by Lora Lindy
Eleven Days:
An Unexpected Love
by
Lora Lindy
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Copyrighted @ Lora Lindy, 2012
[email protected]
Other Books by Lora Lindy
Eleven Days: An Unexpected Love (August 2012)
The Party Line (October 2012)
Mutt and Maude (December 2012)
The Wall (March 2013)
Thirty Days: The Hunt for Angelino Marquit (May 2013)
Seven Days: The Revenge (June 2013)
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 39
Chapter 1
October 5, 10:42 p.m.
“Sharon, I’ve received the test results from the lab,” said Dr. Kemper lowering his head, not wanting to look into her tear filled eyes. They were swollen like she had lost the first round of boxing with Muhammad Ali. Willingly, he distracted himself by looking at the papers he held in his hands, flipping the pages back and forth on the clipboard. He wanted to make sure he didn’t miss anything. No matter how many times the gray haired elderly doctor delivered bad news, it never got any easier.
Sharon’s face turned pale as she looked at the doctor waiting for him to continue about the news of her husband, James. Sharon could tell by the look on his face the news was not good. Her heart started racing, and she shifted from one foot to the other. When he didn’t finish his sentence, she snapped at him. “Spit it out, what are the results?”
He took a deep breath and as he exhaled his cheeks puffed out, like he was trying to whistle. “The MRI shows James is brain dead, and there’s nothing medically we can do. The machine is breathing for him and it’s the only thing keeping him alive. Too much time passed after his heart attack before he got help. Those few minutes deprived his brain of oxygen. I’m sorry Sharon I wish I could give you better news.”
“I do too.” Sharon lowered her eyes to her beloved husband. Thoughts of him raced through her mind. She recalled when they met, their first date, their marriage, and the birth of their children. Tears ran down her cheek when she remembered the birth of their first child, Kismet. His head came out pointed and lopsided and James said. “Look he’s an alien, honey is there something you want to tell me?” The doctor laughed for ten minutes.
Dr. Kemper coughed and she snapped back to reality. “You will need to decide when you want to turn off the machine. I’m sure you’ll want to talk with family members about the details. Also, you’ll need to let everyone know so they can come say their goodbyes.” This was the part he hated the most, when the loved ones discussed what should be done, they never agreed. Some didn’t want him to suffer, and some wanted him hooked up to the machine forever.
“Can I have over night to think about what to do?” She needed time alone to think. Picking the day and time to let her husband die was not a choice she wanted to make, tired or not. Thoughts raced through her mind about the sorrow this decision would make, especially for Lana. Even though they were cousins, they had been best friends for decades. Now in a fleeting moment, his life would end. This decision would be a crushing blow to her and all the family.
“Absolutely, you take all the time you need. I’ll come by in the morning and check on you, and answer any questions you might have.”
“Thank you.” Sharon picked up her coat and kissed James’ cheek. “Good night doctor and I’ll see you in the morning.” The last few days with only a few hours of sleep caught up with her. Knowing her own body, she needed rest. Without rest she might doubt any decision she made.
“Good night Sharon and try to get a decent night’s sleep.” He was never shocked by how distraught spouses acted. Some would scream at the top of their lungs and others would laugh. Most cried and were afraid to make any decisions, and they let the doctor spoon feed them through the process. Sharon appeared to be the quiet type and always wanted to be alone to think about what to do.
They both walked out of the hospital room without saying another word, but she did glance back at her husband one last time.
Sharon started her car and looked up toward James’ room. She couldn’t leave. Even though she needed rest, and time alone to think, she would have to make time later. Right now she needed to spend the last few hours with her husband of thirty-one years. The walk to his room was routine, and the nurses just nodded their heads as she passed. Sharon pulled the covers back and crawled in next to him.
Chapter 2
October 7, 3:42 a.m.
Forty-seven year old Lana Andrews sat in a chair in the hallway of Citizens Memorial Hospital, waiting to say goodbye to her cousin James. His unexpected heart attack disarrayed her entire life, everyone’s life. All the loved ones, teary eyed, went into his room to say goodbye. Some would go in alone and others went in as groups. Lana wanted to be alone.
Fidgeting in the orange hard chair and waiting for all the immediate family to arrive, she reminisced how James had always been at her side. How he had helped her get through her rough divorce. When she divorced, James helped her move, he went to court with her, and he even went head to head with the ex. No matter what happened in her life, he always stood by Lana’s side. She looked down at the tile floor and the pit of her stomach hurt, dreading the next hour.
