Wings and Faith

by Joy Redmond

  Otis opened his eyes, grunted, and reached up and shook the rails of the hospital bed. “On, no! Dad, please. I know you’re pissed because I broke my promise—”

  Otis grunted louder.

  “Oh, shit,” Mandy said, and grabbed the bottle of Roxanal. She filled the 10cc dropper, raised up Otis’ tongue and squirted until the dropper was empty. “That’s enough to knock a horse out. Please shut your eyes and go to sleep.”

  She stood by his bedside and waited and waited. Otis continued to stare and grunt. Mandy grabbed the bottle again with the intention of giving him another 10cc’s. Just as she was unscrewing the top, a vice-like grip was around her wrist. She couldn’t squeeze the rubber top of the dropper. “What the hell?” she whispered. Thoughts ran through her mind, but this time they weren’t a gentle whisper, they were a booming command, That’s enough. He’s in God’s hands!”

  “Okay, I understand,” she softly said, and put the Roxanal into the bedside table drawer. She left the room, put on her pajamas and lay down on the mattress. She closed her eyes. As she was dozing, she heard Otis grunt, faintly.

  You’re in God’s hands. I’m done. I’ll let God do His job. Peace filled her soul and she fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  The next morning, Mandy woke up when she heard Kati and Leigh coming upstairs. She sat up and rubbed her tired eyes. “Morning, kids. You’re up early.”

  “Mom, it’s ten o’clock. We came up to see if you were awake and wanted breakfast. I fixed some scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits.”

  “That sounds good. Let me go check on Granddaddy, and if you don’t mind, fix me a plate and bring it to the snack bar.”

  When Mandy walked in to the bedroom, Otis was ashen. She placed her ear against his chest and she heard faint breathing. She checked his pulse and it was very weak and skipping beats. “You’re still fighting the death angel, aren’t you?” She kissed his forehead and left the room.

  She sat down at the snack bar and ate every bite on her plate. She wiped her mouth. “I don’t know when food ever tasted as good. I can’t even remember the last time I ate. Now, if you and Leigh don’t mind, keep an eye on Granddaddy for me. I’m going to get dressed and go to the funeral home and make arrangements.

  Mandy held a piece of paper and read what Otis had dictated to her. The funeral director gave Mandy the total. She wrote the check, then stood and said, “I’m sure you’ll be getting a call soon.”

  “We’ll be there to pick him up as soon as Hospice calls. They have to pronounce him.”

  As soon as Mandy got back home the family starting arriving. All of Otis’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren took turns sitting by his side, holding his hand, telling him how much they loved him and how they appreciated all he had done for them. They all told him he was the greatest granddaddy in the world, and kissed his forehead.

  When Abbie arrived, Mandy stayed in the living room with Jude. “Don’t take her in there. You just say your goodbyes and I’ll play with her.”

  By ten o’clock that night, all the family had left. Kati and Leigh took Tristin and went to the basement.

  Mandy sat in a chair beside Otis, watching, waiting, hoping he wouldn’t open his eyes. After thirty minutes, she whispered, “I love you.” She stood and kissed his forehead and patted his hand.

  Just as she wiped her tears, she felt a gentle breeze blow across her face, and the white sheet that covered Otis gently fluttered. She looked at the picture hanging over the bed. Otis had hung a cross on the end of it many years ago. The cross was swaying as if it were in rhythm with the breeze.

  Then all was quiet and still. She looked toward the clock on the nightstand. 10:32 pm.

  She glanced down at her dad and watched the sweetest smile she’d ever seen spread Otis’s lips.

  “Go with the angels, Dad. Fly to heaven and be with Mother. She’s been waiting for you for eighteen years. You two have a great reunion.”

  Mandy knew—Otis had left this world.

  Suddenly, she felt a sharp pushing, starting deep in her abdominal cavity. The pushing continued, through her abdomen, her stomach, her heart, and her throat. Then pressure built inside her head and it felt as if her brains were going to blow out and splatter the walls. As the pressure let up, she felt light-headed.

