I was surely dying as surely as the sun was rising. I am not sad about my upcoming death as I knew it had been coming for sometime. I had been expieriencing some pain and my breasts had swollen with nipple discoloration. The lumps that both me and the doctor in Montgomery had found detected of cancer and both me and the doctor thought it best that I live the rest of my life as comfortably as I can in Maycomb County. My last days have been happy and lived to the fullest they can be.
I see Jem and Atticus Finch pull into the driveway. I had called Atticus over to say goodbye to him. I know I am going to pass soon; I can feel it in what's left of my old bones. I look around this house that was built for me when my old house had burnt down. There was a secret that I had never told anyone about that night; I promised myself that I would never talk about it until I knew I was dying. I watch as Atticus climbs the steps; his rheumatoid arthritis is so bad that he looks like I ought to be feeling.
"You all right, Atticus?"
"I should be," he says as he barely makes it up the last step. Thank God he's got his boy as his right hand man.
"How are you, Jem?"
"Just fine, Miss Maudie," he says as he leans in to give me a kiss.
"You're too kind," I say as I kiss him back.
"No, I'm not," he tells me, slyly.
"Stop that," I say, shooing him to the swing where Atticus had already taken his place. I really can't help but feel sorry for my friend because Lord knows his death with be more painful than mine.
"How are you, Maudie?" He asks, solemnly. Damn, I hate that.
"Well, I'm dying but I'm going to die happy. Hell or high water..."
"That's not the best phrase to use, Miss Maudie!" Jem laughs out loud which make me and Atticus both laugh. The kid's got a sense a humor; I love that.
"I called you guys here to tell you something before I go," I confess.
"You don't need to explain yourself to any of us," Atticus said, fanning himself with his hat.
"Will you let a dying woman talk?" I ask with a smile as Jem giggles. I only speak up again as Atticus smiles himself. "Anyway, remember the night my old house burnt down?"
"Yes," they reply at the same time.
"You know who got me out of there?"
"No," they replied, once again at the same time.
"The spirit of Jean Graham Finch," I admit. Those two didn't mutter a word or move or anything. Well, Jem's mouth drooped a little bit. I decided to carry on with my story as they remained silent.
"I was asleep in my bed that night. It was so cold that I had dreams about being at a bonfire just to trick myself into feeling warm. Inside that bonfire I was dreaming about, I saw her face. That beautiful, cream colored, blue eyed, heart shaped face of hers and I burst into tears. She told me to wake up; I asked her why; she asked me if I wanted to go where she was; I told her no, that my home was here and I couldn't leave; then she told me I better wake up then."
"So, you woke up?" Jem asked.
"Not quite yet. I told her that I missed her so and I didn't want her to leave. She said that I would have plenty of time to see her if I didn't wake up and that was when it registered in my brain that I should listen to her. I woke up to the smell of smoke and the sight of the downstairs beginning to blaze."
"How did you get out?" Jem asked me.
"I don't even remember how I did it, Jem. I always liked to believe that your mother guided me out of my house. That's not all, though."
"What?" Jem asked.
"Remember when Mr. Arthur put that blanket around Scout?"
"I didn't see it happen..."
"Doesn't matter; I saw your mother guide Mr. Arthur to your sister as he put the blanket around her. She stayed with you children; she was watching over you as I'm sure she's been doing."
"Why didn't you tell us before?" Jem asked.
"When it was my time, I wanted to let you two in on why I am not afraid to die. Through the soul of your mother, I know I should not fear death because it's obvious we go on."
I saw Atticus wipe a tear from his eye as Jem's own eyes began to well up. Atticus then got up, pretty much stumbled over to me and did his damndest to bend over to hug me. I hugged him back as we kissed each other.
"I love you, Atticus," I tell my lifelong friend.
"I love you, Maudie," he tells me, sobbing softly.
"I'm going to miss you," he tells me.
"I won't be far away," I tell him as I have to break away to dry my own tears. I have to laugh as I see Jem wipe away his own tears; we were all crying now.
"I'll see you soon, okay?" I don't know what in the world possessed me to say that to Jem.
"I hope so," he says, walking over to me to give me another kiss. "You're a wonderful lady."
"You're a wonderful boy," I tell him. "Wonderful boys are products of wonderful fathers."
"Thank you, Maudie," Atticus tells me softly.
"Some men are born to do our unpleasant jobs for us," Jem tells me with a wink. I clutch my heart; that boy does listen!
That would be the last time I would see Jem and Atticus. I told them everything I wanted them to know and they were truly grateful. I only felt peace in my heart as I waved Jem and Atticus goodbye.