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Things seemedto be so relaxed and easy between them now that they had shared a kiss. There was no wondering what he thought of her, or panic about ruining things between them anymore. It was like the veil of ‘what ifs’ had been lifted, allowing them to finally be themselves.
They laughed, talked, and played with each other – tossing tater tots into the paper containers, argued over the last salsa packet, and then ordered three small ice cream sundaes… to go.
She was touched that he had remembered her wish to take ice cream out to her mother – and was planning on the three of them eating it there, together. As he pulled up to the nursing home, she realized that the panicked feeling of dread wasn’t quite so overwhelming, and she didn’t feel so alone right now.
Usually when she walked up from the parking lot, she wondered which nurse would stop her to update her, wondered what kind of mood her mother would be in, or how things would be when she finally arrived… but now she felt like she could handle just about everything.
If her mother was lost in a memory, she would simply enjoy it for what it was – a chance to glimpse at a part of her mom’s past… along with a few stolen moments with her mom while she was here on earth, still lucid. Things could always be so much worse. She was grateful that they still had chances to talk, even if it was about moments and memories that she had no clue about.
“Sometimes her dementia is really bad, and she doesn’t remember what is going on around her,” Reyna warned softly as they walked down the hallway of the nursing home. She smiled at some of the people that had their ‘apartment’ doors open, hoping for a visitor, and tried not to let some of their appearances bother her.
Yes, she was very lucky, because not everyone was ‘there’ mentally. Some people sat slumped and staring off into space while others waited in wheelchairs, watching a television with such a lost expression on their faces. It was hard and there were so many, many lonely people there, unable to take care of themselves anymore.
“Bingo!” a man cried out from behind them, causing Kyle to jump. “Did you hear me? I said Bingo, darn it! Don’t let that blue-haired hussy take my money…”
“Wh-What?” he chuckled nervously, looking a little unsure at the sudden outburst as they walked past a room.
“That’s Bob,” Reyna explained easily. “He’s super sweet, but very passionate about his bingo games. The blue-haired hussy is Mrs. Farnsworth, who can see the bingo board much better than him. He just dobs the numbers, not caring what number is called, and yells ‘bingo’ every four or five numbers. I think they ignore him now…”
“I see…”
“BINGO! BINGO! BINGO!” Bob hollered angrily. “Judy, ya’ blue-haired hussy, you better put down that dauber… this game is mine.”
“Aww stuff it, Robert,” a woman said peevishly. “Keep playing in whatever la-la land you’re in…”
Both Kyle and Reyna shared a look and tried to keep from laughing as the man named Bob let out a string of insults that ‘Judy’ countered in a shocking statement that would make any salty sailor with a potty mouth blush.
“Wow,” Kyle whispered openly. “That’s a first for me.”
“Right? I bet she led a colorful life to be capable of saying all of that…”
“No kidding…”
“C’mon and meet my mother,” Reyna invited, seeing that the ice cream sundaes were getting awfully soft. Opening the door, she gave it a soft knock and called out.
“Hey mom, it’s Reyna. I brought a friend…” she began and saw her mother sitting on the couch, watching television.
The blinds were open, letting in sunlight, and her mother was dressed today in a pretty robe covered in little pink roses with a long ribbon tied onto the zipper to make it easier to dress herself.
As her mother looked up, she got this strange expression on her face and covered her mouth with a gnarled hand, getting tears in her eyes.
“Mom?”
“It’s about time you found me, Joe…” her mother began tearfully, making her way to her feet as Kyle looked at Reyna curiously.
“Joe is her older brother that died when she was young,” she explained in a hushed whisper towards Kyle, before speaking to her mother who was ambling towards Kyle with her arms outstretched for a hug. “Mom, this is my friend…”
“Joe,” Kyle interrupted, hugging her mom, and looking at Reyna with understanding. “Sorry that I’m late. I was stopping for ice cream with Reyna…”
“Who?”
“Betty Jean,” Reyna prompted tearfully, touched with emotion as she realized her mother was stuck in that same memory again – yet Kyle was playing along with it. Her mother released Kyle from the hug, patted his face with an arthritic hand, and wiped her eyes, before sitting down.
“It took you long enough,” her mother began again. “Mother told you not to dawdle, Joe.”
“I can’t help it,” Kyle smiled, easily, nodding at Reyna and falling into a role in order to make the older lady happy… for her. “You know how I get.”
“Sniffing after Betty Jean again, huh?” her mother laughed. “You know her pa is going to chase you down with a shot gun one of these days…”
