Julie laid in a hospital bed, feeling like her world was crashing down around her. She'd had a mild stroke a few months ago, and since her discharge, she'd slowly been regaining the strength to walk, and to make things worse, she developed pneumonia. She was then placed on a strict regiment of medicine and was required to spend every other day in the hospital.
Lying in bed she frowned; what she didn't find confusing, but what took her breath away was the fact that she was missing so much of her memory. She drew up the hospital blanket around her and stared at the ceiling. It was patently clear that she was not in control of who she was anymore. Her life was still muddled; she didn't know her family's stories, and her past was a black abyss.
When she was a child she had no idea she had an older cousin living on her own in a small town. She was taught that his name was Jean, was tall, and that he was her Uncle's daughter. Why she was abandoned by her Mom and living was a mystery.
She remembered him from when she was growing up, but what was so troubling was that he had looked nothing like her, but she was certain that she knew him well. He came from the same part of the country, but he was part of a different family. She looked at him and often felt she could touch him. She was getting her memory back, but it was at a slow pace.
She tried to recall his story, but she only knew that he was born in her family. She remembered looking out the window one day, and seeing a large, modern looking truck traveling at a high rate of speed on a dirt road. This was a strange thing for a child to stare through the window at, but she had no mother, no father, and it was all confusing.
She heard a knock on her door and a nurse entered. She looked around, and smiled. "Let me help you up off the bed. I think it's time for you to regain your strength." She did as she was told, and realized that moving was a chore.
Soon, she was out in a wheelchair, heading toward the doors of the hospital. Each step was like walking through a mine field and she thought of her mother's plump legs. She remembered how she would stop running and quickly dip her knees into a deep curtsy, stepping out of one shoe and then the other, and her skirt. Her mother was a perfect lady of the south, and in time she would return to her regular self. The nurse moved the chair to her car.
"I'll go to the farm and bring your things. I'll be back in about an hour." She smiled and then got into her car and smiled at her passenger. "Lovely day today. I'm sure you'll want a ride to your little farm."
"How well do you know Jean?" The girl said.
"We've been friends since the day we met. I grew up on his family farm, and now he lives there. We both went to live with family when our lives were in danger. Where he lives is about fifty miles from here, and the farm is in the middle of nowhere."
"Hmm… I'd like to see him. I think I have questions for him."
The nurse smiled, in a friendly way, and then said, "I can take you by there, but I don't know if he'll see you. He's a hard man and doesn't much care for old friends."
"How old is he?" Julie asked.
"He's twenty-seven."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-four."
"You've known him longer than you've known me?"
"I guess that's right. He loves me in his own way, Jean is a decent man, and a very hard worker."
"Good." She smiled.
"Are you feeling all right?" The nurse said.
"I think I'm falling in love with him. He's a handsome boy, but I don't think he knows."
"Hmmm… love is strange, love is strange. You'll find that out eventually. I hope he takes you in."
"I hope so too." The girl said.
"There's no one like your mom. She's a fine woman."
"A fine woman?"
"Yes, she was beautiful too, and she had a strong family. She was very proud, and very nurturing. She was seventy when I was born, and she's still the most beautiful woman I know. For the most part, you two have the same degrees of beauty and are probably not very dissimilar."
"I hope so." She smiled.
"But spring, you're looking a little pale."
"I guess the sun bothers my skin, but I'm okay."
They dropped her off at the farmhouse and the girl stepped out, feeling confused, but content. She tried the combination on the door and was startled to find it open. The area was dark and dimly lit. She was expecting it to be a large, rural dwelling, but it was more like a little cabin, loved by someone who butchered the livestock and kept to their own company.
She thought of Jean and tried to picture him as a young child. If he had problems in school, you wouldn't know it. He was very popular, and worked hard to make friends. His stories of the past were vague, and he never opened up to anyone.
Her spirits were high as she sat there and thought of him. She wanted to find out more about him, but his story was not very interesting. He was adopted by his current Uncle, and they always lived in the same town. He had a cousin, but that was the end of his life story.
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