1- The Glass Room 2- The Spirit Stone -3-bear Hugs-4- Believe (11 page)

He knew Gail was coming to visit with him. She always brought the baby with her. She knew how much that little bundle of joy meant to him. He was waiting.

Anna was sitting on one of the sofas watching the football game. Gail passed in the lunch room then the living room looking for her father-in-law when she saw Anna. She had to look twice. She walked up to her.

“Miss Anna, is that you? I haven’t seen you in a while. Are you here to visit someone?”

“Gail, how nice to see you. That’s your little baby?”

“Yes, she is only three months old now and a handful.”

“May I hold her? She is so beautiful. What is her name?”

“Emily Jane.”

“Emily, that was Jimmy’s wife’s name.”

“Yes, he named her.”

”Did he see her yet?”

“Oh, yes. He loves to visit with her.”

“Is he in Picayune?”

“Yes, he came home.”

“Alone?”

“Yes, alone. Miss Anna, are you a patient here?”

“Why yes, I am. It wasn’t good for me to live alone with my heart condition.”

“Are you feeling alright now?”

“Yes, this is one of my good days.”

“Would you mine holding the baby for just a little while?”

“No, I would be happy to hold her.”

“Here is her bottle if she starts crying. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

She ran down to room 16 and saw her father-in-law looking out the window.

“You didn’t bring Emily?”

“Dad, I want to ask you something. Do you know anyone here, besides your roommate?”

“No, that is all.”

“I am ashamed to tell you this, but you need to know the truth. Your sons lied to you. Remember when they told you Miss Anna had a new man in her life. And at the same time I thought they were telling the truth so I believed them. They wanted me to tell Miss Anna that you weren’t coming home because you found someone you loved up north.”

“Wait a minute. You told Anna that I met someone I loved and wasn’t coming home?”

“Dad, they lied to me. They told me to tell Miss Anna that. I believed them. You know I wouldn’t have told her that if I knew it was a lie. She got so sick when I told her that an ambulance had to get her and bring her to the emergency room. They kept her there for weeks. She couldn’t bear to lose you. And I am the one that told her because I didn’t think Bill would lie to me and make me tell her. I’m sorry, Dad.”

“And JD told me Anna met someone new and he was living with her and that was that a lie, too? I didn’t want to live without her. And she thought I had someone else and didn’t love her anymore. How cruel can my sons be to destroy both of us?”

“I want you to meet a patient here. Will you come with me now?”

“If it is important to you than I will.”

She hurried and pushed him into the living room section. His eyes couldn’t believe who he was seeing. “Anna, is that you? Are my eyes deceiving me? You are holding my granddaughter. It must be you.”

“Jimmy, I thought you weren’t coming home because you found someone up north.”

“I never even looked at another woman up there. I never want anyone but you. But I was told you have another man in your life. My sons plotted that lie to keep us apart. Anna, my love, to think of all the sleepless nights I spent thinking of you with someone else. I couldn’t bear it. And now I find out you have been alone. Gail just told me they lied to her and put her up to telling you that I had someone else.”

“I never did have another man in my life. I never wanted anyone but you. I could never love any man the way I love you.”

Gail pushed the wheelchair closer to Anna. She took the baby from her. Anna got up and hugged him. “Oh, Jimmy, I waited for you all that time. All I ever wanted after you left was for you to come home and stay with me. Not anyone else, just you. I love you so much and to think that all that time, you loved me; only me. Oh, my love. Am I dreaming? Are you still in love with me?”

“I will always be in love with you, never doubt my love for you. It is endless. You are forever mine, oh how happy that makes me.”

They couldn’t let go of each other. They had what they had wished for all these long months. “Anna, are you a patient here?”

“Yes, it is my heart, but I will be alright now that the stress I have been feeling is gone. You are here with me. And you, you are trembling again. Several times I felt you trembling. What is it that makes that happen to you?”

“I have Parkinson Disease. I have medicine that helps me some.”

“To think we are both patients here and didn’t know it. Thanks to Gail, we are together again.”

“I have so much I want to tell you about what has been going on in my life. Will you listen?”

