My Mom who passed away many years ago at the age of 49, hid the extent of her illness from everyone because she knew she was seriously ill and wanted to die at home..Sadly she did not as she was rushed to the hospital and passed there later..
I , being the first born, knew her wishes but i had to hitchhike in late November from Wyoming to Pennsylvania..and trust me that is not an experience i want to repeat.
But, I decided to write this -a long time ago- and allow my Mother to do as she wished.. die at home- and this is what it would have been like- truly.
A Death In The House:
There was a death in the house and it troubled the old house greatly. There had been other deaths there in the past, but this one was different.
This one was the Lady of the house and she had been a good one.
Few over the years had even the slightest hint that there was more to the old house than was readily seen.
But, the Lady of the house knew and over the last hundred and twelve years there had been only a very few who had known or suspected. She had loved the old house and raised her children there and shared the years with the man of the house.
He was a good one too.
It was rare for the house to have two good ones there at the same time.
They were good years and the house had been content for the first time.
But now the kids were grown and most had left and the house was almost as sad and lonely as the man of the house.
There was a time not so long ago when the rooms and the stairs rang with the cluttered noise of the children and their laughter, and the friends and neighbors that were always present.
Relatives were a common presence also.
But, that was then and this was now.
The man of the house was alone now, even with all the kids and neighbors and family that there.
He wandered aimlessly throughout the house, picking up this item and laying it down then moving to another room and doing it again.
There was a deep sorrow within the man and nothing anyone said or did made the slightest dent in that hurt.
The table was piled high with food and every light was on.
The conversation and traffic through the house only amplified the silence that dominated every where else.
The other houses across the way and on either side felt the sadness of the house and wished it well.
But, secretly they were grateful that the death in the house hadn't happened there.
The old house recognized many of the people there, though some were only occasional visitors and others only came to the house when something like this happened.
It was indeed a sad day in the house and with the rain that was falling who could say what that was running down the corners of its panes.
The wind made the house creak and moan which only added to the sadness throughout.
Soon, but not soon enough for the man of the house and the children who had come to stay over, the company had left and the old house grew quiet once again.
The passing of the Lady had come as an unexpected shock to everyone, though the house had sensed there was something terribly wrong with the lady of the house.
The old house had been wakened on many nights to see the Lady of the house, moving restlessly on the old single bed she spent most of her time on, in the living room. The Lady had great difficulty breathing late at night, though she hid her illness well.
Still it was a shock even to the old house.
Over the many years others had passed away in the old house. Back then that was how it was done. Few went to the hospitals and most were cared for in the home.
Others had passed away there but not all had left. This caused the house some concern over the years.
It had seen things that troubled it, just out of the corners of its panes, mind you. The old house didn't really care for the ones that hadn't left, for the most part.
Tthe mother and father of the man of the house had passed on there, but only the mother had remained, so far. She was welcome there and the old house counted her as a friend.
But, some of the others, that was another story.
The house was glad they weren't there all the time and he felt vaguely uneasy when they showed up. It was always somewhat of a shock when they did and he was always glad when they left.
It seemed they got pleasure from scaring the little ones who had lived in the house over the years.
The old Grandmother who stayed there after passing kept the others away when she was present. She had been a good one also, kind and generous and one with the Lord. The old Grandfather was with the Lord also and had passed there also, but he hadn't been seen by any of the ones who lived there, though the house had seen him from time to time.
It was late in the house now and quiet had settled in. The only sounds were the ones the old house had been making for these many years. Old sounds, comfortable sounds. The children had fallen asleep and finally too the man of the house. The house was awake, even this late hour, for he was old and needed little rest anymore.
Besides, he was watching and wondering at this late hour. A feeling of anticipation was lying heavy on his old, bowed shoulders.
Soon, just out of the corners of his panes, he saw a movement in white. There was the Lady of the house, alone, moving on the night air through the hallways. Moving softly to the first doorway where the children were asleep, she turned to the old house and with a sad smile held her finger to her lips.
The old house shifted sadly and watched as the Lady of the house moved silently into the bedroom and bent over the children.
With a touch lighter than the air in the house she kissed each child and moved back into the view of the house. Sadness and love was in her face as she moved next to the room where the Man of the house slept fitfully.
The Lady of the house bent over her husband and gently kissed his cheek and caressed his furrowed brow.
With a soft sigh he reached up in his sleep momentarily and mumbled something, and then turned over and slept quietly.
The Lady moved then out of the sight of the old house. He was still filled with the sadness in the house, but at least he knew the Lady would be there from time to time. It wasn't the same, it would never be the same again ,but for the old house it was enough:
A Death In The House
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