She was magnificent, and she has passed on.

AKA: THE HAITIAN SENSATION!

It’s a pretty funny story about Dennis and I meeting Franckline twenty years ago. Dennis and I were out for dinner, and I noticed a tall black woman sort of lurking behind him. I figured she would ask about his wheelchair or something related to his disability; this happens often. Instead, as she was leaving, she slipped a business card on the table before me and quietly, in a beautiful Jamaican accent, said, “Here, darling, call me if you need me.” I looked down, and the card said,

I burst out in laughter!

Sitting behind Dennis, Heather could only see the back of his head and the wheelchair. Dennis had gone prematurely grey after chemotherapy, and he was only 47 at the time. Dennis wanted to know who was so “aged? What am I, cheese?”

Anyway, I could use some help. Dennis was starting to need more care; I had three teenagers and their friends coming and going, a catering business, working as a massage therapist, and a house and yard to maintain.

Heather sent some caregivers over who weren’t great fits. They didn’t like all our dogs and teenagers. Then she sent us the Queen of caregiving, Franckline Vernet. Franckline was from Haiti. French was her first language, and she still carried a strong accent. My spelling is an effort to mimic her accent.

She had a quiet presence but the best loud laugh mixed with a giggle that went “hee hee hee hee,” that she used generously. We adored her, and she cared for us all, body, mind, and soul.

We also couldn’t wait for the procession of wigs she wore. Sometimes, it was a curly Oprah bob; sometimes, it was more of a Diana Ross disco-era number, and she had one that looked like she had Princess Laia buns on the side of her head, which was hands down the house favorite.

I think one of my favorite “Franckline stories” was when she was helping him shower and get into bed. I heard a lot of commotion and loud laughing. The transfer from wheelchair to bed had not gone as planned, and I walked in on Franckline laying on top of my husband, who was completely naked, and they were both laughing hysterically. I told her, “Franckline, if you are trying to seduce my husband, you need to take your clothes off too, and be a lot more quiet.”

Our girl Franckline had a rock-solid Christian faith; she trusted everything to “ze lourd,” as she said, even when life sucker punched her, which it did many times. She also added a splash of belief in Voodoo from her Haitian roots and had some wild stories about that. You can take the girl out of Haiti, but some of Haiti stays with the girl. 

And the men—oh, the men loved Franckline! Like my daughter Amanda says, she was a true Siren. Someone was always chasing her, calling her, buying her jewelry, and even wanting to marry her. Her love life was a soap opera. Dennis, the kids, and I couldn’t wait for the weekly updates. She was lovely, but I think men gravitated to her because she was full of love, good cheer, and positivity. 

I can only remember her disliking one person: She said, “She is a demon, Geesus loves her only because he must, I think even he must struggle.” She was an angel but could have a wicked sense of humor.

Francklene’s particular gift was walking people to the grave. Even though she had no formal health care training, she would help people manage the needs of a family member until they left this earth. She held hands, made food, spoon-fed people, listened, made beds, turned people, cleaned, prayed, and comforted anything that was needed. One client would pass away, and she would tell me, “Ze Lourd will send me someone new.” Sure enough, just through word of mouth, a family would find her and have her take care of a family member in the last years or months of their lives. I sent her to three families myself, including my own mother-in-law, Clara, when she was in a nursing facility near our house. One day, I visited Clara and heard singing; Franckline was sitting with Clara on her bed, holding her hands and singing Hymns.

Franckline talked to me about caring for people at the end of their lives and said she felt lucky to do, “I like to make people feel comfortable and unafraid. It is not sad to watch someone die. I know they are leaving their broken body, and soon they will be with ze the Lord, and they will be happy. It is hard for the family, but life is short, and they will all be together soon.” 

Franckline was a part of our entire family. She knew my parents and loved them. She doted on my children, called Amanda “the baby,” and cleaned her disastrous room after I forbade her from doing it; she gave the girls advice for marital relations in the bedroom that would make a stripper blush, came to holiday celebrations at our house, and attended Katie and Jake’s wedding

Sometimes, I cried on her shoulder when I was overwhelmed by Dennis’ physical decline; her calm, reassuring presence convinced me I could handle it all. She must have called me “Mr. Dennis’ beautiful anjel” hundreds of times.

Here is one of the many, many sweet texts I got from her,

My dearest readers, my Dibbuns, in memory of Franckline, my fellow caregiver, who cared for my family with such kindness and purpose, will you send a message of encouragement to a caregiver today?

Near the time she moved to Idaho to live with her son, she committed to one man. She was over and told us, “I have decided I am only dating one man, Geesus; he will never let me down; now, I am happy.” And that’s what she did.

I had a dream the day before she died, and she was in it. She looked beautiful. I can’t remember what we were all doing, but it was like old times when the whole family was together. When I found out she had passed away, I was sad, but Franckline had no fear of it. I just hurts that I can’t call her or text her, the world feels kind of bland without her. 

When she moved, I gave her a necklace with an angel wing charm hanging on it. I told her it was a reminder that she was an angel for our family.

I hope she has traded that necklace for a real pair of fluffy white wings and, of course, the perfect wig to match!

Merci, Merci, Merci, Merci, Franckline.

PS, say hello to your boyfriend from me!

Your Princess Dee (private nickname.)