  Say bye-bye to Mandy. She just left the body. She’s going to fly away, just like I did some fifty years ago. I’m back to stay. Forever! Nikko will not take a back seat again. Mandy’s job is done.

  Mandy went downstairs and she was glad to see that no boyfriends were around. She walked over and turned off the TV. “Girls, Granddaddy has gone to heaven.” And she realized her voice was deadpan.

  Kati and Leigh wrapped their arms around her and the three just stood for a long moment and held each other. Kati and Leigh’s tears flowed, but Mandy didn’t shed a tear.

  “I’m going to call the night number for Hospice. Somebody will come and pronounce him,” Mandy said.

  Soon, a Hospice nurse arrived. She went into the room, held a stethoscope to Otis’s chest. She came into the sitting room. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I’ll call the funeral home.”

  Mandy sank her weary body down into Otis’s recliner.

  When the funeral director and his assistant arrived, Mandy grabbed a pack of smokes she had dropped into the cookie jar on the snack bar. She hurried to the basement where Kati and Leigh joined her.

  As they waited, Mandy chain-smoked and drained a bottle of Coke. “I’d almost forgotten how good a cigarette could be. I’ve had little time to sneak a smoke in the past three months. And like a fool, here I go again.”

  After Otis’s body had been taken, the nurse walked downstairs and said, “God bless you all. My prayers are with you and all the family.”

  “Thank you,” Mandy said.

  Kati and Leigh echoed a thank you.

  Mandy went upstairs and closed Otis’s bedroom door. “Girls, I’d like to be alone if you don’t mind. And tonight I’m going to sleep in my bed.” She looked at the blow-up mattress on the floor. “Let the air out of that thing, then throw it in the trash can. I don’t ever want to see it again.”

  Kati and Leigh kissed Mandy and said goodnight.

  Mandy woke up Monday morning and walked outside barefoot, wearing her pajamas. She looked around her and she couldn’t remember seeing a more beautiful morning. The birds were chirping sweet music. The redbud tree was in full bloom. Jonquils were blooming and lined each side of the walkway, from the front step to the street. The sun seemed to be kissing Mandy’s skin as she surveyed the beautiful world dressed in splendor.

  This day will forever be etched in my mind, she thought, as she picked up the morning paper and went back inside. She opened the paper to the obituaries as the coffee brewed. She read the name Otis August Hodge. That’s when it hit her full force. Otis Hodge had joined Iris Hodge in Glory. It was really over.

  Carnikko Randall is back. Nobody will ever strip me of my identity again. No man. No adoption. No law. And as soon as I can get an appointment with a lawyer, I’m going to take my name back, legally. Get dressed, and get the show on the road, Nikko. Today is the first step.

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Mandy looked around the full house. Food was piled on the counter tops and snack bar. Everybody ate and acted as it if were a social gathering. Nothing like a funeral to bring a family together, she thought, as she inhaled the sweet fragrance of lilies that were sitting on the end table.

  One by one, everybody left. It was then that Mandy understood how her dad felt when her mother died. She wanted the house empty. She wanted to be alone.

  The next day, Hospice came and took the hospital bed. Mandy started cleaning out Otis’s closet, bagging his clothes to take to Goodwill. She cleaned off the top shelf and found a strong-box. Don’t let me find any surprises, unless they’re good ones.

  She held her breath as she tried to open the lid. It was locked. She moved a hat and found a ke
y under it. She inserted the key and the box opened. Inside the box she found several gold coins and a small piece of paper. She unfolded the paper and read numbers. Beside each other number was written, Right. Left.

  She climbed down from the stepstool, threw back the blanket that covered the safe, then turned the knob as she held the numbers in front of her. She stopped on the last number and heard a click. Bingo! She opened the door. The safe was full of old deeds, letters, post cards, and a blue folder. She opened the folder and her eyes bugged out of their sockets. It was a Certificate of Deposit in her name for a nice sum of money.

  She sank to the floor. “Dad, you old fart. Why didn’t you tell me? Now I can gut this house and get it in living condition again. It has totally gone to ruins,” she said, as if her dad could hear her, and she was expecting something to fall off a shelf and hit her on the head.

