Thank Ya Lord

Hey good folks my name is Maudy. I live in the same house I was married in. The very house I spent my  honeymoon night with my  husband. I  sewed all my children’s clothes. I  cooked and baked. I even taught the  kids at home for the first few years of school. Later when Ebb had some work in town, the kids were placed in the one room school. They hitched a ride with their pa so they didn’t have to walk the long haul in the cold winter snows.

Ebb had added a room at a time to our log cabin. He had it built before we ever said I Do. As the kids came one by one, another bedroom was erected. The largest room in the house with the kitchen. It provided the warmth of the cook stove. A large rectangle table had been made with my own husband’s hands.

When you sat  at the table and you looked over the room you could see several home-made rockers all lined in a circle. Standing in the main was a big turn dial radio. Each night for years it was the routine to sit around together and listen the one station that came in.

You could hear a little music but mostly it was talk shows. Some preaching shows and comedy hours is what we  were entertained with. Sometimes on a special occasion such as a birthday,I would go to the cellar and fetch  a hand full of popcorn and we would pop it right in the fireplace  in the living room.

Oh the memories I have. Kids eyes twinkled at the special treats. Laughter being heard all throughout the house. Those were the nights that the children were allowed to stay up later. Bedtime would be stretched to nine then.

Now the kids are all grown and they have their own kids to raise. . We  had gained the title of grandparents. Every now and then the sounds of horse’s hooves could be heard and Ebb would get up out of his rocker and peer through the window. We got company Maudy. The kids are here.

Oh that used to make him smile big. He’d go to the door and take one of the kiddies from their arms and sit them on his lap and spin tales from the past. The kids would bring with them treats for us old folks. Sometimes we got jellies or a jar of fruit they had canned.

Now the house was still ‘cept for the snoring of old Ebb. We had to get a hold of a bed and place it in the living room near the fires. It kept him nice and warm. I remember it like yesterday. We  had been outside doing some work and old Ebb he just fell over to the ground. Come to find out the town doc said Ebb’s heart was trying to tell him he was getting old. The heart just needed some rest.

You know a woman never gets done taking care of others. I raised our youngins and now I’m bathing him and helping him to get in and out of bed. Oh he tries real hard to do things for himself. That is what he was used to. He was the man of the house. He did all the fixing of things and he worked the land.

But I ain’t dumb. I can see the wear and tear on old Ebb’s body. Being such a good provider for us, it didn’t surprise me none when I was told he needed to rest. I don’t cook the way I used to. Now I make some soups. I use the bones from the chicken I fixed on Sunday dinner. I add some of this and that to the stock. You know, things that we canned the summer before.

I always make sure my Ebb has a fresh biscuit each night at supper to keep his belly good and full all through the night. Sometimes when Ebb is having one of those good days I pour him some of his special drink. He just loves that. Says it makes him feel like a young whipper snapper all over again.

Those are our best days. I look forward to them. Every night when I lay down to go to sleep I ask the good Lord for as many of those good days as he can spare Ebb. I think God hears my prayers. We used to  get those special days about two times a week.

While Ebb rests I go out back and tend to the small garden. We used to have a great big one that took up most of our days, but here now we just have a small one. Even for an old gal like me, it is almost too much.

I go out every morning way before Ebb wakes up and milk our one cow we have left. I go to the chicken house and scoot those old birds around until I find a few eggs for breakfast. Once a week I will go to the meat house and bring in some bacon or maybe a ham. I will cook that up and the smells just warm the house.

Seeing Ebb still having  a good appetite always warmed  my soul. He didn’t eat much near as much but he still liked everything I fixed  for him. When it’s real nice I would help Ebb walk out to the porch in the evenings. We’d sit and hold hands and swing on our porch swing. We could hear the far off sounds of the coyotes and when there was a nice breeze you could  hear it whistling through the leaves swaying on the trees.

If Ebb was  having a real good day we would stay out on that swing til the stars were  making their own fireworks up in the skies. God sure was thinking of everything when he created this good earth. Those stars are something to look at. Every once in a while we’d see a falling star and the two of us would squeeze each others hands making a special wish.

Although we never spoke our wish, I knew that we were wishing the same things. Thank ya Lord for letting me keep my memories. Ya been real good to us. You provided us with this nice home. We have a nice family of kids. And you have taken real good care of Ebb and me.

But tonight is different. There is no snoring being heard. Ebb is  a little restless as I sit here rocking and keeping an eye on him. You trying to tell me something aren’t ya God? I think in your own way you are telling me Ebb is a going home to see you. I can feel it in my bones. I can see it in my Ebb’s eyes when he looks at me. I know he is telling me how sorry he is that he is going to be leaving me here all alone in this house.

You go ahead and do what you need to do Lord. I have always trusted you and you have done us right. I will be ok. I still have my health and all of my memories. For I know that soon enough I will be right back there by his side again.

As I sat there looking at Ebb I could feel something happening. The birds quit there chirping and the leaves became still. A sense of peace filled the space  inside this house. I decided to go get my Bible. I turned it to the book of Psalms. I began to sing. I sang loud enough I knew that my dear Ebb could hear every word coming out of my mouth.

With a few tears beginning their journey down my face, I looked over at Ebb and he was looking me straight in the eye. I saw his lips form the words. He was telling me that he

loved me. I sang louder closing my Bible and singing to the heavens. What a Friend We Have in Jesus and  Lord I’m Coming Home.

I got up and sang my way to the old bed Ebb was laying in. Sitting on the edge I took his hand and placed it in mine. Lifting it to my lips I told him, I love you dear Ebb. You have a safe journey and I will be along soon enough.

With our eyes locked he gave me the sweetest smile. His eyes were gently closing but I will never forget the color of his eyes. The bluest skies you ever did see. I turned a way and pulled my hankie out of my bosom. I didn’t want him to see that my heart was breaking. When I looked back the smile was gone and so was Ebb.

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