To my BFWWW

I came across my little keepsake box not too long ago that has a few little treasures in it.  It has in it, a plug of tobacco that was found in my Big Daddy’s pocket when he died, my Mother’s “quarter” which she kept in her pocket at the nursing home, so she would always have some money, my Granny Elkins wedding band, which she always said belonged to LaRose upon her death, and a squished up Werther’s Original candy with a little note attached to it with a rubber band.  Let met tell you about that little treasure.

Somewhere around 1975, I looked out my kitchen window and saw a beautiful red headed little woman walking hand in hand with what I assumed to be her husband down the middle of our neighborhood street.  Since there were only a few houses on the street, most of them brand new, I decided they had to be the newest family that had just moved in and was eager to meet them as they appeared to be near the age of me and my husband and I had already decided I liked the looks of the red head.  If she liked the husband, then he must be ok. 

I don’t remember exactly how our actual meeting took place.  Nevertheless, a bond was formed.  We clicked.  The red head was Frankie.  The husband was Ray.  Now we had never met anyone like Frankie and Ray.  They knew how to have fun!  Turns out, they were newlyweds of sorts.  Both had been married previously.  Frankie’s youngest daughter was still school age and lived with them. 

Frankie taught me more about living than I had learned in my entire life before I met her.  She saw beauty in things I had never given a single thought to.  She loved every creature, big and small.  This woman would cry at road kill!  She was so loving and caring for people.  She cared for the neighbors who couldn’t drive to the doctor.   She volunteered at her church.  She sang in the choir, visited and cared for the sick.  Frankie taught me how to hug.  She always had a smile and a big hug when I got out of the car or when she walked in my door.  We cried together over our children and parent problems. We shared problems and stories that only we knew about to this day.  We were soul mates. 

Our husbands were not left out of our bond.  They were best friends too.  We were a foursome.  We vacationed together.  We were silent together and we laughed together.  We went to church together.  We prayed together.  But most of all, we loved and respected each other as friends.  We never felt an obligation to buy gifts at Christmas or birthdays.  Our love for one another was unspoken.  We never discussed politics.  We were on different sides of the isle politically so we never went there.

When we moved to Virginia in 1993, after the moving van left I drove over to Frankie and Ray’s house for our last goodbye.  We cried and hugged.  Frankie opened my hand and handed me a little piece of candy wrapped with a note.    I laughed because I saw it was a Werther’s candy and put it in my pocket and drove away.  Later on, I discovered the note attached which said “To my BFWWW”.  We had a little joke between us saying that we were best friends in the whole wide world.  I put the Werthers in my dresser drawer where it stayed for the next 10 years. 

In 2003, we were so excited in the spring because we were moving back to Georgia and Frankie and I had so much planned.  She promised to help me with the yard.  She was such an accomplished gardener and had a beautiful flower garden.  Then our world was stricken with disaster.  My best friend in the whole wide world was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in July.  My heart was broken.

 She never gave up hope and kept her sweet smile to the end.  My beautiful soul mate and best friend Frankie is now gardening with the angels.  Every now and then when something comes up that I find so hilarious, I laugh out loud and look toward heaven and say “did you hear that Frankie?”  I know she's giggling so hard she's 'bout to wet her pants!