Goodbye, My Girl

It was a Friday and I had just finished eating breakfast. My Mother was in the hospital and the doctors were trying to figure out what was causing the change in my Mother’s breathing. I was nervous but I maintained my faith and trusted God. I had prayed and asked God to help my Mother get better and I believed he heard me.

My phone rings and it’s my Mother. She sounds funny and she says “Tenecia, I need you to listen to me very carefully.” I said ‘Ok’ she goes on to say “The doctors don’t know what’s going on with me but this is the worst I’ve ever been”. I listened and I tried to wrap my brain around what she was telling me. My Mother goes on to say “I love you” and I respond with “Mommy” and she ends the call by saying “I have to go” before she starts to cry.

I was in the doorway of my bedroom when I talked to her and after we hung up the phone, I screamed. I felt like someone was attacking me and I cried hysterically. I threw myself on the floor and I sobbed. I was uncontrollable but then I got up.

I made some calls and remembered that I was my Mother’s oldest child, which meant, my level of responsibility was different.

I made it to the hospital. My sister was there, one of my older cousins arrived, doctors came in and out of her hospital room and when things died down my Mother gave my sister and I instructions. She didn’t know if she was going to make it so she told us what bills needed to be paid and by when.

We were adults and she was preparing for the worst.

As God would have it, my Mother made it through the night and the doctors seemed to have an idea of what was going on with her. I felt a reprieve and I thanked God for sparing my Mother. What I didn’t know was God was preparing us. We didn’t know it was the beginning of the end but my Mother did.