The Meeting: A New Journey Begins

Friday:

The drive was easy.

It seemed like it took only one or two hours and not the regular four. As we crossed over the Hoover Dam on this new route we could see no water.  This route shortchanged me. I wanted to point to the water below so that my grandson could see what I had seen on so many trips to Nevada in the past. I wanted to hear him say those oooh's and aww's at his first time view.

Oh well, no matter because I had other things on my mind.

We were headed to Vegas. The next day we will venture to Henderson Nevada where we will meet my daughter’s aunt and her children’s great-aunt they had never met before.

I later learned that two uncles would be driving from California, which heightened the excitement.  

Of course I know that the children would have loved for their father and grandfather to have been in on the meeting but fate is fate and we make the best of what we have.

The check in at the hotel was not left up to me but the walk from the parking area to the hotel was. Sheesh, my legs thought it would never make it. The only place to park was in the back of the hotel and the rooms were in the front.

Finally after I reached the elevator and rode up to the 19^th floor, the arrow pointing to the rooms looked like it reached back to Arizona.

Huffing and puffing, we made it to the room, put the bags away and Tyler said, “let’s go eat” !

I made the mistake of not asking them to bring me a doggie bag back, so down the hallway and elevator I went.

I just love my kids, they are in such good shape and waited for me as I trudged along. I could see in their faces how happy they were. LOL

Saturday:

We arrived at the house, rang the doorbell and waited for the door to open. We rang the doorbell again and no answer.

We decided to go back and sit in the car.

My daughter called her new found cousin Tanya on the phone. The message came on and said the mailbox was full.   I think the next thing was to text which she did.  No answer.

  

Were we at the right home? We checked the address again, and even tried calling again. I asked my daughter if she may have gotten the address wrong. She checked her messages and re-read the address that Tanya her cousin had sent to her.

  

And then suddenly two cars turned the corner, drove up to the house and parked!

My daughter’s Aunt Sherian kept looking as she drove up and a huge grin spread across her face. She parked, and got out of the car and started giving the best hugs. 

                                                                                                                                                                    

They all looked like Al, but boy that one brother Kenneth looked like they could have been twins.  

David, the other brother was the most talkative one. 

All he asked we tried to answer, and all we asked they tried to remember the answers; 

We needed to put into respective the road that we travelled to get here.

It was a lot to soak in but then again it was not enough time. I think we did well with what we knew.

All the rest can be learned in time if it is for us.

I instantly fell in love with them.

There is one more sister we have to meet and that’s Leslie.

There were so many similarities in the lives we had been living it is almost scary.

First off, Tanya the cousin previously lived in the same city we live in and worked at the same beauty shop where we get our hair styled;

I used to live a couple blocks away in Los Angeles from where they lived;

Sherilyn worked for the FAA briefly and so did Al;

Al was a golfing junkie and David also had that passion;

The great Aunt Mary lives in Oklahoma City and not that far from where we were for Al’s home-going service;

The other great Aunt Novella lives in the same city as my brother Bruce;

It just so happens that she was the one whose name I was obsessed with because I had never heard it before.

We looked through pictures and pictures. We now know what Al’s parents and grands look like.

Lee Edward Holmes aka Roland Lee Holmes (Father ) Creek Co Okla.

                  Charles Smith   (Grandfather ) Texas 

Laura Mae Smith Holmes (mother)Robertson County Texas

Lillie Bell Simmons Holmes (g-mother) Creek County Okla. 

Mary Smith Benson (gg-grmother) her Father John Smith(ggg-gr father)

We also have new names to add to the family tree. Names like Holmes, Smith, Benson, Johnson, Simmons, Figures, Moody and Lawrence.

Sunday:

We met for Brunch, and had another wonderful time eating a great mean and watching the football game.  David's wife Margo was there along with Sherians hubby Hal. There was this guy who talked with us about football and laughed at me when I said Go Cardinals!  What can I say, loyalty is one of my best virtues. 

The cousins at Brunch getting their eats on and styling.

  

After eating, I stayed awhile in the lounge where there were rows and rows of bandits minus one arm. Now they are sporting buttons that give you the option of choosing the one you want.  My choices were not the bandits choice I might add.

Grateful: Two cousins

Tanya and Tish you two made it happen.

I loved both of your smiles and heartfelt feelings. Stay strong and stay in touch with each other. This was an amazing story within itself and remember, we all are bound to have another story worth remembering and telling. Life is like that.

You know, there is something special in people when you can talk with ease and it seems like you have known each other for years and years instead of one or two days.

I would like to think that if I had not played a part in this journey and the clock was turned back, I would have bumped into these same people and struck up a relationship that would have lasted a lifetime. 

That is the affect that they had on me.