Nancy’s Mother:

 

One fall night, I went over to my neighbor’s house to ask a favor and spend some time with them. I rang their doorbell and stood outside waiting. Soon I heard my friend’s husband, Terry shout, “Come on in!”

 I pushed their dark brown door open and walked inside. Inside, I saw Terry sitting in their living room to the left of the house with his guitar in his hands strumming away. He had a big smile on his dark-bearded face. However, I saw that he had company with him.  Across from Terry, sitting in large winged back chair, was an older woman in her 60's. She had brown eyes, with shinning-dark hair that was shoulder length. I didn’t see much of her, because her back was being towards me, and she was sitting in a large chair, but she seemed kind. She slowly turned, to recognize my presence as I entered the home and she gave me a small Princess-hand-cupped wave, and smile.

 I smiled at them both and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. Hi there. I don’t want to interrupt you.” Terry’s guest slowly turned herself back around to listen to Terry as he continued strumming his guitar with a smile, and I walked to the back to find his wife, Nancy.

                 An hour later, Nancy and I were sitting at her small island in their kitchen laughing and chatting away when her husband came in to get a drink. He began talking with us and soon, we were heavy in conversation. I suddenly remembered his guest, the kind older women sitting in their living room.

I spoke up with confidence asking Terry why he was with us in the kitchen when he had a guest, “I don’t want to keep you.” I felt bad for keeping him so long, and thought it very odd of him, now that I remembered. It must be a relative and here I was being so rude.  

                Terry and Nancy stopped and quickly exchanged odd looks with one-another. Then they both turned again towards me as Nancy asked me, “What in the world are you talking about, Dear? There isn’t anyone here besides you as our guest tonight.” I was shocked.

                I told them what I had seen when I walked in the house and expressed to them what I had seen when I came in the house. “That is why I didn’t stop to talk to you, Terry. I didn’t want to interrupt and be rude if you had a guest or relative over.”

                “I thought that was odd, you didn’t stop,” replied Terry talking softly, “but no.” Terry replied to me looking at me in astonishment, “no one is here.” Nancy swiftly led us all to the living room explaining to me that no one could be sitting in that chair because it had stuff in it. They had been doing a big house clean out that day and stuff was all over the living room.  “See,” she said pointing to the chair, “no one can even sit here.”

As I looked down at the chair I saw a huge pile of hangers from a closet lying on top of it, in the middle of the large cushion. “I was just too tired to put them away,” Nancy explained.  “So I left them there for later.” I was flabbergasted as I took in the sight.

                “But …but,” I stammered trying to make sense of what was happening. “I saw an older women sitting right here!” I expressed.

                I saw Nancy and Terry exchange looks again. Then Nancy asked, “What did the woman look like?”

                I described the woman to them in detail, and as I did, Nancy swiftly brought her hand to her mouth in surprise. “What is it? I asked her.

                Terry looked at me then said, “That was Nancy’s mother. We cared for her for several years. She died years ago.”

                I will never forget the night I saw Nancy’s mother sitting in that wing-backed chair in the living room as Terry played his Guitar. Her Mother must have really loved him and his music. I feel she was there to support him and enjoy him playing; even in her afterlife.

©Rosella C. Rowe