Preparing For Bama

I couldn't tell you the last time I was in Alabama.  It's been too long and I have forgotten the sweet smells of the south.  With my dads side of the family thinning out, there are not very many family members left down there.  My wife and daughter are heading south this coming Wednesday before Thanksgiving to see my old man's sister; my Aunt Kitty.  She has to be the kindest women I have ever gotten to know.  Her and her husband Bruce have been a part of my life for as long as I've been alive.  The only thing I can remember about my last visit was the absence of my grandmother and how strange it was to be down there after she died.  This coming visit will be as strange if not worse, now that Bruce has died. 

Uncle Bruce was a man that could talk for hours on end about the most absurd shit and still leave you wanting more.  He was a hard working, self-made man with a road map of lines on his face.  His hands alone would tell you where he has been and how hard they've been worked.  As a kid I would shake his hand every chance I got.  I felt important and grown up even though his hand made mine disappear within his clasp.  To this day, every hand shake comes up short.  Every story, unimportant.  Every face not as intriguing as Bruce's.

We went shopping today to buy all the things that would prepare us for the trip.  Food and drinks for the 16 hour drive, some toys and things for my daughter.  I couldn't find anything at the store that will prepare me for the void I'll face without Bruce's hand awaiting mine.  I will instead look forward to the vise grip embrace that Kitty will give me.  If she wasn't so warm and welcoming she would draw the life out of me along with my breath every time we would hug.  This time I don't know if I will let go of her.  We would be standing in her doorway with our arms bound to each other until I had to leave if I had my way.

So, here's to Bruce!  I'm sure I will be hearing more of your stories while I am sitting on your porch, listening to birds and trees tell them for you.