Chapter Six

Santina and I are like the oyster who, assessing the lump that's invaded the living room, tries to recollect the grit that got it there. And the mind has an amazing capacity to create experience at the hint of evidence.

Our house construction problems are rapidly devolving into legal problems -- all hinging from an early revision to our building contract. On the revision the promised delivery was changed from 180 days to 365 days, which came as a shock when the contractor sprung it on us a week ago. And since the bank the contractor guided us to requires completion of construction within 120 days of their loan, the contractor gets to sit on his hands and let the clock wind down. And when it does the bank calls the loan (takes the house), the contractor is left with any of our money not spent, and we're out of luck. None of this good.

So the question I have is whether in fact we did notice they'd altered the maximum time, and whether I did not notify them of the error at the time; on an email address that I can no longer access. Funny how this aging mind goes from complete blank to vague recollection to the certainty of what I was wearing and who the Red Sox were playing on that fateful day. What, indeed, are we to believe?