Teddy
R. used to come to the AIDS ward with Teddy bears he’d made for the patients. They all had sweet smiling faces with arms and legs that moved.
When R. became ill and was admitted to the ward, a previous patient came to return one of his Teddy bears to him. After several days R. died and the attendant from the morgue took him away.
As his room was being prepared for the next admittance, his underwear and toothbrush and socks were thrown away. When I saw, sitting on top of the trashcan, his Teddy bear smiling at me, I couldn’t leave him there.
I brought him home.
He sits here, still smiling, watching as I write about R. and all the others.
Some might say, “awww, a touching ‘relic’ from the past…” while empaths say, “a beautiful memory from yesterday that connects us today to the people and events of ‘ago’…” - and, we all remember! Thank you dear Ed…
Poignant and heartbreaking. I’m so glad you rescued Teddy!