CHRISTMAS STORY #5

Now this was a fun Christmas ornament to collect! Darrell and I went to New York City a number of years ago, and I wasn't leaving without a Christmas Santa. And here was my choice, a hand painted wooden New York City Cab, with Santa at the wheel. How much fun is that........

But here's this weeks story...........

HERMINA

This can't be real. It's too soon. A pretty, very pregnant young woman stood by her mother's bedside and quietly cried. The white-haired lady lying in the bed was so tiny and frail, she barely made a shape under the blanket. She weakly reached up with her hand, and the younger woman quickly wiped her tears so that her mother wouldn't see.

"Good morning, Mom, you look great today!" Beth tried so hard to ignore how critical her mother's condition was, even though it was obvious her mother was well aware of it.

"Yes, dear, it looks like it's a very nice day today. Now, I don't want you spending all of it here in this hospital hovering over me. You need rest right now yourself, look how big you're getting. I just wish this baby would get here soon ...." Her voice wavered a little; there seemed to be more that she wanted to say.

"Well, it doesn't look like it'll be today, and there's no place I would rather be, Mom. We need to talk some more about the nursery, and wait until you see the new curtains I just finished. Perfect for either boy or girl. As soon as you're discharged, you can spend a few days with us and help me out. Hank and I still have lots to do, and ...." Her mom was already back to sleep, too weak to remain awake for long. Beth hung her head, and clung to her mother's thin hand. A nurse came in to check vitals, and put her hand on Beth's shoulder. They both knew that this gracious lady was dying with a terminal illness, and no words were necessary.

Beth was becoming more tired each day while waiting for the birth of her first child, but never missed a visit to the hospital. Her husband came also, sometimes just to keep her company while her Mom slept quietly. One day when Beth was sitting at the bedside, her Mom whispered, "Beth, do you think it will be soon? I already love this baby so much that I can hardly wait to meet him. Or her. I don't think I have much time, dear, I think you should know that."

"Oh Mom, don't talk like that! Of course you're going to meet tbe baby, it'll be soon. I love you so much, Mom, how do you think I'm going to raise this baby without you? You mustn't think that way, or you'll never get well." Being so advanced in her pregnancy, it didn't take much to bring tears to Beth's eyes, and now they poured over.

"Beth dear, you need to know that I'm not afraid to die. Your Dad has been gone so long that I hardly remember what he looked like, and I'll be happy to see him. Hank is a good man, and I know you are going to be well looked after. He'll be a great Dad. But dear, in case I don't get to meet the baby, I want you to know that I'll send you a sign, somehow, to show my love. If I have to go before the baby comes, watch for a sign, because I already love it so much, I'll find a way."

Beth knew there wasn't much time, and in the next few days, her mother slipped in and out of awareness, sometimes speaking, sometimes not. The nurses were so kind to her, doing what they could to keep everyone comfortable. They left glasses of water so that Beth could assist her Mom if needed, there didn't seem to be much else to do.

On a bright sunny morning a few days later, Beth's Mom passed away. Her pain and suffering were over, but Beth's had just begun. She and her mother were very close, since it had always been just the two of them. She felt as if her heart had broken. Her mother's words of a sign of love for the baby were pushed aside for a time, for the sad work of a funeral had to be done first.

The circle of life goes on. Within the week, the baby arrived, a beautiful boy. Hank and Beth named him Jay, and in the midst of sadness, he brought them much joy. Beth wished with all her heart that her mother could have met Jay, she would have loved him. Her mother's last words about sending a sign rang in her ears, and she waited, but in vain. No shooting stars, no roses blooming in the snow, no pictures in the clouds. Nothing. Where was her sign?

A few years later, another little boy to love joined their family. Still no messages from Mom.

Beth pushed the memory away, just a dying woman's last words.

How busy their lives were. While raising the boys, Beth made plans to open a little shop in town, something special, and Hank put in a lot of hours at the contracting firm he worked for. One day after work, he said to Beth," Do you notice how tired Jay seems to be lately? Doesn't seem normal for him to be moping around like that after school when Petey and all the other kids are out playing."

She answered, "Well, I did notice, but it's so darned busy here after scbool, I guess I'm not paying attention. I'll call the Doctor's office on Monday and see what they say."

Jay never complained, so it was easy to overlook the change in his color, and his lethargy.

Petey teased him, as brothers will, but Jay took it all in stride, just ignoring him. But it turned out that after several Doctor's visits, and many tests, the diagnosis couldn't be ignored.

Jay was sick. Very sick. The Doctor reported his findings as a liver disease. There was no hope of treatment or a cure; a tissue transplant was the only choice open to him. The family was devastated. How in the world had this happened? The future now seemed very uncertain.

Right away, Hank and Beth were tested to see if they could be a donor, but neither were a match. They could hardly contain their disappointment. The doctors hesitated to test Petey, since he was only ten, but there was a better chance of a sibling match. No luck. Petey didn't match either. Hank and Beth refused to be discouraged. Jay's name was added to the donor registry. All they could do was wait, and pray for some sort of a miracle.

It didn't look like it would happen fast, and the fourteen-year old Jay waited patiently. He attended school faithfully on the days that he felt well, and stayed home when he did not. When neighborhood kids played soccer after school, Jay would watch. During hockey season or baseball season he would tune in the T.V. He seemed to be slowly deteriorating, his condition worsening.

