Can't Wait to Get to Heaven

Something’s Wrong

6:30 AM

After the cat incident, they should have been concerned about Aunt Elner, but Macky just laughed, and for the past year Norma had been so busy with her real estate, they had not thought any more about it. However, in early March they suddenly started to notice she wasn’t hearing as well, and she began to be confused about who people were. As the months went by she would often call Norma, Ida, and sometimes would call Macky, Luther. Soon, other little things started to happen. She started forgetting conversations and would call three or four times and repeat the same things over and over, and after a while she started to become confused as to where she was, as though she were back on the farm again. Then a few weeks later, when Macky went over for coffee, he walked into the kitchen and found she had left the stove burner on, but was not in the house. He went next door to Ruby’s, looking for her, but she was not there. He then walked out into the back field behind the house and found her wandering around, lost and confused. When she saw him, she said, “The barn’s gone, I can’t find the barn, and I’ve got to feed the cows.” Macky knew something was wrong. After he told Norma what had happened, she said, “It’s just not safe for her to be alone anymore, Macky. I’m afraid she’s liable to burn the house down. We are going to have to put her out at Happy Acres for her own good, before she hurts herself.” As much as he didn’t want to, he had to agree. The time had come. They had the initial meeting, and as they walked down the hall on a tour of the place, it almost killed Macky. On every door the management had placed a photograph of the person so they could find their room. As he went by he saw face after face of someone who used to be young. It was so sad to think that a woman as bright as Aunt Elner would wind up in a place like this. The room they did pick out for her was one with a nice view, at least. He knew she would like that. As they were driving home, they said nothing for a while, then Macky asked, “Who’s going to tell her?”

Norma thought about it. “I think you should, Macky, she’ll listen to you.”

The next morning he walked up the steps thinking he would rather cut off his own arm than have to tell her what he was going to have to tell her. Fortunately, today was one of her good days and she was perfectly lucid.

He waited until they were sitting out on the back porch, then he said, “Aunt Elner, you know Norma and I love you very much.”

“And I love you too,” she said.

“I know you do…but sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do, things that…” He struggled for the right words. “Things that seem…but in the long run are really…You know Norma worries about you living all alone, and she thinks maybe it would be best if you were in a place where there were people around to look out for you.”

Elner looked out into the yard, but did not say anything.

Macky sat there feeling sick.

After a while she looked over at him. “Do you think I should go on out there, Macky?”

He took a deep breath. “Yes.”

“Oh,” she said. “Well, if you think it’s best.”

“I do, honey.”

They sat saying nothing for a while, then she asked, “Can I take Sonny?”

“No, I’m afraid not, they don’t allow pets.”

“I see, well, like I say, he’s a nice cat, but he’s not my cat, but you will find a good home for him, won’t you?”

“Of course.”

“When do I have to go?”

He looked at her. “When do you want to go?”

“Can I wait till after Easter?”

Easter was only a few weeks away, so Macky said, “Sure.”