When we first married, we moved away from this itty bitty town and lived close to Birmingham. Ricky was working construction there and I was only too happy to move away and start our new life. But we went home to Sylacauga almost every single weekend. We'd go down Saturday morning and spend the night, going back home Sunday night. I was good to visit people in those days. Not sure how I've got out of that habit. I need to get it back.
Every weekend, we'd make the rounds of parents and grandparents. This one, particular weekend in October, we missed visiting my paternal grandparents. I woke up Monday morning with my grandfather on my mind. Heavily. I knew I had to visit him the next weekend. The odd thing was, I wasn't worried about visiting my grandmother, just him. Of course, she was part of the package, but I NEEDED to see him. Tuesday morning, the feeling was still there. Wednesday, the same. And Thursday. He was the first thing I'd think about when I woke up each morning. He was on my mind as I was getting dressed. Once I got to work, other things crowded into my mind and I didn't think of him so much.
I was at work about an hour on Thursday morning when my mother called and said PaPaw had had a heart attack and died while sitting in his favorite chair. That's when I realized I'd been having premonitions.
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The second time, 1978, involves my maternal grandmother. She'd had a couple of heart attacks and the doctors had finally declared her fit for open heart surgery. She was in the hospital in Birmingham for a few days before the actual surgery. By this time, we'd moved back to Sylacauga. I had been shopping in Birmingham that day and had to get back home for Vacation Bible School that night. I was the church pianist. I almost came on home, but felt the need to visit Grandma, so I drove across town for a visit. She was sick at her stomach. Had I only known that was a symptom of a heart attack... I did tell the nurse that she was sick, but I couldn't stay. I had to pick up Philip from my mother-in-law's and get to the church. By the time I got to my mother-in-law's, my mother called and asked me how Grandma seemed to me. They had already called the family in. She died shortly afterwards. The last thing she said was those peas I gave her made her sick. Bless her. I didn't give her any food.
A few years later, we heard of a male nurse who worked with heart patients in that hospital the same time Grandma was there. He was killing his patients by injecting them with something to bring on a heart attack. Grandma talked about a male nurse. She didn't like him. My uncle and I feel sure she was one of his victims.
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There were no more premonitions that I know of until the 1990s. About 1995. My aunt's brother ran a shoe repair shop. He was no kin to me. His sister married my daddy's brother. Got it? I'd known him all my life, but only to exchange pleasantries. No real conversations. He was standing outside his shop one day as I drove past. I had this overwhelming urge to stop and talk, but didn't. What would I say? You see, nothing specific comes to mind. There's no urge to witness to these people or anything like that. It's almost like I just want to be near them. To give them a hug. A few days later, I learned he had died quite suddenly.
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The last time was just over a year ago. My uncle had been sick. He'd had an operation to drain fluid off his brain and, I believe, had a stroke afterwards. As far as I knew, he was getting better. I'd intended to go see him, but kept putting it off. On that Thursday in May, I had been to Wal-Mart and on my way home, decided I had to go visit him. Right then. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. I knew if I went home first I wouldn't get back out. Go NOW!
I walked in their door and his wife looked at me kinda funny and said, "How'd you know?" Let me tell you, my heart flew up through my mouth and hit the floor! I thought he'd died. As it turned out, the nurse had just been there and said it was only a matter of hours. I got to spend a few hours with him before he died. He wasn't conscious, but I wouldn't trade those few hours for anything.
Now here's the part about that one that almost embarrasses me. He and I worked on our family history together. I whispered to him to help me out a little if he could. Would you believe, just a few days later, I did some research, the same I'd done before, but was just looking for anything I might have missed and out of the blue, found my great great uncle. A man I'd been hunting for years.
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Thank goodness I don't realize these are death premonitions until after the fact. I've had the urge to call or visit people who didn't die. There must be something different about these feelings, I suppose they're stronger, for one thing, but they don't happen often enough for me to learn the real difference. For that I'm grateful. I don't think I could stand truly knowing someone was about to leave this place.
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Tomorrow: Ghost dog
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I'm still trying to think of a cool, funky, unpredictable, edgy name for the shop. How did the Anthropologie people ever think of that?! I'm looking through a spelling dictionary to see if any words jump out at me, but after about 15 seconds, they become just a list of words.
The trim is now painted in the front room of the shop. I still want to clean the carpet and the window needs some work, but it's getting closer!
The trim is now painted in the front room of the shop. I still want to clean the carpet and the window needs some work, but it's getting closer!
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Another award? Awww, shucks! I'm blushing. Sandi at Holding Patterns honored me with the Christmas Award. Now, I'm two behind. What a nice feeling. Not being behind, but to have awards! I've got to get dressed in a minute to go do some genealogical research with a cousin and Ricky's off tomorrow. Looks like it'll be a couple of days before I can pass these along.
