sister said, before she crouched down to see the little person still hiding. “Well, hello there. As I just told your parents, my name is Sister Mary Ava, but you can call me Nana, if you like.”
“Oh please, Sister Mary Ava, do not encourage him. The next person he decides to run and jump on may not be so nice. Besides, it’s so improper,” Kelly said, still trying to scale down the redness in her face. The sister didn’t even notice. Her eyes were focused solely on the boy.
“Nonsense. I’ve been called many things in my life, but Nana is a first. If I’m being completely honest, I like the sound of it, so I don’t mind,” she said, before addressing Cody once more. “What’s your name?”
Only after Kelly ordered him to properly come out and greet the sister did the boy shift to the right to reveal himself.
“Hello, my name is Cody Winters, and I’m this many,” he said while holding up four fingers.
“You’re that many, huh? Exactly how many is that? Let us count and see what we get.”
Together, they counted to four, bringing a smile to the sister’s face. Quickly, Cody returned to his place behind his fathers’ leg before slightly peeking out, revealing his own smile.
‘Time reveals many unexpected twists in the road. Stay strong and true, young one,’ Sister Mary Ava thought as she bowed her head and prayed. Though she wished it wasn’t so, she knew that the situation was beyond her capabilities, so sent her pleadings above. She then opened her eyes, and met blue.
“Cody?” she asked in surprise.
“Hello, Sister Mary Ava. I apologize for not greeting you sooner, but I didn’t want to interrupt. My mother informed me that you would be coming here. Thank you so much for staying with me today,” Cody said politely, and only sixty years of life experience stopped the sister from gaping at the boy. She finally understood exactly what Kelly meant when she said that she would be able to easily identify the two personas.
“You are quite welcome; it is my pleasure to sit with you. You may not remember me, but you and I were very close once. I’m not sure how much has changed, but I brought with me what used to be your favorite: blueberry dumplings,” she said just as politely as she held up a small container. Cody looked from her to the container, and then back, before giving a small smile.
“Thank you. I will be sure to eat them,” he said with his response lacking the enthusiasm one normally has when receiving a desirable gift. Sister Mary Ava didn’t miss it.
“You’re very welcome, Cody,” she said, before placing the container on the night stand. “How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”
“I feel fine, though I am a bit more tired than usual. If it isn’t too much trouble, would you mind if I listened to some music?”
“It’s no trouble at all. Do you have an mp3 player or some other device I need to retrieve?”
“Thank you, Sister Mary Ava. Actually, Mother purchased me a record player, because the mp3 player I have is filled with music I don’t listen to anymore. It’s sitting next to the window by my desk. I believe there is a Bach vinyl already loaded.”
Having to see it to believe it, Sister Mary Ava walked across the room, and sure enough, there sat a sight straight from her younger days: a record player. With a slight shift of the needle, Johann Bach’s Violin Concertos filled the room, and Cody instantly closed his eyes in pure tranquility. Sister Mary Ava, however, felt anything but tranquil. There lied a boy who once knew more about her than some of her fellow sisters, and she was finding it hard to detach herself from the situation, especially when one of her most treasured memories of him played through her mind.
“The more that I am around you, the more greatly you remind me of my late son,” Sister Mary Ava said casually, causing Cody to spit out his pop and choke.
“Son!”
“Yes, son.”
“Whoa, wait a minute. You had a son? But
“Oh please, Sister Mary Ava, do not encourage him. The next person he decides to run and jump on may not be so nice. Besides, it’s so improper,” Kelly said, still trying to scale down the redness in her face. The sister didn’t even notice. Her eyes were focused solely on the boy.
“Nonsense. I’ve been called many things in my life, but Nana is a first. If I’m being completely honest, I like the sound of it, so I don’t mind,” she said, before addressing Cody once more. “What’s your name?”
Only after Kelly ordered him to properly come out and greet the sister did the boy shift to the right to reveal himself.
“Hello, my name is Cody Winters, and I’m this many,” he said while holding up four fingers.
“You’re that many, huh? Exactly how many is that? Let us count and see what we get.”
Together, they counted to four, bringing a smile to the sister’s face. Quickly, Cody returned to his place behind his fathers’ leg before slightly peeking out, revealing his own smile.
‘Time reveals many unexpected twists in the road. Stay strong and true, young one,’ Sister Mary Ava thought as she bowed her head and prayed. Though she wished it wasn’t so, she knew that the situation was beyond her capabilities, so sent her pleadings above. She then opened her eyes, and met blue.
“Cody?” she asked in surprise.
“Hello, Sister Mary Ava. I apologize for not greeting you sooner, but I didn’t want to interrupt. My mother informed me that you would be coming here. Thank you so much for staying with me today,” Cody said politely, and only sixty years of life experience stopped the sister from gaping at the boy. She finally understood exactly what Kelly meant when she said that she would be able to easily identify the two personas.
“You are quite welcome; it is my pleasure to sit with you. You may not remember me, but you and I were very close once. I’m not sure how much has changed, but I brought with me what used to be your favorite: blueberry dumplings,” she said just as politely as she held up a small container. Cody looked from her to the container, and then back, before giving a small smile.
“Thank you. I will be sure to eat them,” he said with his response lacking the enthusiasm one normally has when receiving a desirable gift. Sister Mary Ava didn’t miss it.
“You’re very welcome, Cody,” she said, before placing the container on the night stand. “How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”
“I feel fine, though I am a bit more tired than usual. If it isn’t too much trouble, would you mind if I listened to some music?”
“It’s no trouble at all. Do you have an mp3 player or some other device I need to retrieve?”
“Thank you, Sister Mary Ava. Actually, Mother purchased me a record player, because the mp3 player I have is filled with music I don’t listen to anymore. It’s sitting next to the window by my desk. I believe there is a Bach vinyl already loaded.”
Having to see it to believe it, Sister Mary Ava walked across the room, and sure enough, there sat a sight straight from her younger days: a record player. With a slight shift of the needle, Johann Bach’s Violin Concertos filled the room, and Cody instantly closed his eyes in pure tranquility. Sister Mary Ava, however, felt anything but tranquil. There lied a boy who once knew more about her than some of her fellow sisters, and she was finding it hard to detach herself from the situation, especially when one of her most treasured memories of him played through her mind.
“The more that I am around you, the more greatly you remind me of my late son,” Sister Mary Ava said casually, causing Cody to spit out his pop and choke.
“Son!”
“Yes, son.”
“Whoa, wait a minute. You had a son? But
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