Carpe Bead'em (28 page)

“Uncle Jimmy, tell her to open her
eyes.” I plead with him.

“I’ve tried, Hallie. I don’t think your
aunt’s going to make it.”

“Yes, she is. She is strong.” I speak
through my gritted teeth and glare through my tears, through my pain.

The machines seem to be getting louder.
All the noises ring in my ears. I put my hands over them to stop the madness,
but it doesn’t stop the noise in my head.

I should have been a better niece. I
shouldn’t have talked about her the way I did. She took me in when I had no
one. When no one else wanted me.

“I should’ve taken better care of her.”
I sob with my head in my hands.

“You did more than you know.” Uncle
Jimmy keeps rubbing her hand, and smiles lovingly at her. “She was so happy you
were living here. When your parents died, she said this was her chance to be a
mother since she couldn’t have kids.”

Thinking back, it might not have been
ideal, but my life was nothing short of exciting. I might have hated it then,
but I have her to thank for the drive in life I now have.

“She,” I stop and correct myself, “both
of you did a great job. If it wasn’t for the two of you, I wouldn’t be where I
am today.”

We sit in silence, each on either side,
rubbing her hands for hours. Waiting. Waiting for a sign of life, a breath on
her own, a flutter of her eyes. Waiting for a doctor. Nothing.

“I think it is time we discuss options.”
The doctor finally comes in to check Aunt Grace’s vital signs. It’s news I
don’t want to hear. I can tell by the look in her eyes that she is telling us that
Aunt Grace isn’t going to make it. “Her vitals are telling us her body is not
recovering. She has suffered a brain aneurysm.”

“What?” Uncle Jimmy is questioning what
the diagnosis is.

“A brain aneurysm is a bulging, weak
area in the wall of an artery that supplies blood to the brain. In most cases,
a brain aneurysm causes no symptoms and goes unnoticed.” The doctor is trying
to avoid eye contact. “Did she complain of a head ache?”

“No.” Uncle Jimmy quietly answers.

“Yes, she did.” I remember the visit earlier
in the day. She told me her head hurt. “She thought it was allergies.”

“What?” Uncle Jimmy questions me.

“Today when I came to visit. She told me
she had a headache from allergies.”

“She doesn’t have allergies.” Uncle
Jimmy shakes his head. “No way.”

“Either way,” the doctor confirms, “her
body is shutting down. The machines are breathing for her. It’s allowing the
blood to keep moving through her body.”

I have a hard time wrapping her words
around my head. I look at my great aunt’s lifeless body. It isn’t her in there.
Her feistiness is nowhere to be found. This doctor has no idea of the fun, the
joy, the life this body has had.

“I’ll give you a few minutes.” She slips
out to the other side of the curtain.

The silence hangs between Uncle Jimmy
and me.  He doesn’t look up. “Uncle Jimmy, do you understand what she’s asking
us to do?” I release Grace’s hand and kneel down beside him. He nods.

“I don’t think I can live without her.”
His voice is raspy. He looks more frail than her.

My heart is empty. The hole that Aunt
Grace helped me repair many years ago is reopening. The feelings of long ago resurface.
The hurt. The pain. The loneliness. I know if I feel this way, Uncle Jimmy is
worse.

“Uncle Jimmy, I’m so sorry.” I put my
head in my hands and sob.

He put his arms around me. It’s the
first time he’s ever hugged me. I don’t cringe from the dirty clothes or the
few teeth he has in his mouth. I start to laugh. A crazy laugh that makes me
look crazy.

Memories of Aunt Grace play in my mind
like an old movie reel. All the crazy things she did made really good memories.
Memories that will become stories. Stories that no one will ever believe.

“Gracie and I’ve had some really fun
times.” I pull away from Uncle Jimmy and return to Aunt Grace’s side. “She
wouldn’t want to live this way. She is full of life. This is not her.”

“I know.” Uncle Jimmy disappears behind
the curtain to find the doctor and leaves me alone with Aunt Grace.

“Aunt Grace,” I whisper close to her ear
just in case she can hear me.

I have always heard dead people or
people in comas can hear what is going on around them. Hearing is the last of
the senses to shut down.

“Thank you for loving me no matter how
hard I tried to escape. Thank you for calling me in the middle of the night.
Thank you for all of the times you made me crazy. You have filled me with love
I will never know again.”

I’m prepared for what the doctor is
doing. But I’m not prepared to hear the machine flat-line, and I walk out of
the room.

Chapter
Fifty-Three

The ceremony is simple. Only a few of
Aunt Grace’s friends gather to pay their last respects along with Lucy, Georgia
and Prudence. There will be no gathering after the service, just me dropping
Uncle Jimmy off at the bus station.

He decided to get on a bus to Florida
with what little money they had. He promises he will keep in touch.

“Sorry to hear about your aunt.” Inas,
the voodoo neighbor, pecks on Aunt Grace’s apartment door. “She sure loved
you.”

I go through all of Aunt Grace’s things.
Carefully throwing most of it away.

“I love her, too.” I laugh as Henry
chases the cockroaches around the room.

“She left this for you.” Inas gave me a
dingy envelope. “She knew she wasn’t well. She came to me last week and told me
to give this to you.”

I carefully open the envelope.

Dearest Hallie,

I love you so much as if you were my own
daughter.  I know I may not have been the conventional guardian, but I wanted
to show you life.

I am so proud of what you have done with
your life. I have enjoyed seeing you every week for the past few months. It has
given me more joy than you will ever know. Staying with you showed me how
talented you are. I promise you will be very successful with your jewelry. If
you are thinking about your future, don’t worry. I know. I have faith in you.

