Unfamiliar Place

Unfamiliar Place


2





The unfamiliar surroundings filled with grey hazy images and smells of medicine filled my senses as I began to awaken from my fall. The room was dark and I could hear voices of people I did not know. Coming in and out the bright light was shinning right in my eyes and I turned from its beams that hurt my eyes. I became frighten, and my head hurt. Why had this happened? I turned my head slowly and there she was, my mama. She looked so sad. I started to cry, then this enormous black woman with a white uniform and hat on her head came over to me and said I need to change into a hospital gown. Then she reach over and said “Ok, my darlin’ I’m goin’ need those panties, hospital policy you know.” I looked over at my mama, and thought there is no way I’m giving this person my underwear, but my mama got up out of the corner chair she had been sitting in and squeezed my hand and gave me a reaffirming nod that it was alright and told me I was going to spend the night. I still didn’t understand why I had to give up my panties, I got to sleep in them at home, but the lady with hat just giggled at me and informed me that she would give them back to me when I left and I didn’t need to worry none. She then covered me up and smiled and tucked me in tight. The bed I was in had silver handrails on it that came up way above me; I had never seen a bed like this before. This wasn’t like my bed at home, my home. There wasn’t enough cover I was cold, where was I exactly? My stomach felt funny. Then this man came in and when he did the lady with the white uniform did just what he said to do. He had grey whiskers on his chin and little round glasses on the tip end of his nose that he looked through some of the time when he was writing something down. He wore a white coat and he smelled funny too. I really didn’t like this place. It was scary to me and they all seemed to know things that I didn’t and said things without explaining it to me, which really made me mad since I was the one who didn’t feel good in the first place. I heard the Nurse say “yes Doctor” and he said “nurse Gail, don’t forget I need to get her down to radiology “ “yes Dr. Ledbetter, right away, sir” and said I would need some kind other kind of test and this made my mama very nervous. All I wanted to do was sleep, but they kept talking to me as if everyone had a story for me to hear. Especially, that lady in the white uniform with the hat on her head, I kind of got the feeling that she was in charge of taking good care of me. She had a wide grin and the whitest teeth I ever saw. At least, she was kind to me and made me feel not so scared like in the beginning. Every chance she got she tried her best to make me feel safe and like I was her friend. With a pat on the leg and a fast wink, as if to say I’ll be right back she leaned into what the Doctor was saying just to her and then he left the room as quickly as he had came in.

In Weaverville, we had maybe three black families that I went to school with over the years, but at this point, this lady was the first I had seen close up. She wheeled me down the hall ways just as she told the Doctor she would. The bright lights hurt my eyes to look at them so I closed them and that was the last thing I remember.

When I woke up the next day, I saw Nurse Gail and her wide grin and my mama sitting in the chair beside my bed. Nurse Gail put her finger over her lips as to be quiet so my mama could continue to sleep. Her head was tilted over to one side and sometime through the night Nurse Gail had brought her a blanket. I liked this lady a lot more as this ordeal continued. Nurse Gail said quietly as a whisper “oh you’re going to be fine and I hear you might even get to go home today. Now, give my little scrawny arm of yours so I can take your blood pressure.” I just smiled and said “I’m hungry.”

“Well, let me check your orders and see what you’re aloud to have after a bump on the head. We don’t want you to get sick on us. With a concussion we have to be careful.” About that time my mama woke up and heard what Nurse Gail had said. “Concussion, Oh my Lord,” “Yes, Mrs. Harron but she’s going to be just fine, just fine, Doctor will be in directly to talk to you.” As Nurse Gail walked by me she pinched my toe thru the blanket and gave me another one of her winks, only this one was slow and very deliberate. It made mama and me giggle.

When she left mama got up and went over to the sink and found a little round pan and filled it with warm water from the basin and got the bar of soap that was there on the sink. She then found a wash cloth and brought it over to me and rinsed it out and came over and sat on my bedside. She was able to lower those handrails and I was so glad. The warmth of her touch and as she washed my face and hands was so relaxing that I could feel my body just give in to hers. She had a unique way of doing this and talking to me that always made me feel calm and soothed me to a peaceful state. I think it gave her pleasure to do it too. I had the feeling that she was still sad over what had happened. I could see a tear in her eye. Mama wasn’t one to sit and cry she didn’t have time for that, but a heart can hurt just the same and keep right on a beating and no one ever know the difference sometimes. That was my mama. She pulled down the sheet and said “okay let’s have one of those legs now.” The heat from soapy water felt good to my legs and feet. After we had finished with my bath she tucked me in like she does at home and I felt all cozy inside. Although I still had a little bit of a headache Nurse Gail said she was going to bring me some baby aspirin for that.

