Thinking about Alberta

It's 1:26am. I'm here, at my home/ studio where I did much of the shooting for As the Veil Turns. I'm in a very contemplative, somber mood. I was in a class today about Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the man whom all the women in As the Veil Turns attest to as the the last messenger of God. During the class I got two phone calls, one from sister Maryam (who was interviewed and photographed for As the Veil Turns) and from another older sister in the community. I waited until after the class to listen to the two messages. Listening to the messages, I was filled with a sense of fear and sadness at the same time, "sister Alberta is in the hospital and gravely ill," said one message. Even as I am writing this, I'm shivering, just hoping that I can see her again. I called the sisters back to see what the message was all about, where sister Alberta is, and how I can see her. The news; Alberta is in a coma. It was almost 7pm and the hospital would stop visiting hours at 8pm. After my tears and information gathering, I left Manhattan to head back to Brooklyn to visit Alberta in the hospital. On my way in I see a family on there way out. Something told me they had been to see Alberta. The man walking through the hallway opens up a newspaper and looks at me, showing me the Daily news article about As the Veil Turns. You may not know this, but in my photo, it is Alberta's photo in the background. The man showing me the article is John, Alberta's son, whom she spoke so fondly of to me.
We meet and he offers to take me up to see Alberta. She is in a coma, paralyzed, not looking good in health. She had a 2nd major stroke. I talk to Alberta and pray for her. John keeps telling me how excited she was to be going to see As the Veil Turns, how she wouldn't allow him to take her because she knew I would. I had her on my mind so much and I was planning to call her to make arrangements to go to the show as soon as I got home.
The last time I was in a hospital was last year when Aliyah was on her deathbed. Standing there, next to sister Alberta in a coma, she looks just like Aliyah did last year when I visited her in the hospital.
John told me, 'I'm so glad you had the foresight, because we can't just let people go like that.' I can't. I'm still here just thinking... what a jewel. I stood there also thinking about how blessed I am to have met Alberta and how happy I am to know her and to share with her. She became like a friend to me. There is something I just like about sister Alberta so much. I just pray that whenever she goes, that she has completed her job here and that her Lord is pleased with her. I told Alberta that she will know all about the exhibition, even if I won't have the opportunity to take her there. I hope that when you see Alberta's photo, hear her interview, or watch her video, you pray for her and think well of her, knowing that you also have benefited from who she was. When I say that As the Veil Turns is really important for me to do and really urgent, well,yesterday was just another reminder to me. I'm so appreciative of the two sisters who called me to give me the opportunity to greet my sister Alberta with peace. It's 2:05 now. I ought to go to bed. Alberta was the first older sister I interviewed for As the Veil Turns. I never know the full significance of the situations I'm in or the people I meet. I followed my inspiration and it led me to Alberta. She is still with us right now. I hope to visit her again today.