It's was January 10th, 1993. I woke up in the morning to look out the window to see all the snow outside.... It was beautiful. Oh, That day was not so beautiful by the time it ended!
It started like this...... I woke up with another one of those I have to moments....... I could not get the thought out of my head that I needed to go and see my Sister. I had not seen her at Halloween like we always did and go back to the Old neighborhood in Livonia and take our kids trick or treating like we always did every Halloween. We would meet at our Parents in Livonia and have Halloween and also Celebrate My Parents Wedding Anniversary. My parents were married on Halloween, My Dad would always say...... Did he get a Trick or a Treat marrying my Mom.... I loved when I would meet my sister over at my Parents on every Halloween and see all the old neighbors in the old stomping grounds....
Then I realized that I did not see my sister on Halloween or Thanksgiving or Christmas that year and I was not going to wait one more day to see her.......... I was going to be out in her neck of the woods anyways... I was taking my pregnant best friend Christine to go and plan her baby shower. We were going over to Shari and Tim's house just outside of Redford and the snow was so bad outside, it was slow going forsure. So on the way home from planning the baby shower I told Christine that we had to stop at my sister's on Inkster Rd on the way home, she said, No.... I think you should take me home, I don't want to get out and fall on the ice and snow... She already had done that and lost some of the baby fluids around her baby so she was on high alert to no slipping and falling...... I said, to Christine.... Well, You can stay in the truck then because I need to stop and see my sister, I woke up feeling it this morning and I've been thinking about her all day. I told Christine that I did not see her on Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas and since I was already out that way I was going...................... I was driving so I got my way....
I pulled up into the snowy driveway with my Brother in Law Tim's Red Truck. My car did not want to start that morning because of the wetness in the air. It had a Twilight Zone thing going on with that car when it got wet outside...... So my brother in law was sweet enough to let me use his truck for the day. When I pulled up in the driveway to see my Sister she was peeking thru the front window curtains trying to figure out who's darn truck was in her driveway on that snowy, snowy day........
When I got out of the truck and she saw me.......... The curtain swung closed and the front door swung open.............. Oooohhhhhhhh to see the look of surprise was so sweet.... She told me to come inside, I told her that I could not stay long because Christine was in the Truck and could not come out into the snow and ice. She understood.... So....... We walked into the kitchen and I hugged her..... Her hair was wet and she smelled like shampoo... She did not have a sticth of makeup on. She was naturally beautiful. She actually was in the Michigan Beauty Pagent back in the 1970's. Absolutely georgeous! I looked at her in the face and saw that she had like an indent in the side of her temple. Just a little one. I asked her what happened to her.. She said, "she slipped and fell into the rolling tool cart while mopping the kitchen floor."
I did glance at the tool cart to try and figure out if that could possibly even happen..... I knew her boyfriend Mike was................. a very scary person....................... Very scary........ He came to our house once and one time only. I saw the gun in his pants and said, ummmmmmm We don't live like that and you need to get off of our property. He knew damn well, I did not like one little morsel of him. I tried to figure out what my sister saw in him......... It felt like a nightmare and honestly still does and I write this....... I'm just glad he never shot my sister, but what he did do................ It's just awful..... He was in the lower level living room when I came to the house on Inkster Road that snowy morning. It was all dark and gloomy looking and the only think I briefly saw was the Televion screen and then the darkness of the room.....
My sister Sherry had a beer on the counter in a Beer mug that she had just poured and asked if I wanted one, I said, No, but I'll take a sip of yours..... I drank first...... I did not want to drink after her because of Mike.... I'm strange like that..... so I took the first sip without telling her that I was taking that first sip for that reason....... Shame on me! So I drank a little bit of her beer and then hugged her.... She hugged me so tight...... Then she whispered in my ear. " NEVER LET ME GO"...... I told her she was making me hot. I still had my coat on and I was melting. I then thought I should open her refrigerator to see if she had food and she was eating and taking care of herself. I opened up the refrigerator and saw some left over meat, I said, " What is that....... She said, " Left over Turkey". I said, what is that, " she told me what it was..... Then I opened up the freezer and saw the Frozen Bagels and said, " Awwwww, You got Bagels, You're okay". That's when she said, " I dont' even like bagels". She was so lying to me that moment and I knew it... We ate bagels everyday after school when we were younger with butter and cream cheese.... Who was she trying to kid...... Sure not me!!!! So I went to use her bathroom before leaving and there was this little tin on the back of the toilet that had purple violets on it. I thought....... ooooohhhhhhh if she's doing drugs that's where they are hiding... I wanted proof..... I wanted something to prove to me she was doing drugs... I was in such denial..... When I opened up the metal tin with the purple violets, the only thing in the tin were a bunch of white fluffy Q-Tips..... I felt so stupid at the moment but..... my curiosity got the best of me and that served me right! So I came out of the bathroom relieved that there were no drugs.......... I told her I had the truck still running with Christine in it and that the weather was getting worse I needed to go... She said, " Okay, but wait a minute", I have something for you. I saw her go up the few steps to the bedroom. In a flash she was back with her hand closed. She reached for my hand and had me open it.... I can still feel her hand in mine right at this moment. When I opened my hand there was this little black pouch. She said, Open it. It was Grandma's and I want you to have it........
I'm going to cry now......... I'm seriously going to cry.........
When I opened up the little black pouch it was a really pretty Rosary...... Instantly I thought in my head. Wow. Now I have something I can hold when I'm at home and worried about her and not able to reach her because she did not have a telephone... I surprised her that day and I was so glad I did...
My sister walked me to the door and hugged me again and when I left the house I waved and said, Bye Girlfriend.......... I got into the car and thought.... Why in the world did I just call my sister Girlfriend..... I found it quite odd, but thought oh well, she knows me........ I'm her little sister. I waved and drove off to drop off Christine at her house safe and sound and her little unborn baby.... All the way home I felt this........... warmth.. this comforted feeling. Like dang, I have something to help me not worry about her. How sweet was that. It was just this comforting feeling that I can't explain........
Then I got home and Steve told me my sister called..... I said what she did not have a phone, he said She called this morning after going to Sears and bought a telephone. So she was thinking about me the same way I was thinking about her that day...... I loved it so much and thought that was just unreal how I woke up thinking about her so strongly and she called me when I was gone and she had no idea I was going to show up at her house. I love that we had that connection. Nothing like sisterly Love!
Then......................................... The other PHONE CALL........ OR SHOULD I SAY PHONE CALLS!
© Kiki LaFleur-Wilson
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