okay?”
“Uh-huh.”
“No. Something is not right.”
“Oh, Ave.” Iva Lou exhales deeply and buries her hands in her jeans pockets.
Immediately I think of Iva Lou’s husband. “What is it? Lyle?”
“No, no. He’s okay. It’s me, hon, and it’s probably nothing.”
“What, then?”
“You know how I’ve been draggin’. Not myself.”
“So you went to the doctor. And you did your tests, right?”
“Yeah.” Iva Lou takes a deep breath. “They found something.”
“What did they find? And where?” I know in moments like these, it’s best to collect the facts and not show any panic. Iva Lou needs reassuring; her eyes are filling with tears.
“On my breast. A lump. It’s about the size of a pea. But it was hard, so they did a biopsy.”
“Okay. What did it show?” I know all about this stuff, as I went through it with Mama.
“It was malignant.”
“God.”
“Malignant. Can you imagine?” Iva Lou taps her foot.
“First of all, don’t panic.”
“That’s what my doctor said.”
“They can get you better.”
“He said that too. I went to that new wing at Holston Valley. They have a comprehensive breast center. They’re very up-to-date over there, so if anybody can help me, they can.”
“What’s the next step?”
“They told me they caught it early, but I still have to move quickly.”
“That’s good news.” By the time they found my mother’s breast cancer, it was too late. It’s as if Iva Lou reads my mind.
“I been thinkin’ about your mama a lot.”
“Yeah, but that was a long time ago, Iva Lou. And Mama didn’t want to be aggressive in her treatment. She didn’t want chemotherapy or any of that. She felt it best to let nature take its course, and that was a huge mistake. There was so much they could’ve done, and she might still be here if she had listened to the doctors.”
“Well, I’m determined not to die.”
“Good.”
“I mean, I feel fine otherwise. I’m just so ding-dang tarred all the time. It just drains you, and maybe it’s the mental part of it, but I ain’t myself. I git home around seven, and I’m in bed by eight. It’s crazy. I’ve always been a night owl, and now I’m acting like a shut-in senior citizen. That ain’t like me!”
“It sure isn’t.” I put my arm around my old friend. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
“I know you will. Now, tell me about that Radio City. Did you get me an application to be a Rockette like I asked ya?”
I don’t answer her. After all, what is a trip compared to what she’s going through? We stand there a long time and finally look up and realize that all the other passengers have left. We’re alone, and my luggage is circling around the carousel waiting for me to claim it.
“Let’s go home,” I tell Iva Lou.
Iva Lou and I ride most of the way home talking gossip and funny stories. Iva Lou isn’t one to dwell on her problems, so we make light of things. I give her a big hug and tell her everything is going to be fine as she lets me out in front of my house. She’s anxious to get home to Lyle, and I’m happy to be back in Cracker’s Neck, surrounded by these old mountains, whose every ridge I know and every path I’ve followed. It’s so peaceful here, I think as I stand on the front steps and look out over the dark field that leads to the lower road into town. New York is magical, but I missed the sound of the wind and the low rustle it makes through the trees before the leaves fall.
“Hello, beautiful,” my husband says to me as I drop my bags in the front hall.
“I’m going away more often,” I tell Jack as he takes me in his arms and kisses me.
“Nope. Not without me. I wanted to fetch you, but Iva Lou insisted—”
“No problem.” Iva Lou asked me to keep her problems confidential, and though I’d like to tell Jack, I’ll keep my word.
“Where’s Etta?”
“Upstairs. She has a slumber party tonight.”
“That’s right. It’s Tara
“Uh-huh.”
“No. Something is not right.”
“Oh, Ave.” Iva Lou exhales deeply and buries her hands in her jeans pockets.
Immediately I think of Iva Lou’s husband. “What is it? Lyle?”
“No, no. He’s okay. It’s me, hon, and it’s probably nothing.”
“What, then?”
“You know how I’ve been draggin’. Not myself.”
“So you went to the doctor. And you did your tests, right?”
“Yeah.” Iva Lou takes a deep breath. “They found something.”
“What did they find? And where?” I know in moments like these, it’s best to collect the facts and not show any panic. Iva Lou needs reassuring; her eyes are filling with tears.
“On my breast. A lump. It’s about the size of a pea. But it was hard, so they did a biopsy.”
“Okay. What did it show?” I know all about this stuff, as I went through it with Mama.
“It was malignant.”
“God.”
“Malignant. Can you imagine?” Iva Lou taps her foot.
“First of all, don’t panic.”
“That’s what my doctor said.”
“They can get you better.”
“He said that too. I went to that new wing at Holston Valley. They have a comprehensive breast center. They’re very up-to-date over there, so if anybody can help me, they can.”
“What’s the next step?”
“They told me they caught it early, but I still have to move quickly.”
“That’s good news.” By the time they found my mother’s breast cancer, it was too late. It’s as if Iva Lou reads my mind.
“I been thinkin’ about your mama a lot.”
“Yeah, but that was a long time ago, Iva Lou. And Mama didn’t want to be aggressive in her treatment. She didn’t want chemotherapy or any of that. She felt it best to let nature take its course, and that was a huge mistake. There was so much they could’ve done, and she might still be here if she had listened to the doctors.”
“Well, I’m determined not to die.”
“Good.”
“I mean, I feel fine otherwise. I’m just so ding-dang tarred all the time. It just drains you, and maybe it’s the mental part of it, but I ain’t myself. I git home around seven, and I’m in bed by eight. It’s crazy. I’ve always been a night owl, and now I’m acting like a shut-in senior citizen. That ain’t like me!”
“It sure isn’t.” I put my arm around my old friend. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
“I know you will. Now, tell me about that Radio City. Did you get me an application to be a Rockette like I asked ya?”
I don’t answer her. After all, what is a trip compared to what she’s going through? We stand there a long time and finally look up and realize that all the other passengers have left. We’re alone, and my luggage is circling around the carousel waiting for me to claim it.
“Let’s go home,” I tell Iva Lou.
Iva Lou and I ride most of the way home talking gossip and funny stories. Iva Lou isn’t one to dwell on her problems, so we make light of things. I give her a big hug and tell her everything is going to be fine as she lets me out in front of my house. She’s anxious to get home to Lyle, and I’m happy to be back in Cracker’s Neck, surrounded by these old mountains, whose every ridge I know and every path I’ve followed. It’s so peaceful here, I think as I stand on the front steps and look out over the dark field that leads to the lower road into town. New York is magical, but I missed the sound of the wind and the low rustle it makes through the trees before the leaves fall.
“Hello, beautiful,” my husband says to me as I drop my bags in the front hall.
“I’m going away more often,” I tell Jack as he takes me in his arms and kisses me.
“Nope. Not without me. I wanted to fetch you, but Iva Lou insisted—”
“No problem.” Iva Lou asked me to keep her problems confidential, and though I’d like to tell Jack, I’ll keep my word.
“Where’s Etta?”
“Upstairs. She has a slumber party tonight.”
“That’s right. It’s Tara
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