Spiritual Evolution

[mallorys_camera]

Fabulous, fabulous day. Cold—but the sky was so blue!

Stew called just as I was rounding the 100-yard mark back to the car.

###

Stew had just gotten back from Bend where he’d spent four days hanging out with Annie at Happy Memory Acres.

It was just like talking to any other close pal. Gone was the speed rap that Stew falls into whenever he’s anxious or angry. Annie had recognized him; they got to spend time together, and moreover, he was able to satisfy himself that the hospice team is giving her good care.

###

Stew told them all about Annie’s life. That she had been a musician, most recently with a band called Pele Juju:

Watch on YouTube

(That’s Annie with the guitar on the far right of the screen.)

That she’d written four novels. And one of them had been translated into French!

That she had been an excellent cartoonist.

“You wanna make sure she goes on getting good care?” I asked. “Send them a box of See’s Candy. Send them three boxes of See’s Candy.”

“Oh, excellent idea,” Stew said. “Wait, Patty, wait. I’m writing that down.”

###

Of course, Annie is dying. Her entire left leg has blown up to the size of a rather elongated watermelon: cellulitis, phlebitis, something. She can’t be moved very easily, and since she is frequently incontinent—urine and stool—it’s only a matter of time before she becomes septic. The sepsis will kill her.

Stew knows this.

But he’s made his peace with it.

I think just seeing Annie, spending that time with Annie, and being vindicated from, of all unlikely sources, Janet, made a tremendous difference to Stew.

Because Janet wrote a letter to Alicia—on a completely unrelated matter: Janet is going to sell the house in Berkeley.

And her letter announcing her intention to sell the house in Berkeley concluded with this line: I think what you did to your mother, separating her from Stew and all her friends, was unnecessary, pointless and cruel.

###

“You know, I got married in that Berkeley house,” I told Stew. “To Bill. Ichabod’s father.”

“I did not know,” Stew said.

“Yes. In fact, Rik gave me away. It was a lovely ceremony. In the back yard, in Janet’s garden. On Halloween. And that night, I had an enormous costume party as a reception. I had picked up another bride gown at Good Will. It was really hideous. And I put my hair into pink curlers, and wore pink furry slippers. And slipped this enormous pillow beneath the gown. I went to my wedding reception as a pregnant bride!”

Stew and I both laughed.

“I knew a side of Rik that I don’t think anyone else in the family knew,” I said. “Because after he and Annie got divorced, we started hanging out. We went to parties together. He dated all my friends.

“And I’ve decided to stop hating Alicia,” I added. “Hatred is toxic.”

“Me, too,” Stew said. “I kinda feel sorry for her.”

“I haven’t reached that point yet,” I said. “But I have evolved some. Like I used to say, If Alicia spontaneously combusted in front of me, I wouldn’t even piss on her to put out the flames. But now, I would piss on her to put out the flames. That’s spiritual evolution, right?”

Stew and I cackled together.

Comments

[bleodswean]

This is a good update. Stew needs this. As we both know.

Crazy story (as per your usual) about that wedding reception...

[mallorys_camera]

Yeah. Stew does need this, and it's good timing. Until he left for Bend a week ago, I'd been calling him every day to check in on his mental health, and now he seems at peace, so I won't have to do that anymore—which is a good thing since I start TaxBwana-ing tomorrow and probably wouldn't have had the time.

[puddleshark]

This is good news. I'm so glad Stew had the chance to see Annie, to know she is receiving good care, to know where things stand. To put a lot of fears to rest.

[mallorys_camera]

Yes!!! And I could really hear it in his voice, too. His peace of mind has returned.

[smokingboot]

I remember you telling me about that wedding!

What a gentle and poignant post this is. Thank you.

[mallorys_camera]

You're very welcome! ❤️