“Hey,” Willie said.
“Hey back,” I replied.
“How my pups?”
Willie spun his wheelchair a few feet toward me. I angled Dog Sula and Dog Rya toward him. Rya jumped up. Placed her amber paws on Willie’s chair and leaned her head into his chin. He scratched her head.
“Where’s lay down at?” Willie called. On command, Sula collapsed to the sidewalk and rolled onto her back. Tongue out. Paws up.
Willie leaned back and let out a big laugh. He called Sula “lay-down” because anytime he saw me walking Sula what he really saw was Sula down on the sidewalk refusing to be budged like an 85-pound paperweight.
“How’s P?” Willie asked, adjusting his Browns cap.
I grinned. He smiled.
“Pain in my a**,” I said.
“The good ones always are.”
I bent and wrapped my arms around Sula. Rolled her off her back and hoisted her upright. Immediately, she dropped back to the sidewalk, flopped her tongue out, and grinned at Willie. He roared back at her.
“See ya tomorrow, Willie,” I called as I finally moved the dogs in the direction of the park.
“See ya tomorrow my friend,” Willie said back.
Willie stayed at the Nursing Home next door to P and me. This conversation happened on Sunday, March 15, 2020.
Then came Covid. And the few nursing home residents who’d sit outside and chat with P and me moved indoors. We hadn’t seen anyone from there in over a year.
Then, yesterday, I was walking home when a voice called, “Kelly”.
I turned and saw Mary, another resident who often sat with Willie.
“I made it!” She shrieked.
“You did!” I said and walked toward her.
We talked for several minutes. Eventually, she said, “I have to tell you about Willie.”
“Oh no,” I said.
“Willie died of stomach cancer.”
My stomach dropped, and my heart sank. My head fell.
“When?” I muttered.
“February,” Mary said and wiped the corner of her eye.
We stood together and talked a few minutes more. Then, she held out her hand. I clutched it for a few beats as we said our goodbyes.
I’d see Willie sitting outside the nursing home maybe three or four times a week. On these days, we’d always spend a few minutes together.
We talked about the Browns and about our dogs. He laughed when he learned P and I were engaged for five years. He laughed even more when he learned we planned our wedding in 90 days.
We talked about his love for ‘playing his numbers” in the lotto at the store down the street. And about his plans for when he left the nursing home.
‘See ya tomorrow,’ were the last words we shared.
Then tomorrow turned into weeks. The weeks became months. And the months became a year.
In the end, there was no tomorrow. And we never got to say goodbye.
Life is hard, though some days it feels easy.
Life is full of smiles, though some days leave you alone on your front porch, the tears being cried singing sad songs for someone you never knew you cared so much for.
Life is in our moments. Some good, others not. Some memorable. Many full of love.
Mostly, though, I think life -- and the people in it -- is just precious.
Friends- we love you. And we’ll see you when we see you.
So many “Willie’s” this past year 🥵