Audrey opened the door and walked in with Dorothy and Maisy on her heels. “Hello dear.” They greeted each other with kisses and affectionate hugs.
Peggy put the kettle back on and waited for the water to boil once more while Audrey discussed the new memo every resident at the retirement home had recently received. “It’s absurd that they expect each resident to pay for unwanted new signage. Who in the first place asked for new signage? I have been to every homeowner’s meeting and not once did the matter get raised. I tell you Frank is going to have his say at the next meeting.” As Audrey replayed Frank’s exact words in the matter, Peggy placed her usual bowl of delicious vanilla ice-cream on the table.
The kettle whistled interrupting Audrey’s ranting, and Peggy filled the matching pink edged designed teapot with the boiling water and carried it to the table. Everything was now set on the table and ready for the four friends to enjoy their tea party. They all sat, poured and helped themselves to a cupcake, scone, cookie or ice-cream or all of the four delights.
Peggy listened to her friend's chatter as they caught up on each other’s day to day business. Not that there was much to catch up on, they lived so nearby if anything happened they knew about it immediately. Or so they liked to believe.
Dorothy popped a bite of her chocolate cupcake into her mouth, and while she chewed savoring the sweet, creamy chocolate flavor, she queried Peggy. “So what is news with you Pegs, you’re very quiet.”
Peggy examined her friends closely and nervously; she quickly wondered if they were ready for her news. She sighed knowing it was now or never for its deliverance. “Do you remember when I was so ill not too long ago?” Her eyes questioned her friends’ memories. She knitted her hands together on her lap anxiously waiting for their response. Her heart pounded like feet stomping on the ground.
Slowly they all nodded, their eyes grew a little wider as they wondered where Peggy’s question was leading. “Yes, why do you ask?” Dorothy asked gradually setting her cake fork down on the table, forgetting the next bite.
Peggy for second silently prayed, “Lord, help me please.” “Well remember the doctors were convinced I had pneumonia and battled to get it under control, and I am still not recovered from it properly?” Peggy looked at their confused faces again waiting for their acknowledgment.
“Peggy, what is going on, you know that we remember all this?” Dorothy said concerned.
Peggy shuffled in her seat, took a sip of her tea to ease the nervous dryness in her throat. “Well, they have finally found out what it is.” She took another sip of tea quickly. Dorothy was just about to reprimand her when she continued. “It is not pneumonia, it never was. I have lung cancer, here is the official name.” She gave them a piece of paper with the word ‘Adenocarcinomas’ written on it.
Audrey, Dorothy, and Maisy were deadly silent and glared at the piece of paper with the word that to them might easily have been a swear word. The word rolled around like a worried stone in their mouths.
They spelled the word out formulating the pronunciation around their tongues. “What does this word mean?” Audrey asked.
“How do you even pronounce it?” Maisy asked.
“It is cancer. Cancer cells were found in the tissue lining my lungs; this is why it was originally suspected I had pneumonia.”
Audrey, Dorothy, and Maisy looked at Peggy astonished and did not know how to take her news.
Peggy, why did you not tell us?” Audrey asked, her voice shaking.
“I had to know for sure.”
“When did you find out?” Dorothy said putting her hands over her teacup as if it to shut out Peggy’s devastating news and whatever she had to tell them next.
“Two days ago. I know you’re going to be annoyed I did not tell you immediately, but I needed to sort through the facts.” Peggy knew what the next question would be; she did not want her friends to agonize over the answer. She straightened her shoulders and enlightened them to her fate. “I will be going to Harvey soon.” Tears dripped over her eyelids. Audrey and Dorothy gasped horrified, and Maisy stuffed her mouth full of cookies. “Maisy don’t you dare put another cookie in your mouth.” Peggy realized that neither she, Audrey or Dorothy had the strength to perform the Heimlich maneuver on Maisy should she choke. Maisy had gotten rather large and rounded over the years.
Audrey and Dorothy still in shock turned their focus on Maisy. Her mouth swollen with un-chewed cookies, she looked at them and slowly started spitting the cookies out of her mouth onto her plate. But not only did the cookies fall out of her mouth; her bottom plate of dentures clanked onto the plate in the middle between all the soggy cookies.
Peggy, Audrey, and Dorothy all burst out into raptures of laughter. Maisy’s face was as bright as a tomato; she fumbled hastily to put her denture plate back in her mouth. They laughed so much their tummies ached; they laughed until they cried. And then they cried with the misery that their beloved Peggy was soon to be going to meet her Savior and her darling Harvey.
“Oh, Peggy, why didn’t you tell us that you never recovered? Why did you keep it from us of all people? We have been through an entire life together; we are stuck together like glue us four.” Audrey shook her head picking up her napkin and wiping her wet face.
Peggy too, as did Dorothy and Maisy, picked up their napkins and wiped their tearful wet faces. “I want my last days to be happy. Anyhow, you have to rejoice and be glad for me.” Peggy’s lips quivered she knew she was speaking as much to herself as she was to her friends.
“Are you going to a hospice or hospital?” Maisy’s voice was so downcast they barely heard her.
“I’m employing a live-in caregiver as soon as I feel it will be necessary. The arrangements have already been made. I have enlightened her about our relationship, and you are never to be denied entry or visits at any time for whatever reason.” Peggy tried to smile, but she tried in vain.
Audrey, Dorothy, and Maisy had no words they reached out and embraced Peggy with every inch of love in their hearts and sobbed bitterly for their precious friend.
“What about treatment, you know chemo and who knows what else they can do these days?” Audrey suddenly sounded a little hopeful, but Peggy dashed those hopes very quickly.
“No. I want to go. I don’t want to prolong the inevitable with horrible treatment that’s regardlessly going to make me feel worse than better.”
“Oh, Peggy darling, is there nothing to be done?” Maisy cried.
“Darlings, I love you all so much, you know how much I love you. But I want to go. I want to go to be with Jesus, and I want to be joined once more with my Harvey even if it is in spirit.”