Holiday Glass of Tea...Every year I post this story...I was asked to post early thought I did but cant find post. So enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving Holiday Glass of Tea I was sitting in my grandmother’s rocking chair, brushing my hair, when my grandmother said, “Good morning.” The wonderful sound of her voice brought me to life and softly touches my face like a gentle breeze. “Good morning grandma,” I replied. “ I have brought you a bouquet of fresh flowers from the garden dear. I’ll lay them on your lap, let me brush your hair, and make it beautiful.” my grandmother replied. When my grandmother began brushing my hair, I picked up the bouquet of flowers. I could feel the softness of each petal, the freshness and ever-sweet aroma of each flower. “ You should let me take you to the garden, the sun is warm and you could use a little color pumpkin.” “Oh grandmother, what a wonderful idea.” She took my hand and lead me to the garden. As her hand touched mine, it felt cold and thin. It was like holding a fragile piece of glass. Once we were in the garden, grandmother sat me down, “ I will bring you a glass of tea, as soon as I have checked on the turkey.” I told her thanks and relaxed, she was right, the sun felt so warm on my face. I could once again smell the fresh flowers all around me. Sounds were racing above, under and through me, as if I were the center of the universe. Birds chirping, wind blowing, children playing and dogs barking, the noise of life. When I was ten years old, my parents, siblings, and I were out on a camping trip. I was a rambunctious child, who loved to swim in the lake and climb trees. My parents were constantly running after me, and trying to keep up with my six other siblings. Running around playing, I chased a squirrel up a tree. As I was climbing I could hear my mother screaming at my father to get me out of the tree. I stopped climbing, resting on a branch and looked down at my screaming mother. I could barely see her, the ground was so far away, and I was just realizing how high I had climbed. Suddenly the squirrel I had been chasing came hurling down at me. The animal was breaking bark off the tree and it began to fall in my face. I started screaming as the little squirrel landed on my shoulder. I lost my grip and feel to the ground. After the fall I spent six months in a coma from head injuries. The doctors did not give my parents much hope that I would live a normal life. My grandmother was by my side everyday. I can remember the very moment I awoke from the coma. My grandmother was crying, “Oh my God! Her eyes are open.” I could hear her but all I saw was darkness. The sounds in the room were getting louder and louder, I began to scream, covered my ears. The doctor and nurses poured into the room trying to calm me down. Finally, it was quiet and the doctor was talking to me in a soft tone. At that moment, my grandmother held my hand. “Maggie, I’m Dr. Vance, you are in the hospital and your grandmother is here. I need for you to answer my questions and stay calm, how are you feeling, any pain?” “No, no, no pain, are my eyes open?” I was screaming. “Maggie, please just answer my questions.” The doctor says in a stern voice. I started to cry, “Doctor, I know my eyes are open, and I know I cannot see. Please help me see!” Over the next few months I saw many specialist to recover my eye sight. The final prognosis is I will never see again. Along with no sight, I have limited use of my limbs. The fall from that big oak tree left me blind and crippled. When I left the hospital, it was to grandmother’s house I went. My parents were both working and raising six other children. They did not have the time or energy to care for a disabled child. My grandmother had all the time and love to take on the task of raising me. My grandmother spent most of her time trying to find a cure for my blindness, and countless hours exercising my legs. Years of surgeries and miracle cures did not help much, so I remain in the same condition at thirty years old with my wonderful grandmother at my side. I leaned to live with my disabilities and flourished. I graduated from my state university with a bachelor’s degree in communications. I was married for a short period, to the rebel of my dreams. He had long hair that would blow in my face as we would ride his loud, low rider motor cycle. My blindness and other problems never got in my way of living my life to it’s fullest. My prince decided to drive north and never return, and I decided to never marry again. I was completely satisfied working with others like myself. All my heart needed to beat was hearing my grandmother’s lovely voice each morning. Sitting here in this garden with all that the earth has to offer me today, I’m flooded with thoughts of the past. I hear my grandfather laughing in a thunderous roar and it makes me smile. In my comfort, I fell asleep. I must have slept for an hour or so when my grandmother woke me up. “Time for dinner,” she whispered. We walked into the house which is now cluttered with sounds of a family gathering for a feast. My mother, father, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles all sat down, anticipating tasting baked turkey, sweet potatoes, pies and all the other Thanksgiving goodies before us. We are all listening to my grandfather speak, as always a good joke, then a small prayer and “Lets eat.” It was a circle of conversation, heightened by the passing of food and silverware crossing dishes. I could smell the seasoning rising from a piece of turkey, as I opened my mouth for the first bite. I began to chew in pure joy when suddenly, I realized the turkey was lodged in my throat. I couldn’t swallow and was having difficulty breathing, I grabbed the nearest hand to me, the glass hand, the one always there for me. My grandmother screamed, “Help her, she is choking!” I’m not sure who it was that first came to my rescue. As I was gasping for air, being hit, squeezed and shaken, I could see, I could see. Screaming is all I wanted to do, “I can see! I can see!” I was no longer choking, and every breath I took, I could see clearer and clearer. The first person I saw was my grandmother, how beautiful she is with her white hair, and deep ocean blue eyes. Tiny, fragile, sweet, dressed in a blue velvet dress that accented her eyes. Then I saw my grandfather, his face was one of joy, and made me smile. My mother and father looked as if they had never aged. They were just as I remembered them, young and beautiful. I was running around the table touching each of the beautiful faces of my family. I named each on as I squeezed them until they squirmed. I had to see the garden, I had spent so many days sitting in the peaceful surroundings not knowing what it looked like. Running down the hall to the garden, I stopped as I saw the mirror. I looked, not having seen my own face for twenty years, I just stood there staring into the mirror. I touched my face thinking, I’m beautiful. Not hearing a sound around me, there I was, with my grandmother’s blue eyes and my mother’s long black hair. Behind me I noticed a wedding photo on the wall. I turned to it, could it be, yes it is, my prince and I. I pulled the picture down from the wall and looked deeply into the only eyes of the only man I had ever loved. They were deep and green just as he told me. The door to the garden was open and I could see it, the beautiful garden. I began to scream, “ The garden. The garden. I can see the beautiful garden!” It was all so much more than I had sensed it. All the bright colors and the sunshine overwhelmed me. I could hear a loud noise now, it scared me at first. I ran to the front door and opened it. I could see my prince stepping off his bike. His shiny long jet black hair was covering his big shoulders, I thought I would faint as he ran to me, and we embraced. We started kissing, he grabbed my face and asked me if I could see him. I told him I could see his beautiful green eyes. He took my hand and we ran to his bike, happily smiling, as I could hear my grandmother’s voice faintly, “ Wake up dear, dinner is almost done, and I have your tea.” THE END
Posted on: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 15:09:34 +0000
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