Midge “Dr. Sir and the Icy Cream” One night Momma kept feeling Midge’s forehead as she paced the floor. Midge knew that she didn’t feel very well but Momma seemed more worried than usual. She overheard the doctor talking about surgery but then Midge heard doctors talking about surgery all the time so
she didn’t know that they were talking about her.
Finally, Midge began to feel better and Momma explained to her that as soon as she got her strength back that the doctor wanted to remove something in her throat, called tonsils, because her
tonsils made Midge sick all the time. After a few weeks, Dr. Sir thought Midge was healthy enough to
withstand surgery and he scheduled it for the next week. Midge didn’t understand why she suddenly seemed to be getting so much attention. She got to go back to the farm and play with her young uncles and cousins and Grandma Rosa made a cake
for her and it wasn’t even her birthday!
That night Momma knelt beside Midge at the side of her bed and held her tight as she prayed. It seemed to Midge like an extra long prayer that night, but Midge didn’t mind because she liked to pray with Momma. Then Momma tucked her in and kissed her goodnight while
Sassafras the cat sat protectively at the foot of her bed. When Midge left to go back to the hospital with Momma, Grandma and Grandpa hugged her longer and tighter than usual. Everyone seemed upset about something and Grandpa kept getting out his big old
handkerchief and saying he had something in his eye. The next morning Momma began braiding Midge’s hair as usual. Her auburn hair was so long and thick that her mother usually kept it braided with the ends pulled up into loops and tied with a bow. This time before she started braiding, Momma cut off a tiny lock of Midge’s hair and tied it with a blue ribbon. Momma put it in her memory box where she kept special things and Midge felt very loved and important to have her hair in Momma’s special memory box. Momma finished braiding her hair and then she put shiny new ribbons in her hair and helped Midge
into her Sunday dress. Midge thought they were going to church but instead Momma took her into a little store where a man had her sit on a chair and then he proceeded to put his head under a black cloth. Momma explained that he would take a picture of her likeness. Midge didn’t know what that meant and she was a little frightened but Momma nodded toward her and sat close by so she thought it must be all right. The man told her to look at the pretty red bird that was above the black cloth. She did as she was told when all at once there was a flash and a loud popping sound. Midge leaped up and ran to Momma but Momma only laughed and said the noise was made by
something called a camera. The day of her surgery arrived and Midge got to go behind the big white double doors for the first time. Dr. Sir told her that she would sleep for a while and he would remove the tonsils that had been making her so sick and then he promised her that when he saw her the next time he would bring her ice cream! “Icy
Cream”, Midge groggily tried to repeat after him.
Midge had never had ice cream but she thought it must be really
good if Dr. Sir was so excited about it. The next thing Midge knew she was very drowsy and she wished they would let her sleep because her throat hurt so badly but people kept waking her. Every single time she opened her eyes Momma was right there and Midge thought everything would be fine as long as Momma
was there. Later, Midge was sitting up in bed when all at once Dr. Sir came bursting through her hospital room door with a bowl of vanilla ice cream, just like he promised! Dr. Sir himself scooped a small spoonful into Midge’s mouth, and stood waiting for her reaction. He was not disappointed when Midge’s eyes lit up in delight at the wonderful frozen delicacy. Midge never did get the name quite right but Dr. Sir became well
known in the area for his “Icy Cream” cure. Epilogue: Years later, when Midge was older, she understood that the surgery had been a very scary time for her family. In those days, even minor surgery was something that many people did not survive. Her family had experienced losing Midge’s mother at the young age of nineteen, as well as other family members, and they had been so afraid of losing Midge too. That was the reason why Momma had kept a lock of her hair, why she had her picture made, and why she was held so tight when Momma knelt with her to pray at bedtime. They knew the importance
of love and that life was God’s precious gift.
Midge (The
picture taken before her surgery) |