April 8, 2006

• Michael in Stephenville on an absolutely gorgeous April morning.  If only Lorena were here.  We had a fantastic talk with her last night -- but first for some background info...

  
  

  Stephanie has already run into herself three times today because she is so freneticly and frantically doing so many things for prom tonight.  I simultaneously laugh at her and feel sorry for her because she is so excited and stressed out at the same time.  She has gone to the shoe store with one of her friends right now to help the friend find some heels...  (I just misspelled that last word as "hells" -- which is probably perfectly appropriate...)  Then she has to get batteries for her camera, etc., etc., etc.

  
  

  Joey, of course, is a typical guy, laid back and completely stress free -- much to her consternation.  Yesterday, she called him after school to see how his preparations were going -- to discover to her LOUD horror that the business where he rented his tux had neglected to order it even though he had paid for it.  Then came the even LOUDER reaction when she discovered that, far from being a screaming/moaning/groaning/over-reacting-basket-case, he was with some friends at the skate park.  It was absolutely hilarious to listen to her end of the phone conversation (if one could have called it a conversation.)  She immediately illuminated to him the errors of his ways, all the way from from helping him see the need for applying pressure to the tux rental folks to warning him that at this particular time of the year, a simple injury on a skateboard such as a sprained arm or leg might very well prove fatal for him...  I have Joey in class this year, and I constantly preach to my kiddos that the school curriculum is merely intended to provide them common ground as American and world citizens and to help prepare them for lifelong learning outside the classroom.  Yesterday, Joey had some major extracurricular education.

  
  

  Stephanie "shared" her concerns with one of her girlfriends within my hearing, and I really enjoyed eavesdropping on her.  She was ranting about Joey's lack of concern, and she concluded by saying, "If I were him, I would be calling the tux rental place every ten minutes saying, 'Don't forget that I need that tux that I have ALREADY PAID FOR by noon tomorrow!!!  I only SOUND unhappy now, so please don't disappoint me!!!'  But is he doing that?  No!  He is skateboarding!!!"  I just giggled in a most unfatherly way...

  
  

  Joey will learn that life will be a much more pleasant experience if he becomes a faster learner.  Several phone calls later, he finally began to comprehend the lesson, and Steph was gratified a while later to learn that the tux rental place has promised them that they have upgraded Joey to their most expensive tux, GRATIS, and they have guaranteed it to be in by noon today. 

  
  

  By this time, though, their "conversation" had shifted to picking up the corsage and garter.  Joey couldn't do it because he had a very busy day planned, primarily consisting of sleeping in late and then playing video games with friends.  Stephi, obviously exasperated by this time to the point of being homicidal, finally said rather curtly that SHE would go by the florist's since she had nothing planned except for getting up early so that she and fifteen other girls could get an eight hour head start on coiffing, dressing, and making each other up as well as making sure that everything was arranged for the pre-prom pictures, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc... -- and she did not want Joey to be inconvenienced on his busy day. 

  
  

  It was now very LATE, and the next thirty minutes consisted of Joey repeatedly calling back in an effort to find out why Stephanie was sounding so angry.  With each call, Stephi proceeded to sound even angrier -- but nonetheless she would carefully end each call by telling Joey she loved him.  It is not often that I get to roll my eyes at my girls...

  
  

  We did not get through to Lorena until it was 10:30 p.m. there.  When the girls started talking about the prom preparations, Lorena cried just a bit.  I have gone to the proms for years even when I was not an involved sponsor just to help out.  Each year, everyone vanishes when the prom ends even though there is only a 30 minute window to clear the TSU ballroom of all decorations and props without being charged extra.  Consequently, each year the class sponsors and a handful of parents end up frantically dismantling, loading, hauling to destinations all over the country, and unloading decorations as well as cleaning the ballroom.  Lorena would always accompany me to the prom and plan how the girls' proms would be.  Now she has missed half the girls' total prom opportunities with no indications that she will get to participate in any of them. I know that her disappointment is sad and bitter.

  
  

  However, when we began describing all the frantic preparations for prom that our world has revolved around for the past week, Lorena began laughing.  I am a little uncomfortable with this because I don't know if she was laughing because she was happy for the girls, because she was happy that she was far away from the insanity, because she found my incessant whining so humorous, or because she was so happy that I am caught in this maelstrom of madness...  I just know that she was happy, and that makes my agony worth it...

  
  

  It was a wonderful call though, with Lorena sounding better than I have EVER heard her sound since the stroke.  Lya elicited a huge "UH HUH!" from her (much to our delight).  She sounded strong and vibrant.  We all complained to her about her not being here, followed by forceful demands for her to work hard to get well so that she can come back, to which she responded with heart-warming laughter and another "uh huh." 

  
  

  The girls finally excused themselves to go to bed since it was almost midnight here, as I continued to talk to her.  I was emotionally telling her how much I love her and telling her how much we all need her here, when (and I would swear the following in a court of law) I HEARD HER SAY SOMETHING!!!!!  I am sure of that!  I could not make out what it was, and I immediately began bombarding her with questions about it (to which, of course, she could not respond except for some "uh huh"s) but I am absolutely sure she said something!  She may not have actually said any real words, but it was not random gibberish -- and, as sleepy as I was, I am equally sure that I was awake when I heard it.  Needless to say, the call ended on an almost deliriously happy note.

  
  

  HER MIRACLE CONTINUES!!!  TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!  Thank you all for your prayers and your thoughts.  We love you, and one day, Lorena will be back.  That is my fervent prayer...  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

  • 3:50 pm
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