Keep Your Fingers Off!

I went and met my brother for lunch. He was agitated when I walked in. He was cursing his Parkinson…

Chapter 17

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Who I am

Henry and Jane went out into the kitchen where his mom was writing a grocery list.

“What don’t you like to eat Jane?” Carol asked as she looked up from her list.

“Oh don’t worry about me. I eat about anything except liver and spinach. Those two things just give me the shivers thinking about them.”

“You don’t have to worry there. We don’t eat that shit either.” Everyone laughed and this relieved the tension a little. The two ladies put their heads together and picked out food choices everyone liked. Henry stood in the background listening and chomping on an apple.

“Are you eating again?” his mom asked him.

“I’m a growing boy Mom, give me some slack.”

“You are no longer a growing boy. You are a man with a wife and a baby on the way. Get used to it.” Henry and Jane exchanged looks and then asked if Carol if she needed anything else.

The conversation ended and Carol got ready to go to the store. Henry and Jane went out back and sat on the porch. They talked about when he had to go back to work.”You have to go back tomorrow already?”

“Yeah baby, we gotta have some money. Going to cost to feed us and the new kid coming.”

The two fiddled with each others fingers and started poking each other making laughter ring in the air. Carol came out and said, “See you kids later.” After she left Jane slid her hand down her new husband’s leg. He did the same to her. Soon hands were being placed and the two got up and walked in the house. Once inside their bedroom he slid her blouse off and then her skirt. He laid her back on the bed and for the next half an hour time slipped a way from them.

Getting dressed Henry asked her,”What ya want to do today? Anything special?”

“I don’t care. Whatever you want to do is fine with me.”

He grabbed her hand and led her out to his car. Giving her a smack on her butt she got in and the two took off. They parked at the garage where his buddies worked and they both went inside.

“Hey guys, look who I brought with me. Guys meet Jane. She is now my wife” Whistles were heard through the garage as his friends gave their approval. Once again they gathered around the famous table and talked.

“So you’re the gal we always hear about.”

“He never told us you were so darn pretty. Guess he was afraid to? Everyone laughed. One of the workers there couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of Jane. Jane could feel his stare burning into her flesh. She pulled her shirt collar a little closer to her neck and when she glanced at him he smiled at her.

“Is there a bathroom I could use?” Jane asked.

Kurt, the guy who couldn’t take his eyes off of her jumped up from his seat and said, “Ya back in the corner. I will be glad to show you where it is.” Jane glanced down at Henry but he missed her look and she ended up being led by Kurt.

When he stopped they were standing in front of a tall narrow door. Kurt said,”Henry never told us how gorgeous you are. You sure are a looker. Don’t worry I won’t try anything. There’s a lock on the other side of the door.” She looked at him and then went through the door and immediately locked it.

When she opened the door there he stood. “I thought I better walk you back up front. In case you forgot how you got back here.”

“I would have been fine. I think I know my way, but thanks for waiting.” The two walked back up to the group of guys. Before sitting down Jane tugged at Henry’s shirt. “My stomach feels a little funny. Do you think we could leave?”

“Sure baby. Well guys I will catch ya all later.” The two left the garage and when they were in the car Jane turned in her seat and asked Henry,”That guy Kurt, is he a good friend of yours?”

“Why do you ask? I don’t know him that well. He works here and he always hangs with us during break times. I don’t think he has worked here very long. Probably about as long as I have been at the bowling alley.”

Jane didn’t say anything. “Did something happen Jane? Did he make a move on you? By God he better not have. You are my wife and I would hate to have to show him who’s boss.”

Jane didn’t want anyone fighting, especially over her. “No, no nothing happened. I thought he just looked familiar to me. I must have run into him somewhere, maybe the grocery store or at the burger joint.”

If her voice sounded unsettled or strange, Henry didn’t pick up on it. “Hey, about going down to the lake for a while. The lake should be pretty quiet now. The weather is beginning to change. Maybe it will just be us. Wanna have some fun?”

Jane looked at him with that special smile and Henry pinched her cheeks. “Come on, let’s go have some fun.”

Chapter 16 (terry1954.wordpress.com)
Chapter 15 (terry1954.wordpress.com)
Chapter 14 (terry1954.wordpress.com)

Keep Your Fingers Off!

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Who I am

I went and met my brother for lunch. He was agitated when I walked in. He was cursing his Parkinson’s because his legs would not move. I offered to help but he wasn’t concentrating on my voice. He was all about his pain.

The good thing was he hadn’t had any chest pains so far today. I didn’t ask but he must have had a good night also. He was tired though, but I would be too if I was constantly badgered with tremors.

We did eat together and he came back to realizing I was there and he talked about seeing the movie, The Bible on television. He loves to watch shows that he has watched before. His mind doesn’t have to work at trying to keep up with a plot. He goes on his memory and his memory is very sharp about the good word.

He went from smiles to tears and anger in less than 60 seconds. He couldn’t eat the meat that was on his plate. It was supposed to be some type of pork roast. It was the strangest piece of meat I ever saw. It was formed, well mine was. His was pureed and mine was cold and a little tough. Usually the meals aren’t bad if you can find some seasonings lying around.

For Al he tried a few bites but he kept chewing and chewing and finally spit it out. I didn’t even ask Al, I went to the kitchen door and said that he couldn’t chew it. It was too cold, too dry and I wanted him to have something safer. They made him a grilled cheese. They had also given him Brussel sprouts. I used to love these when I was a kid, but Mom over did it and I learned to hate them.

For Al he couldn’t chew them up. They were too hard so I had those pureed for him. It must have been a bad day in the kitchen today. Usually all goes smooth. By then he was upset about his meal so the increase of the tremors sped up. Staff kept looking in our direction as they heard the constant clatter of Al’s silver ware clacking on the plate. By the time he got to his ice-cream he was a total mess. Clacking and slopping and big tremors. He was embarrassed and he cried.

I tried to help but I didn’t do a lot of good. I wanted to say something to the constant stares but I didn’t. Maybe they never saw someone with speedy tremors. LOL. I hope I am seriously joking here. Other wise I am going to go in and swipe him out quicker than you can wink.

Cheryl the lady who takes him on outings came. It was his day to go to Day program. She was also going to take him to an antique store. This should have stopped the tears and brought a smile but it didn’t. He was already getting used to the routine of going to Day Program so why in the world was she adding another place? This was his problem, he just didn’t understand they could do other things too.

When you mess Al’s routine up you get problems until his brain can catch up with the change. She and I cleaned him up and took him down to his room so he could go tinkle before they left. I got his jacket out and he asked for his wallet.

Al said there was a five dollar bill in it but guess what, there wasn’t anything. Oh wow, this upset him and me and Cheryl. Chery and I both knew that there had been. It was there when I took him to the ER. Although Al has been talked to many times about having money in his room he refuses to have an empty wallet.

Because I was with him the last time he should have gone on an outing he really did have five dollars left over. He was at the ER so he had missed his outing. We knew that some strange fingers had helped themselves to his money. He cried and cried. He just couldn’t figure out why someone would hate him so bad to take his money.

We went down to the little bank where I keep his money and I pulled five more out for him. I reminded him that if he had any left over from his outing he may want to put it back in the bank. I know he won’t do it. A man likes to have some green inside their wallets. I get angry that others take advantage of someone like him. It isn’t just him it is many residents that get ripped off. From money to jewelry, it happens way too often.

I walked outside with them and waited for him to be lifted up into the van. Tears were rolling down his face as I told him I loved him and to have a good time. I waved and he cried. He left and I came home.