Lady In Lavender- Based on a True Story . My True Story.
On the 20th of June 2010, I can tell you that my whole world had changed. Since birth I spent most of my time with my mothers side of the family and she only had a small family which included..My mam Catherine , My Nanny and Grandad Rita and John and my uncle and my godfather Michael also along with us was My Dad Keith and My little brother Louis. We were all close and saw eachother nearly everyday.
The first week of July 2007 My parents , My brother and I moved to a brand new house down in the country in County Kildare. I was never happy about the situation but there was nothing I could say or do to change what was happening. We only were a 40 minute drive away from our house but to me that seemed like forever. I really didnt want to leave my house I grew up in over the 16 years , I didnt want to travel to and from to go to school to see my friends and my family. It just felt as if we just packed up all our belongings and left everything else more important behind.
As soon as we moved into our new home I knew it was'nt for me. Yes I wanted to be in a lovely, New , Big house and to share that with my family But in this town it was just isolated and i just felt alone with my friends to me a million miles away and the only way to get to places was a car. My mam and dad said to me that they would drive me down when ever i needed to go down and i knew that was'nt going to be so true. So in due time I spent all my time in my Nannys and Grandads house to attend school It gave me a chance to still live my life in my home place.
My Nanny took so much good care of me. I would like to call her the “Lady In Lavender”, . Ever since I was a baby she had bein there. To tuck my vest into my trousers , She made sure my hair was nice and clean and she always made sure I was never left with an empty stomach.She was very stylish for a women in her 60’s . Lavender was her favorite colour she always wore that colour for Christmas. Her two hands would be layered with rings, All gold rings on her left hand and all sliver on the other. I also remember she wore her wedding band around her pinky finger, but I never knew why?. Her hair was never left to Gray for longer then a week because my mam who is a hairdresser always had my Nanny’s hair coloured and curled beautifully. She was never too old to wear make-up and her nails were always a bright, barbie Pink . She was never afaird to be herself. She was independent and did anything for every one. My Nanny was the only Person I could really trust in the world .
Soon in late 2009 , My Nanny Rita fell sick with a problem Bouls , which caused her to be in pain and was very uncomfortable. Due to this she needed to go to hospital to have an operation. Her operation was'nt really spoken off until it was over. I went to the hospital with my parents and my Little brother to visit my nanny in the operation teathre because she was not too long out of the procedure we wanted to see her straight away to know that she was okay , to asure our minds with ease. For Health and Safety reasons of the hospital, they would only let 2 people in at a time. So first to go in was my mam and my dad, While my brother and I waited on some chairs placed off to the side. There was a vending machine right infront of me and I was starving.
Soon after about 5 minutes my mam and dad came back out to were we were sitting. I could'nt really read my mams facial expressions to know what kind of situation she was in, she just seemed de-stressed.
My Turn was next. As I walked through the double white swinging doors, The doctor leaded us through the Operation ward to my Nannys bed which was at the very end of the room. Before I stepped behind the Curtain to come in full contact with my sight of her, I took a deep breath and squeezed my brothers hand. When I looked passed the curtain I seen my Nanny asleep with wires coming out of both of her arms and a mask over her nose and mouth. She was awoken to be let known that we were present. My Nanny realised and started talking too us . She looked sick but I was just glad she was alive.
After 2 weeks of being in the hospital Nanny came to live with my mam and dad in there house in Kildare. She was recovering so well and was back to normal and walking around the house. Like there was nothing ever wrong with her. I was so delighted to know she was actually better and that she was going to be around for longer. Now my Nanny always had problems with her toes such as getting Corns, Bunions and such which caused her feet to be in pain. She end up having worse pain in due time with her feet and toes and had to return to the hospital. But this time it was going to be a whole different story. My Nanny end up spending weeks in the hospital, I could'nt understand why she was there for so long because I was always the last person to know about things.
One day I went up to visit my Nanny with my mam, My mam went to talk to a doctor for a good duration of the visit so I spent that time with my Nanny. She was slumped in the middle of the bed looking very skinny and covered in bruises, I had noticed she had'nt really bein eating much and I was getting quite worried. I was talking to her like normal also trying not to cry just because I did'nt want her in the hospital and she looked so sick still. She spent so long in the hospital bed and her feet were too swore to even get out of the bed that I had to go and reach a nurse so that she could help my nanny sit up and place her in the middle of the bed. After her being satified which were she was positioned in the bed she then needed to be taken to the toilet or more so the toilet bein brought to her. Two nurses came in and closed the curtain full around the bed, For privacy reasons obviously I waited outside. As I sat at the entrance of the ward I could'nt help but to cry, She should'nt have people helping her to move or helping her go to the bathroom.
