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Dear Daddy: I Am Having Fun, But I Miss You! (Rebekkah Rachel Writes...) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Rated "G" by the Author.
My take on Michelle Kidwell's character, Rebekkah Rachel Cohen. (She is in Tennessee, and she is missing her daddy; so she writes him a letter.)
Saturday, April 15, 2006, earrrrrrrrly in the morning (can't sleep!)~
Dear Daddy~
I am here in Tennesee, with mamma, and I am sure you are missing me. I know I am, hence this letter to you!
Mamma is doing fine, so don't you worry. I am too, and I am having a ball! We have already visited Louisiana's church (several times); they are having their Easter Cantata, and it is absolutely aMAZing! Her church is very big: there are over 500 members in her church, but yet they all treat you like family, and they made us feel very welcome!
We went to a concert already: the day we got there, Ms. Sandusky ordered pizza, and we went to her church to see this group, the McGruders, from Missouri. I don't know if you have heard of them, but they were very enjoyable! I got to meet them, get their autographs, and everything! I was one excited young lady! *giggle*
Daddy, you should see Ms. Sandusky's family! It is HUGE! The biggest family I have ever seen besides Kendra's! LOL Johnny is so cute; he is cuter in person than in pictures! Yet, on the other hand, I feel so sorry for him: I see the struggles he has to face every day, and it makes me want to cry. I wish there was something that could be done to help him!
As an example, Johnny can't turn over by himself when he is in bed, so his mamma or one of his brothers has to get out of bed and turn him every few hours or else he could get sores on him, and that would not be good. He has to be fed because his arms are too weak for him to do it himself, and at night, he has to wear a breathing machine so he doesn't have problems. (During the day he wears oxygen.) In addition, he has to be suctioned every so often, and that is not fun for him (OR for me).
His sister, Ronee', is a love: I remember her from last year, and she is getting so big! She looks like a young teenager now and less like a kid (she is still short though), and she has such a bubbly personality!
Ronee' was on crutches last year, but now she is walking on just two canes, according to her mamma. She is now using her wheelchair because she hurt her shoulder last week, and she is feeling better. She should get that sling off her arm by sometime next week. (She can't walk with just one cane because her legs are so bad; this is why she uses the chair now until her shoulder heals.)
Ronee' and Johnny's daddy, Bill, is like you in a lot of ways; he is smart, funny, and an all-around great guy. He is very, very tall (he reminds me a lot of one of thoee basketball players!), not to mention, very skinny. He is very deep in his Christian faith, and he always has a good word for everyone he meets. I really like Mr. Sandusky!
Has the weather gotten any better there? I hated the rain; I hope it gets sunny there SOON or else we will turn into ducks! LOL The weather here in Tennesssee is beautiful: warm and sunny. It is nice to be able to go outside instead of being stuck indoors all the time on account of all the stupid rain! GRR! LOL
Tonight we are going to the Grand Ole Opry. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself! You know that mamma and I love country music, and now we get to see the place where country music is KING! I hope we see Reba (or even Loretta Lynn) there; that'd be AWESOME!! I will have to tell you all about it when we get home! (I will be taking lots of pictures; I have my camera with me; so expect a lot of pictures from me!! :) )
Well, I hear Jodie, so I am going to get off here now. Bye! Love you, daddy, miss you bunches!!
Yeshua bless!
(((HUGS))) Your loving daughter, Rebekkah Rachel. :)
Later (it's now 7:30 a.m. here)~
Hi, Daddy~
It's me. Your baby girl (although I am not so much of a baby; I AM going to be thirteen soon, after all!)!
Nashville is so beautiful: it is huge, but it still holds a certain charm about it, and the people I have met are among the friendliest. We will see places like Music Row, the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Wild Horse Saloon, the Parthenon, the Tennessee State Capitol Bulding, and of course, the world-famous Grand Ole Opry (that one is tonight! WHEEE!!). You would love it here: mamma and I have already fallen in love with Nashville! :)
The family is now up and running, and it is CRAZY 'round here! Yet Ms. and Mr. Sandusky keep a tight rein on their kids, and they listen very well. It is kinda' nice to see; it reminds me of being around Kendra's family. Speaking of Kendra, how is she doing? Tell her I say hi and that I miss her blueberry muffin pancakes! LOL YUMMMMY! :)
I just had breakfast. I had Apple Jacks with milk, a glass of orange juice, some eggs done sunny side up, two pieces of toast, and some home-made hash browns. There were grits, but I couldn't get past how they looked. YUCK! I don't know how people can eat that stuff; that stuff is NASTY!!
Oh, YUCK. Jodie just threw up. GROSS! Yet Ms. Sandusky didn't seem fazed: she just cleaned up the mess and is now talking to Jodie in soothing tones. She says that this is normal, this happens at least several times a week. She says Jodie has a sensitive stomach, and certain things will set her off. I would hate to live like that!
I feel sorry for poor Jodie. She is fourteen now, but she is more like a baby. She has cerebral palsy and can't walk or sit up without help. She has to be fed by a tube in her belly, which is kind of interesting. All Ms. Sandusky does is put this pencil like tube to the feeding tube in her stomach, then pours this stuff into the tube, where it then goes directly into her stomach. It takes about an hour to feed her. Or she will hook an I.V. bag and tubing to the tube and she will put the stuff in the bag and hang it up on a pole and do it that way. It takes about an hour, and then in an hour's time, Jodie has eaten.
In addition, Jodie wears diapers like a baby. She can't even go to the bathroom without help. That must be so hard living like that! (She CAN talk a little, but not much, yet she is always laughing. You can very easily tell how Jodie is feeling just by her face or her sounds.) She is a cool kid; I really like her, but as I said, I feel sorry for her because she needs so much help!
Well, Daddy, I am going to go now. I will write again soon, and I will tell you all about the Cantata, the Grand Ole Opry, and everything! So you will be hearing from me again soon!
Take care, Daddy, and don't let the house get away! (That's a joke that Johnny taught me. I thought it was funny! *grins*) Have a happy Easter, and Yeshua bless!
Such energy and enthusiasm here, Karen!! Can quite get into this voice as that of a doting Daddy's girl who is the beautiful product of sound and loving parenting; someone who appreciates both the beauty and pain of the lives of those around her. Lovely write and thoroughly convincing. You do the "voice" of young people so very, very well. Wonderful character portrait. TY and Easter blessings by the bunch!! TY Kate xx
Karen
Rebekkah is getting her eyes opened to the infirmities and crosses other people have to bear in life, especially poor Johnny and Ronee, that can only be good for her own developement and perspectives....:)
You can have such a rip snorting time at the Grand Ole Opry, I love country and hillbilly music, give me Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves any time !
Love and Blessings
Peter
