The Voice of Southwest Louisiana March 2019 Issue

ADVENTURES of the Lake
By Lela Gholar Tizano
Seasons
Change
Ethel was tired! Changing bedpans,
cleaning soiled linens, and dealing
with some of the meanest patients
at the nursing home had taken its toll on
her. One of the meanest ever was Miss
Rosie, at least that's what everyone called
her. But it was something about Miss
Rosie. In some strange way, Ethel felt a
connection to her. On her lunch break,
the two of them would sit on the patio,
many times in complete silence. But on
this particular day, Miss Rosie was very
talkative.
"It sure is a pretty day today don't you
think, Miss Rosie?" Ethel asked cheerfully.
"Season about to change," she
responded.
“Yeah, I think so,” Ethel said.
"How long you planning on breaking
your back here doing all this hard work?"
she asked, as she changed the subject.
"It's all I can do right now Miss Rosie. I
want to go back to school and get my
degree, but I don't have the money right
now. Until something better comes
along, you're stuck with me," Ethel
answered with a smile.
"Humph, if you ask me, I think you ought
to get away from here as soon as you
can," she mumbled.
"Miss Rosie, you trying to get rid of me?"
Ethel joked as she ran the brush through
Miss Rosie's silky grey hair.
Miss Rosie waved her hand like she was
shooing an annoying bug,"ain't nobody
trying to get rid of you.” She was too
stubborn to admit she enjoyed Ethel’s
company. She was the only one who ever
visited.
Later that night, Ethel sat at the foot of
her bed and massaged her aching feet.
She tossed and turned as Miss Rosie's
advice rang in her ears. Every word she
said was true, but the truth was not
comfortable for Ethel. Going back to
college would mean she would have to
work all day and take classes at night.
Her plate was already full being a single
parent. Then there was the money, the
biggest deal breaker of all.
"That's it," Ethel said to herself, "there's no
way, I can do it.”
The next morning Ethel marched into
Miss Rosie’s room to let her know that
she would not be taking her advice. The
room held an uncomfortable silence.
Miss Rosie’s bed was stripped of its linen
and her things were packed away in the
corner.
The nurse walked in with an envelope
with Ethel’s name on it. “Miss Rosie
passed away last night but she left this
for you.”
Ethel steadied herself with the arm of the
chair and tried to gain her composure.
Through tear filled eyes she opened the
envelope.
“Thank you for being so kind to me. Take
this money and go to college like I told
you,” Miss Rosie had written on a small
slip of paper with a check inside.
Ethel reflected on their last visit together.
Truer words had never been spoken
when Miss Rosie told her “season about
to change.”
That day Ethel’s season changed. Because
of her encounter with a little old lady,
she was able to go college and get her
degree. She was forever grateful that she
took the time to reach out to someone
who needed a friend.
22
March 2019 WWW.THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 6 • Number 8