The last time I saw my mother, she was in a hospital bed at Saint Joseph's in Memphis, Tennessee. My Aunt Emily took my brother and I to see her. Whenever I see the dying mother scene from the movie Guardians of the Galaxy, I am reminded of this last time. The difference is that my mother, though she was awake, was not able to speak. We talked to her and held her hands. We kissed her goodbye.
She died that evening with our next door neighbor Mrs. Peterson's mother with her. Meanwhile my father was with a buddy of his visitng Maxine in another hospital. When we woke up the next morning everyone we knew was in our apartment. My dad took Terry and I out for a drive to tell us that our mother had gone to heaven.
Almost immediately my father began dating Mrs. Peterson. She had three children, Stephanie, Steve, and Todd. She had been good friends with my mom. She had also helped my grandmother take care of us as my mother was in and out of the hospital quite often. She was first diagnosed when I was five and she died soon after I turned nine. My dad asked Mrs. Peterson to marry him approximately four weeks after my mother's death. She said yes, we went and looked at the house they were going to buy, a date was set, but then a big hiccup put those plans in the past. No looking back. Mrs. Peterson refused to convert to Catholicism. Saint Bruce couldn't marry anyone who didn't share his faith ~ his morals and his ethics were a much lower hurdle to jump.
So my father, being the wuss that he is, moved right on to Maxine and began dating her forthwith. By Thanks giving he was asking her to marry him, buying her extravagant gifts, such as a mink stole.
He also gave her jewelry that belonged to my mother. What a guy.
Moving right along to Christmas. We had Christmas dinner and Christmas morning with Maxine and her daughter, Kathy. My dad spent all his Christmas budget on Maxine and Kathy. I can't remember what I received, but I can tell you what Kathy received. She got a giant poodle made from tulle, a necklace, and a fox fur collar.
My grandmother was there, so I know we at least got a dollar bill and peanut brittle.
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