The last person left the death room. Lana took a deep breath and walked in, trembling. Her hands shook as she reached down and took his limp hand. Lana spoke with a soft tone, a whisper. “James, I know you can’t hear me, but I need to say goodbye. I love you so much and I will miss you. I will miss your guidance, love, and talks. If I could give you my heart to make you strong, I would. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me most.” She choked up for a few seconds then finally murmured one last word. “Goodbye.” Lana reached down and kissed his cool cheek. For several seconds she looked into his cadaverous face hoping for some telltale sign of life, but nothing.
Lana took the sleeve of her sweater and wiped away the tears as she looked around his death room. It was not a typical hospital room, more like a Martha Stewart home. All the furniture had been stained with a dark mahogany color, and the bedspread and walls were different shades of green. But what stood out the most were the wall hangings. People painted pictures, framed them, and hung them on the wall. To her surprise, they were happy pictures of trees and flowers. Are they trying to put me in a good mood?
She thought. This would be James’ death room, and she didn’t want to forget a thing.
Dr. Kemper and his nurse walked in and interrupted her thoughts. He looked at her with sadness and spoke, barely audible. “It’s time.”
Lana nodded, but her heart denied the reality of it all. All the close loved ones shuffled into the room, one by one and gathered around James. Lana held James’ hand, shaking. She alone held his hand. As the doctor pushed the button, the beeping slowed down until it flat lined. Lana expected him to jerk, fight to live. But he didn’t. He just slowly drifted away. His heart stopped, her heart pounded as his last heartbeat slipped from his lifeless body. She took a deep breath as his heartbeat streamed from his fingers into hers. Tears trickled down her cheek and dripped on the bedspread. Oh my Lord, I can’t let go, I just can’t and I don’t want to lose him. Her heart felt heavy with sorrow.
“Come on Lana, you have to let go. You know that is what he would want,” said Sharon consolingly.
How dare her to ask Lana to let go of his hand. Sharon didn’t even attempt to hold his hand the last few seconds of his life. Lana hated her, she hated the doctor, and she even hated James. How dare him die and leave them all, he had no right to die. Lana wanted to say goodbye and talk with him one more time. It was all she could do to hold back her anger. “It’s so hard,” she said with curtness, and she didn’t want to look at Sharon. How could she have signed that paper? Her emotions overtook rational thinking.
Lana knew she shouldn’t be hard on Sharon, because James had been brain dead for several days. They all loved him so much and that made it even more difficult. Her mind was in a state of reckless emotions.
The doctor pronounced him dead, and the nurse wrote down the details of time, cause of death and date.
That’s it.
It’s over, just like that.
Lana walked out the door.
Chapter 3
October 9, 1:30 p.m.
When Lana walked out her front door she realized what a sunny day it was for the funeral. The temperature in Chattanooga hovered around eighty degrees. It was much warmer than normal, with only a slight breeze. The trees still held on to their fall leaves and they had already turned to the bright colors; orange, red, purple, and every other color imaginable. Even with all this beauty surrounding her, all she could think about was her own sorrow. How could today be sunny when she felt the deepest and darkest hurt she had ever experienced in her life? The sun shouldn’t be shining today and she wished it would hide behind the clouds, Lana wished she could hide behind the clouds.
Once she arrived at the cemetery she sat in the truck a few minutes, contemplating leaving. She couldn’t, she trudged on, unwillingly. Lana looked over at all the other graves at the cemetery and wondered how their families managed to get through their own tragedy. Then she saw an infant’s tombstone she thought. If this little baby’s parents can get through this, I can as well. That one tiny tombstone gave her courage.
As she got closer to the grave she fixated on James’ casket, it saddened her knowing his body lay in there, and soon he would be put in the ground. He was too young for this fate of eternity, fifty was too young. All graves should be like New Orleans, above the ground. Hell fell below the ground and Heaven rose above the ground, and families so freely send everyone to hell.
Thank the Lord for the chairs to sit on, or she might have collapsed. Everyone around her solemnly sat there, and like Lana they were drained. The oddest thing, what she remembered most, almost everyone wore black. Whoever started the tradition of wearing black to funerals? Her grandmother, a devout Pentecostal Christian, told her years ago. “Death is a celebration. Our loved ones have moved on to a better place, and that’s a time to celebrate.” Today of all days she thought of that and wondered. If death is such a celebration then why don’t we wear party hats and party clothes to funerals instead of black?
Sharon interrupted her thoughts by putting her hand on Lana’s and leaned in to whisper. “Look at the view James will have forever.” In the distance the beauty of Lookout Mountain looked breathtaking, and James would have loved the view. The sun smiled on the sheets of multi-colored leaves and the wet summer made the colors more vibrant.
