A Friendship Unforgettable*
Our relationship is one etched in our mind for being unforgettable that is how is it was for Fritzie and me.
To introduce Fritzie Boise, my friend of San Antonio Texas
Once upon a time I invited my likely pal to my home for a visit and wanted so much to see my long time cohort. Would she come? Would she still be my friend?
God’s Timing We Met
Recalling our lives she and I had so much in common finding each other in God’s timing is how we met. The time of knowing her was when I worked as a volunteer. Although I later became employed, I had less time with her but we stayed in contact. She is a few years younger than I and it can be said; we enjoyed many of the same friendships. Our lives were touching in a testing of God’s time that I could mature with someone who had a purposed life. We always ended our visits speaking of our Lord and his gifts.
Humbly “A Child of God”
Fritzie is a child of God who constantly portrays His spirit to enjoy; our minds were aimed at to our families needs. She lived in a nearby neighborhood of Havano Pack that is near our Elm Hollow home. This is at the time before Tommy and I would move to Jackson Court close to the corner at Huebner Road and Vance Jackson just up the hill from the two story lovely home of Elm Creek a guarded gate area at Huebner Road and Lockhill Selma. This home with beautiful pool had a waterfall feature.
I could take George Road over to see her on Military Trail. Troy and Fritzie have a family of three children. Lila was U T graduate of the School of Architect; the boys, Daxell and Bandy became owners of Cheese Pizza branches in the towns of Temple, Waco, Kerrville and Uvalde. Lila married a doctor and moved to New York State. Our time was spent giving news of our families.
We are proud to talk of the successes for raising lovely children who cared deeply of their Mom and Dad.
Soup and Corn Bread
I learned many things of how to be frugal with money and clothing from my dear friend. Laughter in our plunder of endearment was how our visits were spent. Penny-wise lunches together were at Luby’s Cafeterias for soup and corn bread. When joining friends we would go to other restaurants but the choice was mostly for soup and corn bread. I will always cherish the time we spent together never knowing of how in 2009 we would renew our friendship after many years since the 1980’s passed and departed in separate pathways.
Bible Doctrine Lessons
Our faith was strong for us to enjoy one another but attended different churches. My week of study was five bible lessons and she made many studies in her church and a women’s bible group. The mutual love for our Lord was made plain and simple in our conversations. This was when I found through my son, Trey, Brenda and family to appreciate the teaching of Colonel Thieme of Berarach Church in Houston. The classes were presented through a local congregation as Alamo City Bible Church on Jackson Keller near as three miles from my home; it was easy to drive and be back to see my husband Tommy to bed because we always had supper before I left the house each evening for this bible study class.
Call Me Back Message
How fine it felt when Fritzie for some reason would call me back from my message left on her recorder. You see I wanted to make contact and renew our relationship; there would be no way that she could have known how to contact me because of the moves we made first to Leakey and then back here to the sparkling city by the bay. I was in shear delight to hear her voice on the line calling to respond and wanted the same as I.
Deaths Makes Widows
I told her of my dear husband’s passing and she expressed her sorrows for me. Then she also in regret told me of Troy’s passing in July 2008. We understood our spouses’ deaths make us widows. The sound of this hurts.
It was not a surprise; he had been ill for so many years before when we visited each other. His health regressed yearly with many ups and downs in life’s journey. Fritzie shared that it had been very grueling experience for their family and especially for her. They had been divorced and remarried at his expected death while in hospital and miraculously he survived the death threat at this time to come home and live many more years with her attending his every need. Nurses around the clock at times then other help each and every day; she slept close to see him through the nights for recovery and become confined to a wheel chair.
As life is not all traumas there is good; he was wheel chair bound though. This man had fortitude of desire to be in the yard and did so sweeping up the leaves in their yard from the sitting position. Hundreds of bags of leaves were taken in his mission to stay busy. Before passing he had dug up rocks from the acre of land they lived bringing them to build a fenced wall along the drive. It was simple and beautiful to amazements of his loving wife he labored in love for the place he and she lived.
