By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee
Tommy and Taban ... my only son, my only grandson...
She took the mask off her sad face
Alone in her home, sitting in front of the mirror
Now, the smile lay on her dressing table ... instead of her face
She took the gold hoops out of her ears... six, in all
Unclasped the golden chain that held a special nugget
A big, gold nugget her son wore until the moment ... he died
She wore the gold nugget as a young girl in high school
Melted it down as a young woman to wear around her neck
Gave it to her only child when he was a young man
He wore it proudly, knowing it was his mother's class ring
Melted down by the jeweler to be worn on a gold chain
It was taken from his neck shortly after he went to Heaven
His mother treasures her gold nugget as she never did before
She touches it time to time... trying to feel her son
Trying to somehow, feel his last moments
Try as did... she never could... she couldn't feel anything
She would catch herself patting it gently... as if to comfort
To comfort herself... somehow, comfort her son when he died
Isn't it strange how we do things when we lose the ones we love?
One day this mother's gold nugget will be given to her grandson
When she's gone, for him to remember his father; father's mother
Maybe one day when he is a young man just like his father was
His Granny Gee will put the gold chain with the nugget on his neck
On his neck to wear with pride, to wear with such love
To know that his Granny Gee, his father wore it through time
His Granny Gee got it in 1968, gave it to his father in the late 80's
He wore it until the evening of May 29, 2010 when he went away
Went away forever... on that evening by the sea
On the warm sand, where his body was lowered by the angels
Lowered gently by their hands, their wings beating softly
All the while the sea gulls sung, 'Come home, Tommy, come home'
Tommy traveled that day to Myrtle Beach to play with his little son
By the ocean ... he barely made it in time... soon, he left once again
On an unexpected journey no one knew about, not even him
He didn't have time to say goodbye... he looked out to the sea
Heard the waves washing ashore, the sea gulls sing
The rustle of the angels' wings... felt the breeze on his face
He must have heard his little son say 'come play with me, daddy'
Maybe tears filled his eyes, he couldn't say anything
He may have stayed just long enough for the group of people
The people who came to his side, who protected his little son
Protected him, until his mama came... they must have been angels
They were the only ones there at that time, that place
One picked up the cellphone Tommy dropped, rang the last number
The last number dialed... to a home two hundred miles away
Hello! They heard a happy voice say, when she answered the phone
'Ma'am, I have a man collapsed on the sand, he's not breathing'...
They never knew at that moment... she died, too
For this was how she learned of the death of her only child, her son
She sat at her dressing table, her lips in a sad smile
Her eyes looked in the mirror at her reflection
Tears filled her eyes, she wanted to cry
No matter how happy she was .... she was sad
No matter how sad she was ... it didn't change anything
To this day... she still couldn't believe that her son is really ... gone
She closed her eyes as she sat there ... traveled to the ocean in her mind
Her head rested on the back of the chair as she fell asleep, listening to the song of the seagulls as they ... sang
She awoke to a soft whiteness around her... where was she?
Someone came toward her... his smile like the sunshine
His hair shone like gold... his eyes were blue as the sky
Tommy! Tommy! She cried
As he hugged her, told her he loved her... she felt a bump
On her knee ... she opened her eyes to see three Pups
One standing by her knee, one laying on her foot
The other had just jumped up to kiss her on her face
She smiled her sad smile as she looked at the happy smile
Laying on her dressing table... the one she would wear when needed
The happy smile, the happy smile
She would wear... the one she would wear when needed
Hugs!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSometimes we have to wear a smile that comes from somewhere other than "mother nature". Probably at some point and time we have all had to wear that kind of a smile. Each probably because of a different reason from one person to another. Sometimes we have to try to put on a happy face even though we are not really happy. One has to do what they have to do. Love, Ms. Nancy
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