I'll love you forever

The alarm screamed in the quiet room, jolting Jean from her brief slumber.

      “Mom! Mom! Cathy get the nurse!” Jean cried as her Mom thrashed back and forth struggling for breath.

The nurse ran in and checking the monitor, she immediately called respiratory. She raised the head of the bed and turned up the oxygen. Jean and her daughter stepped to the corner of the room so they weren’t in the way as the medical team rushed in to work on her mother.

Viola gasped frantically for breath. She saw the doctors and nurses hovering over her.

fear and confusion flooded her mind, she noticed two women standing in the corner; she wondered briefly who they were and why they were crying. 

      “Lee!” she frantically looked around the room. Where was he? Why wasn’t he with her? She heard a voice say, “Sedate her!” She felt a warm surge in her vein and drifted off into unconsciousness.

…………………………………………………………….

Sitting at her vanity, Viola finished the last pin curl in her hair. Everything had to be perfect, this was going to be the first time her parents allowed her to go to the ballroom unchaperoned. She and her younger sister Jean were going tonight and she was so excited. She grabbed her bottle of legsilque and brushed it on her legs, stockings weren’t available anymore because of the war. so she made do with what she had.

     “ Jean, here’s my eyebrow pencil.” She told her sister when she came into the room, “make sure you get the lines straight this time!”

     “I will if you’ll quit fidgeting Vi, hold up your dress and turn around.” Jean grumbled as she drew a thin line down the back of Vi’s legs. 

Viola stood in front of her mirror, she liked what she saw, but it needed one last touch. She set her hat at just the right angle, tipping it forward slightly to give her an older mysterious look.  The ribbon on the hat matched the dress her mother had made. It was a dark blue floral print, with ¾ length sleeves and an A line skirt that hit just below her knees. It accented her tiny waist and made her look much older than her fifteen years. Finally satisfied, she was ready to go.

The girls were wandering around the ballroom when a nice looking young man approached. He was in a military dress uniform. The colors highlighted the red in his curly auburn hair. He was at least 6 ft tall with broad shoulders and Vi was immediately smitten.

       “Hello, my name is Lee. Would you give me the pleasure of this dance?” Vi nodded with a timid smile and let him lead her onto the dance floor. “So what’s your name?”

        “Viola Mae.” She shyly said

      “That’s a beautiful name, it fits a beautiful girl.” Lee smiled as he watched her cheeks redden. He’d spoke the truth, Viola was lovely, she had soft blue eyes and blond hair that was artfully curled. she reminded him of a young Lucille Ball. As they twirled around the dance floor he felt like he was holding a porcelain doll. It was a feeling he enjoyed.

        “Are you home on leave?” she asked drawing him from his musings.

       “Oh no, I just finished boot camp and I will be shipping out in a week. I’ve been assigned to the USS Arizona.” He proudly told her as he twirled her around to the beat of Boogie Woogie Bugle boy. 

The rest of the evening it seemed like they were the only two people in the world. They ended up talking the night away, until Jean came to drag her sister home.

       “Can I see you tomorrow?” Lee asked holding onto her hands, she smiled into his eyes, but then she noticed a door stood in the middle, so out of place but no one else seemed to notice. Foreboding ran up her spine, she didn't understand why but fear consumed her,

     “No!”

………………………………………………………………………………

Vi’s eyes shot open, she looked around the room and saw a woman standing beside her hospital bed.

      “Momma” Jean cried softly.

     “Lee!” She whimpered.

      “He’s not here Momma, but Cathy is here and so is Josh.

Vi looked into the eyes of her daughter and slowly drifted off again.

      “She will probably keep fluctuating between consciousness and unconsciousness. We can sedate her if you’d like but she might have some moments where she could be lucid enough for you to say goodbye.

        “If she stays calm and doesn’t panic, I don’t want her sedated. We will be here with her.” Jean watched the doctor leave the room, then she went over and grasped her mothers frail hand.

      “Momma, I’m here with you, I love you. Oh Momma, I’m not ready for you to leave me.” She whispered. 

……………………………………………………………………………………….

Vi sat at the kitchen table feeding her daughters and trying to listen to the radio. The troops were coming home. The war had ended months ago but, she hadn’t heard from Lee. She knew in her heart he was alive, she just couldn’t understand why she hadn’t heard anything. Baby Jean banged her spoon on the table, sending oatmeal flying in all directions.

        “Buelah Jean! Take your bottle and stop making such a mess.” Vi grumbled and sat Jean on the floor.  Little Vi (nicknamed Bo) climbed out of her chair just as the front door opened. 

