Thursday, March 17, 2005

"Sister"

My Mema's twin sister passed away last night.  I'm sure I've told this story before about after my Mema died, there was a bird that kept singing and tapping at the window, that night I dreamed it was my Mema and she was telling me she wanted us to come to the window so she could see us. Later the same week a bird flew in my chimney and into my house, I had been having a hard time because I felt like I didn't get to say goodbye to her. Well this bird flew in and I laughed and called it Mema, then I got scared the bird was going to hurt itself flying around in the house, so I opened the front door and walked out of the room. Came back and the bird was gone. So I lay on my bed and thought about Mema, and as I almost fell asleep I looked up and on my dresser the bird just sat looking at me. I stood up walked to the bird, it didn’t flinch, I grabbed the bird and walked to the front door opened it and let the bird fly, and as it flew away I said "Goodbye Mema". I felt much better after that, and a few cries here and there. Well this morning another bird was singing at my window as I awoke, this time I opened the screen to see, but I could only hear it, I said sing to me little bird, Mema came to mind, and then Sister, her twin sister. As soon as I thought of Sister I knew, then the phone rang and it was my cousin Vicki telling me the Meme had died, they called their grandma Meme, and we called ours Mema, they called our Mema, "Sister", and we called their's "Sister", and the two of them called each other "Sister". Yes it got confusing around the house when we all got together. We had wonderful times when we all got together, Our grandparents owned a river house together. That's what we called it the "River House" I remember as a little boy playing with all my cousins, and watching my Mema and Sister as they would laugh together and cook together. And big wonderful meals we would enjoy, I think that the kitchen was almost as big as the river house and you should of seen the kitchen table. Uncle Leroy and my Papa would sit out on the dock fishing, they loved to fish, all us kids would swim in the river or they would take us out on the boat and waterski. Good times! Sister and her husband Leroy Graves owned a Drive In theater in Perry, Florida. It was known for it's concession stand for miles around, the best hamburgers around. My dad even said it was one of the first places to serve pizza years ago. It's now a restaurant called the Drive In, I remember me and my cousin Vicki sneaking riding our bikes around while everyone watched movies. Or sneaking around the back and trying to watch a rated R movie once, but we got caught, or her sister Kathy and all her beauty contests we went too.  Then there was my cuz Susan, (Susu) when we were little and never call her that when we got bigger.  I remember her always making me feel special when I was around her.  I loved all three of my cousins.  They were all very special too me.  Now they have their own families and beautiful ones at that.  I miss our old times.  The Drive In was always my favorite place to go in the summer, maybe that's one of the reasons I love movies so much, because they were such a BIG thing to such a little boy as me. Sister loved to cook as much as Mema, and she loved us to eat. I remember even when we were sick with the stomach flu, she believed if you would eat a grilled cheese sandwich you would feel better. Many wonderful memories, but my favorite was just to watch the two of them together, they were so fun to be around, especially if you were lucky enough to be alone with just the two of them. They would laugh and make you laugh till your stomach hurt. They were very close, as close as two twins could be I guess. They had that special bond. Mema always knew if it was Sister on the phone. The phone would ring and she'd say I bet it's "Sister", and sure enough it would be and they would talk for hours. I bet they didn't have a single secret from each other. Well we all loved you "Sister", but as I walked out of the house today, thinking I would see some bird singing, instead I saw two identical birds walking across the telephone wires over my car, one after the other in a line. And a smile came too my face, maybe a tear too. Because now I know they are back together. Eloise Eula and Louise Beaula.  Now they are with the ones they loved and have gone before them.  My Mema with my Papa and my little brother Daryl, Sister with her Leroy, who always called her Beautiful, and her son Roy.  Also both of them with the mom they didn't remember since they were only three when she died.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Derek, what an incredibly beautiful story.   I am very touched.  You might consider entering or submitting it to something...really.   Thanks for a nice way to start my day.   Nancy

Anonymous said...

beautiful story...sad but touching.....christie

Anonymous said...

HeartWARMING~ VERY INTERESTING & CREATIVE,  NICE PAGE~


http://journals.aol.com/cste609371/writingsshortstoriesbyStewart

Anonymous said...

what a great story about the bird.
i am so sorry to hear about Sister's death.

Kathy

Anonymous said...

Very touching, yet sad too. So sorry. (((((Derek))))  *Barb*

Anonymous said...

So sorry to hear about Sister's death.
But oh what a wonderful story!
Big hugs,
Connie

Anonymous said...

Aww, that was wonderful!
V

Anonymous said...

This is beautiful, Derek, with just a touch of sadness to it.  Love, gloria

Anonymous said...

I love this journal and all of it's
warm yet artsy stories!
So glad that you write here!
  *** Coy ***