The Big Move (at least for now)

Friday, 5 May 2006

An early morning call from my stepmom before I even got to work led me to taking off from teaching for a couple hours so that my brother and I could go to their house for an important meeting. I finally had to leave to go back to school, with things left unresolved, but with issues and emotions aired out.

When I returned to Dad's after noon, a decision had been made, and my brother and I once again did a little counseling before we figured out what logistically had to happen. Now, more than ever, did a son and daughter have to help Dad. Jay headed home and to the hardware store to fix a broken step at our house. Meanwhile, I packed a suitcase full of clothes and medicine, bathed Dad (since I'm not sure how we'll bathe him at our house), and filled the van with the shower commode chair, wheelchair, and other daily things we needed.

Jay and his friend loaded the heavy recliner into his truck. We headed to our house five minutes up the hill, where my aunt and uncle helped carry things down. The last final thing to carry down the 85 steps was the most difficult logistical thing of all....My dad. Just as my dad used to carry us down those 80 plus stairs he built with his own two hands, my brother picked up my dad's 165 pound body and piggybacked him down the rickety wooden stairs down to our house on the side of the hill...the house we grew up in, the house with the wrap-around lanai and the most picturesque view of the valley and Waikiki and the Honolulu city lights.

We never thought my dad would get to see the house and property he worked so hard to build 30 years ago. But, for now, Dad will stay with us. Jay wheeled him around to give him the tour, since my dad has not seen the house since he got sick and found himself unable to walk, over a year and a half ago. He saw the new pergo and tile floors my brother did, my Southeast Asian influenced office, and I started sweeping and cleaning like a madwoman...just to make things a little cleaner for our special guest. Even though Dad is changing the deed into our names, it IS still his house.

We ordered food to be delivered from CPK, watched boxing on TV, and talked about the crazy party the neighbors were having for Cinco de Mayo. Jay is sleeping out on the couch tonight as Dad decided to just stay out on the recliner and he wakes up in the middle of the night. We don't have his hospital bed, so this will make transferring a little easier. I'm glad Dad can at least see Kaliko, our dog, and the house again. There's more room here, it's a little cooler, he'll get to enjoy the awesome view, we'll get "inspected" (perhaps he'll guide me in some yard work tomorrow), and well, he might just get some "Portagee" (towel-down) baths.