As he promised us a couple of weeks ago, Michael came calling again today. I handed him our Toro leaf blower and asked him if he would mind blowing off the walk and the patio when he was done. Michael was more than willing to do this, so my major problem with his work was satisfied.
Just as he began the back yard, our 100 lb doggie, Abby, the same doggie who wags her precious huge tail at any fruit fly that lands in front of her, started jumping at the back door. I had to let her outside because she had the urge to water the lawn and would not, could not, take no for an answer. She did her duty and sauntered up to Michael, wagging her tail (as if he were a fruit fly, har!). I watched Michael bristle in fear.
"Michael, are you scared of big dogs?" I asked.
"Yes'm. I'm kinda blessed if she don't bite me."
"She won't bite you. Her teeth would probably fall out if she did.. She's old."
"Well, then I really am kinda blessed, I reckon."
I sat on the patio while Abby sniffed around, more to put Michael at ease than anything else. Michael decided to sit with me.
"Are you married, Michael?"
"Oh yes, ma'am. Me, her and I have been married a year." (Oh a little menage de trois? Of course, I didn't SAY that..and do feel a bit ashamed of myself for even thinking it.)
"a 'course, this is a second marriage." he continued." a lady at my church died Tuesday. They buried her on Thursday. I'm kinda blessed because she was my good friend, and I cried when I heard she passed. She was 74 and she were married 61 years.."
(Hmmm..13 year old bride, huh? But I didn't say that..)
"She had cancer and the cremo(sic) hurt her heart and she drowned in her own blood."
Michael's eyes began to fill with tears and I thought, cremo or no cremo, this is a man with a kind heart.
He brushed the tears away with his arm and looked around the yard.
"You think I'm doin' a good job?"
"Michael, you are doing a wonderful job."
He smiled.
and I felt "kinda blessed."
Week Three Summary
11 years ago
Beej you are both blessed.. i am happy micheal found you and i am happy that you have someone keeping the lawn nice for you while you get ready to move. happy belated mothers day..
ReplyDeleteOh yes, we are both blessed! It seems lately, to me, that the folks who have the least, seem to be the ones who most appreciate their blessings the most. It's a real life lesson I'm learning daily.
ReplyDeleteAnd happy Mother's Day to you, too.
This Micheal sounds like a keeper. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet heart he has. I would totally be doing the snarky internal dialogue as well though. That's just how I roll and have trouble controlling that kind of thing. :P It's just too much fun!
I'm glad that you found each other. You should get some good blog posts out of his visits this year! :)
((Hugs))
Laura
He really is, Sunshine.
ReplyDeleteI realized I should have hyperlinked to the original 'Michael' post. I'll go back and do that now.
I love real life story telling like that!!
ReplyDeleteSTAGG
Aw, thanks, Stagg! The ordinary things in life seem to make the best stories, don't they?
ReplyDeletexoxo
(Hmmm..13 year old bride, huh? But I didn't say that..)
ReplyDeleteMy mother married at 14, her mother at 12. Hell, when we tossed a party for mom and dads 25th wedding anniversary she was still hot. He died at 44 but that didn't cool off her hot, she made a lot of men happy right up until she died in her 80's.
She was horny right up until the day she died and she had no qualms about getting her need taken care of. That was about the only thing I ever admired about her.
I think I got my sex drive from her, too bad I can't get along with the empire building women around here.
I didn't get along with my mother very well but her sister and I got along VERY well. :-)
I definitely smiled when I read the word "cremo"-it's a little bit of humor in a tragic story.
ReplyDeleteMichael's good stuff, obviously.
And when you have little-to-nothing, you can actually take inventory of what you do have and fully appreciate it. It's when we get loaded down with extraneous bullshit that we lose sight of what is really important, what really makes us happy- and it's the ordinary things, the tiniest things, that'll do it.
I heart you.