I have been stressed out today. I know, I shouldn’t be this way, but it was just one of those nasty days from outer space. The bad thing is nothing is so major that I am going to have death knocking at my door.
It is all the little pieces of strings that attach themselves to me as I walk upon this land. To start off I checked the mail on the way to go see Al. There it was, that bill that the collection agency called me about. Oh no, it is for real.
There was nothing I could do at that moment. I was on the road. Going in to see Al was a disaster in itself. Al was crying and seemed so depressed when I got there. I wanted to turn around and run but thought to myself,coward.
While eating he was leaning forward so far that food kept falling back out of his mouth. He could barely hold his head upright to eat. Then he would get teary-eyed again because he was frustrated. Then his silverware started playing songs on his plate as his tremors decided to have a party during meal time. That made him cry more.
There was a part of me that wanted to leave, because I get so sucked up in his emotions. Another part of me wanted to pick him up and rock him, and the other part of me tried to be the big sister and calm things over.
Finally the truth surfaced. Sunday is Mother’s Day and the 13th, just a few days later is Mom’s birthday. Al loved Mom so much. He has always struggled with her death. I asked him if he would like me to pick him up and the two of us could go place flowers on Mom’s grave. That didn’t go over at all. Then he wailed. Tears and anything liquid that could run did. It took two nurses and me to calm him down.
I wanted to kick myself in the rear. Why did I ask him that? Darn Terry. The truth was I thought it may help him feel closer to her but that idea backfired. I stayed a couple of hours and then I told him I loved him, and would bring him back lunch, snacks and soda when I returned on Sunday.
I went to meet a lady who sold me six nice starter plants of mint and orange mint. They looked really healthy. Next I paid a visit to the collection agency with bill in hand. I was just sure that the medical billing company had not sent his bill to the proper insurance company.
But that wasn’t the case at all. In fact it was worse. This bill was from 12/2011. I had just been working these past two weeks on Al’s inventory and I knew without a doubt there was no bill I paid for over one thousand dollars.
I asked the lady to get a hold of the company and she said she would get an itemized bill for me. I had also tried calling this company twice while visiting Al but only got those stupid leave a message recordings, and of course they never called me back.
The bad thing about it all now is the time limit is past. According to her you only have one year to declare any changes to address, insurance etc. So by now being almost a year and a half later, no one, not even the government, she said, will go back and pay.
I was sick at heart. Here I am trying to find a way to pay this huge bill the nursing home wants. By the way, I don’t know if any of you keep tabs on the web page link for Al’s fundraiser, but we now have a total of $335.00. Many of you have helped and I so appreciate it. I have emailed and or made comments on the comment page about my deepest thanks. Here is the link if anyone would still care to help him. I think I am down to 52 days left. The link is
http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/too-much-pain-and-too-little-money/55964
So now I have this big debt and a bill for over a thousand dollars and no one will go back and pick it up. I was sad and frustrated and mad all at the same time. I asked her when she received the bill for collection and she stated a week a go.
I pinpointed that this was way past the year dead line and why did the company wait so long? Why did they never send me a bill? She said to go home and wait for the new statement to arrive which would be a week.
I came home and went through the file for that month. I saw where Al had been in the hospital. It showed the correct address and it showed where I had paid them. But guess what, no where in that month or following clear up to this day today was there one single bill from this company. Now I was turning in to Al. I once again cried. Now it is up to almost eight thousand minus the help you all have given for the two bills.
I went outside and tried to erase my mind and planted all of the mint. After that I didn’t feel like cooking so I went to a nearby restaurant and picked up some supper and I can’t believe I did this, I just can’t believe it. I went through the drive-thru and when I went to the window to pay and pick up the food the gal was complaining of having a bad day.
So what did I do? Yep, you guessed it. I rattled on about the bad two days I have been going through and then I just let loose. I started bawling like a big old baby. I bet that gal thought I had a screw loose. I don’t know if she looked a way or at me but I felt an arm on my arm and it brought me a sense of comfort. A human touch is something I miss very much. I could see that while she was on the other side of the window she was showing me compassion. It helped and then I felt embarrassed because I showed weakness. I thanked her and told myself, don’t come back here until you know they have forgotten your face.
When I came home I found out that the Case Worker has Al’s budget. He and I and the Day Program will all be meeting next Thursday. They will now listen to my request for needs for him and they will discuss the cost to have Al at Day Program. This will all be divided up in his budget and then after this is decided, it will be sent back to the State. He said he hopes to have Al back in his home by June 1. I was excited and called Al and let him know but he was so sunk in Parkinson’s and Mom that he just cried again wanting to come home tonight.
So we had some good news in the middle of the storm, and now I have to hurry and make sure our house is as clean and open for wheelchair before next Thursday’s inspection. Then I have to figure out how in the world to pay these two debts off. It still makes me angry that the medical place waited until after the deadline to file it with a collection agency. It makes me angry that they never sent one single bill. Unless someone knows of a way around this, I figure Al will be deceased before these two debts are paid off. Or he will pay them until his passing and then they will disappear??? I don’t know.
http://ermiliablog.wordpress.com/
Ermilia gives me this opportunity to use my imagination by writing for a picture she presents to me. Thank you Ermilia!
Keys represent so many things in my life. My first key to my very own diary. I wrote every thought down in it and locked it up with my special key, I hung around my neck on a beaded chain, then I hid my diary under my mattress. I am sure looking back in time, it was mainly filled with dreams of boys and work my mom and dad made me do.
