This is a picture of my friend, Wayne. He has been Rocky's and my friend for the past decade when he first attended a Tellabration! late in the '90's and then joined the Beaver Creek Storytellers. Rocky and I mentored him, but he is a naturally-talented storyteller. Shortly after, he attended a workshop in Bristol led by Gay Ducey. She was quite impressed with him, and encouraged me to keep encouraging him.
Wayne crept into all members' hearts as he began to perform with BCS. For Rocky and me he became our trusted house and dog sitter when we traveled. He also helped us with yardwork, mowing the sides of our long lane, blowing off leaves, running the pressure washer, and planting bulbs etc. as we grew less able to do those things. Every tulip I now have was planted by Wayne who had never before, in all his life, planted tulips!
Tulips 2007
But bad luck seemed to follow him, especially in his employment and health. He had several jobs that ended in lay-offs or company failure, but he finally settled into a low-paying job in the warehouse of a Christian publishing company in Johnson City. Then his health began to deteriorate once he developed adult diabetes and some other problems.
A couple years ago, Wayne fell on his apartment house stairs and broke his ankle. He did not stay off it as he was told to do because if he didn't work, he didn't get paid and he needed the pay. The pain meds the doctor prescribed interfered with his clarity of thought and judgment, he neglected himself, and his wound became infected. He was hospitalized, but the wound continued to worsen and he ended up having his left leg amputated.
Wayne in 2008-9?
I encouraged him to apply for social security disability but, in his late '50's, he wanted to work and went back to the warehouse as soon as he could talk a doctor into letting him. His workplace gave him a scooter to ride, but his health just kept getting worse. Finally, last winter I knew he had been hospitalized again and could no longer work, but by Spring I couldn't find him in any of the hospitals or rehab centers to let him know Rocky was in serious condition.
A few days after Rocky died, Wayne's son brought him to Castle Yonder; Wayne had been living with them for a short while. His daughter-in-law understood the health and social security system and had located a HUD apartment that was only 3 miles away from our house. Wayne had not been able to say "goodbye" to Rocky which bothered him a great deal.
Since that time, Wayne has continued to be hospitalized off and on usually due to medication problems. He has been in rehab centers and nursing homes. But last month he was released back "home" to his apartment. I have discovered that I feel so much better if I am helping him out in some way. I have provided transportation for him, helped him shop for a car, taken him to the grocery store, shared groceries and meals with him. So many angels showed up during Rocky's ordeal to help us that now it feels good to be in the "angel" role, which is what Wayne calls me.
Last week, Wayne was notified that his furniture that had been stored in a truck that belonged to his former work place 30 miles away had to be removed because the truck was to be sold. He was given last weekend to get it out. There was no way Wayne could do it, even with the help of his son over the weekend. I have a truck but it would have taken more than a few trips to Elizabethton and Wayne had access to no other labor.
So, Mimi came to the rescue. I paid for a U-Haul (Wayne hasn't been approved for SSI yet) and we drove it to the former workplace. Yes, Wayne can drive just fine even with an artificial leg. We lucked out and two of their employees unloaded the furniture from their truck and loaded it back into the U-Haul. Then the company was kind enough to let those two guys follow us back to Bristol where they unloaded some things at Wayne's, then brought the rest to Castle Yonder where my garden house and basement have become depositories.
It is fine furniture, Thomasville and Bassett. The above photo is of a cherry sofa table, solid wood, reproduction Federal style, that Wayne gave me to reimburse me for my expense. He once worked for Thomasville in Johnson City and when they closed their business there, Wayne accepted his pay in furniture which he needed at that time. Unfortunately, a few pieces were damaged from being stored haphazardly in a truck-type van, which took away some of the joy of recovering it . But he'll get over it--with a little help from his friends and the angels in his life.
Wayne, on right; Pastor Robt. Rainwater on left.
