A Love Story with a Little Heartbreak
Page 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
On August 20th, two days after the trip to The Mayo Clinic, Connie committed to what she called her Personal Recovery Plan, and it started with two resolutions: 1) she would be upbeat, positive, and cheery in all matters from then on, and 2) she would walk again, despite the ugly odds that had been given to her. The Plan, as she called it, was formulated during her sleeplessness that night, and when she arose in the morning, she was ready to begin what she thought of as her new life.
It had been an easy decision to make. She had come to it because every other alternative was unpleasant for her and, surely, would be unpleasant for anyone in contact with her. She didn’t delude herself that it would be easy to implement; it would take a commitment that would require conscientious effort at all times. The first part of The Plan, the part about “think happy thoughts”—the phrase that best described her new-found course of action—was something that could begin right away. The second part of The Plan was the big unknown. Given what she knew about her present situation, she didn’t expect any miracles and surely assumed she would be in a wheelchair for quite some time, but, she would say to others, “Not forever!”
The implementation of her Plan didn’t mean that her behavior that morning was so dramatically different that everyone noticed, but months later, people were describing her as upbeat, outgoing, and a joy to be with, even though she was still in a wheelchair.
Another big event in Connie’s life happened later that same day when Connie was in the kitchen with Ruby peeling apples for one of her mama’s homemade apple pies. Henry walked into the house and headed to the kitchen, calling out in his booming voice, “Hellooooooo, I’m home.”
Ruby and Connie returned his greeting as he walked into the kitchen and gave Ruby a big kiss on the cheek and then took a step to the kitchen table and leaned over and gave Connie a kiss on the forehead.
“We’re making apple pie for dinner, Henry.” Connie stated with glee. “We know you love apple pie!”
“You betcha, Connie,” Henry said, “nothin’ better than your mama’s apple pie!”
Connie picked up on a little extra energy from Henry. “So,” she inquired, “why the big smile?”
Henry turned to Ruby, and then Ruby asked him, “So you got it?” He was nodding to her and smiling, and then he looked at Connie.
“Got what?” asked Connie?
“Go see for yourself,” Henry replied. “Go look in the box in the front yard.”
“What is it? Is it something for me?”
“It’s for you, all right, but you gotta look to find out.”
Connie backed up from the table, pivoted her chair, and wheeled past Ruby and Henry, out the kitchen, through the dining room, through the living room, through the front door, and rolled down the ramp at wheelchair-expert speed into the yard. Ruby and Henry were right behind her. Connie rolled up to a big cardboard box at the end of the walkway that was open at the top. She leaned over, her neck extended over the opening, and right away she saw a puppy, a little black cocker spaniel! It whimpered upon seeing her, and when she put her hand down to it, she got a lot of licks.
“Oh Mama! Oh Henry! He’s so cute!” She put one hand under his soft belly and scooped him up right into her lap. “He’s soooooooooooooo cute!” Connie then raised the little pup in both hands just above her head and went nose to nose with him. “Hello you little puppy. You’re soooo adorable, aren’t you? Yes you are… you are so cute!” Connie let the pup lick her face, and then she looked at Ruby and Henry. “Is he… oops,” she checked the underside of the puppy before continuing, “Is she… is she ours? Please say yes! Is she?”
Ruby deferred to Henry. “No, Connie, she’s not ours.” And he paused for one second, for effect, and said, “She’s yours!”
Connie let out a little yelp of happiness. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you,” she repeated over and over, nuzzling the puppy, which she had already decided was perfect. “She’s the cutest… just the cutest little thing I think I have ever seen—ever.”
“So we should keep her?” asked Ruby.
“Yes, Mama! Of course!” And the three of them laughed—such a happy scene it was.
“What’s her name?” Connie asked.
“That’s up to you,” Henry replied.
Connie lifted the pup in both hands again, holding her over her head once more, almost nose to nose, and looked her right in her little deep brown eyes and paused only for a second before saying, “Your name is Penny! Yes, Penny it will be because you are my lucky Penny!” And then Connie brought Penny down to her chest and tucked the little black ball of fur under her chin. The afternoon sun shone on both of them, and Connie felt a lightheartedness and happiness that she hadn’t felt in a long time.
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