Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Wednesday-1pm

There is a story about this angel over the inside of the bedroom door. He was a gift from another older student at Concordia when she left my place. Yes--my apartment. I barely knew her--we'd just met, actually--a week or so later she fell getting off the bus and broke her foot. She was living in a dorm on campus and there were no accomodations for handicapped (other than a few elevators) or for students who needed temporary assistance. The lady was married, but her husband was in Arizona and worked for the government. He couldn't make it back to pick her up and haul all her stuff home for almost a month.

I met her on the bus, actually. She gave me her phone number, almost demanded mine, and asked me to stop by her room at the dorm--pointed out where her window was on first floor. I didn't think we had much in common and wasn't planning on trying to keep the momentum going, if you know what I mean. She was studying the bible and wanted to spend her life debating and proving the exact meanings of biblical passages.

One day I got off the bus--early for class as usual--and I had been being nagged for a couple of days by the feeling I should stop by like she wanted me to--so I thought I'd finally stop by. If she was there--fine. If not--fine. I had to walk past her window to get to the entryway and I heard somebody sobbing. I automatically tapped on the window...and I heard the story.

At that time I had a daybed in my second bedroom. So, I invited this total stranger to come and stay with me until her husband could come and get her and her things (she was leaving Concordia and totally fed up with them). I spent weeks literally waiting on her hand and foot. Cooking and shopping for her. Bringing her every little thing she needed. If she could have had me pee for her, she would have been happy--hehe! Trying to do homework while she talked was a challenge. She wouldn't stop, even if I asked her not to talk for a while. It was comical! I had expected that after a week or so she'd be pretty self-sufficient. BUT--the woman had no sense of balance whatsoever! Up until the day she left she'd fall over on crutches and was unable to hop, either, without smashing against the walls or falling onto furniture or knocking something over--so she had to crawl to the bathroom.

I learned things about her. She was used to being waited on at home by her husband and children--and told me so. She detested breast feeding and thought it was disgusting. Wasn't crazy about having children--but she had like four of them, I think. We had no common ground on "religion", obviously. But she was trapped--hehe! So she heard what I thought, too. She was depressed and a generally negative woman. She did introduce me to the show ER, tho--which I have watched ever since. But she basically treated me like her servant and like she was entitled--just in general--entitled. Chuckle! They had a lot of money--maybe that was her problem--LOL! She had paid cash for the school year. She gave me $100 at a time with her list of magazines, pop, and snack foods--and I always returned what I didn't spend. But I fed her for almost a month and she only reimbursed me for her long distance calls. (I still find it so amusing I am actually laughing out loud as I am writing this!) She was a hoot and a half!!

Eventually--her husband came and got her and all her things. And--yes--she did boss him around like she said she did. Before they left for Arizona, she stopped back with a beautiful thank you card and this angel. When I see him protecting my bedroom while I sleep--I chuckle! The whole situation was hysterically funny to me on many levels--even at the time when I was so frustrated--hehe! He was a total surprise--but in a way, I feel like I earned this angel. :) If I had been in her shoes, I would have wanted somebody to help me out in a bad situation like that. I'd probably do it again.

We emailed a couple of times. They moved to Texas, if I recall, soon after she went back--government moved them, I think. She told me that she thought a lot about what I had done for her after she left. She apologized for how she had acted and that she'd been such a burden. Told me I had taught her about unconditional love. Ha! In my head it wasn't always so unconditional--chuckle!! She was a difficult woman to live with. :)

That's my angel for today. Looking at my trumpeting male angel reminds me to do the right thing--even if it is a pain in the ass sometimes. :)

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