       “Well that must be your Aunt Jean.” Vi said as she walked into the living room. She stopped and fell to her knees when she saw who was standing there.  He was thinner and had a haunted look on his face. But never had she seen a more blessed sight. Lee ran to her and gathered her into his arms, silently they held on to each other.

     “Daddy?” Bo asked, walking over to them.

     “Oh Bo sweetie, I missed you.” He uttered gathering her in.

     The baby, Buelah Jean, curiously toddler over to the stranger kneeling with her mother and sister in his arms. 

      “Is this my little Jeanie? She is such a tiny thing.” He said adoringly.

She gave him a mischievous smile and threw her bottle at him. It hit him upside the head and he fell sideways, dragging his wife and daughter with him. Before he could recover the baby threw herself on top of his chest in a fit of giggles.  Lee wrapped his arms around all three of his girls. His joy knew no bounds.

         "I love you, now and forever.” he whispered as he cradled them all.

Vi was thinking how perfect her world now was when she saw the door. She knew that door but, why was it in the middle of her living room? 

“No, please.” She whispered.

……………………………………………………………………..

     “Nana? Mom will be right back; she went to get us some food. Can I get you anything?” Her granddaughter Cathy asked when she noticed her grandmother waking.

     “No, I’m fine, honey. What time is it?”

     “It’s a little after six, Do you think you could eat a little?”

    “No, I just want to get back to Lee now.” Vi murmured and drifted off again.

      “Who were you talking too, Cathy?” Jean asked her daughter when she came into the room,

       “Nana, she woke up and sounded lucid, then she said she wanted to get back to Grandpa.” Sobbing Cathy threw herself into her mothers arm.

       “She’s not gone honey, look at the monitors; she’s just confused and is sleeping again.” 

………………………………………………………………………….

      “We have three bedrooms and 2 baths. The kitchen is a nice size and this is the dining room and wait for it,” Lee said as he pulled apart the pocket doors. “This is our den.”

      “Lee it’s wonderful and so huge. I love our new home.”

      “The girl’s school is right down the road and it’s a good neighborhood. I think we will like it here.”

      “I know we will love it, we’ll plant ivy across the front of the house and let it trail into the yard…”

       “I want a wagon wheel in the front yard.” Tiny (Buelah Jean) yelled as she ran out of the house with Bo trailing behind.

       “I love you Vi, now and forever.” Lee wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head as they watched their daughters play.

        “Lee, I love everything... Lee, get rid of that door! Why is it here? Lee, Bo, Tiny!” she cried out, when her family started fading away.

…………………………………………………………………………………

Vi tried to shield her eyes from the bright lights above her.

      “Here Momma, I’ll turn the lights down if they are hurting your eyes?”

     “Thank you, dear. Where is Lee? He should be here; I’m going to let him know how upset I am.”

 Jean gave her daughter a sad look,

      “Look Momma; your great grandkids came to see you.”

       “Hi Nana.” Josh said.

       “Girls tell your Nana hi.” Cathy told her daughters.

       “Hi Nana.” They chorused.

       “And Nana, This little sweetie is Tommy.” she told her grandmother.

       “You, named him after your brother? He must be proud, where is he today?” Vi mummured.

       “He couldn’t be here Nana.” Cathy met her mom’s eyes.

       “Why didn’t you name him after your grandpa?”

        “I named Joshua after grandpa remember; his name is Joshua Lee.”

        “Oh, I think I remember, who are you dear? I’m really tired.”

         “Momma, go ahead and close your eyes, we’ll be here when you wake, don’t worry.”

……………………………………………………………………………………

Laughter battled with the stereo for volume as Lee and Vi danced with their grandchildren in the front room. This was the routine when their grandchildren came to stay with them. The kids loved the music from the 40’s, the Boogie Woogie, the Big Band and the old country ballads. Vi watched Lee twirl their granddaughter around to ‘King of the road’, she gazed at him like he was the King. Vi laughed to herself, she usually felt the same. Lee was the foundation of their family. He was the shoulder she leaned on, her protector and her safe shelter. He also had his goofy side, he loved nicknames, so along with Bo and Tiny, they now had; Princess Pill (Cathy),

Big Chief Stick in the mud (Tommy), Little Beaver (Jimmy) and Bo’s son Kevin was Roaring Bear. She was so happy with the life they’d made together, she wanted it to last forever.

        “Nana! It’s my turn to dance.” Jimmy tugged at her hand.

        “No it’s still mine!” Tommy shouted as the boys pulled at her like a tug of war trophy.

         “Boys, please we can dance together. Okay?”

