As I walked in to the room I saw Dolores lying on the bed with such peace on her face as though she were dead. I asked in a joking way, "Is she dead or asleep?" Dolores opened her eyes and said, "No! I am just napping some," then she giggled.
I then told her that she had me a little worried there because she had a strange look on her face I had never seen before. I had come from Modesto to do her hair like she always had me do and it was as if she was with the angels so innocent and pure.
Little did I know that three days latter after my return to Modesto I would get a call from them telling me I needed to come back? Dolores had died and they knew I was close to her and needed me to pick up her daughter on the way.
I could not believe what I was hearing. She was my best friend and really my only friend we had been friends for the last 18 years and were more like sisters than anything else. I had a thing about going to funerals then and even now it is very hard for me. I had always told everyone I would be late to my own funeral if I had my way.
I do not like them and do not want one. Told my children do not have a funeral have a party when I go I want people to be happy not sad because life is to short. I wanted to remember Dolores the way I knew her not the way that she looked in a box.
Dolores and I spent a lot of time together and many of time we had been asked if we were sisters. I would say, "Yes, can't you tell. We are identical twins." Of course that was not true after all she was older than me and of cores her being African American and me being American Indian might had been a little far fetched as well.
We would just laugh it off and go the other way. We did a lot of things together and I helped her get little independents from her boyfriend that he did not mind. She waited for him to take her everywhere and me I could not stand on waiting on anyone.
When her daughter got to be a teenager she helped get her out more as well and they did more than just go to the grocery store once a week. They would go to the movies or we would just get on a bus and ride around for a while.
Dolores even started going to school with me for a while and we worked on getting our degree together. However, I let my mental problems over whelm me and I did not finish nor did Dolores because she was only going because of me.
When I lost her as my friend I thought I would never have a best friend ever again like her and I accepted that for the time being. It was hard to cope with for a while to see the changes in the family's life. To see my ex-husband after 16 years although I had no hard feelings toward him to meet the woman he was dating. That on the other hand was strange.
She wanted to start a fight about our divorce the year before. I told her that was up to the court not me I had nothing to do with that, besides that I was not here for him I was here for Dolores and she had no right to disrespect her. It was the first time that James and I agreed on anything.
Willie was Dolores's boyfriend for 32 years she had a son and daughter by him. He really was not much of a man if you ask me of course I was not much of a woman either to do some of the things I did.
Willie had been in the hospital several times in the past few weeks and Dolores had been worrying with the fighting between her Son and daughter. Not to mention the drug dealing that was going on in front of his house at night since Willie was not there to control his druggie son.
I went to the hospital to talk to Willie about it and told him he needed to have his brothers to go by there and do something because it was more than Dolores could handle. Dolores showed up and I saw then that it had taken a toll on her and told her that she need to tell her daughter to take her kids with her and tell her son to tell his friends to get lost before they put her in the ground because Willie is going to be alright. She got a little angry with me and told me she knew what she was doing and she would be alright.
I have told five people similar things and everyone that did not listen to me have died I believe that only one of them have. Not trying to be a bear of bad news just telling them what has been shown me. I have also seen where people have had great success in doing things and encourage them to try something and when they have there business has sky rocketed and been very successful.
Not bragging even though it may seem like I might be. I just have a talent that God has blessed me with and I use it for him. Not for myself or to see the future, it is given me to see where I can help someone that needs encouragement.
I really miss Dolores and running the streets with her. We shared a lot of good times together. She was truly my best friend in those days. However, time has changed and today I have now found another friend that she and I have just as much fun. In fact we are more alike than Dolores and I ever was.