  She put the CD back in the safe, placed the strong-box with the gold coins beside it, and spun the knob, making sure it was locked and secure. Then she hid the combination paper under her mattress. A few more eggs for my nest, she thought, and smiled.

  For the next two weeks, she cleaned every room in the house, getting rid of junk and dirt. She had just sat down to take a breather one afternoon when Kati came through the front door. “Hey, Mom. Have you missed me?”

  “Truthfully, no. I’ve enjoyed the peace and quiet and being alone. The only person who’s been here is Jude. She always cheers me up. And the little thing has cleaned like a Turk, helping Nana get this house in shape.”

  “Well, I’ve got some news that’s going to cheer you up. Trance rented a cute little house over on Allen Street, and me, Leigh, and Tristin are moving in with him. He’s backing up the truck to the sliding glass doors in the basement as we speak. We’ll have all my stuff out and be out of your hair in a few hours.”

  “Well, honey, I’m glad you’ve finally got a house. I know you’re tired of being cramped into small apartments. I hope you and Trance are happy. I hope Leigh isn’t going to give you trouble and break up your relationship. She’s going to be running and leaving the baby with you.”

  “Don’t I know it. She’s going to do the same thing to me as I did to you. Paybacks are a bitch, aren’t they?”

  “Uh-huh,” Mandy said, and a part of her was glad that Kati was getting her paybacks, but another part of her felt sorry for Kati. You have no idea what a ride you’re in for. At least you don’t have a nine-year-old of your own like I did. I had to raise my last one and your first one, together. And it wasn’t easy.

  Mandy was full of energy and joy for the next two months as the house was gutted. All walls were repainted, each room a different color. She replaced the dry-rotted carpets and drapes, and converted Otis and Iris’s sitting room into a formal dining room. After twelve years, she unboxed her china and crystal, and placed them in the china cabinet. “Beautiful,” she said.

  She took all the old furniture to the basement, including Otis’s bedroom suite. She went shopping and bought new furniture for every room in the house. The only pieces she kept upstairs were the antiques she had brought from Georgia.

  Mandy walked from room to room, marveling at the beauty. Her personality was in the decorating of every room. Her home was a show piece and she was so proud of it.

  One month later, Tony and Belinda were evicted, and they wanted to know if they could use the basement apartment until they got back on their feet.

  “I never turn away family. It’s all furnished. But there will be no drinking or using drugs. I have house rules.” And I’m sounding like Otis, she thought. But my rules are realistic.

  Tony, Belinda, Braxton, and Ian, all moved in. Belle went to live with Belinda’s sister.

  Two months later, Mandy opened the door and her heart broke when she saw Tina holding her tiny son, Christian. With tears running down her face, she said, “Nana, I’ve got no home for me and my baby. Things didn’t work out with me and Justin. Can we stay with you until I can find a job and be able to live on my own? I can’t stay with Mom. You know she has a house full.”

  “You bring that baby in here and you have a home until—until whenever. I never turn away family.” She held her sweet great-grandson and her heart filled with love. She hugged Tina and said, “You can take the front bedroom. We’ll get the old crib out of the attic and set it up.”

  Two months later, Mandy heard a knock on the front door, “I hope that’s opportunity,” she said, as she placed her book on the couch, walked to the front door, and opened it.

  Kati, Leigh, and Triston walked inside. “Mom, I just got back from the doctor. I’m scheduled for a complete hysterectomy next Wednesday. I need a place to re-coop, and Leigh and Triston have no place to go. Trance is moving to Idaho.”

  “You know I don’t turn family away. You three will have to take Granddaddy’s old bedroom. The rest of the house is full. And you know I’ll nurse you back to health, Kati. ”

  Six months later, Mandy thought, This is Hotel California. They check in but they don’t check out. I’m running a hotel, a boarding house, a daycare center, and a hospital. I’ve always wanted a house full of family, love, and laughter. But this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.

  Two years passed. One by one, the children and grandchildren moved out. The only one left was Ian. Mandy said he could stay until he graduated from high school. A year later, Ian graduated, then he joined the army.

