Can I Get a Witness?!

I had a letter from a lawyer on Tuesday afternoon. I didn't recognize it, but I knew it was from a law firm. My first thought was, "That boy has lost his mind. He could have just called for his bike trainer." But then I opened it.

A couple of summers ago I was visiting someone in the hospital and as I was leaving a man asked me if I could sign as witness to his client's will. He explained that it would only take a minute and that the hospital staff was not allowed to do it, and I seemed to be the only one around. So, I did. There was no reason not to. Ms. Jenkins was a lovely little 84-year old lady with thin, white hair. Both she and lawyer were very thankful and I signed my name and went on my merry way. Or as merry the path from a hospital can be.
Ms. Jenkins died last week. The letter from the lawyer was asking me to come sign an affidavit saying that I had signed the will. (He would, of course, compensate me for my time.) The letter also included the will that I had signed. I read it. Ms. Jenkins had left her estate to her sister-in-law; should her sister-in-law precede her in death, the estate would go to the children of sister-in-law.

I was deeply saddened after reading.
I have struggled all my life with Lonely.
I have never been a girl with a best friend. I have very rarely been a girl with a boyfriend. Yes, I have many dear dear friends. I have a wonderful family.
I am not, nor have I ever really been, "attached." And I have always longed to be.
It was nice this year to have one person call me every single day. It was nice to tell someone what I had made for dinner. It was nice to be partnered...to be attached...to have someone to see the everyday bits of my life.

While Mr. Lawyer and I waited for the notary public to come into his office, he spoke very kindly of Ms. Jenkins...but I get the idea he was leaving a lot of eccentricities out. She might have been fun to know. He told me of the time he had to save her from eviction (from her now-vacant, once-rent-controlled, 2-bedroom apt near Union Square....probably worth a million, he said) because she wasn't throwing out her wine bottles. She had a whole closet full of wine bottles that she was just too lazy (or embarrassed?) to throw out!
He then pushed my compensation across the desk. I had planned to refuse it. I didn't need to be paid for being a nice person. There was very little trouble taken in signing my name a couple of times. Good karma, anyway, right? But since the check for $100 was already made out, I took it.

Tonight, I am going to buy something that I do not need, but have wanted all year long.
Tonight, I am going to drink a glass of wine with Ms. Jenkins in mind.
And my toast?
Here's to finding a witness. A witness for my will. A witness to my little life.

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