Audrey Part I

       When Shelby was about 9 months old, Paul and I were out on a date on a Saturday night.  We both needed something at a large grocery store in our area, so once inside the store, we split up.  He went to one corner of the store, I went to the other.  We agreed to meet up front after we had grabbed our respective items.

     Of course, I returned first.:-)  As I stood at the front of the store waiting, I saw this little old white haired woman wander over to the greeter and ask for a bus schedule.  She was having trouble reading it so she walked over to a better light.  After watching her struggle for a bit, I decided to go over and asked if I could help her.

     I found out where she lived, located the bus she should take and told her the next bus that direction would be at 8:30.  I looked at the clock.  It was 8:20.  I told her she had plenty of time. 

      She informed me otherwise.

     "Oh honey!  I could never make that bus.  I still have to check out and then walk to the stop."

     "Well, the next bus doesn't come until 10:30 pm!!  You can't wait around here that long!  Besides, there's a snow storm outside!

     "Honey, when you get old, you do what you have to!"

     After about 10 minutes of arguing with her, I persuaded her to let us to take her home.

     On the way home, I found out that her husband was at home sick.  He usually did all the grocery shopping but since he'd been sick, she'd been going to the grocery everyday.  Basically, she couldn't carry much, so she was just getting what they would eat for the day.

     I also found out that they had never had children and they didn't have any family.

     A few days later, I picked up some things at the grocery store and took them to their apartment.   The snow had hung around and I was afraid she had not been able to get out to the store.

     When she came to the door, she cupped her hands over her mouth.  Then she said, "I never thought I'd see you again!  Hold out your arms!"

     Hold out my arms?  I thought she was going to frisk me.

     Instead, she said, "I am looking for your wings.  I know you are an angel."

     This was the beginning of my relationship with Audrey and her husband, Harold.

     After that day, I ran errands for them occasionally, took them to doctors appointments, picked up their dry cleaning etc...

     Several months after meeting them, Harold's health declined rapidly.  He died about 4 months after our initial meeting.

     Paul had never laid the first eyeball on Harold, but because they didn't have many relationships, she asked Paul to officiate his funeral services.

     Oh, to have the day before the funeral and the day of the funeral on video!

     Since Paul had never even seen Harold, he decided he should probably meet with Audrey to see what she would like him to say.  Please keep in mind that he had not even seen Audrey since that snowy winter night.

    So, Paul, Shelby and myself went over to her apartment.  

   Paul said, "Audrey, do you have some things you'd like me to say."

   She stared at him blankly.

   He repeated the question, "Audrey, do you have anything specific you'd like me to say tomorrow or do you have a special passage you'd like me to read?"

     Again, nothing.

     I said, "Uh, that's not going to work.  You have to talk to her like this."

     I practically put my mouth over her ear and yelled, "AUDREY, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE PAUL TO SAY?  DO YOU HAVE ANY VERSES YOU'D LIKE HIM TO READ?"

     Paul was mortified that I would yell in someone's ear like that.  He fully expected her to fall over or at least wince her face and plug her ears with her fingers to drown out my yelling.  

    Instead, Audrey shook her head, listened and then said, "Just read a few verses on faith."

    You don't want to miss the rest of this story.  So, you're gonna have to come back tomorrow.  I have to go to bed.  I know this is going to surprise you, but I am sick AGAIN!  If you are keeping track, this is the 5th time I have been sick since we got Emme in September.  If you call me, you may think Barry White is answering the phone, but it's just me... so don't hang up!