the new year. However my friend, we will definitely be leaving in January".
As the rain pelts against the window of his cheap boarding house in Charlestown, Norman Owens regards the street outside. He has been in Boston for 3 months, waiting for news of when he will be joining Professor Putnam’s next expedition to do fieldwork with the Cree of James Bay in the Canadian north. During the time, he has been using the university library to read up on previous studies of the Cree, their language and the local environment.
Despite keeping busy with research, he is restless, and longs to be out in the solitude of the wilderness, breathing the clean air. He has never really enjoyed the bustle of Boston, and cannot wait to leave. Ideally he would have never have left Finland, but he knows deep down that he will not return there. The fighting between the Reds and Whites and the schism it caused, setting families and friends against each other has poisoned the place for him. So, now he must think of the future and the opportunities it presents. But commissions for conducting exploring have not been in great supply as of late, although things are now starting to recover after the upheaval of the war and the influenza pandemic.
He's excited about visiting the Cree, but knows that he'll need to leave soon. He is existing on a small grant from the university until the expedition starts, and he has very little disposable income. This, combined with a lack of friends and dislike of the city, means that his only outlet is research and preparation, and so he is becoming a little bored and frustrated. He could contact his parents for funds, but it could mean to them vindication of their view that his best future lays in helping with the family business concerns back in Washington. So that is no course of action.
As he is lost in his thoughts, he doesn't hear the ringing of the telephone in the entrance hall downstairs, and almost doesn't hear the knocking of his landlady, telling him Professor Putnam is on the phone.
The Professor usually saves his conversation for their meetings at the university - he rushes downstairs hoping finally to hear the news he has been waiting for.
"Hello Professor!' Norman is almost breathless. "I'm like a big kid!" He thinks to himself.
"Ah Norman! Good morning to you!" comes the professors calm and measured tones. "I have some good news for you, but it won't exactly be what you're wanting to hear, so let me apologise in advance if I've got your hopes up unduly. Our grant has been approved, but due to university bureaucracy it won't be available until late next month, so we can't purchase our supplies until the new year. However my friend, we will definitely be leaving in January".