Odyssey.

The Odyssey, Homer’s great work, follows a man as he journeys home despite all obstacles. Ulysses’ maintains tolerance, patience, and perseverance to arrive at that point. Gabe’s not out blinding cyclops nor skirting six-headed monsters, but he has guided his ship homeward in a similar way, fighting battles outwardly and within himself. In short, I’m kicking this “journey” up a notch and labeling it an odyssey. And the next chronicle is one in which he moves out of the hospital and comes home.

In January after signing our lease, winter dragged on like a metaphor for the larger end game we waited for. He received permission for Saturday sleepovers. We figured out what worked and what didn’t as our apartment slowly swallowed furniture.

By April, no definitive discharge date save the floating around of a nebulous summer jailbreak. By April, he was still living at the rehab center, and one of our closest NYC buds, Nikola, came to visit. His stay was truly mind-blowing for me, for him, and I think for Gabe’s projected outlook in the life to be lived outside of institutions.

Of the four full days Nikola was here, he hung out with Gabe and I for only six hours at Brewer Rehab. The rest of the time was spent at our apartment or in Bangor. For each night Nikola stayed, Gabe spent the night too. Each time Nikola and I went out–to a bar, to eat–Gabe came along. Nikola rarely interacted with Gabe through the lens of hospital staff and family. It was just us.

Or it was just them.

Nikola was unassisted in his communication with Gabe, and the conversation was incredible. He pushed himself with Nikola unlike I’ve seen him do with anyone. Though his response time was still slow, he spoke in full sentences, asked questions, and cracked wise. Gabe nearly doubled his distance cycling, from 2 miles to a 3.5. & what started as an experiment turned into steady refusal to sit in the wheelchair while eating out and driving in the fajita van. When invited to a dinner party, Gabe said he wanted to climb the five steps to get into my friend’s house. Nikola didn’t need to watch Gabe in therapy because he experienced Gabe’s progress by watching him do all these things and walk around our apartment. I think his presence in turn encouraged G to kick it up to the next level.

Nikola saw past Gabe’s physical disability and treated him just like he has been: the same, old Goobs of yesteryear. In fact, I know he’s the same dude because he demanded I chase down an ice cream truck. “HARK!” he said.

Thanks for coming up, friend. In reality, I owe it to all our friends who have stuck by us the last two years, who have visited and keep in touch, but this particular visit was significant because it preceded G’s eventual permanence in our apartment. Nikola’s stay inspired me to keep him home the entire time, and his ability to handle the environment–free of aides, nurses, and therapists–was the clear and resounding affirmation that, YES, we can do this. From those four days, I clearly saw that we can make it work when he moves in, and he will be the better for it. I will be the better for it. No code alerts, no dozen faces glimpsed in the confines of one’s room. & for that matter, multiple rooms to move through. Now that they set the high mark, magine how killer it’s gonna be when our buddies come visit this summer!

Stay tuned into this channel. The odyssey is not over and an update will be posted rather soon of what the first week will turn up for us. Especially with some video of this morning’s departure from Brewer Rehab. His leaving drew a crowd as Gabe walk from his room, out the door, to the car. Everything loaded, hand waving. Donna, Summer, and Larry stood by rooting for him and documenting this epic turn in our lives. We’re going to have a really EPIC summer.

p.s. ALSO. Doubly. & last but not least…

Check, check, CHECK IT. maddfajita.com

Last week, Gabe decided to blog about his impending hospital discharge. By himself, he wrote then posted to his old blog, one he’s had for years to update friends and family. The fact he’s returning to it is a return to himself. What’s better, he used a back-end terminal on a Unix/Linux command line.

GO GABE.