Ruby Long has Died

Ruby Long died yesterday. I meant to call her; I meant to visit her. She's been at the Senior Home for almost a year now, and every time I drove past her house, the one she lived in forever before the Senior Home, I would have a pinprick in my conscience: "You need to go see Ruby Long." But, before I was even a block away, it was gone, and I did not think of it again until I went that way again.

Ruby Long died yesterday. Her name appeared in our bulletin every week, either in the main prayer list, or on the "And also remember" list. I really meant to call her. I meant to go see her.

Now it's too late.

Little One and I knew Ruby -- and her husband, Locke -- even before DH began coming to church with us. They were an older couple, and like lots of couples, she was outgoing and somewhat bossy with him, and he was quiet and made kind little gestures.

He carried Ovation chocolate sticks in his suit coat and gave them to all the kids he saw, even big ones like me. He had little to say, but when asked a question, his answers were thoughtful and insightful. Sometimes when he offered one to Little One (she was 3 or 4 at the time), he would teasingly pull back on it just a bit as if he had changed his mind. Ruby swatted him on the arm and told him not to tease. But he was just teasing.

When he died a few years back, the ushers handed out Ovation sticks at the funeral.

Ruby got the shingles a couple of years ago and it was the beginning of her downfall. Little One and I made her some bread and took it to her, but she did not feel like a visit. After the shingles, she suffered one thing after another until finally she was moved from the hospital to the Senior Home and now, she's gone.

She told her doctor one time that she would wait in her car to be called for her appointment because, "all these old people in your waiting room are so depressing." She was about 78 or so at the time.

She always wore bright colors because she didn't want to look "old and half-dead."

Little One's younger sister, Precious, stayed with us for about a year, and she loved Ruby Long. We oftentimes ran into her at the grocery store and Precious would run full-bore and throw her arms around Ruby Long's hips in a big hug. She would look up at Ruby Long, her face beaming. Ruby Long's face beamed back at her and she hugged her back, good and hard.

Ruby Long died yesterday. I meant to call her. I meant to go visit her.

And now she's gone.