I gave you the china and silver ware
because it has been in our family for generations. I want you to keep it and
use it for all of those fancy parties you will host.

I don’t have any words of wisdom or
advice. Life has short changed you and robbed you of family. Keep those friends
of yours close, even that goofy Lucy. They love you and just because they
aren’t blood, doesn’t mean they aren’t family.

Remember I love you and you are the best
niece/daughter I ever had.

I love you Hallie,

Aunt Grace

PS. All my late night phone calls were
only because I needed to hear your voice. I made up reasons to call.

“Thank you.” I mouth to Inas. Tears
flows like a water fountain down my face and onto the page, smearing some of
the words. Oh how I wish my phone would ring and she would compare me to my
mom.

“There you are!” The whistling lady who
Aunt Grace threw bricks at is standing in her doorway. She crosses the
threshold trying to pick up a growling Henry.

“Excuse me?” I walk over and take Henry
out of her arms.

“That’s my dog.” The lady points to
Henry. “I want to tell Jimmy how sorry I am to hear about his wife had passed,
but obviously she’s the one who took my dog.”

“I am sorry, but he’s mine.” Henry
continues to growl. “I am sure there are more than one dog in the world that
looks like my dog.” There is no way I’m going to give Henry back.

“Besides, Uncle Jimmy moved to Florida.”
I stand by the door signaling her to leave.

“Brrrrr.” Inas
watches the woman leave. “There’s pure evil in that woman.”

“I wasn’t about to give him back to
her.” I hold Henry close to my body. Aunt Grace knew I needed him.

Inas keeps me company and takes a few
things for herself while I clean out Aunt Grace’s apartment. I take Aunt
Grace’s letter and re-read it several times.

At last, it’s done. Henry and I take one
last look at Aunt Grace’s building. The building will go up for sale and all
the money will be put in Uncle Jimmy’s account so he can live off it in
Florida.

Week Twelve

The best bead is
the one that didn’t get away.

Author Unknown

Chapter
Fifty-Four

My heart aches walking out of the
boutique for the last time as an employee. I have devoted my life to this job
and leaving is a little scary.

“We are going to miss you.” Beatrice
hands me a goodbye gift. I open it carefully relishing the scent of fine
Italian leather.

“I can’t believe you got these already.”
I run my hand up the new Iconic Flat Boot. “I love them. You should have.” I
laugh knowing I damn well deserve them.

“You will need those peddling your
jewelry in the cold upcoming Chicago weather.” Beatrice and I don’t have a warm
relationship. We have a working, all-business relationship. She is able to take
a task and get it done, and that’s exactly what this job calls for.

New boots in hand, I have one last stop
before I head back to the apartment to get Henry and drive home.

The earth is still wet and piled high
atop Aunt Grace. There she is, right next to my parents. The three most
important people who shaped me are all together again.

Henry is waiting by the door. He knows
something is up with the suitcase stacked next to the front door. I walk around
one more time, taking in the apartment where my new life was created. I pick up
my Buddha off the dresser and place him in the last box.

The cobblestone walk leads the way. I’m
going to miss this house. I’m going to miss the past three months. Life sure
does work in mysterious ways.

Once we get into Chicago, I take Henry
around the block for a walk. The Blockbuster video store is buzzing with
couples and the streets are cluttered with young adults deciding on their next
bar stop. Henry is curious. He smells every new smell and peed on every fire
hydrant.

“Welcome home, Henry.” I pat my little
stolen companion.

Happily we stroll in One West Superior
and up to our condo.

The lights startle me as Lucy began to
clap my lights on. “You haven’t been home for three hours and the calling has
already started.” Lucy holds the ringing phone out for me to answer.

Damn it! It’s already starting
.

“Hello?” I blink my eyes. I know it isn’t
Aunt Grace.

“You are psychic just like your mother.”
I smile, hearing Uncle Jimmy’s voice. He sounds exactly like she always has.

“Caller ID.” I state blankly, exactly
like I did with Aunt Grace. I can’t help but smile.

“I want to tell you they the building in
just under three hours.” He sounds sad, but relieved.

“Are you kidding me?” I can’t believe
they sold it. I bet they are going to tear it down in order to keep revitalizing
the city.

“No. I’m not kidding you.” Uncle Jimmy
is delighted. “I want to give you half the money for your business.”

“I’m fine, Uncle Jimmy. You need to live
on that money.” Even though I can use some to pay off that three thousand
dollars.

“It’s prime real estate in downtown.
Granted, the worst part of town, but they are trying to invest money down there
and reinvent that part of Cincinnati.” His voice escalates, “They offered me
$750,000 and I want to give you a little. I had them send you a check. You
should get it soon.”

The line went dead. Uncle Jimmy is doing
what he feels is right. I have a feeling I won’t ever hear from him again.

WOW! Aunt Grace was sitting on a gold
mine and she knew it the entire time. With a clap of the hands, my bed held me
tight in the dark. I fall back to sleep thinking about my aunt and all the crazy,
but happy times we’ve had together.

Chapter
Fifty-Five

I have two weeks to get ready for the
Chicago marathon. I’m determined not to waste two years of my life. I’m going
to run that race. I don’t care if I finish last, my mind’s made up.

The sun is warm on this September
morning. The air is still and easily going through my body, encouraging me to
press on. Beadnicks has given me the confidence of accomplishing anything
alone.

Twenty-six miles is a long run
considering I’m now running just under ten minutes per mile. Going through six
of the twenty-nine districts the run goes through is distracting. I find
different boutiques that can be a possible home for Beadnicks. Making mental
notes of all of them, I decide to take State Street back home.