Hello Everyone,
My name is Judy Jones, I'm a Hospice Volunteer and was lucky enough to meet John and his small team of crazy volunteer social workers, and then met Miss Bernice.
I lost my husband Sammy Jones, Jr to Asbestos Cancer two years ago, and my oldest daughter had moved away and I was rotting away with my old dog butch (he died in may at age 16) and my memories were tearing me apart.
John reached out to me because my sadness meant my kids didn't come over and I had been told politely that they wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving without me - as I'd brought a date once and they were appalled. One daughter in law was kind enough to tell me (I'm 50 now) that "isn't it kind of gross for you to be going out with these old men, I mean, shouldn't you just accept that Sammie is dead? He KISSED you for God's sake and I almost puked. NEVER bring a man here again.)
She's young and dumb and pretty and hates me and her and my son steal from me when I am away and took my tiller - no garden this year. OH BOY DID THAT CHANGE.
Miss Bernice at 92 was sharp as a tack but had lost her sight, her ability to choose words (a rare brain disease) and was like an Alzheimer's person but she KNEW how to live but her brain just was keeping her from even writing her name, yet she was so bright she was a teacher and helped build a city during the war so quickly that they were able to build the atom bomb sooner because of her and her "girls" (she ran a part of a huge company for building houses for atom bomb people in Tennessee).
My mother died not long enough ago that I don't still cry. I am a person who would be dead (or better off dead) today because of her. She welcomed me, and I simply turned away. Her son - disabled and unable to do so many things yet helping people for her and welcoming anyone and everyone who asked into their beautiful huge home, wasn't even aware how far over the limit of his own great strength he had gone.
I didn't ask - I'm an old country girl and grew up without indoor plumbing. I loaded up the Taurus and moved right on in. Heck, they have more bathrooms then my house I grew up in had rooms. And John is a great man but a lousy housekeeper - Miss B's part was clean and neat - and the rest of this big mansion looked and smelled like an old bachelor who liked to roast goats in buckets of beer had somehow eaten a dead skunk and forgot where he put the dead part.
I was on a mission. The bank and Medicaid were taking the house me and Sammie built and to hell be their wanting me to sit and help them. They got my house - but here's the miracle. Miss B made John promise to give me part of theirs.... because one year later....
John and I told the world, we are old fools at 50 and he's a Catholic with a divorce, but his priest said it's OK and he asked me to MARRY HIM.
So I just wanted to let John help me tell a true miracle, and if my back don't break and John doesn't burn the place down with his crazy lighters and those cigarette smoking people with booze on their breath who are homeless or ill or just downright to down on their luck to quit taking pills he helps make a choice.... if they don't beat me to it.
That big house on Palisade Drive - a Mansion, is now MY HOME and September 9th 2009 I am becoming officially one half of this: The Honorable Colonel and Mrs John Edward Redbear Jones-Hubertz. He's even an Indian and I'm half Indian and I know the old ways - and John can shoot a rat and cut down a tree but he's a city boy. He said he decided to marry me when I told him to work less and fish more.
I knew he didn't know how.
Of course like everything else he is a genius and a city boy and he has OUTFISHED ME every trip to Jerry's pond and we cried there a few times.... for Miss B.
Believe in miracles folks - I am one.
Mrs John Hubertz (in two days :), but right now I'm still just
Mrs. Judy Ann (Keezer) Jones
Mother, Hospice Worker and the Housekeeper at 2816 Palisade Drive
Fort Wayne Indiana, 46806
(note from John)
She scares me - I'm smart and know how to fish and can make ball lightning or build a kite out of tree bark, or write a book about science.... she hardly had a school to go to but she is WISE.
So I'll shut up but I'm crying now as she knew and loved my Mom and saved us all. Isn't she great? She's going to be my WIFE!
JH Fort Wayne Indiana sept 09
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