Heaven's Gate forty-three

Heaven’s Gate Bridge forty-three

The two women rushed into their mother’s bedroom. The only light came from a window that was half opened to let fresh air in. Otherwise the room smelled of medicine, sweaty clothes and urine. In the middle of the bed was the Edith’s and Irene’s mother, Ruth. Her thin hair was in pigtails that lay close to her waxy face. Out of her pale blue dress like pajamas were hands that looked like yellow skin stretched across a skeleton. Her hazel eyes that had long since had the look of cataracts, were sunken into her skull.

“Mama, I’m here.” whispered Edith to her mother’s good left ear. She stayed leaning over her mother’s body with the hopes that she could sense her daughter’s presence. “It’s Edith. I’ve come home to see you, to try to help you feel better,” she added as tears began to form in her eyes.

Ruth opened her eyes. She tried to move her dry, medicine stained lips. Her fingers of her left hand began to wiggle as if she was trying to point to something.

“Mama, your little girl, Eddie is here.” voiced Irene as she picked up her mother’s hand and put it into Edith’s hand.

“My, my,…..,my ba-by.” whispered Ruth.

“Yes, mama. It’s me. I’m here to.” Edith turned to Irene, “She’s trying to hold it tighter. I, I think she knows I’m here.” cried Edith. She put both of her hands around her mother’s cold hand.

“That’s good. Oh mama, don’t try to talk right now. Just rest squeeze Edith’s hand if you need something.”

“I felt it. Oh mama. Can we get you some water, some soup, or.” Edith pointed to a wooden chair that was in the corner for Irene to pull it closer to the bed so she could sit down.

Irene got the wooden chair for Edith as Edith was fixing the covers on her mother’s bed. Her mother’s breathing seemed a little shallow. But as Edith sat down, her mother seemed to smile and closed her eyes.

“I think she knows you are here. But the medicine is now helping to relieve the pain and she will sleep for a couple of hours. “ said Irene softly. She motioned for Edith to put their mother’s hands down and come out into the kitchen area.

The two women quietly tiptoed out of their mother’s room and closed the door most of the way.

“Mother is not eating much these days. If we can get a small bowl of soup down her, we feel like we have done a good job. Mother stopped eating soft foods last week. The doctor thinks that she might have some kind of tumor in her stomach area. We have tried so hard to keep her clean, but as you noticed, we have missed some of her, well you know. I can’t leave a bed pan under her all the time.” said Irene as she went to the sink to pump so water to wash her hands.

“Oh no, Irene. I don’t think even the hospitals could have tried harder.” she replied as she looked for Penny. She walked to the back door and opened it to check where her daughter might have gone.

Outside, she saw Penny with Jeb and Wallace. They were all standing at the little family cemetery looking at the headstones. Wallace was putting the shovel against the fence. Jeb was on one knee pointing out some of the names on the headstones. They all glanced back at the house when they heard the door open.

“It won’t be long, will it?” suggested Edith.

“No. Doc Flack say that it could most likely be any time now. He will be coming to check her this afternoon. I’m sure that he can give you any information that you want.” Irene said as she started to walk towards the group in the little cemetery.

“Yes I’d like to talk to him, but only to find out if there is anything we can do to make her more comfortable.”

Irene stopped for a second and then started walking on. When she reached the small group, she looked at the hole in the ground as if she could envision a coffin with her mother’s body in it already.

“Mama. Uncle Wallace says that most of the family is buried here. He says that there are a couple of babies here too.” said Penny with sadness in her voice.

“Yes Penny, mama lost two babies before I was born. They just could not hold any air in their lungs. They were blue and never got a chance to cry.” said Edith.

Penny walked over to her mother and gave her a hug. “I’m sorry mama. I wished that they would have lived.”

“We all wish that, but the good Lord must have needed some baby angels. I’ll see them some day.” responded Edith as she took Penny’s hands and looked up at the others.

“Jeb, are you sure that we will be able to get a coffin when the time comes?” asked Irene to her brother.

“Yea, I can get some wood from the Black family on the other side of town. We have traded work. I gave him some seed and chickens and he makes things. And I told him the other day that my mama was doing poorly. I gave him her size and he said that he could fix it up in about a day. “

Irene nodded as she looked up at the sky. She heaved a big sigh and looked at the hole once again. She turned and started walking towards the house.

“Is she alright?” asked Edith to her brothers.

“She done most of the care giving. She has been here doing everything she could think of. When the doctor told her the news, she just seemed to lose that spark of faith. She has not even been home much to take care of her family. Thank goodness her young uns are old enough to do a few things at their home.” said Wallace.

“Oh I didn’t know that. I should not have said something about making mama more comfortable. I’m sure that Irene has given her the best care possible.”

“Why don’t you go and tell her. She might feel better.” suggested Jeb. “Penny can go to the barn and get some feed for the chickens. She might even check the nests for eggs.”

Penny nodded and released her mother’s hand. Edith turned to go to the house as some barefoot boy was running across the field. “Uncle Wallace. Uncle Wallace.” he screamed. “Hurry home right now. Aunt Tina needs you. She thinks it’s the baby. Uncle Wallace, can you hear me?”

It was Irene’s oldest son, Anthony. He was only twelve years old but could already run as fast as any fifteen year old boy.

Wallace jumped over the fence and ran towards the fleet messenger. As soon as he got to the young boy, he ran past Anthony and straight to the road that lead to his house and very pregnant wife.