The Swing

Today I am saying my final goodbye to my Tio Juan and Tia Ramona. You see my cousin Juanita Gonzales sold the house they grew up in and I use to live across the street, now I live next door and have been for the past 4-5 years. When I was growing up i would visit from time to time, would swing on the front yard swing. But it's during this past 4-5 years that I really made my memories there in their house for I had grown into an adult and could have adult conversations with my Tio y Tia and cousins. I visited many a times with wanting to talk and Juanita and Tia would always lend me an ear. It was something I had never had before "someone to talk to" someone who would never give me negative advice but helped me stay positive. This is something that I especially needed when mom passed away. My Tia and Juanita were there for me thru it all. However no one and nothing helped me more than the swing in their front yard. I became best friends with that swing, you see I would go out late at night and sit and swing til 1, 2 in morning. I would listen to the wind if it were blowing, but mostly talk to the moon and the stars. I would sit and remember my childhood years living right across the street, I could picture me and Alexa and the ABC Triplets playing our in the yard, riding our bikes. This swing let me cry as much as I wanted. Until now no one knew I sat out there so late, unless there was a neighbor creeping that I didn't know about. I would talk to God, pray, sing, I could be myself sitting on that swing and no one to judge or make funny remarks of my singing, no one to make me feel bad. There were several times when I would join my cousin and Tia on that swing just to pass the day in the beautiful weather. We had some tears, laughs and memories together as well on that swing. Today a friend of mine came and took that swing away. It's going to a new home. While they were loading it all my memories came back to me and I lost it. I cried so hard because I feel like another part is dying. I feel I have lost a friend. That swing was the last thing that kept me holding onto my Tia Ramona. I would sit there and talk to her, Tio Juan, Tia Pat, Tio Tino and Mom late at night. I can still do it from my own front porch on my rocker but the swing was big enough to invite someone to sit with me and at times I would feel a slight tug on the swing as if someone's spirit was there just to let me now they were there with me. I've missed my cousin, my God Mother ..... I've missed our talks, our laughs, our tears, watching shows together but I know I can visit her by simply calling her up. Guess I'll have to find another late night spot for my talks with mom and he rest of my aunts and uncles. R.I.P Tio Tino, Tia Pat, Tio Juan, Tia Ramona and momma.