Aiphy 76. A Promise Made

In 1991 Alphy lost another brother. Cyril died at the Community Hospital in O’Leary, after a long struggle with emphy- sema. At some level Alphy recognized the reality that he would soon follow his youngest brother to that eternal shore.

It was shortly after Cyril’s death, that Alphy made arrangements to give away his valuables. He instructed Margurita on how these should be distributed ... the dancing men were to be given to Nora, the homemade pistol to Donald, the handmade bow and arrow to Ricky, the guitar to Joan, the keyboard to Eileen, etc. What Alphy didn’t realize was that he would also be leaving his loved ones a legacy - in his storytelling, his teachings and his ingenuity.

Throughout the daytime, Alphy would spend a lot of time listening to his favorite hymns. On a few occasions he told Eileen that he had a request - he expressed that it was his wish that his favorite hymn, Lord I’m Coming Home be played at his funeral. Eileen made a promise to her Dad, that she would ensure his request would be honored.

By 1992 Alphy’s ill health, and Margurita’s strained efforts to take care of him, had taken its toll on the couple. Both Alphy and Margurita slipped into a state of depression - Alphy was growing continuously disinterested in the world around him, sometimes he became very confused, and he could barely distinguish night and day. His mind seemed to slip in and out of reality, and he spent most of his time in bed. He would get up only to eat or to go to the bathroom. Margurita looked very tired most of the time, and she would cry ‘at the drop of a hat’.

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