After they finished with my Nanny they were taking her belongings and placing them into another room across the hall, I was'nt to sure of what was going on. The nurse came over to me she kneeled beside and said “ Hi, Are you the Grandaughter?” , I nodded whipping my cheek with the tissue. She smiled and replied , “ Well we are just putting your Nanny into this room her, for more private time for you and the family”. I was so confused that it made me more upset because she seemed a fine about 10 minutes before hand. Soon after My mam came up to the ward and went into where my nanny was orginally i had to go outside the room to tell her where we were. She seemed confused and shocked that was nanny was in a private room.
I can’t really remember much after that for its all just a haze. Nanny seemed fine for two days , she was demanding pizza and everything . I was delighted to see her get better. In the next couple of days my nanny was in a Coma and i was told she only had about 48 hours to live. My heart sank into my stomach, everything was happening so fast and i really could'nt understand with what was going on or what was wrong with my Nanny. Loads of questions were popping into my head , Why was she In a Coma? How long is it going to Last? Will she ever come out of it ? .
After the comfortation of my nanny being in a Coma, My whole family certainly did not hestitate to spend every moment of time by my nanny’s bedside. My Mam and Dad where there every night withouth sleeping. My Grandad was there too and too the odd nap in the spare room with a bed. My uncle came up, Hes very hard to read at these types of moments. Her Sister and my great Aunty Tereasa and her bestfriend Elieen came over from there home in Leister, England. When your seening so much of the family all at the same time saying there last few words was a whole new experience for us all we never had someone so close dying.
On June 20th on a Sunday Morning 2:30am, I was on my way home in a taxi from the city center after doing a photography job at a Performance night. I was txting and ringing my dad for the duration asking how was nanny ? he would tell me she was still the same and that she proberly does'nt have alot of time left. Instead of going home I told the taxi man to take me to the hospital. As I reached the hospital entrance my dad was standing at the door waiting for me . I paid the taxi man and got out of the taxi. We walked through the doors of the hospital, Because it was so early in the morning there was a security man at a desk asking who we are, We had to tell them that a realtive was dying. That killed me to hear. My dad pressed the button on the elevator and pressed the floor button. On the way up to the 3rd floor it was silent , I could'nt stop thinking. We walked out of the lift and followed the corridor until we reached the room where my nanny and mam was. When I walked in the door my mam was at my nannys side holding her hand. I sat on the other side and grabbed her other hand, Her hand was warm and on her wrist she wore a wooden holy braclet. The rush of emotions going through me were too hard to explain . The room was silent and all I could hear was the Morphine being injected into her leg to ease the pain. I asked my dad if the nurse or doctor has said anything about her passing and when will we know when shes going to? He told me that the doctor said that Just before she goes she will take a few deep breaths.
After a while My grandad was asleep in the other room , my uncle was around and my great aunt and her best friend were also asleep it was around 4 am. I sat in the room still holding my nanny’s hand , telling how much I love her and how much she means to me. My dad was asleep on the chair beside me and my mam was across from me sleeping lighty still holding nanny’s hand. I was dosing off myself when I heard a deep breath, I then remembered what my dad told me and shot my eyes open. I woke up my mam and dad and they soon realised what was taking its tole. We sat there holding her hands and her taking her last breaths. Telling her that we loved her and we always will while tears were streaming down our faces. Ive never seen my mam so sad, So broken. Soon after 3 deep breaths My Nanny , My Lady in Lavender had passed, At 4.44am.
About 6am we were all still in the hospital all of us in shock all over tired and just so lost. I sat at a hospital window and watched the sun rise and cried and cried and cried. My Uncle came out to me and handed me the holy bracelet that was on my nannys arm, the one that I was holding. I looked up at him and I said “ I can’t take that ” He looked at me as if I was mad and said “ She would want you to have it ”. So I put it around my wrist. It was time for everyone to have a few minutes alone with nanny to say goodbye. I waited my turn. As I walked in the door it was odd knowing that my nanny was not there but just her body was but she looked graceful. All her features filled out and all the sickness was out of her body , She looked like my nanny. The sun was shining through the window right over her and made her look even more radiant. She was still lighting up the room. I stood over her and spoke my final words to her
“ Nanny I know your not her in person but i want to tell you that having you around for the past 18 years was a blessing, I will miss you so much and I will always love you and never forget you and I hope to see you soon. ”
My Nanny Rita Passed away on the 20th of June 2010 , 4 days before her 62nd Birthday. On that day my life has completely changed. I miss her more each day and always will. I now live in her house with my Grandad. I hope that maybe one day I can still be living here in years to come and have my own kids grow up in a house were I grew up. I know that My Nanny is watching over us all and the Lady in Lavender will always remain our hearts Forever.
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