 Lee smiled at her from across the room and mouthed “I love you forever.” 

 The boys shouted as they spun her in circles, giggling louder and louder. She laughed with them until she saw the door.

Dizziness assailed her, each time they completed a circle the door would get closer and closer. Soon she was spinning by herself toward the door and toward an agony that clutched at her heart.

………………………………………………………………………………………

Jean touched her mothers hand when she noticed her eyes fluttering. She called to her but Vi didn’t wake.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

Vi loved the property they had moved out to a couple of years ago. It was rural and there were no traffic sounds, no neighbors squabbling, it was peaceful and quiet here. At night, the sky became a brilliant tapestry of stars, without the hindrance of the city lights. It had been Lee's dream to own a farm and now finally they were able to purchase enough land to make his dream come true. It was almost perfect, except there was so much to do. Lee worked at the nuclear plant during the day, then he'd come home and take care of all the livestock and fields. Luckily their oldest two grandsons had moved in with them to help out.

Tonight was one of those rare occasions when they could sit back and relax some, except for the two errands they needed to run.

      “We need to get hay and feed for the animals. I also need to stop by the bank. If we don’t leave soon we won’t be able to make it to both places Lee.” Vi said.

      “I know I just want to watch the rest of the show, honey.”

       “We need to deposit some money tonight too, Lee.”

       “I know and the cows and goats need food, darn I really wanted to see the end of this show. Come on Kevin, let’s get ready.”

       “Why don’t we take two cars? Grandpa and I can get feed; you can go to the bank. That will give us enough time to see the show. Then go.” Kevin chimed in.

      “I knew there was a good reason you and Tommy came to stay with us.” Lee smiled settling back into his recliner to finish the show.

Vi smiled at Kevin “Excellent idea honey, to bad Tommy’s in Washington, I would have loved the company.

After the show they walked together to the cars. Lee pulled Vi into his arms and kissed her, “ I love you, forever.”

        “I love you forever and ever.” Vi crooned

        “Oh gross, I don’t want to see old people kissing!” Kevin grumbled.

So Lee kissed Vi several times more, making her giggle like a school girl. When he released her she walked over to the truck, leaned in and gave Kevin several smooches. He pushed her away laughingly. Lee gave her one more kiss and drove away. 

Vi returned from her errand before Lee and Kevin. She wondered what was taking them, then put it out of her mind and fixed dinner. By the time dinner was done they still hadn’t returned, now she was getting worried. She sat by the phone and waited. Several hours later she heard a knock at the door. Finally! She ran to the door to let them in, but it wasn’t them. 

Two police officers stood at the door;

       “Ma’am, are you Viola Henderson? Are you alone here?” One of the officers asked.

       “Yes, my husband and grandson should be home soon, they are running late.” She told them even as foreboding was building in her soul.

       “Is there someone you can call to come out here?” he asked,

       “Mmy my daughter, I can call her.”

       “Okay. Ask her to come here now, please”

        “Okay” she didn’t ask why, she didn’t ask questions, she just did what was asked of her.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

She woke up crying.

      “Momma, are you alright.” Jean held the hand her Mother extended to her.

       “He’s dead, he’s dead.” She sobbed.

      “Momma?”

       “Your Daddy and Kevin, they’re dead!”

        “Yes, they died a long time ago, Momma”

        “And Tommy? He’s not alive either?”

        “No Momma, Tommy died several years ago.”

        “All the rest of my family?”

       “We’re all here, Momma. We all love you. Please don’t cry.”

       “Oh Lee, Lee, I miss you, how could you leave me alone?”

        “Momma, Daddy loved you, he would never have left you if it was up to him.” Jean held her Mothers hand as she sobbed. It seemed so cruel that she became lucid and aware again after all this time. All Jean could do was hold her and let her know how much she was loved. The machine’s alarm started going off again. Jean felt her mother slipping away.

       “I love you Momma, I love you so much,”

        “I love all of you too.” She whispered as the last breath left her body.

………………………………………………………………….

A door was right in front of her, it wasn’t the same door. This one was beautiful and she felt no trepidation, only love and comfort. The door opened and a bright light filled the opening.

Vi stood at the doorway of Heaven, the beauty was overwhelming, her eyes met with Jesus and peace, love and joy filled her soul. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that all was well now.

   “Vi! Vi!” her eyes were drawn toward the voice and there was her Lee coming toward her, she also saw Tommy and Kevin coming too. Lee got to her first and drew her into his arms.

     “Sweetheart, I told you I’d love you forever. And forever begins today.” 

Happiness filled her heart as they walked hand in hand into forever, everlasting.