Day 9 - Sikeston, MO - Part Two

The best part about having a nurse in your family is that they've got no issue helping you change if you need to.

I stop outside the room while my mom's cousin helps get my mom ready to go out to lunch.

I'll make sure that nobody else walks in.

While I'm waiting out there, her other cousin, Mike, and his wife come up to me in the hallway.

It is clear that my mom has been sharing pictures because he recognizes me immediately.

I introduce myself and let them know that my mom is getting presentable.

He's got questons for me about my mom.

I spend some time giving Mike and his wife the details of the three weeks since the diagnosis was made.

He is dumbfounded. He can't believe that she is in a wheelchair now.

We get the okay to return to the room and the three cousins are back together again.

And while the accents are certainly different from mine, a funny things happens to me immediately.

We may started the day as strangers; relatives in the abstract.

These cousins were definitely becoming my family.

We get everyone loaded into cars and we drive off to lunch.

Our original destination was too busy so we settle for a Mexican place just a little ways down the road.

My Mom is happy, she'll be able to have margaritas (that's right, I used the plural).

The conversation is great and I'm here to get more stories about my mom.

Mike asks me how old am I.

"42," I reply.

He says to me "Your ears aren't ready to hear the stories about your Mother."

The language during the lunch conversation is exceptionally cclorful.

I find out what my Mom's nickname was when she was born (it's a nickname that I can't divulge but rest assured, it made me laugh to the point of tears).

My Mom apologizes to the two cousins for not being able to come over to their houses to visit because they aren't wheelchair accessible. Mike says "Don't worry, hon. You can come over and I'll just drag your ass to the couch!"

The conversation quicly turns blue.

One cousin is explaining how well she is doing with directions.

My Mom starts laughing because she thinks she said that she is doing well with erections.

When Claudette burns her fingers on a hot plate, she exclaimed "SHIT THE BED. THAT IS HOT!"

My Mom takes it to a whole different level when she starts talking about her momthers foot and half tall ceramic rooster that she always referred to as her "18 inch cock."

It really is that type of lunch.

As hard as she was crying just a couple hours ago, she is laughing now equally as hard.

I am so happy that we've brought her back to see her family at least one last time.