literature

An Old Friend

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EvilElecBlanket's avatar
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Literature Text

While I was working at a nursing home I met the most amazing person.

After suffering a stroke that paralyzed half his body, he was placed in the nursing home by his sister. She rarely visited him for some reason. I never thought it would be appropriate to ask why. He was one of only three males at the home. Sadly, the other two were in very poor health, so he ended up making friends with some of the male employees.

Okay, with the depressing stuff out of the way, let’s get to why he was one of the most interesting guys I’ve ever met.

He had owned several small businesses, and made and lost at least two fortunes in his lifetime. I think that’s why he loved “If” by Rudyard Kipling so much. Early in his life, he was terribly shy. To over come this, he started acting in at a local theater. He told me it was one of the most profound experiences in his life. There were a few failed marriages resulting in a couple of kids. They all lived in other states with one being a pharmacist in Alaska. He had some amazing pictures she had sent him. He was also an talented chess player. I’m no slouch, but I only bested him twice.

Every weekend he’d watch re-runs of The Lawrence Welk Show in the smoking room. He would sometimes make the nurses aids dance with him swinging around in his wheel chair. It was great to see him do that, and the aids always seemed to enjoy it, too.

I tell the following story out of love, and because it proves how lonely he was at times:

Sometimes, he’d sneak off in his electric wheelchair and go to the grocery store across the street to buy vodka. The doctor and nurses didn’t like it, but that never stopped him. One night just before I was about to get off work, I went outside to crush the garbage. Waiting for it to finish, I noticed a police cruiser with its lights on across the street. It was nighttime and the lights were blinding me, but I was finally able to make out the Officer and Don. I ran over to them to see what was happening.

Turns out that Don had already bought himself a bottle earlier in the day, but decided he needed a second one. I don’t know what he said to the female Officer (got a few guesses) but she was seriously peeved. Walking up to them, she shouted “What are you doing”? After telling her that I worked at the nursing home, and that Don was one of the residents, she asked, “What does that matter”? Completely taken back, I didn’t know how to answer. It did become obvious that I should have gotten the RN on duty to deal with this because my work uniformed screamed worker bee.

Unluckily, Don filled in the conversation gap with the following: To her he said, “You can be mean to me, but not my friend.” Then he looked at me and added “I was just telling her she was acting like a bitch.”

It was this exact moment that I fully realized what the phrase “My heart just dropped” really meant. But, immediately jumping in, I told the Officer that I’d make sure he made it back to his room safely, and the nurses would keep him there. She shot me a look that made me realize she was single and never had a boyfriend for more than a month. Dear Lord, I’ve never seen a woman that pissed. And I know a lot about ticking them off.

She completely ignored me and called for her Sergeant over the radio. I just stood around not knowing what I should do. When he finally got there, she talked to the Sergeant in private. I whispered to Don not to say anything, but he just shrugged.

The Sergeant walked over and took me aside. He asked my name, and what my job was at the nursing home. Next, he asked me if I had any identification. My heart dropped again. I could get into some real messes doing my job, so I always took my wallet and non-work keys out leaving them in the maintenance office. He seemed to understand, and I’m sure my name tag help convince him I wasn’t lying. Overall, he was much more level-headed than the female Officer. I offered to get the RN, but he said that wouldn’t be necessary.

It was clear the Sergeant wanted to let Don go, but the female Officer was hell-bent on taking him to jail. I heard her rattle off “drunk driving, resisting arrest, opened container, drunk and disorderly.” She was even looking at me like she wanted to toss another one in the back of her cruiser.

The Sergeant talked to her again. Finally, she shook her head and left quickly.

He asked me if I could guarantee that Don would make it back alright, and not go back outside until morning. I said absolutely. He was released into my custody, and I got him back to bed. The next day, he apologized that he’d put me in that position. I told him not to worry about anything.
I wrote another deviation that was dedicated to Don. The next day, I realized he deserved to have a piece of his life told (he really needs a real biography). This doesn't do him justice at all, but I hope you at least get a glimpse of someone who was a crazy character and lived an amazing life.
© 2008 - 2024 EvilElecBlanket
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Funnysock's avatar
Wonderful story! It reminded me of a some people I knew. There're people who come suddenly into our life and influence it considerably and the same sudden way we find them gone but having left a kind of new feeling in our hearts and minds. You're happy you've met such a person!