“I will always listen to you. Remember my willingness to listen when we first met? It still stands true.”

Chapter Fifteen
 

From then on, they were inseparateable. He spent more time in her room than his own. He told her part of the reason he was here is because he could not feed himself with his hands shaking so much.

“They feed me and I have to drink out of this baby cup. I hope I don’t embarrass you.”

“You would never embarrass me and from now on, I will feed you. I will be happy to do that for you, my love.” And she did feed him, very patiently, and in-between the spoonfuls, she kissed him. “You are forever mine.”

“And mine”, he said.

She pushed him around this whole building, and especially to the glass room. Everyone knew where to find them on full moon nights. Anna would help him get from the wheelchair to the padded cushions on the sofa; where she sat next to him. She would lower her head to his shoulder while his arm encircled her. His hand was trembling as he held on to her, but it didn’t matter. It was his hand, the hand that she loves and he was here with her at last.

It was on one of these nights that Bill decided to visit his dad. He saw them nestled together and thought, what a fool I was not to realize the true love his dad felt. He felt ashamed of his actions. He knew he was wrong. I can tell him I am sorry, but JD was also a part of this deception and he can’t tell him
he
is sorry. Where there is true love, it will always find a way. They didn’t know he was there. He didn’t want to disturb their moment of shared love. He finally left. He couldn’t face them, not now, maybe never. Time will tell.

“My love, remember we are still engaged. I gave you an engagement ring. He held her hand and placed his finger over the ring he gave her. “You are still wearing the engagement ring.”

“It is my way of holding on to our love.”

“Will you marry me now?”

“Yes, I will happily marry you.”

The wedding plans were being made by Lilly and Gail and her friends that worked at Roseland. Of course Anna helped as much as she could. Lilly took her shopping for her wedding dress. She decided on an off-white, full length, form fitting, satin gown with lace collar and sleeves. She also chose a shoulder length veil to top it off. She and Lilly was very pleased with their choice.

Jimmy wanted his son, Bill, to help him in his wardrobe, but because he did not want to have anything to do with the wedding, Jake helped him. He already owned the suit he wanted to wear. Because he was born and raised in Texas, he wanted to wear his favorite western cut suit and white cowboy hat.

A white sofa that was in the living room at Roseland was decorated with white balloons and white, silk streamers. Two large planters that held Magnolias were placed at each end of the sofa where the bride and groom were to sit to receive their wedding vows. A wedding cake was made by the cooks that work there; besides white frosted cup cakes for all the patients. The preacher they chose is the same one that visits and preaches to the people living there. The piano was already there in the living area and the song that they chose was “Forever Mine”. It was their favorite song that told of their love for each other. It would be sung by Gail who had a beautiful singing voice. Both Jimmy and Anna had chosen Gail to be the Maid of Honor and Bill to be Best Man, but because they weren’t sure he would be there, they had Jake for a back up. Carnation boutonnieres were for the men with a bouquet of carnations for the Maid of Honor. Anna’s bridal bouquet was white magnolias surrounded by lace. Little sandwiches were made there by the cooks which would be easy for the patients to eat also. Everything was arranged.

“What can I give you for your wedding present, Anna?”

“Get me a silk wedding night gown that is sexy.”

“You are trusting me to get you a nightgown that is sexy? Wait and see what I choose for you.”

“Lilly, I said sexy, not naughty. Okay?”

“Okay, I’ll behave myself. I will get you a beautiful long silky white gown.”

They were both so excited. This is the day they dreamed of; the day that would make them man and wife. Bill walked in his dad’s room just on time to help him dress. “You look good for an old man,” Bill said.

”I’m glad you came, son.”

He did look so handsome in his western outfit; hat and all. A lady from the church played the wedding march and as Anna walked out of her room toward Jimmy, he had to take a hard swallow. She looked like an angel to him, so beautiful, it took his breath away for a moment. She sat next to him on the sofa and as they held hands, Gail sang their song, “Forever Mine.” The preacher then went through the ritual wedding vow sermon and finished with, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.” Their kiss was just a loving short one with a promise of what was to come when they went to Anna’s room.

“I now want to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. James Dennis Williams.”

