Ella's Angels Part 3

It is not always easy to arrange a lunch date for three busy people. Mom insisted that we meet at her house for a long lunch. She always was such a great hostess and cook. After our normal southern chit chat about everyone's business. I explained the circumstance underwhich I called this emergency luncheon. I related the events as detailed as I could remember. For some reason I had never shared with them the feelings I had about Ella's early childhood. I guess it didn't seem that important to me. The reaction I got wasn't exactly what I had expected. Mom was unusually quiet, something she rarely is. But Kate was more intense in her response....first she said "She's haulisanating and hearing voices"....then "maybe she just has an imaginary friend which is common to many children". I definitely was not convinced about the immaginary friend. Grandma was not immaginary. If she was just haulisanating, how did she identify her from an album of many people? Kate couldn't answer this. I wanted to know if either of them had talked to her about Grandma or showed her photographs. Kate said no. Mom, gradually pulling out of her silence, said she had a photograph of Grandma on her dresser but didn't recall ever mentioning it to Ella nor telling her about our pet name for her...Rootberry. We called her that because she always had rootbeer drinks and vinalla ice cream for us to make floats. She didn't want us to say rootbeer because she shunned any mention of alcoholic beverages, so it became rootberry floats and she bacame Grandma Rootberry. The silence was long enough to become uncomfortable. Mom finally broke the silence and simply said, "Ginny, I have some of Grandma's old journals. I think you should read them. Would you like for me to get them?" I was stunned, Grandma kept a journal. "I never knew Granma kept a journal." "Yes, I think I would like to read them." Kate also wanted to look at them. Mother soon returned with 3 volumes. Kate took one and I took the other two. We decided we should meet again after we had all read the journals. I gave Mom one of my two since she said it had been a long time since she had looked at them. We talked a few minutes about dreams and considered the possibility that Ella had just had a very vivid dream. I had not thought to ask her about dreams but I was pretty sure she wasn't just dreaming. Vivid dreams might be a valid answer. We parted with a sincere determination to try to find why or how this was happening. As I left Mom also suggested that I study angels from the topical guide of the scriptures and note their characteristics. Angels? Ella didn't mention any halos or wings. But mom was quite insistent and also told me to keep a deatiled journal. I agreed.

Ella's Angels part 2

Up late, the morning was rushed. Hurry, get breakfast, make lunches........ "Ella, get your shoes and bring them to me so I can put them on." "Yes, mommy" Into the kitchen she flutters like a little bird, shoes all on and tied. Tied! She can't tie her own shoes, she's much too little. I haven't even tried to teach her yet. "Ella! How did you get your shoes tied? Is daddy still here?" "No, mommy, Grandma Rootberry showed me how to tie them." I did not know what to say. Grandma Rootberry was the pet name we used to call my grandmother. Ella could not possibly have known this. "Ella, who did you say it was?" "Grandma Rootberry." "Ella, you did a very good job. If I untie your shoes will you tie them again for me?" "Yes" the steady reply came. We untied the shoes and right in front of me she tied them perfectly and what is more she tied them the same way I used to tie my shoes. I was startled. "Ella, will you look at a book for mama and show me Grandma Rootberry?" "Yes, mommy." We went into the living room and I pulled out the old family album. I told her I would turn the pages and if she saw Grandma Rootberry she could point to her. She identified her. I could just say "how?" "Ella, we will look again at the pictures later." I could not explain it to myself right now. I tried to think if I had been tying my shoes in front of her. But, that didn't explain the identification. I left that day puzzled, with lots to think about. How did she know her name? Grandma had died years before Ella was born. Had someone used that name in front of her? I didn't think so. I would ask my husband and my sister and my mother.

Ella's Angels

Ella was such a special. I knew from the minute she was born that she would be different. She seemed so alive and ready for life but still lingering a little in the world she came from. It was almost like a light was shinning from her. As she grew I would watch her carefully from a distance. She would spend longer and longer times in her crib laughing, cooing and talking to someone. But no one was there that I could see. When you walked in a room with her she suddenly would kick, grin, wave her arms and look like she reconized someone. Someone she knew well. But no one was there that I could see. As she grew older and learned to talk she told us many remarkable stories. Stories about people I knew she had never known. She also said other things that bothered me just a little. Ella said, "Did you call me , Mommy?" "No, dear. Did someone call your name?" "Yes, mother. It sounded a lot like you." I looked about, but, there was no one there that I could see. Who was calling her name?