The keys to my first car, a 1961 Ford Falcon. I was so proud of this. Mom and dad bought me my first car, and paid for my auto insurance. If I wanted a better car later on, then I had to come up with the funding and be able to pay my auto insurance part. It was solid black, with all gray interior. It had an AM radio, that I kept on full volume as I was cruising down the road to work. My parents would not let me go joy riding. They taught me that until I became an expertise at driving, cars were to get me to work and no one under 18 was allowed in the car while I was driving. I drove that car until the transmission fell apart, then sold it to the junk yard for pennies on the dollar.
The key to my being a senior. This was an honor to wear. A gold key representing the fact that I had made it to the 12th grade, and I would be graduating. I wore it every single day until I found my one true love, and then gifted it to him. Now, that relationship is diminished, and only God knows where that key is today.
The key to my honeymoon suite. I was in seventh heaven. I was madly in love, and always wore a smile on my face. Being pampered, and made to feel that I was the only one worth looking at in life, was probably the best ego trip I had ever been on. I wonder why they quit making you feel that way?
The key to my first apartment, after leaving an abuser. This was the biggest high I had ever felt. I was a free woman, and I was in love with life. I made all my own decisions, fixing up my little place to represent only me and no one else. It was a very small apartment, but it was mine, and I am the only one who held that silver key!
The key to my father’s house. This was a sad moment in life, as I lost the only person I ever worshiped. I moved in to this house and started caring for my brother, after he had his heart attack. Every room I walked in, everything I touched or saw, was a constant memory of what I had lost.
They key to our home. Al and I live alone, in our own house. It is a house that holds many secrets to the future. It is four walls that hold many emotions, and tears and some smiles. Through all of this, God is the center of our life, and no matter which room we walk through, or we choose to be alone, God is with us.
The next key is to my future. A future unknown to me, but God knows. I can play role models of different puzzle pieces and guess what may happen in times to come, but I think I would be better off to keep my mind on today, the present. It is today that Al and I are making memories, and it is now that only matters. To be needed and loved are many keys that have been opened in my life. I have reached all levels by walking the stair case. The ultimate key will be the big, shiny gold one. The key to heaven’s door.
Celia was in David’s arms once again. Lovers they had become. Celia embracing him with all of her emotions and needs, pouring them into David, feeling his heart beating against her bare breasts, his arms wrapped around her making her feel beautiful.
Celia was a spoiled woman, who had been given all of her heart’s desires by her father. Her father loved her and could never discipline her. He never wanted to see her with a sad face. Celia was a married woman, who had a hard-working husband, named Bill. Bill was secure, providing money for all of her needs, or so he thought.
Celia had met David at a local pub. She had gone there because of another argument between her and Bill. She had seen a beautiful dress in a store window the day before, and bringing this up to Bill at supper tonight, he had said no. Celia wanted this dress. She could imagine herself walking the streets of downtown, with all the people staring at her beauty. Bill’s argument was that she had enough dresses already hanging in her closet. That the house and auto insurance premiums were coming due, and these needed to be paid first. They would try to buy the dress out of the next pay check. Celia was not happy with this plan. She wanted the dress now. She had walked out of their home, and went straight to the pub, to drown her sorrows in music and alcohol. While there, she drew the attention of David. David was a lady’s man. He thought all women adored him, and he used all women for his own enjoyments, usually dropping each one as his needs were fulfilled.
He walked up to her and asked her if he could buy her a drink. Celia looked up at him and saw the most beautiful dark eyes she had ever seen, and motioned for David to sit down next to her. They drank and they chatted. He told her about his nice car he had just purchased two weeks ago. She asked him what kind of work he did, and he told her he was in sales. David told her that he lived in a high-rise only a walking distance away. After some time of senseless chat had occurred, he ask her if she would like to come with him. Celia saw her new dress hanging in her closet. All she had to do was entertain David and fulfill his fantasies, and the dress would be hers.
They both walked to his apartment, and when the door was unlocked, David let her go in first. As soon as the door was shut behind them and locked, he began to tear her clothes off and she was tugging at his also. Their lips met hard, their hands grasping for each other, as they made their way to his bedroom. David threw her on his bed, and took her there. After their love session was over, she told him that she wished her husband could make love to her like this. She explained that their love-making had become boring and too routine. David didn’t even blink when she mentioned her husband. He didn’t care if she was married or not. All that mattered to David, was that for tonight, she was his. Having gotten his needs taken care of, he stood up and started to get dressed. Celia asked him why he was in such a hurry to end this night, and David mentioned that he had forgotten an important phone call he needed to make. Celia said nothing, and with a pouty face, got up and dressed. He walked her back to the pub, and gave her a piece of paper with his phone number on it, and said, call me, the next time you are going to be at the pub. Celia took the paper and placed it in her purse, and walked home, being no closer to the dress she wanted than she was before.
Bill was sitting at his office desk in their den, going over their budget. He told Celia, that he would be able to buy her the dress in two weeks. She made a grunting sound and walked past him, to their bedroom, and running herself a nice, hot, bubble bath. She got in and went over the past few hours of her evening. Sure, David was good enough in bed, but he could offer her much more, than just
thrills. Meanwhile, a block away, David was thinking of her also, and knew that he had a wild cat here, and he wanted more.
A few days later, Bill had to leave for an overnight business trip. Celia found her piece of paper with David’s phone number on it, and she called him. She told him she would be at the pub that evening, around ten. She asked him if he would care to join him for a drink. She wanted the dress, and he wanted his desires met, so once again, Celia was in David’s arms, and lovers they became.
This story was written for Picture And Write it by Terry Shepherd and credits going to
http://ermiliablog.wordpress.com/
Who I am 