Memories became Fritzie as she does not want to move from their home of many years. The children urge her to make her life near them. She only wants visits and gives appreciation to each for their love for her. I can agree for her desires. She tells me of her sister, Dorothy who lives a block and half away from her. Her decision is she will stay a while longer. It is a good decision; I can understand to live at least a year or maybe two years before a move. Life is familiar and comfortable with many friends who look over her and other families are there in San Antonio for her. The children telephone and keep in touch often showing their love for their mother. Life is simple that way.
Friendships Our Treasures
“A Bridge over Troubled Waters” a title of a song; I want lyrics so I find them on the internet.
The lyrics express and speak to me to draw near to God. I treasure the memoirs of my past; it hastens me to seek out those whom Tommy and I have known. Families and friends are our treasures of life especially in times of troubles; I believe such can only be met with love deep within for our creator.
Life must go on for us who have experienced losing a mate and yet in dept of grief pain a question comes. How Can I “Let Go and Let God?”
The song reads “When you’re weary, feeling small, When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all, I’m on your side, when times get rough, And friends are not around, “Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down etc.
This song causes me to seek God for then another song comes to mind. “My Cup Runneth Over”. I had sixty years of a good marriage to my sweetheart for his lifetime. My cup runneth over with love…….etc”
My girl friends and I shared this in our conversations while visiting together.
Trauma in Mathis
I have our Sunday night supper meal in the pot, soup when I hear the telephone ring. It is Fritzie!
She begins to say. Her voice made my heart begin leaping for her condition; she has had a fall at the service station and wants me to know that she will be late arriving. Tells me that she is all right but needs stitches, has bump on her head and some scratches. Repeats to me saying “I am all right” though.” She continues telling me, “The EMS will be coming to help me and to stop the bleeding of the gash opened on my hand.”
My thoughts follow I must go assist her now. I ask for her cell number and where can I come to you? Stopped for gas at Valero Service Station on I-37, she is at Mathis exit; I assume she will be in Mathis hospital emergency treatment there. “No” is the answer but I must have the stitches in Corpus Christi tonight.
Reached by phone, my son; Trey is at my side to support his mother’s needs.
Brenda calls the Minor Emergency Clinics searching for where to take my friend. Corpus Area is selected because it is open.
Trey and I found her sitting in her white beautiful late model Chrysler car she had described. We need to turn about to reach her in the Valero station on west side of I-37; we will head toward south to Corpus Christi.
I begin by telling her that “I can drive your car.” “We will be going into our city and to an Emergency room for the stitches there before we go to my house tonight.”
The EMS vehicle had come and left her reminding that she is not to drive but she must get the required sutures closing the gash tonight. Fritzie agreed to their request before the men left.
A Son Calms Mother
One mother values a son who calms his mother to assist her friend he has never met. Fritzie and I greet each other with hugs and brightest of smiles to express ourselves having an opportunity for this visit. Our friendship showed to be sound as though we had not been apart for years. We talked with laughter in host of ways as we were in our younger days seeing each other often sometimes daily.
Corpus Area Emergency
As we are waiting in no real pain knowing Fritzie did not require anymore than getting seven sutures to close the opened nasty looking cut laying the skin back from the pinky finger to the next one. The muscles and ligaments were not of concern and confirmed by ex-rays taken and reported finally by Doctor “Pride.” I am not sure of his name but the arrogance mannerism demonstrated the name fit.
With little to none the attendants left us after taking us into a room; passing by not even checking with her, we wait to hear someone say “you are next”.
I must say I did loose my temper at this lack of concern for my friend and me; and I told him in a strong noisy way “eighty year old ladies were not happy to be driving a long way home at 2 AM.”
It had been since 7:30 PM that we arrived to hurry up and wait. The intake recorded time of arrival to be 8:30 PM so we wait until 2:00 AM to be dismissed. This hospital is staff of one specialist trained to work Emergency room; everyone else is his assistant. It appeared that there just was not any excuse for the treatment delay.
