Eyes of a Child-Part 3
The day Hurricane Donna blasted the Jersey Shore, a foretelling incident also hit me like a hurricane. Mom had stocked the house with canned goods and jugs of water, but forgot one item. “Nancy, I need you to run to Grant’s and get some candles.” “Now, Mommy?” I said. “Me? Go to the store?” “Yes, Nancy, while there’s a lull,” she said. “What’s a lull, Mommy?” “It means you need to hurry, Nancy.” Handing me my yellow plastic raincoat, Mom pointed to a pair of over-sized black rubber boots. “Put those on too.” Like it or not, I had to…
Eyes of a Child-Part 2
When Mom gave birth to my second brother, Billy, his face had a gaping hole where his upper lip and nostrils should have been. Not one to express emotion, Mom set about the task at hand of caring for my brother. During the first year of his life, Billy underwent several surgeries to correct his cleft palate. Yet a sweeter, happier baby did not exist. Billy brought a unique joy into our lives. My brother, of course, had no awareness of his affliction, and although he suffered obvious pain, he cooed and smiled anyway. Billy remained cheerful until that awful…
