Sunlight streamed in over everything in the small room. On the outside of the door there hung a bright sign with the words, “Room 213, Agnes Smith,” for this woman occupied room 213 in the “Melville County Nursing Home.” Awakened by the sun, Agnes rolled over and tried to remember the last shreds of her dream. She had dreamed of running through magnolia trees in full bloom, and as she closed her eyes again she could still smell their sweet fragrance. She slowly shook her head and ran her knobbly hands through her short, silver hair. Then slowly she sat up grimacing at the aches in her joints. With her face in her hands she mumbled a few simple words, “Through Your grace I will rise now and struggled diligently through another day.” After saying this she rose out of bed.

Soon, a bored looking aid came in with breakfast and mumbled, “Good morning”. After breakfast Agnes left her room. With a tight grip on the bar that ran the length of the hall, she began to walk toward the lobby. Now the sweet fragrance of blossoms had left her, and instead the usual stale and sterile smells filled her nostrils. Each trembling footstep she took brought her closer to the bright painted lobby with its garish, satin flowers and seasonal decorations. Finally, after a long struggle she reached the lobby and eased herself into a slippery, vinyl chair. So many images and thoughts crossed her mind as she sat quietly. Today her thoughts wandered through different times and people she had known and then back to the present and the people around her.

Now, the oversized clock in the lobby struck “12:30,” and the squeaking of shoes on the linoleum floor penetrated her thoughts. Among others, she moved toward the tables. Again she eased herself down and began to eat the food laid before her. Wafting up to her came the stale mass-produced smells of her food, and she suddenly felt very bitter. Once, in another time, she had made food worth eating. How could she bear to consume this? After lunch she hobbled back to her room past scurrying aids and fellow residents. Bitterness overwhelmed her as she walked past the many televisions in the separate rooms. There the culture of America blared, and she contemplated on what that culture thought of her. She seemed to hear it saying to her, “you are nothing but an old woman stand aside and don’t get in my way.” Despair threatened to encompass her.

Back in her room she slowly got out her rosary beads and felt their reassuring smooth roundness. As she fingered and passed each bead while softly whispering the words of the “Hail Mary,” she closed her eyes and let her thoughts go. Again she found peace in those words. Her Lord knew her importance, and somehow if she could only get beyond the sterile smells, vinyl fabrics, and harsh words she would find his beautiful radiance. Then she would remember the smell of spring blossoms again and the tastes of homemade food. As the words crossed her lips she felt almost as if, instead of a prayer, she spoke the words of a conversation. Back and forth between heaven and earth the words flew on the wings of her rosary. When she had traveled all the beads, she sat gazing out the window at the cars whizzing by and relished the simple peace she felt.

This peace broke with the sound of footsteps, and a smiling aid entered with dark curly hair and twinkling eyes. Life and joy seemed to radiate from the young woman, and Agnes seeped it into her thirsty soul. “And how are we tonight, Agnes?” the smiling aid asked. She tilted her head and slowly grinned, “I’m doing pretty well. How are you?” Chuckling, the woman replied, “Oh I’m busy, but I guess that’s good.” Laying down the tray, the aid left with a last smile. Somehow the processed taste and “restaurant” smell of the food seemed less offensive after the smiles of the aid. After the meal Agnes tried to read the wavering words of a book, but soon her eyes failed her so she contented herself in sitting and waiting til bedtime. As darkness filled the room she fingered her rosary beads and wondered when she would run through magnolia blossoms again.