Rose's Request of Mother Earth

The Upper Basin Chronicles

Chapter 28

Rose's Request of Mother Earth

Rose Murphy drifted in her bed between waking and sleeping. She saw faintly, or perhaps imagined, people moving about her room. Sometimes she felt as if she were lying awake in the middle of the night. Sometimes she thought she was missing lunch at noonday. First, she was hot. Later, she felt cold. Now, she could hear people talking. Finally, she felt impatient at such an indistinct place. She called out.

"Mom!" The people in the room grew quiet and stood still.

"Mom, are you Mother Earth?" Rose asked aloud of her mother, two years resurrected from an early grave, dead of breast cancer, a parent with the unfinished work of three children, a husband, an extended family. The room was quiet. No one answered.

"Mom, you are Mother Earth now," Rose said deliberately.

"You feed the children. You water the garden. You keep us warm in winter, and cool in the summer," she continued.

"I know you can hear me. I miss you very much, but I know you have important work to do, too. Dad's a pretty good Mom, and especially so is Grandma Teresa, but they aren't Mother Earth."

"You are Mother Earth now, Mom. I know it's you."

"You look very beautiful in your sunrise robe, and your sunset dress, and your moonlight and starlight gowns."

"You make the crops grow and the harvest come on time. You feed the biggest pig, and the tiniest bug."

"You and God are the Mother and the Father of a big, big family. So many people to feed and sew clothes for, and send to school. Ms. Paruzzi said we could try to count them next year. I think there are billions with a big 'B.'"

"Mom, you said I should pray for big things and little things, too. Can I pray for peace on Earth? That seems like a big thing, but a good thing, too."

"I want people to love each other, and to help one another with the hard work, even if we don't love them all the time, like Harold when he's crabby."

"Can I pray for people to not fight, Mom? It makes me sad on TV to see fighting, and I know you don't want me to, but sometimes I see dead people on the news. Can God make them stop fighting, Mom?"

"You're Mother Earth now, Mom. I know it's a big job, but you can do it."

"Please tell God to make them to stop fighting and start to love each other. Dad says Jesus and Mary, and Buddha, and Mohammed would like to have people do that, too."

"Mom..." Rose fell silent. She seemed to sleep.

"Rosie? Are you waking up, honey?" said Alexander. "I think you're better now. Can you hear me?"

"Dad?" Rose's eyes opened for a moment, and closed again.

"Dad, I saw her. I saw Mom. She looks so beautiful. I think she's an angel now. She smiled at me," Rose stretched her arms and shoulders downward, and opened her eyes wide.

"She always will, Rosie. Her smile is from forever," he said.

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Next week... "Moonlight Walked in Their Shadows," Chapter 29.

The Upper Basin Chronicles, Chapter 28 was written and edited by John Gabbert.

Your comments are much appreciated. Email feedback to The Upper Basin Chronicles, Chapter 28.

The characters presented here are purely fictional, and neither bear resemblance to persons living or dead, nor represent the views or opinions of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.