1- The Glass Room 2- The Spirit Stone -3-bear Hugs-4- Believe
Read 1- The Glass Room 2- The Spirit Stone -3-bear Hugs-4- Believe Online
Authors: Beverly Machado
THE GLASS ROOM
THE SPIRIT STONE
BEAR HUGS
BELIEVE
BEVERLY MACHADO
AuthorHouse™
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These novels are a work of fiction. The people in these books are from the author’s imagination and does not reflect on any real person, living or dead. With the exception of The Glass Room and Believe, some of the locals are true but are used fictitiously..
© 2011 Beverly Machado. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.
Published by AuthorHouse 12/29/2011
ISBN: 978-1-4685-0574-0 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4685-0575-7 (e)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011961022
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Contents
DEDICATED TO:
MY FIRST AND SECOND DAUGHTERS
TO: MARIE
TO: CINDI
BEVERLY MACHADO
Memories
of happy times came flooding back in her mind as she sat next to the bed of her dying husband in the Roseland Personal Care Center. He made her laugh even when she thought there was no laugh in her. They had a good, long, marriage. Just months ago they celebrated their fortieth wedding anniversary. She was hoping this would be one of his good days where he was aware of his surroundings and recognizing her; but it wasn’t. As he sat in his wheelchair there at Roseland, the nurse’s aids tied white balloons around him. She wore her best dress and brought his western suit that was his favorite. A suit that was altered to fit him just right when he bought it, now hung loosely on his frail body.
Because he was always so particular in his appearance, in a way it was good that he could not realize his appearance now.
On the table beside the little white cup cakes was a wedding picture of the happy, handsome, newlyweds for everyone to see. That is to say, all the ones there in this home that was aware they were still part of this world. She kissed his cheek and tried to get him to take a taste of their celebration cup cake. The cooks made several trays of them with white icing for everyone there. When the ladies started fighting over the wedding picture thinking it was theirs, she had to put it away. If people only knew when they were young that their bodies would still function, but not their minds, or many in reverse, their minds would work, but not their bodies, how sad they would be.
She knew a lot of the nurses, the aids, the cooks, that worked there. They were part of her life for years. She took care of their children with their scraps and bruises while playing and rough-housing at school; doctored them up from their football practice. For the broken bones, they were sent across Goodyear Boulevard to the hospital, but the minor injuries, she was there to tend to them. She would wave to them at football games as her husband, Joe, the football coach, was pacing the field yelling and giving secret signals to his players.
They met and fell deeply in love in their college years in Poplarville. He was the quarterback of their team, the “Wildcats”. She was the head cheerleader. Life was wonderful back then. Love made their world bright and colorful. They were together as often as their schoolwork and extra practice allowed. They rode proudly in his ten year old car. She was especially proud of the rumble seat and sometimes they would let their friends drive so they could sit back there with the sky as their roof; the stars and moon being their light. Though little did they see them only between their kisses.
Their lives seemed shaped around the football field. She studied nursing. He studied athletics. When they graduated from college, they had the world by its tail. His first offer to coach came from the Picayune School District. It was to coach the Picayune Junior High football team. He was proud to be working at his passion in life.
She also received word that her application to be the school nurse at Picayune High School was accepted. She loved helping people and what better way than to nurse them back to health. She thought about working at the hospital across from the football field, but then her hours would not coincide with the football schedule. She loved being at all the home games; even took the long trips with the parents of the football players. Some of the people working at Roseland were part of the ones traveling on the school bus heading down long highways and back roads. One thing this football team needed to be proud of was the team spirit that the city boasted of deservingly.
Half of the city was on their way to all the football games no matter how far away they were. Some drove their cars; others rode in the school busses. Most of the times, the away team followers out-numbered the home team spectators. They certainly out howled them. Their school spirit wouldn’t be outdone. It was standing room only for their Quarterback Club meetings. More chairs had to be brought in. Ways to help the team were aired. She, Anna, along with some others made sandwiches for the players to have something to eat between when school ended and the game started.
They called them, “football sandwiches.” They were all made with luncheon meats and ham. There were bags and bags of sandwiches with the team grabbing their hands in as fast as they finished one, reaching for another.
Hot dogs were sold at home games by the Quarterback Club members. Cakes were raffled off. Anything they could think of to raise money for their hero’s, the Maroon Tide.
She wished he could remember all their happy memories back then. When the nurses-aids came in to bath her husband and change his bed, she walked down the long hall to the room everyone called the glass room. Rightly so because it was a 24 X 24 room completely made of unbreakable glass. Even the ceiling was glass. Comfortable sofas and chairs with thick padded cushions were placed in this room. The scenery was delightful, especially when the Magnolia Trees were covered with fragrant blooms. Shading the grounds were century old Live Oak Trees along with Long Leaf Pines. Several bird baths were placed around the large, fenced yard. They always had a bird or two drinking or bathing in them for the patients to watch. Flower beds held a colorful array of beautiful blooms.
On this day while she was standing by the window pane, she was aware of the people in the room. One lady was holding a doll so tightly and hugging and kissing it. Anna thought she must have lost her child and it was too much for her to bear sending her mind adrift. She knew the hurt of loosing a child for she miscarried with each of her two pregnancies. Sitting on the sofa, she saw a man that was just staring out in space. She wondered if he also had Alzheimer like her husband, Joe had.
She was watching a beautiful red bird. The same one that secretly knew where a honey coated bird seed feeder shaped like a bell was hidden in the Sycamore Tree close to the window. She liked watching him sneaking his own secret food. But on this day, he brought a female friend with him. Not to the honeycoated bird seeds, but on lower branches where it was hidden from her view. He very carefully flew up and bit a piece from it and flew to his friend and put it in her mouth. When she finished eating the tiny morsel, he repeated his secret maneuver and bit off another piece for her to enjoy. Each day, Anna would watch these birds. Even male birds liked to please their female partners. The male bird carefully plotted keeping it a secret from all the other birds.
It took her mind off the present conditions that surrounded her. For the most part of being here everyday, she knew these people, and were aware of their actions. Where some had their right minds, their bodies were sickly. She knew Zea, the school teacher, would be sitting in her chair by the front door.
That in her feeble mind was what she had to do each and everyday, and that was to guard the door.
An old man named Homer would hang on to any of the ladies that didn’t have the strength to get away from him. The workers would watch Homer and come to the aid of the ladies. So sad, Anna thought.