MidNight

Nanna

The wait felt forever as i sat next to Nalen who massaged my hand as i stared off into space.

Then Mr. Joules came back and asked if i was ready to meet her. Quickly, i responded yes and stood feeling Nalen's hand slip from mines. A airplane rush of emotions hit me. There was anger resentment love yearning ... and love... maybe

I wasn't sure. My heart was pounding so hard i couldnt hear my thoughts. My ears ears rung and felt hot to the touch. My  brain throb and eyes ache as if i hadnt slept in years. My hands became clammy and it was hard to twist the door knob. The door cracked open and a breeze of cool air hit my face. The room was very bright from what i could see through the xrack of the door.

Gently, steadily i pushed the door further and saw the bed a little low to make it easier for her to lay on im guessing. Soft pillow sheets and a thick yellow cover spread out and without any wrinkles. The carpet was creamy and looked soft. I stepped inside the rather large room with off white walls. A huge window screen was in a big part of the wall with an amazing scenery of the back yard. The meadow feildnwith apple trees and grassy areas that the wind kissed into movement.

I blinked back tears, seeing the elderly  woman with her back faced to me as she sat in a rocking chair. A stand sat next to her and on the stand set a bible, a cup of water with a wet ring aound it suggesting the water was once cold and now cooling off, a straw still in its wrapper and a bowl of grits. On the other side of her laid a gas tank.

I closed the door seeing the older womens very thin white hair catch a breeze of the qind from the fan above us. I slowly walked to the sideof her, where another chair sat by her legs. I touched her shoulder as i passed and her sheilded eyes looked up to me, still very cloudy like i remembered but this time thy seemed tiered. Her eyes sunk into her skull opening and one eye protruded more outward than the other. Her skin still seemed very smooth despitethe heavy wrinkes that seemed to put weight on her face. I remembered her have very chucky cheeks but now i could see the lining of her cheek bone under her thinned skin. She signed staring still and smiled "your presence is so warm"

I cleared my throat at her soft cherry voice "it's probably just the warmth from outside" i told her my hand still on her shoulder i could feel her muscles tense tightly and with a swift gesture she pushed her hand up in the air, knocking my hand off her shoulder.

"No, no, no! This cannot be" i blinked in confusion seeing her facial expression shifted to confusion. "You cannot be here, you are dead, why have you come"

"It is me Nanna Tanisha. I'm not dead"

"My chi'd" her lips in a shape of an O and she clenched her fist together"i buried yuh, i .. you ain't real" she shook her head repetitively. "Benita?" She gasped and i stood ready to run hearing her call my mothers name. But the fright on her face made me calm down "um I dead" she cried "i cants be dead, i have tuh see my grandchi'd lord"

I placed my arm again on her shoulder and she jumped but i slowly held her hand "Nanna it is not your daughter Benita, it's your granddaughter Tanisha"

She became quiet and her body still but her hand tighten its grip on to mines. Her hand were soft and cool. With her free hand she reached out to me and placed her hand on my face. Feeling around my nose and eyes softly drifting a finger on my lips and ears and jaw line, letting her fingers tangle in my hair. A soft chuckle left from her plumped lips. "I have miss'd ya foe so long, havin' feer my time wuz runnin' up " her voice was cut up and sweet. "Tanisha" she said it slowly, letting my name linger on her toungue for a while. A very calming smile came on her lips and soft chuckles. "I killt dat men dead chi'd" she cupped my cheeks with a very hard look on her face. "I did dat but my zinc wont clean, i calls you so miny timez but nah answer. Yuh wuz empty airs in dat home" she frowned sitfing back in the chair with heavy breaths. I helped her get some air and watched her eyes close and soft snores indicated she was sound asleep.