Lana knew any other day she might have been in total contentment looking at the mountain, but not today. She nodded knowing how much he loved the mountains. “He would love this place,” Lana whispered.
The deep gray casket sparkled with the sun beating down on it. She thought he would have preferred a red casket that sparkled. The red one looked more like a sports car and he loved sports cars, Corvettes. Then Lana pivoted her eyes up to a beautiful majestic mountain in the background. She thought. “My precious cousin, this will be your beautiful view for eternity.” She lowered her head, and quietly wept.
*****
After the funeral everyone gathered at James and Sharon’s house. People Lana knew and didn’t know were boisterous with their opinions about death. Their opinions really got on her last nerve. She didn’t want to deal with their epiphany of wisdom on how she should handle her grieving.
Instead of dealing with them, she decided to adhere to a more surreal surrounding, the front porch. At the end sat a great big swing to sit on and it’s on the far end of the porch. No one sat out there, not even the children. She would have complete solitude. The swing creaked when she sat down and it made a struggled squeak when she slightly went back and forth, in a slow rhythm. She smiled when she thought about what James might say at a time like this. “The swing is telling you that you need to lose weight.”
People were coming and going, and some she didn’t know. They nodded an acknowledgment as they saw her. That suited her just fine because she was content sitting alone. Swinging and listening to all the sounds of outside made her heart content. In the distance she could hear kids playing kick ball in the street, taking advantage of the last few days of the warm weather. Three houses down, an older man mowed his yard for the last time this year. Inside dishes were banging as people made their plates of food. Lana kept swinging in a slow rhythm.
Within a few minutes Sharon walked some friends out and she saw Lana sitting on the swing.
As Lana watched her, she noticed Sharon had more gray than brown in her shoulder length hair. Through the years Sharon gained a little weight, but she did have three kids. Gravity did take its toll on her midsection. But some of the chubbiness was from being so short she couldn’t be over five feet tall and she didn’t have the long torso to help hide her weight. Even with all that has happened she still walked with some perkiness during her mourning. And thank God she changed out of her black dress.
The guests left and Sharon walked over and sat with Lana on the old wood swing. Lana slowed down a tiny bit as Sharon sat down next to her. “How are you?” Sharon asked while crisscrossing her legs.
The squeaking swing struggled a little bit and it was a little heavier to swing, but it didn’t miss a beat. Even though it whined, Lana had no intentions of stopping. “I’ve seen better days. I’m a strong person and I will get through this, I just have to figure out how.”
She put her arm around Lana and gave her shoulder a big squeeze. “Of all the people who love him, I think you’ll miss James the most. I think sometimes you were closer to him than me.”
“Well, Sharon, I did have many more years with him than you did. If you remember I was the first person you were introduced to,” Lana said as she noticed her eyes were swollen and she had developed puffy bags under them, and it saddened Lana to see her so heartbroken.
“I remember the first time James introduced us, you were getting ready for a date and you messed up your eye makeup and James offered to help. You let him put on your eye shadow and he made it worse. He put blue eye shadow on one eye and brown on the other. The whole time he messed up your make-up he was winking at me. I tried hard not to laugh out loud. When you looked in the mirror and saw what he did you tried to kill him,” Sharon reminisced.
; Lana grinned when she thought about James being a toot. “Yea, if I could have caught him I think he would have died that night. And if you remember right, because of his shenanigans I needed to redo all my makeup which made me late. Then he met my date at the door and acted like he developed a facial twitch.”
Sharon rolled her head back with laughter and said. “Yea and he told your date it was hereditary.”
“No he didn’t? He never told me about that incident. I could tell Carl wanted the date to end, and now I know why.” Tears filled her eyes because she could picture James telling Carl he had a twitch.
“Believe it or not, James felt bad about telling him a lie, and that could be the reason he never told you. James also said Carl was not the right one for you, especially if he could be driven off so easily.”
“He should have felt bad.”
With a little twinkle in her eyes Sharon added. “You know every time James ran into Carl, he all of a sudden developed another twitch.”
“No wonder every time I ran into Carl he asked me about my health. I’m surprised I could catch a husband at all with the way James acted.”
About that time some guests were leaving and Sharon excused herself to talk with them. James made a right choice by picking her. She could take a joke better than most, and he constantly pulled something on her. No matter how many pranks he pulled, he never showed any maliciousness. She would laugh and go about her business, and sometimes she would get even. She thought Sharon was wrong about her missing James the most. Lana got to go home to her routine, and Sharon had to go to bed alone.