Her Eyes Pt.2

Her Eyes- Part II

She was relieved to find out that his leg would be fine, but it would never be the same again. She then learned that he would be in a cast for some time, and would be returning home soon. When the word was out that he would be returning home, she and her family began making arrangements to accommodate his condition. They purchased a new recliner to help ease his leg, and a wheel chair. They also made a welcome home banner for his return.

The family realized quickly that he wouldn’t be able to get around much without a wheelchair. So the entire family came together and set out to build him a ramp up the steps of the house. She enjoyed projects like this that included the entire family. She realized that this was under different and more serious circumstances, but it comforted her to know that her family could still be able to come together in hard times. During the day of the construction, she rode with her mom to Lowes to pick out the wood. She always enjoyed venturing out in the building full of big tools.

She walked with her mother as the Lowe’s employee directed them to the wood. He was a short man, white hair, with no hair at the top of his head, and a thick white mustache. He also had eye glasses that made him look like a British political leader from War World II. He helped advice her mother the type of boards that would be needed for a project that they were planning. After picking out the boards, they also picked out tan paint to help match the color of the house. After paying, they headed out to the car, ready to start their project.

After a few more days passed, and after the ramp was successfully built, the hospital released her father. Since he could not return home in the family car, the hospital brought him home by driving him in an ambulance. She was in awe at the site of the big monster of a vehicle. Her other siblings were also astonished by this new thrill. When their father was carried out from the back, on a gurney, the family was in celebration. It had been so long since they have seen him that it felt like a hole in their heart was now refilled.

The ambulance men lowered the gurney to where it rested on the green earth. Her father laid on there with a simple sheet over him. On his left leg, she noticed that it was twice as big as his right. She realized that his leg was in a cast from the top of his leg to the bottom. He waved to everyone as he was rolled up closer to her. Tears streamed down her face in joy and gratefulness.

While one of the EMTs spoke with her mother and father about the new living arrangements that they would have to accommodate, the other one invited her and the other children to explore the ambulance. She and her siblings were freed of the strain and fear when they took the opportunity to explore the ambulance. While intrigued by all of the equipment before her eyes, she felt relieved to become a child again and not have to think about the reality around her for a moment. She didn’t know if it was because of the excitement of the ambulance or having her father back in her sights. But even though her father was back, there would be many obstacles ahead to make things feel normal.

The men from the hospital began rolling her father up to the house and were close to start rolling him up the ramp. The ambulance became an instant thought when she glanced at her father. Instant flashbacks flooded her brain. She remembered the dread of not being able to see him when he got hurt, and that she was unable to see him for weeks. She remembered how she finally let go, and shared her emotions with the assistant at school. She remembered the clock on the school wall, the paint slowly peeling around it. And she remembers that every time the clock ticked, it was a second without him. She returned back from her thoughts. That was no longer the case. Her father was now here, and that was all that mattered.

She hopped out of the ambulance and rushed towards the round crowd that circulated the ramp. The wind behind her seemed to push her there faster. But it took forever to reach her destination. When she made it to him, he reached out his hand to hold hers. She held on for dear life and yelled, “Daddy! I’ve missed you! Oh how I have missed you!”
He smiled and said, “I’ve missed you too, doll.”

Their connection broke when the gurney carried her dad up the ramp, then rolling him into the house, leaving her outside. She wiped a tiny tear from her face. The realization hit her that things would be difficult for awhile. Things would not be the same because he wouldn’t be able to do everything that he once was able to do. But that didn’t matter to her now. She walked up the ramp, following the group of family, the gurney, and her father. Right now she was just happy to have her father return, and that was all that mattered at the moment.