Reading Julie's note about her grandmother calling and insisting that they
come and get the things she'd saved for her reminded me of a visit to a
precious uncle in 2002. We called him Uncle Louie but he was actually
my mother in law's cousin. I think in New Mexico, as in other places,
the older generation is "aunt" or "uncle" no matter what the actual
relationship. This sad occasion was my mother in law Sylvia's funeral.
The only NM relatives left were Cousin David and his wife Steffi and
Uncle Louie. After the service Uncle Louie stressed that he wanted my
husband and me to come by before returning to our home in Oklahoma.
He said it was very important. When we arrived the next day he told us
that one of the last times Sylvia had visited him she told him he looked
tired and lonely. He insisted he might be tired but hardly lonely. She
asked if there was anything she could do and he said "Maybe you could
hire me a maid." When she returned a year later she brought with her a
picture of a housemaid which she had painted for him. "Here's the maid
I promised you Louie," she told him with a laugh. He hung it in his
kitchen and had enjoyed her presence for several years. The year before
he had asked us if we didn't want to take it and we had refused, telling
him there was plenty of time to worry about such things. "I want you kids
to take it now," he said this time. "If I die who knows what might happen
to it, anybody might take it." Louie was 79 when he said this and though
we did not want to deprive him of the picture it seemed so important to
him that we take possession of her that we reluctantly did so. The next
day we left for home and it was not more than a few days later that we
received word that the dear man had died quite suddenly. He must have
had a premonition that the end was near, for as far as we know he was in
quite good health for his age. As it happened there was a terrible mix up
with all the belongings that had been left in the house, and many hurt
feelings resulted. Not ours though. Uncle Louie made sure we had what
was ours. She hangs in pride of place in our kitchen just as she had in his.
Jan P.
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