"So, what would you like to do today, Elmer?" Lona said with an
encouraging smile as she looked over at him. Elmer had been silent the
entire drive down to Portland, something that she definitely found strange
to say the least. Sometimes you couldn't even get a word in edgewise with
him, after all. She couldn't believe this but she really wished that he
would start trying to flirt with her or something, anything to convince her
that he was back to normal. Silence just wasn't good on Elmer.
Elmer stared at Lona in a bit of shock. He still wasn't able to believe that this was actually happening. First, Lona took him to her house willingly and fed him and now she was wanting to spend the day with him and on top of that wanted to do what he would like? Okay, this was more than a bit weird.
"Elmer? I kind of need to know so that I can know where to turn."
Lona said with a gentle smile. She just hoped that he didn't pick something that she couldn't keep up with him during. She really wasn't as young as she used to be and Elmer acted like the Energizer Bunny sometimes,
after all.
"I don't know." And honestly even if he hadn't been a bit weirded out by the situation, Elmer wouldn't know what to suggest. He couldn't remember the last time that he had been to Portland. And of course, even if he could remember and think of something, he wouldn't want to risk offering a suggestion for something that Lona might hate. Okay, he had pretty much concluded that he definitely had to be dying for her to be acting like this but still, he wouldn't want to spend his last day alive with her angry at him.
Okay, maybe the drive wasn't the best idea after all. Lona pulled into the nearest parking lot and stopped the car, looking over at Elmer with concern. He ought to have been taking outrageous advantage of this and using the situation to try to cozy up to her and flirt. Why was he just sitting there so quietly? "Elmer?" She reached out and put a hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"
He nodded. "I just don't want to suggest anything that you wouldn't like. And I haven't been down here in years anyway so.... You decide."
Okay, Lona could understand what Elmer was thinking a little but.
She shook her head slightly at the idea of picking what Elmer might enjoy doing. What she would like would be simple, a swing by the nearest mall to hit Starbucks and then visiting a bookstore but Elmer... Okay, she thought when she had left with him that she had an idea of the kind of things that he would be pestering her to do, some sort of childish, silly thing, but now that she was here with him, she wasn't quite so sure. She looked over at him, studying him carefully. How much did she really know about Elmer anyway, well beyond the pranks and the constant flirting?
"Lona?" Elmer wasn't sure that he liked the way she was looking at him. Was she trying to figure out how much more time there was before he dropped dead and she was free of him?
"Why don't we go by the mall and hit Starbucks and then maybe we can find someplace and talk. Would you like that?" She couldn't believe that she was offering to spend the day chatting with Elmer, was sure that they would have absolutely nothing to discuss beyond the weather or the hospital but still...
"You want to talk?" Elmer asked in puzzlement. Lona never wanted to talk to him. Well, okay, he hadn't tried asking her to talk but.
"Would you like to? We could find someplace near the water, some place quiet, after we go and get some coffee." Lona reached out and gently patted his arm as she spoke.
Elmer couldn't speak for a moment but just nodded his agreement.
He finally found his voice once more as Lona started the car and headed back out onto the highway to find the closest way to the mall for coffee.
"So, Lona, if I promise not to get upset, will you tell me what I'm going to die from?"
Elmer stared at Lona in a bit of shock. He still wasn't able to believe that this was actually happening. First, Lona took him to her house willingly and fed him and now she was wanting to spend the day with him and on top of that wanted to do what he would like? Okay, this was more than a bit weird.
"Elmer? I kind of need to know so that I can know where to turn."
Lona said with a gentle smile. She just hoped that he didn't pick something that she couldn't keep up with him during. She really wasn't as young as she used to be and Elmer acted like the Energizer Bunny sometimes,
after all.
"I don't know." And honestly even if he hadn't been a bit weirded out by the situation, Elmer wouldn't know what to suggest. He couldn't remember the last time that he had been to Portland. And of course, even if he could remember and think of something, he wouldn't want to risk offering a suggestion for something that Lona might hate. Okay, he had pretty much concluded that he definitely had to be dying for her to be acting like this but still, he wouldn't want to spend his last day alive with her angry at him.
Okay, maybe the drive wasn't the best idea after all. Lona pulled into the nearest parking lot and stopped the car, looking over at Elmer with concern. He ought to have been taking outrageous advantage of this and using the situation to try to cozy up to her and flirt. Why was he just sitting there so quietly? "Elmer?" She reached out and put a hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"
He nodded. "I just don't want to suggest anything that you wouldn't like. And I haven't been down here in years anyway so.... You decide."
Okay, Lona could understand what Elmer was thinking a little but.
She shook her head slightly at the idea of picking what Elmer might enjoy doing. What she would like would be simple, a swing by the nearest mall to hit Starbucks and then visiting a bookstore but Elmer... Okay, she thought when she had left with him that she had an idea of the kind of things that he would be pestering her to do, some sort of childish, silly thing, but now that she was here with him, she wasn't quite so sure. She looked over at him, studying him carefully. How much did she really know about Elmer anyway, well beyond the pranks and the constant flirting?
"Lona?" Elmer wasn't sure that he liked the way she was looking at him. Was she trying to figure out how much more time there was before he dropped dead and she was free of him?
"Why don't we go by the mall and hit Starbucks and then maybe we can find someplace and talk. Would you like that?" She couldn't believe that she was offering to spend the day chatting with Elmer, was sure that they would have absolutely nothing to discuss beyond the weather or the hospital but still...
"You want to talk?" Elmer asked in puzzlement. Lona never wanted to talk to him. Well, okay, he hadn't tried asking her to talk but.
"Would you like to? We could find someplace near the water, some place quiet, after we go and get some coffee." Lona reached out and gently patted his arm as she spoke.
Elmer couldn't speak for a moment but just nodded his agreement.
He finally found his voice once more as Lona started the car and headed back out onto the highway to find the closest way to the mall for coffee.
"So, Lona, if I promise not to get upset, will you tell me what I'm going to die from?"