I went to sleep again; mama could not keep me from it. The Doctor had come by while I was napping and pulled my mother out into the hallway. Told her pretty much what we had overheard from Nurse Gail and that if we saw anything out of the way over the little while to give him a call. He also said it was a nasty fall, but I should be fine. Whatever that means, was I going to be alright or not?

Where were my Daddy and my brothers and had gone they gone trick-or-treating without me. They had all the fun and I didn’t get any candy. I started to cry. When mama saw this she wondered what was the matter and why are you crying in a quivery voice I told her that I was sad because I had missed it. I just missed Halloween, and I had been so looking forward to it. Steve and Jeff got to go and I didn’t. They’ll have all the candy and I won’t have any. As I whipped my nose on the pillowcase and sniffed a few times, she laughed and said you don’t know how long you’ve been in here do you sweetheart. I turned and looked at her and she said “Daddy and boys will be here tonight to pick us up and they will share their candy with you. Halloween was yesterday, you’ve been here for two days. Those boys have waited for you and they are going to share what they got on Halloween with you she told me and with that statement I was delighted.

I heard the door open and it was Jeff and Steve and then Daddy. They had they’re pillowcases full of candy to show me and said that I could have whatever I wanted. Daddy just smiled and hugged me real tight, and said “how’s my girl, we’ve missed you around the house ya know.” “Not me” said Steve as he was eating all the good candy before I could even see it. Jake said “Hey Joy, you okay, look at my bag, Woodland Hills gave out the best candy, and Aunt Virginia made popcorn balls for everyone. He proceeded to climb onto my bed and dump all of his candy for me to see. With a mouthful of gum chewing and talking at the same time his excitement became mine. I was suddenly glad to see them and had totally forgotten the reason in which I was there.

The doctor’s orders came and I was released and so I quickly got out of my hospital attire and meet my family downstairs. Nurse Gail said goodbye to me and gave me a hug and told me to be good girl. I waved at her and she gave me her broad grin and said “don’t let me catch me dancin’ on anymore countertops young lady, ya hear,” “Okay, I promise, and I went out the revolving doors of St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, holding my mama’s hand. I hope I don’t have to come back here, I thought to myself.

The ride home was as usual tight and cumbersome. I always had to sit in the middle as I was the youngest of the three. There was this hump that I had to sit on in the Barracuda which always made it uneasy to find a comfortable place to be. If I sat too far to the right I was on Jeff’s side, if I sat to a distant left I got an elbow and with a “Mom, tell Joy to scoot over, she’s touching me.” Steve hated to be bothered, especially with me. Sometimes I felt like just sitting on the floorboard, but that wasn’t very comfortable either. Home wasn’t that far away, we would be there soon. Asheville was only about fifteen twenty from Weaverville. Then I would be home to go outside and play, to feel the air, and have fun in the fall leaves.

Once we pulled up into our driveway, Daddy had to put his headlights on. There wouldn’t be any outside playing tonight. I was looking forward to running and jumping into the piles of leaves Daddy had raked the yard just a few days before the accident. I really didn’t know if they’d even still be there, but I so loved doing that. Tomorrow it would need investigating and I’m sure our dog Chipper would love to play with me. The fresh air would feel good and I could breathe and smell the pine trees, the feel the soft green grass, and not come into the house until black dark. I loved the feeling of being outside for so long that your fingers and toes were kind of numb and when you did come back inside it would tingle and burn a little. Your checks get all rosy from playing and that it takes at least half an hour for the pink to go away. I’ll think of this as I go to bed and I’ll feel even better tomorrow.

As I crawled under my sheets and heavy quilts, I signed to myself how wonderful it felt and how warm and toasty it was in my house and how thankful I was to be in my bed and not in a cold hospital bed. I wiggled my toes and turned over my flannel night gown getting all twisted up between my legs. My mama and daddy came in to say goodnight and turn out the light, and turn on my night light in the hall way. Now I was comfortable, I knew where I was, I had my blanket that was special to me. I held it close and shut my eyes knowing that the pillow beneath my head cushioned the hurt in my head that was still there. I had to feel better by tomorrow; surely it would all be gone by then. Said “Now I lay me down to sleep”, and that’s as far as I got the first night home in my own bed.