Four O’clock in the Morning
Wide awake excited to be together at my home in Kings Crossing Homes,
To just jump into bed would be extreme in accord to this distress of shock we had both experienced….. Forgiving is our wish for the situation.
No supper for us as yet! We finally have a bowl cereal before retiring to our bedrooms with something to read and to pray to God our Father of gratefulness before settling in our beds for needed rest.
My friend likes cats and Bobbie welcomed her with rubbing about her legs; she knelt to touch our friendly cat as she does her own cat. I explain that this is Tommy’s first pet ever to have in his lap each day; stroking her to say “you are a good cat”. I added how he had loved Bobbie.
You might say “all is well, now”! Or mention, that is, except for the few tender sore fingers with stitches, a visible knot on Fritzie’s forehead turning blue and a bit swollen.
Now off to bed these senior ladies agreed it is time.
A Beautiful Day
The wind was howling on Monday the first morning of our visit. My soup would be for lunch with English muffins toasted crispy enough for enjoyment but I wished for a beautiful day without wind and corn bread.
Fritzie did not waken early so it was time that I could be outside for watering the plant Tommy loved. A Cape Hatteras Honeysuckle in a large red clay pot sits next to the brick fenced wall giving privacy from the security gates of our home. It is my secret heart’s desire; so in silent thought I ask, “When will it be in bloom?” I have a caring because my spouse would always mention to me, “look! How amazing so many red flowers! It is blooming again” my love would say.
About Town Pick Up Mail
We plan to drive about town my friend and me; our first stop is to introduce Fritzie to Franny.
I want you to meet Franny; this is my first friend I had upon our move to Corpus Christi in the year 1949. Our friendship I treasure; one of kind, we have spent many, many painting hours together and she encourages me still to paint again.
And this is Fritzie, she and I became friends in San Antonio while being a volunteer. She is staying with me to visit for a few days. We spent time daily for a while before I took a job the year I am becoming fifty years old; I worked for ten years before I retired.
Our next stop will be on Everhart Road at the Lamar Station Post Office for mail before I return to the house.
Year Nineteen Sixties on Lawnview
Upon leaving Frannys’ warm friendly hospitality is when Mitzie asked “Could I find where she and Roy their family lived in the sixties here in Corpus?”
Without much ado we found the neighborhood. It was on the cul-de-sac part of Lawnview Street ending overlooking Brawner Parkway drainage ditch. She had remembered her address correctly.
Driving very slowly we must turn around and had a good view of her previous home. Tells me of their neighbors and how her children enjoyed the ditch made for drainage. I listened as she is recalling memories with pleasures spent by the families living close neighbors on the block.
Fritzie was appreciative to me for finding the very place which allows her memoirs that she spoke of for me in delight.
In wrapping up, that is when Fritzie asked to go back to my house feeling a bit uncomfortable. She needed her medication. It is past lunch time on Monday; I drove us back immediately to respect her wish.
Just one more day!
On the last day of our visit is Tuesday, it is truly the kind of weather that makes our town known to be the sparkling city by the bay. In leisure we walked about the yard and patio for she wanted to view them. Time to sit in the beautiful sunshine without wind; so still are my tall palm tree limbs no sway to them.
I brag of this day; it is just gorgeous climate to boast about.
Thank you, God! In appreciation that Fritzie, my friend could enjoy this morning, a prayerful thought.
Stay just one more day, I plead. “Wednesday is my bible study group; they come to my home each week” is her reply. I understand that she must leave.
I had a telephone call after Fritzie had needed rest from the trip. This call was to let me know that she arrived home without a stop for gasoline as when she traveled Sunday to see me.
This ended in laughter of intended references of the trauma experienced. I comment “how could we ever forget this visit?”
At my friend’s leaving I am saddened to let her go this is Tuesday. I understood while she is tempting me by saying “you must come to the “Alamo City” for a visit in the near future.
My reply “I will come to see you.” Good bye now to you my unforgettable friend! Stating I love you too!
Shout in Prayer “No, more traumas”. Amen