  Three years after Otis passed away, Mandy finally had her house back, and she had no idea how wonderful she would feel when the day came when there were no kids, no grandkids, no great-grandkids, just peace and quiet. I’m just three months away from sixty-three. I think my job is done with raising kids.

  She looked forward to Saturdays though. Every Saturday, Abbie brought Jude by at 11 am and she picked her up by 9 pm. Mandy’s heart was so full of love for Jude, it hurt. Late in August, Jude had spent the day and they had played outside, kicking a soccer ball, and riding the four wheeler. When Abbie came for Jude, it was getting dark. Mandy kissed them bye, then shut and locked the front door.

  She stood with her back to the door and it dawned on her there hadn’t been a happening for seven years. I think my crazy family chased all the spirits away. They almost chased me away.

  She walked into the living room and peace covered her like a warm blanket. She sat down on the couch, lit a cigarette, and soaked in the harmony of the house and her soul. She never smoked when Jude was around and she was craving a smoke. As she took long drags, she thought, It’s time to do something for me. Something I’ve wanted to do for years and couldn’t find the time. She stubbed out the cigarette.

  She went into her bedroom, took out a stack of journals, then went into the living room and nestled into one corner of the couch. I’m going to write my first novel.

  She propped her laptop on the arm of the couch. She went to Documents, set the formatting and page numbers, then she scrolled down to the middle of the first page and typed:

  Give Me Wings

  by

  Her fingers were poised over the keyboard, ready to type her name, when suddenly she jumped as if she had been goosed with a hot poker when glass shattered. She shut the laptop, lay it beside her journals, and walked to the front door. It was pitch dark and she flipped on the outside light. She unlocked the wooden door, and gasped. The bottom pane of the storm door was shattered.

  “Did somebody throw a rock?” she asked, expecting to see a kid running away and hiding behind the tree. Nobody was in sight.

  She closely inspected the glass. Every piece was on the outside stoop. Not one splinter of glass on the floor inside. She stood with her mouth agape. That means the glass was broken from the inside. How could the glass break from the inside with the wooden door closed?

  She just stared, not believing her eyes. I’ll clean it up tomorrow.

  She turned off the light, closed the wooden door, locked it, then gave it a two-butt bump.

  “Here we go again!”
<
br />   Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Ten years later

  Mandy woke up when the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee filled her nostrils. She swung her feet off the bed, slipped her feet into her house slippers, then put on her light-weight robe.

  She walked into the kitchen and Kent said, “Mornin’, Glory,” as he turned the first page of the morning newspaper. “Today is September 14th. Does that mean anything to you?”

  “Yeah, it means two months from today, I’ll be seventy-three years old. Do you have to remind me?” she said, as she rubbed his bald head.

  “No, I was talking about our tenth anniversary of sorts. Though we never married it was ten years ago today that we went on our first date. We’ve been together ever since.”

  “Well, happy anniversary. And ten years ago I was still a cute little redhead with no wrinkles and everything was still in the right place. Now, my hair is snow white, I count new wrinkles every day, and everything I have sags, bags, and drags.”

  Kent slipped his arm around her tiny waist. “You’re still beautiful to me. You always will be. Do you want to go for another ten years?”

  “We might as well. Nobody else would have us.” Mandy laughed, kissed his bald head, then went into the kitchen and filled a coffee mug. She picked up her cell phone that was lying on the snack bar and dropped it into her robe pocket. “I’m going out on the patio. It’s a beautiful day.”

  She opened the sliding glass door and stepped outside. The sun was shining brightly and two beautiful cardinals were sitting on the rim of the birdbath. She pulled out a chair, set her cell on the table, and watched the sweet birds as they dipped their beaks into the cool water as she sipped her warm coffee.

  Her mind traveled back in time as she recapped the past ten years.

  One morning she had just let Buddy, her neighbor’s year old golden retriever in for his usual morning visit, and she was sitting on the couch feeding him doggie treats. “Ah, Buddy, sometimes life deals you some hard blows. I waited twelve years to be able to refurbish this house and call it my own. A month later, one by one my family started moving in, and for the next three years, I supported them. Then one by one they moved out, but my egg nest is almost empty. I have my house to myself now, but there’s no way I can keep it.”