A Lovely Story

Mrs. Shields death

Meanwhile, in a hospital room, the doctor that gave his rounds at night was speaking with Mrs. Shields, asked, how was she feeling, if she was comfortable, if she needed an extra blanket and gave her the news that she already figured.

-I'm afraid you have a decision to make, because of complications of diabetes we need to amputate your legs above the knee.

-I don't want the amputations, I prefer to go home, I'm tired

-you can go home, you will be more comfortable, the risk is that you may not live very long, I will visit you again before I leave.

the doctor put his hand on Mrs. Shields shoulder and left the room, he knew that it was very difficult for her.

Mrs. Shields was quiet, thinking of her decision, she knew that that was what she wanted, she looked up to her two daughters, her eyes said that she already decided, her daughters sadly smiled approving any decision their mom made, she didn't look sick she just looked very tired.

She was back home a Thursday afternoon, with her two daughters Katherine and Jenifer, her two grandchildren just stayed a little while then dad took them home. She felt better in her own room with a lot of light coming through the window and could see her roses,

by Friday she looked a bit more tired, the nurse from hospice arrived, Mrs. Shields was in bed relaxing, feeling content, still moving a little, her daughters making her what she wanted for breakfast, lunch and dinner, by Saturday she could hardly move, but could still talk, Katherine and Jenifer were fixing her hair, light makeup, and painting her fingernails, she chose a very light pink color, Mrs. Shields sister and brother in law were coming to visit or rather say goodbye, they drove for five hours, they arrived early evening, Mrs. Shields wanted to see her sister but could hardly keep herself awake, they didn't stay long her sister saw that she didn't have much longer to live because she looked very tired, frail, could barely talk, she gave her such a long hug before leaving, it was very hard to say goodbye and even harder to leave, her husband consoled her when they went out the door, Sunday morning Mrs. Shields had difficulty swallowing she ate very little, and spoke even less, Sunday night about 7 the hospice nurse told Katherine and Jenifer to prepare, they each took turns speaking alone with mom she could still listen because she opened her eyes and moved her hands a little bit, like saying I can hear you, Jenifer was with her first, when she came out the bedroom she said in a very quiet and sad voice "my God she's dying", Katherine entered the room, got close to her bed and held her hand "hi mom, you look so well, so beautiful, but you were always so beautiful, you were always the most beautiful mom anywhere, you are such a great mom, you are the greatest mom in the whole world, I love you so so so much", she stayed caressing her and touching her hair and kissed her hands and cheeks, they both smiled, by Monday she didn't open her eyes anymore she was just breathing, while the hours pass her breathing got spaced further apart, both of her daughters Katherine and Jenifer were sitting in a chair on each side of her bed, and they were talking for hours like they did when they got together on Sundays, they both knew that mom was listening and they wanted her to feel close to them, like nothing was happening, like it was Sunday afternoon with her daughters, they started talking, reminiscing when they were children, remembering their first dog a golden retriever named scout, beautiful dog, he was an outside dog, and Lucy, an orangey reddish hair female cat, mom loved her because she was very docile specially with her two girls never scratched them, she was an indoor cat, she only went outside following mom, on her lap sitting on the back porch, or picking at the soil while mom is in the garden, then back in again, always close to her, and scout the golden retriever best friend constant companion of the two sisters, when the girls were outside in the backyard, on the park playground or waiting for them when they got home from school, the greatest dog EVER, beautiful and smart too, at Christmas they always had the aunts and uncles visiting, it was so much fun all preparing Christmas dinner in the kitchen, scout was always so happy at Christmas, he couldn't stand it being outside so what he did he pull open the screen door with his paw and he laid down low, he had his nose on the floor inside the kitchen, the girls said, "look mommy look at scout he thinks we don't see him", mom just smiled, the retriever only had his nose inside between the door frame and the screen door, then in a little while he had both paws and his nose in, always laying low, they looked and smile, they already knew his technique every Christmas and new year, then his head and shoulders a quarter of his body, when scout was half way in, he moved quickly inside close to the floor, the girls and mom, saw him from the corner of their eyes but didn't say anything so scout could sneak under the kitchen table where they were sitting preparing dinner and talking, they looked at the door and he wasn't there, they peeked under the kitchen table and there he was, laying low but with his tail wagging very happily brushing the floor, "look mommy, he made it, he's underneath the table", the girls laughed and loved it, it was the only time mom and dad let scout inside the house those two days during the hustle and bustle the joy of all being together at Christmas, and new year, the cat Lucy was also smart she stayed with dad in the living room watching tv, she knew she could not go to the kitchen if scout was there, they also remembered their other two dogs, a Labrador and a Shetland collie, Lucy was their only cat, she lived for 20 years a much loved and spoiled kitty, mom never wanted another cat, they also talked about grandma, and grandpa, they were just talking remembering, laughing softly they wanted mom to know they had a nice childhood, the lady nurse from hospice that was their was replaced by a gentlemen nurse, the lady nurse that left and the gentlemen nurse were so nice, gave them privacy, they were sitting at the end of the room, working, reading their charts, keeping to themselves, frankly they did not even notice them, they were so quiet just got up once in a while to check her heart beat, when night came they knew that it was a matter of time, they have been through it before with grandma, when they notice that the breathing were further and further apart and the nurse got up to check her heart rate more frequently, the room became so somber, they didn't notice they stopped talking, they were both at each side of the bed watching how she passed away in front of their eyes, it was so sad but it was something that they wouldn't wanted to have missed, never to leave her side, seeing how your mom the person that most loves you and that you love so much was slowly dying, you didn't want her to feel alone, you could see how pale she was, how the tip of her nose was getting white, then her ears, Katherine uncovered a little bit of the blanket to see that her feet and part of her legs were white, her blood wasn't flowing through all of her body, so literally she was dying in front of them, they will never forget that feeling, it was all so quiet, then so unexpected she opened her eye, just one eye, Katherine yelled (softly) to Jenifer, Jenifer couldn't see because mom was with her face turned to her right side were Katherine was, "come quickly she opened her eye", it was amazing to them that she opened her eye she couldn't open both, it's like she knew she was leaving and she wanted to see her girls for the very last time, so they scrunch down together so she could see them, "Hi mom were here, were here, we love you, love you so much" she looked at them, then she gave her last breath, they felt so happy and so sad at the same time because she looked so peaceful, she died the way she wanted to die, at home surrounded by her two girls, sweet, lovely, lovely, beautiful mom, rest in peace.

She passed away at 3:17am on a Tuesday morning, they came to pick her up, they wrapped her completely what it seems were sheets, Katherine and Jenifer were in the living room they saw how they carried mom in a stretcher out the door, the most you remember is how quiet everything was, how professional everyone was, they did everything so quickly with the least amount of noise, a soft departure, they just herd the car leave, the sisters did not speak, they knew that from then on they had a closeness between them that they never talked about, but if they had a close relationship before it became closer and stronger now, the experience and love that you feel watching your mother die it's something that stays with you, they didn't talked, couldn't, they started picking up the kitchen and bedroom.

Jenifer said with a sad tired soft voice,

-it's going to be morning soon, you wanna leave?

-Yes, let's get some sleep,

Katherine closed the door behind them, they said goodbye and walk to their cars that were in opposite sides of the driveway, Jenifer turned to see Katherine, just thinking that her sister was going home like always to an empty house.

Katherine noticed when she was driving, it felt so strange, your body, mind, soul, nothing felt real, like you were in another dimension, she saw that it was getting lighter the sun was coming up, she arrived home almost at 6am, opened the front door everything was so different, the somber at her mom's house was also in her home, she got in to bed and fell asleep.