I love these two people.

You would think after a hundred years of marriage, (or something like that), the two love birds would be living a life of bliss. Not so. In the time I’ve known this amazing couple, countless times I heard Khris yell from his bed, “UMA!” when he needed something. Usually it was another vodka, and Uma would have a sour look on her face.

It was last year when one of their granddaughters had a birthday party, so they got Khris out of bed and dressed for the happy event. This provided an opportunity to get a picture of the family. They asked Dani to take the picture, but the issue was, Khris was mad.

I will not say this outright, but from an outside point of view, I would say Khris doesn’t like Uma. Here is one of the pictures Dani took of the loving couple.

Now add the rest of the family, minus a son who lives in Houston, you get this picture:

If you look close, Khris is smiling. But to get that picture, Dani had to threaten him. “Kreeees, I’m not leaving until you smile.”

Now that was back in November. Khris’ health has deteriorated and he has been in and out of the hospital. At one point, he was in a heart hospital in Houston and they were trying to determine whether to do heart surgery on the good man. The problem I understand is, once the surgery was completed he would have to go through physical therapy, which he flatly remarked he had no intention of doing. It was only after Uma came back to Victoria out of disgust, that Khris agreed. Like he was waiting for her to leave.

But the surgery never happened and he has deteriorated to the point, it is now “just make him comfortable”. They give him mediation for pain, but that is about all they can do. He was sent home where it is the best place to be when you leave this life.

Last week, Dani went to Khris like she always does before leaving to say goodbye. Usually, it’s “Kreees, do you need anything? Okaaay. Bye bye, Kreees,” and he would smile. But this time, he looked at her and said, “Dani, I don’t feel well.”

Khris has his wife, his sister and her husband, his daughter and her two girls in the house, yet he feels closest to Dani. I don’t know if it is a reflection on her or him, but when she told me what he said, it broke my heart, that she was the one who he trusted. She placed several chairs around his bed for his family to sit with him, in hopes it would raise his spirits. Then adjusted his oxygen and made him comfortable, and told Uma he was not feeling well. When Dani showed up the following Monday, she learned he was back at the hospital in Victoria and the doctors were instructed to make him comfortable as possible.

I truly love this old man, and I would have loved to spend time just sitting with him, but I have such a hard time understanding his Indian accent. But it will be just a short time when he will pass on to a better life, and he will no longer have to tell Dani he does not feel well.