Bath Time

One of the many times I could remember hearing Mary Magdalene sing was in the shower and at church. I remember parishioners complementing my sister on her voice after the end of a Sunday liturgy.  They would say,
 “What a beautiful voice you have!”
 “Thank you.”  she replied as her deep pimples reflect her warm smile

When my sister would decide to take as shower she would gather all her belongs for it  and that seemed always such a choir.  She would be juggling, her clean cloths, all her country apple toiletries, a bath towel and her big grey boom box and a CD.  Once the bathroom door was shut , one would hear the shower  start running, then boom box  would be turned on and my sister’s voice were unstoppable.  She would sing to Janet Jackson, Bryan Adams, The Cars or any song that played on KEARTH 101 FM radio station.

My sister’s voice would carry so beautifully and she never missed a note or a beat of a song.  You knew when Mary Magdalene would finish her shower  because you were able to hear the squeaking of the pipes as she turned off the water but that did not deter her from singing.  The singing would continue until the bathroom door swung opened, then silence. The aroma of country apple scent that  filled the bathroom and the hallway  as she walked back to her bedroom with another bundle in her arms.       While she strolled down the small hallway, I would ask,
     "Did you enjoy your shower?”
     “Yep, I sure did!” she answered with a smile as she tilted her head up to look through her dripping wet hair  that almost entirely covering her big brown eyes.

Several things come to my mind when I reflect on this memory;  country apple was discontinued from the company of where my sister used to purchase her toiletries. My parents and I looked high and low to find the country apple scent my sister enjoyed but to no avail. She tried other but she really wasn’t too happy with them. I knew she was very disappointed because she stopped buying scented toiletries all together.

Mary Magdalene is not able to sing anymore to the radio because she lost the ability to speak due the the complications of MS.   I didn't want the pleasure of listening to music be taken away from Mary Magdalene as she bathed so I asked her if  her radio could be turned on as I gave her a bath, she smiled and blinked in agreement of hearing some tunes.  I figured this way she would  at least have something to listen to as I gave her a bath.   I have been giving my sister her bath three times a week for the last three years and I know my sister appreciates it but I realize that it’s not the same as giving one herself.  When I  gave Mary Magdalene a bath she would cry,  it made it so hard for me because hated to see my sister cry.  She was able to still speak at first and would always apologize for being such a burden.
     "I'm sorry you have to work to hard," she whispered
     "Don't apologize Mary, I know if you were able, you would do the same for me," I said
 As I wiped the tears from her face, I would jut smile and said to Mary Magdalene that bathing her was just another opportunity for me to show her how much I love her.  Three years later, after I would finish with her bed bath, I  would see a smile on her face.  The smile that would say,
     “I love you too,”