I've only seen two sets of pictures of Pearl Hatley, my great grandmother.
One of them was up in a place of honor in my grandma's house. She was alone in a open field wearing a burgandy dress with her all white hair pulled back into a bun.
The other were pictures from her funeral back when I was ten.
My mom came home to Missouri at that time with my grandma for the services.
It was an open casket and my grandma wanted pictures of her.
My mom got the pictures developed and let me see them upon her return.
They freaked me out.
The lighting was just off in the pictures giving everything a spooky pink hue.
And there was a dead person in the pictures.
Claudette tells a story about one cousin at the funeral. The others compare him to Rain Man.
He asked Claudette to touch Great Grandma Hatley in her casket so she did that for him.
Then he asked, "Was she cold???"
Everyone at the table has a good laugh.
Today, I'm also getting to hear the stories of what she was like.
32 years after she left this world, there is still a lot of love for her here.
I get other stories too.
One about the time where Uncle Junior had a wreck and done lost his teeth.
Another about another relative that was "lucky he didn't wake up dead one day."
They ask me and my life and I share what I can.
I show pictures of my children, Madeline and Everett, and the lone male cousin that is present takes a look at my boy and exclaims "That there is a real piss cutter!"
I have to ask if it is a good thing (spoiler alert: it is!).
The conversation eventually turns to my Mom's present condition. I'm in a room full of nurses. They all know what is going to happen. One of them describes what it is like to work with an ALS patient.
I get up to use the restroom.
If I'm gone long enough, the topic will change.
And when I return, the conversation returns to me.
My Mom and Jack tell everyone how I want to go to Marceline for the day but that we were unable to rent a car.
Claudette offers to loan me her car.
I am floored.
I can't do that.
Instead, we agree that Claudette will pick up my Mom and Jack tomorrow and spend the day together and I'll take the car to Marceline.
It's confirmed. I'm going to visit Walt Disney's hometown.
I couldn't be more thrilled.
Eventually, my Mom gets all visited out and is ready to go. Claudette's daughter has brought us a lift belt and we are going to try to use it for the first time.
three of us carry my Mom down the stairs and we have her ready to get into the car.
Claudette tries to get the lift belt on her and we try to lift my Mom up.
We don't have it on tight enough. It isn't working.
Jack calls an immediate end to using the lift belt.
He is being very protective of my Mom.
That makes me happy.
We get my Mom in the car and everyone says their goodbyes to her.
Linda, who first noticed that I looked like her father, gives my Mom a big hug and starts to tear up.
She looks at me with those tears in her eyes and says, "Take care of your mama."
I will, Linda.
I will.
Jack and I get into the car too and we are ready to go.
Jim leans into the driver side window and says "Y'all come back here, ya hear!" with a laugh. "That's as South as I'll ever get!"
We head back to the hotel laughing.
And that's the way I like it.
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