“Hey, baby. How you been?”
“I’ve been good, Momma. I just came by to put up new decorations and change your bedding.”
“Celeste, what I tell you about always spending money on me? You spend all this money on decorations and clothes I hardly ever get to wear,” she complained.
“Momma, I ask you all the time if you want me to take you out. The furthest you let me take you is a few feet to that courtyard. I’d love to take you out to eat or to the mall sometimes.”
“I know, baby. I just don’t like to be a burden on you. You gotta deal with me, my oxygen tank, and my wheelchair. It sounds like too much.”
“I don’t care about that. I’d actually love to get you out of here for a change.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know when I’m up for it.”
“No, you won’t. I’ll plan it myself and tell you what we’re gonna do.”
Setting the bags on the bed, I walked over to her and kissed her soft cheek. Since she was relaxing in the recliner, I immediately went to strip the neatly made bed. While my mother told me the latest gossip about other residents in the facility, I changed her sheets and pillowcases. By the time she was done, I was tucking in the comforter.
“Oooh, I love the color scheme. It’s giving fall in here now,” she said as she looked around the small room. A bowl mixed with acorns and small pumpkins now rested on her dresser while a glass pumpkin sat in the middle of the windowsill. The new bedding consisted of cream colored sheets and a dark brown comforter. I hadn’t gotten around to handing the decorative bathroom towels, but those were also different shades of brown and orange.
“Yes, ma’am. The season is starting to change, so I figured I might as well get you ready. I need to go through your closet and see how many sweaters you have. You want any new boots?”
“I want those boots you showed me about a month ago. The ones you said you’ll have in store for fall.”
It took a second for me to recall, but I knew exactly what she was talking about. I’d found a vendor that manufactured qualityboots comparable to UGG. Jade and I tested them by wearing the samples they’d sent for long periods of time. I was still going back and forth on finalizing the colors, but the boot would be in stock at the end of September.
“What color you want?”
“Chestnut and black, if it’s not asking for too much.”
“Anything for you, Momma. I’ll bring them when I get them in. You ready to shower? It’s almost seven.” I asked as I stepped into her walk-in closet.
“I am. I was just relaxing a little after eating dinner. We actually had something memorable tonight.”
“What was it?”
“Smothered pork chops with mashed potatoes and string beans.”
“Oh, that does sound good. You know I don’t care for smothered food, but a win is a win.”
After gathering the essentials for my mother’s shower, I went into the ensuite bathroom and started the water. Using my hand to constantly check the temperature, I nodded in approval once it was the right amount of warmness. As I helped my mother out of her clothes and into the shower, my emotions heightened when I was reminded that she was no longer the same woman from the past. Back in the day, my mother was a force to be reckoned with. We had our disagreements when it came to the male company she kept, but my mother was my everything. She always made a way and there was never a time I went without. She was headstrong, a trait she’d passed down to me.
Outside of dealing with Allen, I didn’t take shit from anyone and I’d gotten that from Cora Peterson. Now, the woman before me was thin and frail. With her oxygen off, I visibly saw the deep breaths she took to keep herself in control. Seeing this hurt because she was so young to be going through it, but itwas my job to take care of her. Although I trusted these nurses wholeheartedly, no one would ever care for my mother like me.
“I’ve been thinking a lot lately, Celeste,” she said, breaking our silence.
“About?”
“I don’t have much time left, sweetie. I know you don’t like talking about it, but I wouldn’t be doing you any justice if I didn’t prepare you. We’ve already been over how I want my arrangements to go and what I want to wear, but I need you to remember what I’m about to tell you,” she said sternly.
My body stiffened as I continued to lather soap on the sponge to wash her back. I may have felt like I was now in control, but I knew when to not play with my mother and listen to whatever she had to say.
“The day the Lord calls me home, I need you to know I love you and did the best I could as your mother. I’ve made many mistakes from the time you were born, but I need you to know I always did what I thought was best at the time.”
“I already know that, Momma. I’d never think differently.”
When I completed my statement, she looked up at me with sadness in her eyes, like she had much more to say but didn’t. I didn’t press her since this was a topic I hated discussing anyway. The thought of my mother no longer being here wasn’t one I was ready to experience. She was all I had. As I washed and rinsed her, we switched the topic to what activities she’d be participating in tomorrow. The conversation lasted while I moisturized and dressed her for bed. Once I had her tucked in, I left the room to get her a fresh jug of ice water and applesauce she liked to have as a late-night snack.
By the time I made it back into her room, my brows knitted in confusion when I realized she was on the phone. Setting the items on the bedside tray, I rolled my eyes when I noticed it was Allen. He was asking her how her day had gone and howshe’d been feeling. There was no doubt in my mind that he cared for my mother, but he was only calling because he hadn’t heard from me all day. Once he got all the fake greetings out the way, he’d surely start questioning her about me.
