Hollis

Yesterday, Monday, November 22

I had just registered at 7:45 am in radiation oncology to have a couple of more x-rays prior to me starting radiation treatment today, Tuesday.  I was a little nervous since I was starting chemo a later that morning and welcomed the quiet solitude that an early morning waiting room presented.

Bruce and I were looking over my schedule for remainder of November, when, like a SNL skit cue gone bad, entered this beast of a man from stage left.

"Hey honey," he loudly called across the room to the receptionist, "You got any of yer good 'ol coffee made yet?"  He threw his jacket over the chair in another area of the waiting room.

This thirty or forty something old guy had his hat on backwards, a missing front tooth, his tee-shirt sleeves cut out and with it not quite covering his self proclaimed 320 lb. frame, primarily from his navel to his salad plate sized belt buckle.

'Honey' didn't respond, but that didn't stop him.

"I'd been late if my aunt hadn't called me to wake me up.  Did I tell ya she was gonna buy me a brand new '99 Pontiac?  It's comin' from Odessa."

Still, no response from 'Honey.'

About the time he was discovering a full pot of coffee in the corner, a doctor walked through the waiting area and they exchanged 'good mornings.' And then this guy loudly tells the doctor, who obviously doesn't know him, the good fortune regarding the gift from his aunt. I winced and wished that he would just shut. it. up.

Bruce sensed my discomfort, and I knew he shared it with me. Then he turned and our eyes met.

"How er ya'll this mornin'?" he howled across the room. 

I just smiled, faintly said "just fine" and quickly went back to the schedule, in my head chanting and maybe even whispering outloud, "Do not come over here. Do not come over here. Do not come over here."

I elbowed Bruce as he grabbed his jacket and headed our way. No! Crap!

He plopped down across from us and again repeated the story of the Pontiac gift, as if we hadn't heard it the first two times. 

He said, "My name is Hollis" with Bruce and I acknowledging him silently, but not daring to offer ours.  I was annoyed and wanted to be left alone.

I caught 'Honey' looking my way and grinning.

"Do you wanna see a picture of my dead dog?" he asked me without hesitation. I immediately thought this had to be a joke.  Were we on Candid Camera? I couldn't find the words to respond. 

Finally I asked, "Hollis, is your dog dead in the picture?"

"Well, no ma'am.  This neighbor kid and I kinda had words the other day and when I left the house, he came over and kicked my dog right between the eyes and kilt Sweetie on the spot.  But this picture was taken before he done that.  I have it as my wallpaper on my phone.  My daddy called me and said, 'Hollis I hate to tell you this but yer dog is dead.'  He tolt me I'd better not do anything stupid so I had to simmer down before I got back to the house.  And when I got there, shore 'nuff  there she was. Deader than dirt."

UNbelievable. So politely, I looked at his picture of Sweetie, which was a cute little Pomeranian.  As soon as he took the phone back he shot out a series of questions/statements, without waiting for any response.  (Bruce whispered that he didn'nt need us, he could easily carry on a conversation with himself.)

"I weigh 320 pounds and told my mama that that I had to lay off the chicken fried steak."  My thought:  Really.

"I'm comin' here for the radiation. R ya'll here for the radiation?"  My thought: No we're here for the atmosphere.

"The hardest part is the waitin." My thought: The smartest thing he's said so far.

And last, but oh-so not least . . .

"Do ya'll know the worst part of your body to get an operation on?"

Silence.

"It's yer head.  When they saw into yer brain, thangs can go South real quick."

I thought Bruce was going to fall out of his chair.  Well, that explained it. For whatever reason, at that moment my heart melted and I thought of Mother Teresa of all people.  She would have told him her name.  She would have gone and sat beside him and perhaps held his hand. 

So, although I am by no means anywhere close to being MT, I did tell Hollis my name, and felt horribly guilty that I was initially so uncomfortable and irratated by him. And yes, I fell short (waaaaay short) of taking his hand,  but I did smile and thanked God for sending Hollis to me that morning.

Hollis made his way back over to the coffee pot and said to the receptionist, "Honey, did you know I'm gonna to be suin' my neigbors?  All I want is enough money to buy me a new dog."

Soon after, I was called back for x-rays and left Bruce in the waiting room with Hollis still 'a talking.

He told me later, his eyes filling with tears of of laughter, that Hollis had asked him where we lived and when he responded, "San Angelo" Hollis said,

" I been to San Angelo once.  I just love that Sea World."

:)