Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Happy Endings

"Knock Knahhhh-ock," Linda sings from the doorway as a nurse passes by her with a bouquet of flowers.

Aunt Nancy stands to read the card; "Glad you're healing -- will come by after my shift. Ralph."

I take a moment to look at the flowers, they're beautiful. Purple, pink, and white Lillies fill the air with a sweet perfume. The room becomes more peaceful.

As Aunt Nancy places the flowers on the table beside my bed, I turn my attention towards Linda who is hovering in the archway.

"Is it ok if we come in for a sec?" she asks. I still have no idea who is in the hall. I drink from my water glass and nod that it's alright for whomever to come in. Linda steps inside to allow Mikey to enter. A moment later his frazzled mother enters behind him and plunks in a chair near the window. I don't like her energy. It's charged. Stressful. Toxic.

"Come here," I say to Mikey and motion for him to feel free to take a seat on the edge of the bed, which he does. His mother begins to speak for him, "He wanted to come by and say thank you -- and that he has something for you." she says in a huff.

I don't like this woman.

"How are you?" I ask Mikey who seems a little shy under the circumstances. He shrugs, and then begins to speak.

"Thank you," he says quietly. I'm not exactly sure what he's thanking me for -- but I receive it because I know it was important for him to say that to me.

He crouches a little bit closer and lays his head on my lap for a moment. My heart completely melts. I look over to his mother to exchange a look of 'how adorable' but she becomes agitated and snaps at him.

"Mikey, leave the poor lady alone. She's tired and needs her sleep. Come on!" she says and stands at the foot of the bed, extending her hand for him to take it.

"It was nice meeting you," I say to Mikey as he hops off the bed and walks obediently towards his mother. I try not to let her harshness bother me.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" says his mother as Mikey turns to dig into her bag and pull out something.

This room could use a little kid art...

"Oh my God!" I squeal and sit straight up. The pain sears through my right shoulder, but I ignore it. My heart practically leaps out of my chest.

"Where did you get that?!?!" I say, as Mikey walks towards me with my laptop. I reach out to grab it from him, and then with my free arm I try and give him the best hug that I can.

"I can't believe he grabbed it!" I say to everyone in the room. I'm so relieved. I will be able to finish my movie after all!

"Thank you so much, Mikey!" I say and give him a great big smile. I'm moved to tears.

"The lady told me to take it," he says.

I look to Linda who shrugs. She has no idea what he's talking about.

"The lady?" I ask him a little confused. The only person that he would have seen was Linda.

"The nice Spanish lady. She told me to take it for you." he says matter-of-fact.

Mikey's mother chastises him for telling stories, and then yanks him by the arm and begins to walk out the door.

"Kids," she says in a huff.

I ask her if she's alright, and she just glares at me. She's one of those people that never sees the blessings around her. I can tell that she is festering in anger; and it saddens me.

"I'm just glad that Mikey is ok," I say to her to see if she can rewire whatever negative thoughts are streaming through her angry veins. But she can't. Instead she comes back with a sharp comment about his 'son-of-a-bitch father'.

Her anger and resentment create a tiny abscess on her soul. As she storms out of the room harshly yanking her son's arm, a Caballos Demonios rises from the chair it was sitting in and follows behind her -- waiting for an opportunity to enter, should the abscess grow large enough. Consuela promptly shuffles over to the chair and furiously douses every inch of it with Lysol.

I laugh.

I look back down at my laptop -- the home of all my intentions and lean back in my bed breathing a great sigh of relief.

All is not lost.

My train of thought has been saved.

And, as Linda kisses me on the forehead and tells me she'll be by later with Benny; Aunt Nancy pours me another glass of water to help quench my new found insatiable thirst.

I can now finish my movie.

Everything is going to be fine.