Jaguar Print Pants

A woman I knew died this morning. I have known her for thirty years. She had a unique communication style and she always seemed a little confused. She would repeat her stories and ask the same questions over again. Other people were highly annoyed by her but since she reminded me of my Aunt Geneva, I cut her slack. I would listen to her stories with patience.  I would answer the same question.  Sometimes I would throw in a compliment or a joke to change the pattern of her thinking and that was helpful.  She was a snappy dresser. Not everyone can wear jaguar print pants like she could. One day she needed a ride. I went to her house to pick her up.  By then she was using a cane.  I knocked on her door. She allowed me to come in and wait while she looked for her socks, shoes and purse. The house was cluttered.  A sign reading Uff Da! was hung on the wall above the couch. Norwegian style art covered the walls. Lace doilies or antimacassars were on the back of every chair.  When she was ready I helped her down the steps and into the car. Several inches of snow had fallen that morning.  Her street was plowed but the driveway was not.  I had to barrel through the snow bank to get in.  I wasn't sure I could get out again.  The street she lived on was busy.  Cars went by at 35 miles per hour.  I know I had to take a run at that snow bank to avoid getting stuck but that meant I couldn't really see if any cars were coming.  As I backed up I hesitated.  Then I said, "Hang on now, we're going out."  She hung on and I barreled the car backwards through the snow bank and cranked the wheel to the left so we could go east.  I said, "We made it!"  She said, "Yee Haw!"  We both laughed.  I drove her to her destination.  I dropped her off at the door and let her walk inside while I parked the car.  I came back and she was waiting for me with a smile on her face.  She was ever so grateful for the ride.  I will miss this woman and I am sure her family will miss her too.