mosses monday III

(my mosses' crooked little fingers)

finally, after all the craziness of the early evening had come to a conclusion, ida looked over at me and asked if i wanted anything from the cafeteria. 
"no, thank you; i'm fine," i replied.

"i'll be right back then," ida said.

"take your time," i smiled at my new friend.

i sat at the side of mosses bed with my book, the grapes of wrath, in my lap... listening to the c-pap machine force air into his lungs. he seemed very at peace unlike previous hospitalizations. he was still, his arms lying at his side. i had covered up and tucked him in with katherine's pink and white gingham, flannel baby blanket i had brought from home...

i had fallen madly in love with this man over the many years i'd been blessed to have spent with him...

our love wasn't a romantic kind of love-  at.all. (meester berrong has my market cornered on THAT kind of love!)
no, the love i felt for my mosses... i cannot even describe other than to just say it was undeniable, unconditional, deep, and reciprocated.

as i looked at him, i knew in my heart i wasn't going to have him for much longer. i reached over and took his crippled hand with his crooked, little fingers into my hand and crawled up on the bed next to him. 
i whispered in his ear,  "it's alright, mosses. you can go.  you don't have to fight anymore..." (my mosses was struggling and suffering.)

i was still sitting on the side of his bed when ida returned with her dinner.

she sat down, bowed her head to say grace over her meal, and began to eat.

it was as she was eating she looked over at me. i was still holding mosses hand.  she said, "he loves you like a granddaughter..."

"i know," i replied. "i love him, too."

"you could be his granddaughter?" she was prodding.

"no, if you'd ever seen my dad, you would know i am drury through and through," i smiled at ida.

ida was a petite woman with dark skin and very dark hair and eyes. she was in her mid 50's i thought. ida had lived a hard life (she told me so). she also told me she had once nearly died and had heard the voice of God. the incident had changed her life forever. ida was a servant of the Lord. 
she was also a servant to mosses. she treated him like a king! in a very short time,  i had grown to love ida for that.

"well, i HAVE seen pictures of mr. moss' son, mike, and you look just like him," she stated matter-of-factly between bites of food.

i just smiled and assured her it wasn't so.

"i don't know," she got the last word in rather sing-songy.

that was the first time anyone had ever been bold enough to say it.
~@~
(in loving memory of my friend, ida)

Ida Mae Sawyer Gee

Services for Ida Mae Sawyer Gee, 61, Henderson, who died Sunday, will be at 11 a.m. today at Benton-Glunt Funeral Home. The Rev. A.G. Winters will officiate. Burial will be in Fernwood Cemetery.

Friends may call after 10 a.m. today at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Murray Carter, Zach Stone, Ronnie Williams, Randy Bentley, Chuck Gee and Josh Gee. (courtesy of the henderson gleaner)

(to be continued...)

love and God's blessings,
dani xx
ps you will find earlier entries in ascending order on my side bar entitled, "our love story":)