Andrea

I've known Andrea since we were in our 20's. In the 80's we both lived downtown in what was then called, the TownHouse Apartments (Now it's a fancy condo, but the building looks much the same). We went about life since the 80's Andrea relocating to Atlanta and having a son. We reunited about 7 years ago. She's been on dialysis for the past 2 years. She needs a kidney donation. She is my best and worst friend in the whole world! I love her dearly.

Since becoming homeless and having to rely upon her as a support, guess what....we've grown even closer...over the past 6 years it's been a rollercoaster ride. The first 2 years of our relation were romantic.  Presently, she is experiencing abdominal pain from gasteropersis, and the draining affect of 3 times a week kidney dialysis.

She is in pain every morning. Smoking weed relives her pain but we don't have a prescription for that yet so we just buy it off the street. We are smoking buddies, so on a daily basis we seek out and find and smoke. We are comfort food buddies. We both enjoy cornbread, greens, fried chicken and candied yams, because these are the familiar foods of our childhood they remind us of Moma. This love of Moma, and the deep mother child relationship bonds, this is something else we share.
Our Love/Hate relationship is a reflection of the many polar opposites we embody. I am outgoing. She is reserved. I am a dreamer. She is a realist. I am talker. She is a listener. I am an information junkie. She is overwhelmed by it. I am a free thinker. She is a traditionalist.

The Andrea of 25 years ago was a thick, buxom woman, blessed with wide hips, big breast and deep cleavage. Now at a mere 95 pounds she is literally a loose bag of skin carrying thick bulging veins and rounded bones. When I place my head upon her chest I hear her heart beating in defiance of all the sickness that weakens her fragile frame. That it is my mission to go along with her through this change, from independence to dependence, from hope to fear, from sickness to health, it may feel,
at times, like a curse, but to witness her courage in the face of her fears and uncertainties, to be a witness to this at times is truly inspiring.