Graveyard Shift

I have been in this deranged society for about two months. I have been trained to do things I never thought I would ever succumb to do. These people were alone and some people may see them as insane at times but they were like any other person, and the scary thing was sooner or later that would be me. We all come to be this, and we soon come to fact that we just want it to be over with. In fact we beg for it to be over with.

I worked the grave yard shift for the past week and I think I have cried every time I leave this place for home. This job did not pay and was a volunteer position to get to a higher position with pay. I felt like the energy and soul I had before this is now crumbled and week and maybe even a coward. I do not even you could handle this job. To handle such a heart wrenching job, you have to be an angel and a gift from god.
Before I took on night shift I had worked a day shift. I met this woman that I took care of and I read to her every day and sat beside her reading her favorite book, " The treasured writings of Kahl Cibran."
I remember reading this verse that said, "This is life. Portrayed on the stage for ages; recorded earthly for centuries; Lived in strangeness for years; Sung as a hymn for days; Exalted for but an hour but the Hour is treasured by eternity by a jewel." She would say that she was that jewel and always felt like that jewel, but that her light was dimming and was ready to be a rock no longer a jewel she once was.
These days with her were loving and thoughtful as well as sad for me, but not as sad as other days. The days when I would give her a bath and she would literally force her head in the water and try to drown herself till I have to use all my strength to pull her head out as the medics give her the shots to calm her down.
Those days I would have to take at least a five minute break in the bathroom and quietly cry.
She, even with her lashing out at me somedays saying she wants me to kill her, had the hugest and strongest soul I have ever seen in anyone. She told me before she got as cripled and old as she was, she was a Phisical Education teacher and she loved to run every day. Now I have to dip her arms in legs in wax every day so that she can not feel the pain of the atheritis taking over her bones. She also had bad asthma and had trouble breathing.
One day when I was giving her new sheets for her bed and feeding her breakfast as well as reading to her, she said, "Darling, I want to give you something. You are the only person I trust here and understands me. You are also the only family I have who comes to see me, even though you are no relative, you still are family to me. I want to give you this bookmark of impressed flowers. I had this since I was a little girl and my mother gave it to me when we were in Germany before she died." A trickle of a tear arose under my lid,and I said, "Thank You."
I then in every day came to see her and read to her, even after hours when I did not have to work. She was my best friend, as I was hers.

Within a week or two, I got transfered to the graveyard shift. She was devastated that she no longer saw me during the day. I heard stories from my co-workers that she refused to be seen by anyone but me. I could not see her though at night, for all elderly needed to stay in there rooms and get there rest. I had the duty to check on them and pass through the hallways to hear if they were okay and all were sound asleep.
The womans name I took care of was Windy and she was the only one I would constantly go by her door. Within another few weeks though, Windy got ill.
Her asthma got worse and her artheritis got to be dreadful to live through. On my night shift I would sneak in her room sometimes and read to her, as she was sleeping, but as I truly knew she was not. She knew I knew she was not sleeping, it made me happy to read to her.
As time progressed she got more and more ill. Her cough was atrocious and was hard to bare. As I was walking by through the hallway one night listening to hear her cough that echoed through the hallways, my heart sank as I did not hear it for an hour or so. I panicked and started fast walking to a gradual running to her quarters. I opened the door to her room, and it felt empty and lifeless like something had left. I saw a gold chain fall over the book I read to her. The necklace was the only thing I saw that glowed in the room now. As I quickly inched near my feet stopped in intant in the creases of the floor. I saw her face with a smile that had no glow but had the most distiguished smile I had ever seen. She was clutching her book of poems that she had once written that I read to her over and over agian because she became blind after the years.
She had left and went to a place she wanted to be finally. I was sad and happy for her all at once. Tears drowned my med uniform. I had never loved anyone as much as I loved Wendy. Then I looked over to the gold chain locket neclace and there was a note beside it. I read it and it said, "Dear sweet love, I knew you would come and find me, as you are always at my door checking on me, you were a blessing from above my dear. Because of you my soul has been set free, all I needed was family, and you are it. All I needed before I was to leave was to have happiness here on earth, even for a short while, and now I am seeking happiness elsewhere. Thank you. The locket that I have left you has picture of the daughter I had lost tragically when she was four. I want you to put your picture beside hers, you are a daughter to me, and replaced what I had lost. Bless your soul and forever you will find peace. Love Windy."

Finding Peace

Never give up for angels surround,
For others in situations die without a sound,
They live there lives in grace,
Even at the last stretch of the race,
Be there for everyone and use virtue,
For that will be you someday lying in the dark dew,
let your soul be free now as you ran your last mile,
For tears came to my eyes to see you finally happy and smile.