So yesterday we made the trek to Richmond to see Weston's family at the hospital. I had decided not to try and see Weston himself, it would accomplish nothing, I will see him when he is able to talk.
For those of you who have never experienced it, which I pretty sure is everyone, the ride from my house to Richmond is the longest three hour of your life, down Rt. 58 to South Boston, then Rt 360, forever, on the dullest road in the commonwealth. Thru towns like Jennings Ordinary, Skinquarter, Burkeville, Snore......
As we neared Richmond I noticed the car ahead of me was that of a local judge back home, I made sure to wave as I passed. I suppose he was headed to a ball game. The I noticed the stoplights were dark. Up ahead a wreck had the traffic diverted Thur this neighborhood, which slowed us even more. Down Hull Street, past the boarded up buildings and Sista Girlz Beauty supply and Hair Braiding, across the Mayo Bridge, across the James River and thru the flood walls into the capital.
Everyone needs to spend 15 minutes of their life in downtown Richmond. You will thin you are in a European seaport town if you concentrate. I was glad it was Saturday and the traffic not bad. Still, the parking was way on the back side of the moon, past the Confederate White House and Museum which is surrounded by the Medical College of Virginia. I found Weston's dad outside the McDonalds yakking on his cell phone, patiently as the dead sea bringing someone up to date on his sons condition. Inside I saw his Mom and went in to say hello.
I had not seen her in 10 years. When Westons parents divorced I tried to not take sides, but sides sometimes have a way of taking you. I hugged her mightily, this woman who now teaches at the college Annie Proulx dropped out of. There was her sister, who in college was a LUG. Their mother, a woman whose fireplace I once got sick in, I made sure to kiss her on the hand. She is a good person and didn;t deserve that.
Weston is now off the ventilator, but is still heavily sedated to keep him from causing himself further injury. He has 2 broken ribs, a broken facial bone around one eye socket and is missing a back molar (which was removed from his lung). The doctors were starting him on a round of antibiotics so as to ward off pneumonia before it could develop, they were told that was to be expected. The women all had to run but we gave Weston's dad, Marty and his other son Ben and Ben's girlfriend a ride back to the apartment, sight of the accident, where they are staying. On the way we encountered some very well dress members of the Nation of Islam, who upon selling us one of their newspapers, promised they would pray for Weston's recover.
Now you know thats gonna be something when he wakes up and find out they have been staying there. He is gone be like OMG! The brothers girlfriend had cleaned it up for them.
Marty showed us where he fell, photo attached. I do not know how he is alive, let alone not paralyzed. From what we were told he was on the roof at 2:30 am playing bongos and the neighbor called the police. When they arrived he tried to scurry down and missed the ladder, somehow missed the deck, may have tried to grab onto it and landed on the asphalt on his face. We could still see his blood on the pavement.
While hanging out we were joined by our old buddy Gene, who I had not seen in 7 years. He was forlorn, as usual. Bless his heart he has the worst luck with relationship of any human being I have ever seen. He once live with a woman 3 years and they got married and she left him 9 months later. I wish I had been clued into this last trainwreck because I never now what the hell to ask him.
We waled around the neighborhood for awhile, taking in the park, the theater formerly known as the Mosque, done up in art deco opulence from the 1920s. Catching up, telling stories on one another, gossiping which college professor in his 60s just impregnated his girlfriend. Remembering our own medical disasters, remembering Weston when he was a little boy, his fair complexion causing his strength to be sapped by the sun, and his Dad carring him home thru the fields, followed by a black three legged dog.
I am so glad he is going to be alright.
Topic: Shakesthegrounds Rumblings (Read 2680782 times)