Happiness overflowed at Roseland. Even the patients that weren’t aware of what was going on felt that something magical just took place.

When Lilly got Anna off my herself, she handed her her wedding gift. Anna opened it and it was something a harlot would wear.

“Lilly you know I am not going to wear this on my special night.”

“Just kidding, here is your wedding nightgown.” It was exactly what she wanted; long, silk, white and captivating.

“It is beautiful. Thanks.”

“Now have fun and make up for all that lost time together. One more thing, since you both are going to stay in your room, shouldn’t you bring something in the room to eat and drink?”

“Yes, I forgot? Would you bring us a plate of grilled cheese sandwiches and a bottle of white grape juice? Oh, and two champagne glasses.”

“Grilled cheese sandwiches?”

“Yes, we are going to celebrate our love. Thanks.”

With the permission of the nursing home, a double wide bed that each side could be moved to different positions was placed in the Anna’s private room that they would share. It was their wedding present from Bill and Gail.

Finally they were alone. Jimmy took her in his arms. “I wish my hands weren’t shaking so much. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“She picked up his hands and kissed them. I love you; all of you even your hands. Don’t worry.”

“Do you remember the first time we made love how anxious I was? That’s how I feel now.”

“Me too.”

They had waited so long for each other. Their need was so powerful to fulfill their love, that it ignited all sense of urgency and craving by each move, each touch, each kiss.

Jimmy said, “Now you are mine.”

“Forever mine,” Anna said. “No one can ever separate us again.”

They laid together, holding each other to make sure they were not dreaming. Anna spoke first, “Are you hungry? I have our grilled cheese sandwiches to celebrate our love?”

“Yes, that is what I need now.”

“Lay there, I will feed you and pour us each a glass, not of champagne, but white grape juice. I will hold the glass for you. It will be our toast. I love you so much, Jimmy. I couldn’t be happier than I am right now.”

“That’s how I feel. Now I feel complete at last.”

They were inseparable. When you saw one, there was the other. She fed him, gladly; she even brushed his teeth for him and shaved him. She helped him dress. Anything he could not do for himself, she did. She pushed him all around this whole building and even to their favorite room, the glass room. She was telling him about the red birds that she loved to watch. They were gone now to her dismay.

When Gail brought Emily Jane to visit, they both were elated. Anna never had a baby of her own, but now she enjoyed her as much as if she belonged to her.

One day when Lilly and Jake came to visit, she asked her if she would buy a honey coated bird seeds in the shape of a bell and to hang it in the Sycamore Tree close by the window in the glass room. She was happy when the day came for her to hang it in the tree. Weeks passed and not any bird found it, but then one day when she and Jimmy was looking outside in the glass room, she saw the female red bird eating of the sweet seeds then flying away.

“She’s hiding it from her friends.” she told him. Then days later they watched when the female bird brought her male friend and had him stay on a lower branch. She would fly to the sweet bell and bite off a piece of seeds and bring it to him and put it in his mouth. She was feeding him. Everyday from then on she would feed him the sweet seeds as they watched.

On this day Jimmy was telling Anna that he didn’t feel well. She gave him his medicine and said, “I know what will make you feel better. She pushed him to the glass room and lifted him from the wheelchair to the padded cushions on the sofa. She sat on side of him resting her head on his shoulder as he had his arm around her. It was a closeness they loved.

Back in the nurse’s station, the nurses were putting the medicine in each little cup to be brought to the patients. One of them noticed the white pill in the cup. “Alma, you didn’t give Ms. Anna her heart medicine?”

“I thought I did. Oh, she has got to have her medicine.”

As the two lovebirds, Anna and Jimmy, sat on the sofa, arm in arm they were watching the female feeding the male. After they both ate, the two red birds remained sitting on the limb.

Jimmy was having trouble breathing. It alarmed her and even though she felt the pangs in her chest, she was more concerned about him. Just when she picked up the alarm to call for help, she heard him take his last breath while at the same time, his body stopped shaking. His hands went limp. Just then the male red bird flew to the glass window looking in. She hurried and put the alarm buzzer down for her chest pain became unbearable.