Captivated by Mandie

Mr. Bill

Wednesday, 31 January, 2007 - 08:42PM

Mr. Bill has been a family friend for quite some time - his sister is our landlord, and he is our neighbor. Every morning for years, he and dad would go to breakfast at Biscuitville, and Bill would arrive to pick Dad up at exactly 7:35. He was a retired Marine - so late was not an option. He would spend time around the shop or garden in the summer time, helping Dad plant a seed or two, or offering advice on a mechanical problem. His little wiener dog, Molly, was a playmate of Ginger's for as long as she came around. She died two weeks ago, after being run over in the road above our house. Bill was saddened that his little shadow didn't make it all the way with him.

Mr. Bill was diagnosed with cancer last summer, and at the time it was believed that the radiation would kill it in his hip and lung. After almost beating it, a new cluster appeared in his brain. He's braved the chemo again, but in the past week, he has gone from a spry young man to completely helpless. He couldn't get out of bed, so he was taken to Hospice for around-the-clock care. Dad and I visited him this evening, and he's not looking good. His skin is hanging on his weakened body, 50 pounds lighter than this summer, and he hasn't been able to speak coherantly since he went in. He's sleeping quite a bit, mostly due to the heavy amounts of medication he's having injected into his IV. They stopped chemo when they realized it wasn't helping. But he's hanging on for now, giving his body time to regroup.

Here's praying that Mr. Bill sees another birthday or ten, or if he doesn't, that he has a peaceful journey to heaven, where Marines and Dads and Brothers and Friends can all find rest. We love you, Mr. Bill!