WHAT A DAY! I HAVE DREADED THIS DAY FOR WEEKS, KNOWING
IT WAS GOING TO BE UNPLEASANT, DIFFICULT FOR ALL
CONCERNED AND LONG! WHEN I GOT UP, I WAS ALREADY
TIRED. THE DREAD WAS CLINGING TO ME AS PEANUT BUTTER
STICKS TO THE ROOF OF ONES MOUTH. I COULD LITERALLY
SMELL IT, BUT I FORGED AHEAD. I SAID MY PRAYERS,AND
PUT IT IN THE LORD'S HANDS, AND SET ABOUT TO GROOM
AND DRESS FOR THE DAY, AS USUAL. I COULDN'T EAT MUCH,
BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE MY STOMACH WAS CLENCHED.
SURPRISINGLY, I WAS ABLE TO CHOKE DOWN ENOUGH TO TAKE
MY PILLS WITH, AND LO AND BEHOLD, IT WAS SUFFICIENT
TO KEEP MY STOMACH FROM BURNING.
THE ONE BRIGHT SPOT IN MY DAY, I KEPT TELLING MYSELF,
WAS THAT MY FRIEND SHERRY AND I FOUND OUT WE WOULD
BOTH BE AT THE HOSPITAL AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, AND
WE MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE TO MEET FOR COFFEE, AND CHAT
A BIT. I WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT! WHEN I GOT
BOGGED DOWN, AND DISHEARTENED, I HELD THAT OUT
AHEAD OF MYSELF, SORT OF THE PROVERBIAL CARROT,
DANGLING IN FRONT OF MY NOSE, TO KEEP THIS MULE
GOING. SOMEHOW, IT WORKED, AND WHEN I WOKE THE
SNORER, IT TOOK HIM ALL OF TWO MINUTES TO JUMP
INTO HIS CLOTHES. HARRUMPH! HOW DISGUSTING. UNFAIR!
HE WENT TO CHECK RIGHT AWAY, AND SURE ENOUGH, HERE
CAME THE VAN TO PICK US UP...AND WOULDN'T YOU JUST
KNOW IT, IT WAS SNOWING, COLD, AND BLOWING. WHAT A
MISERABLE DAY TO HAVE TO GO OUT. YET, I MANAGED TO PUT ON
A GOOD FACE, AND CONVINCE MYSELF IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.
AFTER ALL, I HAD ON MY WONDERFUL NEW BOOTS, AND MY
MAGIC SCARF, BOTH CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FROM THE SNORER...
AND I WAS CERTAINLY WARM ENOUGH IN MY STILL
PRESENTABLE FAUX FUR COAT, FROM SEVERAL CHRISTMASES
AGO...AND NOW I WAS DANGLING THREE CARROTS....THE THIRD
ONE BEING THAT SOONER OR LATER, I WOULD BE BACK HOME,
ALL THIS UNPLEASANTNESS WOULD BE BEHIND ME, AND I COULD
GET INTO MY COMFY JAMMIE'S, AND RELAX. THIS TOO WOULD
PASS. IT WORKED, TO A POINT. I DID GET THERE, AND LOOKED
UP MY FRIEND, BUT ALL WAS NOT GOING WELL WITH HER.
LONG STORY SHORT...(TOO LATE)...SHE HAD TO WAIT MUCH
LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED,AND I HAD TIME TO KILL BEFORE
I COULD EVEN SEE MY DOCTOR, BUT WE WERE LOCATED ON
DIFFERENT FLOORS. BOTH OF US WERE SENT TO HAVE BLOOD
TESTS, I TO THE LAB UPSTAIRS, AND THEN AN HOUR'S WAIT TILL
MY APPOINTMENT WITH DR. COLLIEFLOWER, AND SHE TO THE
CLINIC WHERE THE PROCEDURE WOULD BE DONE, AND ONCE
THE PROCEDURE WAS DONE, UPSTAIRS, FOR BLOOD TESTS
AFTER. IT WAS ALL VERY CONFUSING, AND VERY ANNOYING.
BUT, AT LAST, I AM IN THE WAITING ROOM, READY TO SEE THE
DOCTOR, AND WHO SHOULD COME SAUNTERING IN, BUT SHERRY.
NATURALLY, I WAS DELIGHTED TO SEE HER, BUT WONDERED
WHY SHE WAS ALONE. WITH THIS PROCEDURE, SHE HAS TO
HAVE SOMEONE TAKE HER, AND THEN TAKE HER HOME. THE
LADY WHO HAD BEEN THERE WITH HER EARLIER WAS NOT
WITH HER. HOWEVER, I TRIED NOT TO APPEAR TOO NOSY.
WE TALKED, AND I WAITED. FINALLY, I COULD STAND IT NO
LONGER,
"WHERE IS TAM?" I ASKED.
"OH," SAID SHE," TAM HAD TO GO."
"GO?" I ECHOED, HOPING I WAS MISUNDERSTANDING THE
SITUATION," GO WHERE? WHEN WILL SHE BE BACK?"
"SHE'S NOT COMING BACK. SHE HAD OTHER THINGS TO DO, AND
HER THREE HOURS WERE UP."
I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EARS. THIS WOMAN HAD BEEN PAID
TO TAKE SHERRY TO THE HOSPITAL, AND THEN SHE JUST DUMPS
HER AT THE HOSPITAL, LEAVING HER MILES FROM HER HOME,
BECAUSE SHE HAS OTHER THINGS TO DO?
THE NEXT THING I KNEW I WAS BEING CALLED BACK TO SEE
COLLIEFLOWER, AND ALL WENT BETTER THAN I EXPECTED.
I WAS OUT OF THERE IN NO TIME,AND THERE SAT SHERRY.
WE WENT DOWN TO THE COFFEE SHOP,AND BOUGHT HER
A POP, AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO BE PICKED UP, AND TOOK
SHERRY TO OUR HOUSE, PLIED HER WITH MORE POP AND
GOODIES, HASHED THE WHOLE THING OUT, AND PROPPED HER
UP, AND MADE HER FEEL MUCH BETTER, AND AFTER A NICE
VISIT, SENT HER HOME IN A CAB.
ISN'T GOD GOOD? HE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND
HE ORCHESTRATED THE WHOLE DAY, SO THAT SHERRY WOULD
HAVE SOMEONE TO SEE TO IT THAT SHE GOT HOME, SAFELY.
SHERRY AND I AND THE SNORER WERE CAUGHT FLAT-FOOTED
COMPLETELY UNPREPARED FOR THIS TURN OF EVENTS.
BUT GOD IS NEVER CAUGHT BY SURPRISE.
IN FACT, DO YOU KNOW THE LITERAL TRANSLATION OF THE
NAME, JEHOVAH?
HE IS THE GOD YOU NEED HIM TO BE, AT THE MOMENT YOU
NEED HIM TO BE IT.
AND HE PUT US THERE FOR SHERRY, JUST WHEN SHE NEEDED
US THE MOST.
PRAISE GOD !
OUI?
AND AMEN!
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