Visiting the Center
Cory's story on the police and the junkie held the headlines for one day, but New York was talking about him for days, he caught all sorts of stories the next couple of weeks, fraud insurance policies, shoplifters, pedistrians slashing people's tires, the enforcement of new recruits on the police force, the opening of a chain of daycare centers, some of which Angela and Topanga were considering when their little bundles of joy were older.
"It's times like this I enjoy the experience I had when we caught Janitor Bud sneaking out to the tracks," Cory said, "Vanessa Smart, a former entertainer at the Magic and Madness Theater, was arrested Thursday morning on several counts of fraud. For 3 months, she requested early social security and unemployed checks, due to a reported back strain, which led to numerous cases of seizures and spasms. She complained it was from numerous straining jobs of learning different dancing techniques and helping move the equipment during the closing of the Theater every night. She was caught at 9:00 AM, Thursday, helping her brother-in-law Todd Vernon, move his grand piano into a U-haul, and was arrested shortly afterwards. She has posted bail of $5,000 and will be awaiting a trial November 7th. Story by Cory A. Matthews."
"Yeah, and since we know the job's actually paying, I'm hoping you'll be able to stay on it," Topanga said, "I mean, if that's what you really want."
"Topanga, are you kidding? This whole life of getting stories and pictures, it's exciting, it's like being a detective, you know, if I keep up my experience, one of these days, we could be an actual case of 21 Jump Street," Cory told her.
"And today, you're going to get a story on the opening of the senior citizen's center, right?" Angela asked.
"You bet, I got my camera right here," Cory picked it up, "new film, no lense cap, and perfect for zoom."
"Well then, let's go," Shawn said, "I wanna see how Feeny does running the place."
"Right, one more story for the daily reporter," Cory said, "and one more paycheck going towards the fund for our little bundle of joy."
*************************************************************************************************
They got to the center and right away, they couldn't believe it, most centers they'd seen, you could tell from the outside of the place what it was, this one looked like a normal building.
"Excuse me," an old man came up to Topanga, "are you here to see someone?"
"No, our neighbor owns the place and we wanted to come down and see how it's going," Topanga replied.
"Just wondering, we got a fox trotter here who has a remarkable resemblance to you," the man said.
"Shawn, look at these people, they're so healthy and active, not like you see in a retirement home," Angela told him.
"Yeah, they must watch the Golden Girls and get ideas from Sophia," Shawn looked around.
"Hey Mister Feeny, how's it going?" Cory asked.
"Fine, just fine, you?" Feeny asked.
"I'm doing good, I wanted to get a story for the paper about the center, how's business?" Cory asked.
"Mister Matthews, when you open a center like this, you don't do it for the money, all the years I lived next door to you, I worked, planted, had a flower garden, I want to keep the people our ages active, otherwise the old age, does kick in," George explained.
"So what do the people around here do?" Cory asked.
"Well they don't just watch movies and talk like in other centers, they get around, they live, there's an exercise room with stationary bicycles, treadmills, and senior citizens aerobics' classes, Tuesday and Friday nights, they get together and have parties, they dance, talk, have fun, they're allowed to leave for certain amounts of time," George explained.
"What do you mean for 'certain amounts of time'? This is just a center," Cory said.
"It's not just a center, Mister Matthews, for some of these people, it's a home," George told him, "I specialized the archeteicture for this time around, 12 of the people you see here have moved in and been dropped off. But they won't fade away slowly, we'll see to that."
"Well what do you mean by certain amounts of time?" Cory asked.
"Say they want to go out for a walk, they can, if they want to go across the neighborhood for a cappuchino, they can, go shopping, go to a show, they can, they just have to advise us when they're leaving," Geroge told him.
"Wow Feeny, I guess this is the kind of place you'd like to stay in when you get older," Cory said.
"I'm never going to end up in a place like this, Mister Matthews," George told him, "I intend to work here until I die, which could be about 20 or 30 more years."
*************************************************************************************************
Meanwhile, Topanga and Angela were getting acquainted with some of the women residents.
"As time grows by, you'll learn to enjoy pregnancy, it means your life's aiming to get better," one woman said.
"And as time goes by, you'll learn what not to eat so you won't be sick," another advised them.
"And take it from me, don't sit on your fanny all day while pregnant, get out, jump rope, ride a bike, run a mile, exercise is good, you'll need the strength for when carrying your baby around another way," an even older one said.
"And, when they're first born, you should either keep the crib in your room, or sleep with the child in your bed, that way, they'll learn where to come when they're uneasy," another advised.
"And do be sure to get them out, babies need plenty of fresh air," another said.
"This is New York, however clean it is, is the best they're gonna get."
"Excuse us," Angela said.
She and Topanga headed over to the other side of the room.
