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Don had always been a big fish in a small pond. As a respected and experienced builder,
Don employed most of the men in the community, holding many contracts
for town, school, and church boards.
His now-grown children had attended school in
the town. Don and Lena went to the local Methodist church, and Don was active
city council meetings. Life was good.
His wife Lena experienced an inexplicable fall during the church bazaar,
dropping a plate full of cupcakes. The
local GP, Dr. Bill Nelson, referred her to the University Hospital, where Lena
and Don learned she had Stage 4 brain cancer.
Ultimately,
Don and Lena moved to be close to the Cancer Treatment Center in
Arizona.
From the back yard of their new home, Don stared across
the desert at the glorious sunset. The land line connecting him to his life now lay in a hospital bed,
hooked up to monitors. Oh, Lena…. He sighed
and returned to his empty house.
My
brother Robert lived in our small town and life changed for all when he was
diagnosed with brain cancer. That feeling
of emptiness comes through in this short story.
I really don't know who supplied this week's words and they are excellent! Starting this month, Elephant's Child will providing words until the beginning of November when Delores at Under the Porch Light will take over. Phew, I hope I have that right!
Life does change in a big way when cancer is involved.
ReplyDeleteToo very true.
DeleteSo sad, but wonderful to see such love! Well done!
ReplyDeleteThank you...did you provide this Wed.Words this week?
DeleteThat dreaded word...cancer. How many families have been touched by it. Just about every one I would imagine.
ReplyDeleteThe University Hospital near us in Illinois had named our county "Cancer Row". So many chemical fertilizers had been used in farmland, that every family was touched in some way.
DeleteSad, poignant, and too familiar to too many of us.
ReplyDeleteThe prompts will indeed go up on my blog this month, but I am not sure that Delores has agreed to take over again. I hope so.
Looking forward to your words.
DeleteWhat a terrible story. So sad.
ReplyDeleteI know it is. The words lent themselves to a reality experienced in home towns all around my parents. The fictional Don, in some way, was one of those people
DeleteSuch a very sad story.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad, so very sad. I know.
DeleteA story that is played out so often. Many of us have been through this, some more than once.
ReplyDeleteA repetitive illness...hits too many people.
DeleteI love your imagery of "the land line connecting him to his life" .
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that this story is not far at all from your experience. The pain you and your parents went through ....
I'm currently making a chemo quilt for a baby with brain cancer. I Feel like I'm shaking my head with every stitch. Six months old and she had a tumor. She's in chemo at Hopkins, not quite 10 months old. Our school secretary just found out she has ready cancer. She's the third staff member in five years to have cancer. What's going on?
Correction: breast cancer
DeleteA small baby...such cruelty. God bless the little girl and her family.
DeleteYou painted a good picture I saw it.
ReplyDeleteR
Thanks, Rick!
DeleteLife is a precious gift to be respected and enjoyed. Every day. Things can go south in an instant.
ReplyDeleteIt's a blessing to have time spent together whenever.
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ReplyDeleteI have a cousin who passed from brain cancer. She had three boys and was so young. She didn't have long at all either, once she was diagnosed. It was very sad. I'm sorry you experienced the same with your brother.
ReplyDeleteWith the time Robert had life, we connected and formed a family circle of prayer around him. It was a blessing.
Delete