:::: A Twelve Day Journey To Christmas Day-

OR

Will Anita Marie Get Her Fiji Mermaid THIS Year?:::

Today

On Day Two

Readers Want To Know

Why the Hell Does This Woman want a Monkey/ Fish For Christmas?

Last year my nephew, who was dieing went into the hospital sometime around Thanksgiving. A few weeks later he went into a hospice and before his birthday in July he died.

I think it was just before Christmas when we went to see him in the hospital.

He was blind by then, he could still talk a little and he was very aware of  everything going on around him, so my sister-the famous Esther- and my adorable baby brother who nick named me Cheetoh- our spouses and parents and kids all crowded into Andy’s bedroom and did what we always do when we get together.

We laughed and told stories …

and then it started to snow.

I was reading Andy stories from my blogs and for awhile everyone left the room but they hung around the door and I think that if there was any one reason for me to have been a writer – it was for that moment.

Because my nephew was proud of me.

I told him about writers and artists I’ve met on line- he knew you- my friends there at The Soul Food Cafe- Heather and Lori, Cle, and Jane, Gail and Jill. I told him about Sylvia and Vi and Lois and Winnie.. I told him about Max and Kitty and how they wrote screenplays- he was a movie fanatic you know. 

I told him about the funny things that people write and how serious they are about their work and how one day the story I’m writing about a Werewolf who wants to be a Magician will be a book one day.

And when I was done he said, ” Oh Wow.”

Those were the last words he ever spoke to me.

I remember it was snowing.

So, at this time of the year when things are so hard for everyone-when most of what I  feel tonight is grief because it is snowing and it is cold

you may be wondering:  why do I write about my quest my very own

Fiji Mermaid?

Because Andy would have got one for me- that’s why.

He’d think that something like a Fiji Mermaid would be the perfect thing for me to find under my tree on Christmas morning.

In fact, I’m sure he still does.

So because he can’t get me that ultimate gift.

I WILL find her for the both of us.

You just wait and see.

a.m.

December 2008

::: this music clip is here because Andy loved the California Raisins when he was a little boy- and we used to call each other ” Cab ” because of the opening lines in this video-we used to run them together for fun- plus we loved the song- so enjoy::::