"They must've had a LOT of experience with babies in their days," Angela said.
"I guess they know what they're talking about," Topanga thought.
"Yeah, but if they mention being in the delivery room, I'm outta here," Angela told her.
*************************************************************************************************
Come a few days, the story was in the paper, See the Senior's Center, George and Samantha Feeny greet 60 senior citizens Tuesday, 12 of which are currently living under the staff's care. As the pictures tell us, it is no regular center, for some it is a home, others, it gives them something to do with their retirement. In a brief interview with Mr. George Feeny, he explained "I opened the center so the retired citizens won't settle into old age and their energy fades away". As we can see, the seniors living here aren't under 24 hour surveliance in the building. "If they want to get out they can, all they have to do is inform us where they're going before they leave," Samantha Feeny explained. The center has a lounging room to view movies and catch up on current events with visitors, an exercise room, a well stocked cafeteria, and a game room including table tennis, air hockey, Foos ball, and pool tables. The center also contains a miniature library for the elderly book worms' every need. It is guessed that there will be a lot of happy elderly people coming soon.
"The story is wonderful, and these pictures are great," Topanga told Cory.
"Look, here's one of us," Angela pointed, "Widows Spencer, Grayson, and Davidson, and spinsters Martha Kay, Lewis Day and Agatha Gacy give motherly advice to 2 expecting women, Topanga Lawrence Matthews and Angela Moore Hunter."
"Hear that?" Shawn said to Angela's stomach, "you're famous already."
"Cory, how're you going to top a story like this?" Topanga asked.
"I don't know, but when opportunity strikes, I'm gonna take it," Cory said.
"That's for sure," Shawn said.
"Who knows? With this second job, by the time the babies come, we'll probably be as filthy rich as the Howells," Cory told them.
"We'll be better than that, our money goes to the medical staff at the hospital, the Howells' were so rich, they couldn't do ANYTHING with their money," Shawn laughed.
"Well, I'm going to go make dinner," Angela got up.
"Wonderful, what're we having?" Cory asked.
"Chicken pot pie," Angela replied.
"Hey Cory," Shawn whispered.
"What?"
"Let's not forget our OTHER job, the one down at the wall."
"I remember, I remember, I think I know how to finish it, it's not going to be fast or easy, and it's going to take a lot of thinking, but I think I know just how to make it suitable for the neighborhood," Cory said.
End of chapter 12
Cory's story on the police and the junkie held the headlines for one day, but New York was talking about him for days, he caught all sorts of stories the next couple of weeks, fraud insurance policies, shoplifters, pedistrians slashing people's tires, the enforcement of new recruits on the police force, the opening of a chain of daycare centers, some of which Angela and Topanga were considering when their little bundles of joy were older.
"It's times like this I enjoy the experience I had when we caught Janitor Bud sneaking out to the tracks," Cory said, "Vanessa Smart, a former entertainer at the Magic and Madness Theater, was arrested Thursday morning on several counts of fraud. For 3 months, she requested early social security and unemployed checks, due to a reported back strain, which led to numerous cases of seizures and spasms. She complained it was from numerous straining jobs of learning different dancing techniques and helping move the equipment during the closing of the Theater every night. She was caught at 9:00 AM, Thursday, helping her brother-in-law Todd Vernon, move his grand piano into a U-haul, and was arrested shortly afterwards. She has posted bail of $5,000 and will be awaiting a trial November 7th. Story by Cory A. Matthews."
"Yeah, and since we know the job's actually paying, I'm hoping you'll be able to stay on it," Topanga said, "I mean, if that's what you really want."
"Topanga, are you kidding? This whole life of getting stories and pictures, it's exciting, it's like being a detective, you know, if I keep up my experience, one of these days, we could be an actual case of 21 Jump Street," Cory told her.
"And today, you're going to get a story on the opening of the senior citizen's center, right?" Angela asked.
"You bet, I got my camera right here," Cory picked it up, "new film, no lense cap, and perfect for zoom."
"Well then, let's go," Shawn said, "I wanna see how Feeny does running the place."
"Right, one more story for the daily reporter," Cory said, "and one more paycheck going towards the fund for our little bundle of joy."
*************************************************************************************************
They got to the center and right away, they couldn't believe it, most centers they'd seen, you could tell from the outside of the place what it was, this one looked like a normal building.
"Excuse me," an old man came up to Topanga, "are you here to see someone?"
"No, our neighbor owns the place and we wanted to come down and see how it's going," Topanga replied.
"Just wondering, we got a fox trotter here who has a remarkable resemblance to you," the man said.
"Shawn, look at these people, they're so healthy and active, not like you see in a retirement home," Angela told him.
"Yeah, they must watch the Golden Girls and get ideas from Sophia," Shawn looked around.
