“Hey lazy, get up, the day is half gone.  We have a lot to do today.  Maggie yelled from the deck outside their room. The sun is blazing and I hear the seagulls yelling…come on, what are you waiting for, let’s have some fun.”

 “OK replied Sophie from her bed. I’m moving, just give me a few minutes. The gulls will wait on us.

    Maggie turned and looked at her sister. Compassion rose up in her and she wanted to go and help her get up, but she had to let Sophie do it on her own.  The years had taken a toll on her. She was tiny anyway but thirty- three years of illness had begun to show. No one had to see her feebleness though. They were on vacation. This was a special time for Maggie and her sister. She had seen what this long-term disease had done to Sophie.  All of Maggie’s savings went into this trip, but it would all be worth it. She didn’t know how much longer Sophie could cope with this debilitating nuisance that had pulled her down year-by-year, and she honestly didn’t know how much longer the family could stand to see her in distress.

 

1953

 

The doctor had said to Marta, Maggie and Sophie’s mother that he believed the severe disease had been brought on by extreme trauma. Sophie was only three and it was highly unusual for a child that young to contract diabetes, especially Diabetes Mellitus, a strong form of juvenile diabetes.

    Maggie was very young, just six, but she remembered the horrible incident as though it were yesterday. The old Plymouth had four doors and it was so much fun to sit on the floorboard and play as the family went to the grocery store. The little store was between two small towns and her mom and dad had credit there.  They always paid once a month. It was a special time, because Maggie and her sister would get candy from the big jar that sat on the counter.

The old store had wood floors and a deli case with pig’s feet on display.  Maggie would laugh and ask Mr. Greenwood why he had pig’s feet in his case.

 “Who could want pig’s feet, she said.  Not me”

    The road was narrow and it always seemed like they were traveling very fast but in all reality Charlie never drove more than about forty miles an hour.  Every bump that Charlie hit was magnified sitting on the floorboard, but the girls didn’t mind. 

“Hey girls, could you hold it down back there?  Your singing is lovely, but your mom and me can’t hear ourselves talk up here.  Where are you anyway?” Charlie yelled toward the back seat.

 “Down here, daddy.” Replied Maggie.

Sophie was leaning against the door with here feet propped against the hump in the middle. 

    Time seemed to slow down, but at the same time it happened so quickly. The old Plymouth hit a bump in the road and the door Sophie was leaning against flew open and she flew out.

 “DADDY!!! Maggie screamed.  STOP!!! Sophie fell out!!!” The car came to an abrupt halt as the breaks squealed. Charlie jumped out of the car with Marta following right behind him.  Maggie stayed in the car, afraid to look out the window.  As she raised her head so that she could see out, she saw her mom and dad running down a rocky embankment where there was a small creek at the bottom. She could not see Sophie. She had disappeared. She became very afraid and she began to cry uncontrollably. It seemed like forever before she caught a glimpse of her mom and dad. Her dad had Sophie in his arms and she wasn’t moving. Maggie thought she was dead.  Fear captured her as she watched Charlie and Marta make their way up the hill.

“It’s alright, Maggie, Sophie will be OK.  We must get her to a doctor. Don’t worry.”  Assured Marta.

“Oh, mommy, she’s not dead, is she?” cried Maggie.  “No, Maggie, she’s just sleeping.” Said Charlie.  Maggie found it hard to draw any comfort from her father’s statement because there was blood streaming from Sophie’s head.  What would she do without her little sister, thought Maggie?  Surely the doctor could make everything all right.

    It was very hard to sit still at the hospital. The nurse at the desk was nice to her but she was lonely and afraid sitting and waiting for her mom and dad to come out of that little room.  What could they be doing to Sophie?  It had been so long.  Finally after what seemed to be hours, Charlie and Marta came out with Sophie.  She looked very strange and was very pale.  Part of her hair was missing where they had shaved her head to get the clamps in.  Sophie had a skull fracture.  Marta told her Sophie had broken her head but the doctor had put it back together. 

“Are you Ok, Sophie?” Asked Maggie.  “My head hurts a little.” Murmured Sophie.

    Maggie was like a mother hen to her for weeks after the accident. Making sure she didn’t play too hard or too long. She would sit with her at night coloring with her until she fell asleep. She was so afraid that Sophie would die after she went to sleep. She couldn’t imagine life without Sophie.  Each night she prayed to God that He would not let her die.

    One night as Maggie woke in the night she looked in Sophie’s bed to check on her and see if she was still breathing and gasped when she saw that she was not in her bed. Sophie was a sound sleeper and did not usually get up in the night.  She checked every room in the house and as she was about to go into her parent’s room in a panic, she heard a noise on the back porch.  She flipped on the outside light and saw her sister sitting propped up against the post. She appeared to be asleep.

 “Sophie, what are you doing out here?” she asked as she helped her up.  “I don’t know.” She said.  Sophie had not walked in her sleep before the accident, but this was one of many things she did that she had not done before.