View From Over the Hill

Vikki Hilton has moved onOne of the hardest things for me to do is visit a terminally ill friend. This is mostly because I am afraid that I won’t say the right thing to help my friend on their way. I recently visited my friend of 30-some years, Vikki Hilton, at her daughter’s home on the Mills Road. I wore my black habit and pastoral cross. I was ushered into Vikki’s room, where she was lying propped up on pillows with her large family seated around her.

Well, it ended up with Vikki comforting me with words full of positive, hopeful content.

She was obviously drugged heavily for her pain, but her mind was clear and her face smiling and welcoming. This was a happy place and moment.

Then Walter came into the room, gave me a long, sincere hug, and then went and crawled into bed with Vikki, put his arms around her, lay his head on her shoulder, and closed his eyes. It was very touching to see this couple so obviously still in love after all these years. We will all need to nurture Walter now that she is gone.

I first met the Hiltons when I produced “Guys and Dolls” for the community theater some 30 years ago. Vikki auditioned and I assigned her to the Hot Box Girls. I am sending along a photo of Vikki and Ellie Busby peddling their wares on Main Street in Damariscotta.

I arranged for Chief George Hutchings to stop the traffic while he made a very public arrest of my two ladies of the street. It was a big publicity success and we played to packed houses.

I could go on and on with a recitation of her many virtues, but most of you already know the things about Vikki Hilton that will keep her alive in so many hearts.

I am going to town to deliver this to the paper and to visit Walter, who I understand is holding office hours at McDonald’s this morning. Then I am going to get a haircut for Vikki’s services. I know I will see half the town there to pay tribute to this wonderful friend.

(Doug Wright lives over Head Tide Hill in Whitefield.)