"Hey Mister Feeny, how's it going?" Cory asked.
"Fine, just fine, you?" Feeny asked.
"I'm doing good, I wanted to get a story for the paper about the center, how's business?" Cory asked.
"Mister Matthews, when you open a center like this, you don't do it for the money, all the years I lived next door to you, I worked, planted, had a flower garden, I want to keep the people our ages active, otherwise the old age, does kick in," George explained.
"So what do the people around here do?" Cory asked.
"Well they don't just watch movies and talk like in other centers, they get around, they live, there's an exercise room with stationary bicycles, treadmills, and senior citizens aerobics' classes, Tuesday and Friday nights, they get together and have parties, they dance, talk, have fun, they're allowed to leave for certain amounts of time," George explained.
"What do you mean for 'certain amounts of time'? This is just a center," Cory said.
"It's not just a center, Mister Matthews, for some of these people, it's a home," George told him, "I specialized the archeteicture for this time around, 12 of the people you see here have moved in and been dropped off. But they won't fade away slowly, we'll see to that."
"Well what do you mean by certain amounts of time?" Cory asked.
"Say they want to go out for a walk, they can, if they want to go across the neighborhood for a cappuchino, they can, go shopping, go to a show, they can, they just have to advise us when they're leaving," Geroge told him.
"Wow Feeny, I guess this is the kind of place you'd like to stay in when you get older," Cory said.
"I'm never going to end up in a place like this, Mister Matthews," George told him, "I intend to work here until I die, which could be about 20 or 30 more years."
*************************************************************************************************
Meanwhile, Topanga and Angela were getting acquainted with some of the women residents.
"As time grows by, you'll learn to enjoy pregnancy, it means your life's aiming to get better," one woman said.
"And as time goes by, you'll learn what not to eat so you won't be sick," another advised them.
"And take it from me, don't sit on your fanny all day while pregnant, get out, jump rope, ride a bike, run a mile, exercise is good, you'll need the strength for when carrying your baby around another way," an even older one said.
"And, when they're first born, you should either keep the crib in your room, or sleep with the child in your bed, that way, they'll learn where to come when they're uneasy," another advised.
"And do be sure to get them out, babies need plenty of fresh air," another said.
"This is New York, however clean it is, is the best they're gonna get."
"Excuse us," Angela said.
She and Topanga headed over to the other side of the room.
"They must've had a LOT of experience with babies in their days," Angela said.
"I guess they know what they're talking about," Topanga thought.
"Yeah, but if they mention being in the delivery room, I'm outta here," Angela told her.
*************************************************************************************************
Come a few days, the story was in the paper, See the Senior's Center, George and Samantha Feeny greet 60 senior citizens Tuesday, 12 of which are currently living under the staff's care. As the pictures tell us, it is no regular center, for some it is a home, others, it gives them something to do with their retirement. In a brief interview with Mr. George Feeny, he explained "I opened the center so the retired citizens won't settle into old age and their energy fades away". As we can see, the seniors living here aren't under 24 hour surveliance in the building. "If they want to get out they can, all they have to do is inform us where they're going before they leave," Samantha Feeny explained. The center has a lounging room to view movies and catch up on current events with visitors, an exercise room, a well stocked cafeteria, and a game room including table tennis, air hockey, Foos ball, and pool tables. The center also contains a miniature library for the elderly book worms' every need. It is guessed that there will be a lot of happy elderly people coming soon.
"The story is wonderful, and these pictures are great," Topanga told Cory.
"Look, here's one of us," Angela pointed, "Widows Spencer, Grayson, and Davidson, and spinsters Martha Kay, Lewis Day and Agatha Gacy give motherly advice to 2 expecting women, Topanga Lawrence Matthews and Angela Moore Hunter."
"Hear that?" Shawn said to Angela's stomach, "you're famous already."
"Cory, how're you going to top a story like this?" Topanga asked.
"I don't know, but when opportunity strikes, I'm gonna take it," Cory said.
"That's for sure," Shawn said.
"Who knows? With this second job, by the time the babies come, we'll probably be as filthy rich as the Howells," Cory told them.
"We'll be better than that, our money goes to the medical staff at the hospital, the Howells' were so rich, they couldn't do ANYTHING with their money," Shawn laughed.
"Well, I'm going to go make dinner," Angela got up.
"Wonderful, what're we having?" Cory asked.
"Chicken pot pie," Angela replied.
"Hey Cory," Shawn whispered.
"What?"
"Let's not forget our OTHER job, the one down at the wall."
"I remember, I remember, I think I know how to finish it, it's not going to be fast or easy, and it's going to take a lot of thinking, but I think I know just how to make it suitable for the neighborhood," Cory said.
End of chapter 12