{"id":49,"date":"2024-07-06T15:05:33","date_gmt":"2024-07-06T15:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/?p=49"},"modified":"2024-07-14T14:18:05","modified_gmt":"2024-07-14T14:18:05","slug":"ymca-a-sign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/?p=49","title":{"rendered":"YMCA: Beyond the Veil"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As the leaves manifest their orange hues, I am happy, yet tears gush, showing no mercy. Seven months ago, we spent three days side by side holding hands, swaying in a hug, you slipping away while I clung to your presence. Little did I know that my clinging only heightened the hurdles in your journey. Had I known then, I would certainly have tried to release you as you drifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pestered before you left, \u201cIf you leave before me, give me a sign that you are near and if I go first, I\u2019ll give you a sign as well.\u201d I waited for his punchline–always first came Armindo\u2019s punch line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A grin beneath a tight lip surfaced. \u201cWhat makes you think I want to know when you are around?\u201d We laughed as always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One day, seated on a soft footstool before him, rubbing essential oils on his calves, soothing as much as able, I again asked, not expecting his response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know, that group that sings\u2026\u201d struggling with a method to explain. I soon realized and with arms flailing over my head, then fingers touching in front of me to signify the M, then off to the side loosely to create a poor excuse for a C\u2026. I said, \u201cYMCA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laughter dimmed his pain for the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I listened for our song. Who chooses YMCA for their love song?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That day, suppertime tugged you deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That evening, connecting with the words of the nurse who attended as you passed, I used the adrenaline of which she spoke. I flicked on the radio, scrubbed the areas of the house that screamed for a cleaning. I laughed, I cried, I scrubbed. The music swayed me. I am grateful to that nurse. I know that the following day that energy would not have been there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I felt at peace knowing your journey entailed swiftness forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How could it not for the man whose purpose in life led him to make others laugh? Rarely did he pass a person without engaging in conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shall work to live up to your example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I felt loved that evening when one of our group\u2019s songs on the radio filled me with laughter mixed with tears; In the navy, sang the group that also sings, YMCA. \u201cYou made it, my dear!\u201d I exclaimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometime later as I settled to write monotonous, repetitious forms, the second line I heard as I turned on the radio, No man can do it all on his own. I say\u2026 YMCA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour sister can do this!\u201d Half astounded, half foreseeing, I hugged my shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I left the forms for Armindo\u2019s sister and she wrote as I completed other work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even from the other side, you are still telling me what to do. You keep me laughing still like every session that spiritually, emotionally enhanced and enchanted us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memoir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First published by: DarkWinter Literary Magazine<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DarkWinter Literary Magazine is an independent publication from Ontario, Canada which focuses on short fiction and poetry. We publish new work every week from emerging and established authors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a9 2024 – DarkWinter Literary Magazine<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1st published by DarkWinter Literary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":55,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-memoir"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=49"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions\/74"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/55"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=49"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=49"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersofbrant.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=49"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}