Since Jay needed to make so many trips to the Hospital, the staff became as familiar as old friends. The head nurse, Gina, was so sympathetic, and she just loved Jay. Seemed he was "one" of her favorites. Even some of the other patients became familiar. During hospital stays, at one end of the corridor a door was always open, and a light on. An old lady was a frequent patient there, and she seemed to spend a lot of time reading. She always nodded and smiled when anyone came near, and she never seemed to have any visitors. Beth always passed the room on her way to Jay's room, and she would smile politely as she went by. Her mind was so absorbed with Jay's condition. He wouldn't complain, or cry, but it was becoming obvious that his time was running out. Can you believe in miracles? Where was one when you needed it?

Beth never thought of her parents much these days, and her dream of owning her own shop was definitely on hold. Life had gotten in the way, and she had only one purpose. Find a way to make Jay well. And it turned out that the miracle her family needed was about to happen.

Jay was stable, in pretty good shape for a transplant if one were to happen, and on a cool, crisp fall morning, Beth and her husband were called to the hospital. There, the head nurse, Gina was waiting outside Jay's room, and motioned them inside. She was so excited and told them that the doctor would soon be in to speak to them.

"Well, Jay, guess what? You've been waiting for this news a long time, I could hardly wait to tell you. A perfect tissue match has been found, and so close by that we don't even have to send you to another hospital. The surgery can be done right here. The transplant will take place immediately, probably tonight and a special pediatric team is coming in, since the timing is crucial."

Beth's life had been on hold for so long waiting for these words, but to actually hear them was absolutely terrifying.

The doctor continued to speak to the family, his words soothing their fears somewhat, and Jay had a lot of questions. Gina also was a great help, and very patient with all their concerns.

"You have to remember, Beth, we all love Jay, and we're so happy that this transplant is about to take place. I know all of you are worried, but really, this team of surgeons has this procedure down so well. Now, there's a ton of paperwork to be done, so please, why don't you go downstairs, get a cup of coffee, try to absorb this for a bit, and come back up. By then the papers will be ready for you, and Jay has a few last tests to go through. Try not to worry. This is great news!"

Beth stayed with Jay for as long as she could. Together they watched quietly as orange and red leaves drifted by the window and swirled around the hospital grounds. It seemed so ordinary, and yet all their lives were about to change forever. Could they even hope that Jay could be well after all this time? It seemed too good to be true, and yet their prayers were about to be answered. Hank stayed at the nurse's station to tend to the paperwork, and Beth thought of Petey. He spent so much time on his own, or with the neighbors. Good friends that they were, sometimes they were all that held her together. If only Jay could come through this, and be healthy, how she would make it up to Petey.

With her mind still trying to grasp it all, her feet hardly touching the ground, she hugged her son. How small and scared he looked, dressed in the hospital gown and cap, lying on the operating table. He wouldn't let go of her hand, and Beth couldn't speak past the lump in her throat. Hank was on the other side, with tears in his eyes.

With one last hug, and tears streaming down her face, Jay was wheeled through the big swinging doors that hopefully would create their miracle. One pathetic little wave and he was gone.

The wait, of course, was awful and long. Every hour or so, a nurse would come to the waiting room door to assure the family that Jay was doing okay, so far, so good. The neighbors brought Petey in and insisted on staying. They wanted nothing more than to bring strength and support to their friends. They shared endless coffees, and "do you remember the time... " stories, to try to keep the tension and fear at bay.

It seemed like forever, but finally a doctor arrived to tell them the news. It looked great. Jay would be okay.

In relief and exhaustion, Beth put her hands to her face, and sobbed. They had waited so long for those words.

A few weeks later, Jay was home, and on the mend beautifully. Not strong enough for soccer yet, but his color was so good, and his outlook was so positive. He would soon be back to scbool, and for the first time in many years, Christmas, which was right around the corner, would really be something to celebrate. The tasks which all along had seemed humdrum and mundane, now brought her joy. Her smile was big as she bustled about her little home, doing a little decorating and planning on some shopping.

On a routine trip to the hospital, Beth was finally able to ask the doctor for more information on the person who had saved her son's life. It was a difficult issue to bring up, for someone either had to die or give the gift of life so that Jay could live.

The doctor wasn't sure of too many details, and he was permitted to give out very little information. The family's privacy had to be protected. But he sent her to the nurses, who might be able to shed a little more light.

Fortunately, Gina was at the desk. She said "Honey, we couldn't be happier. Jay spent so much time here, we felt like he belonged to all of us. He's so sweet. The donor patient, let me see. Now, you know I can't tell you much. She was a terminal patient, in the final stages of congestive heart failure. You probably didn't know it, but (she lowered her voice) her room was right down the hall from Jay's. No relatives that we know of, a real sweet old lady. She had the strangest name though. Hermina. Isn't that different? We've never heard of it before. Kind of pretty. Beth, are you all right? My God, sit down, you look like you've seen a ghost."

All the time the nurse had been speaking, a strange feeling had come over Beth. She could hardly breath, and the room was spinning around her. Like a bolt of lightening, her mother's words came back. "I'll find a way to send a sign."

It was no coincidence. Her mother had waited fourteen years to send her love, her sign to the baby she would never meet. Beth needn't have worried. Through her darkest hours, she had pushed all thoughts of her mother aside, focusing only on her son. But today, Beth realized her mother, Hermina, had been there all along, waiting........