2004 - The Valentine Part 2
Now & Then
In the morning, they made sweet love at first light and then shared a shower where they enjoyed just a few minutes to play. Never enough time.
Their breakfast was eaten on the fly; having packed a thermos of coffee, several bacon and egg sandwiches and a handful of apples to take along. That would hold them till they reached Lightning Flat where the old folks awaited their arrival.
"They're here! They're here," Delores called over her shoulder at John, her husband of sixty six years. She reached for her cane and pulled herself to a standing position before stepping gingerly to the door to open it in welcome.
"Tell you what, it's about damn time. The day's 'bout half over, as it is."
Dee turned to her husband and gave him a warning glare. "These boys are all we got, and we're blessed to have them. You rather spend your dying days in an old folks home, or more likely, the poor house?"
"Allright, allright." he muttered. "I take yer meanin."
Jack charged through the door first and brought with him a frigid draft of air that was in the teens. His teeth chattering, he grabbed his mama carefully and gave her a tender squeeze. She hugged him back warmly.
Ennis came in next carrying a huge cardboard box filled with groceries. He sat it on the counter and then collected his own hug. "Hey Mama Twist, how you holdin' up this week?"
The boys greeted the old man out of politeness and inquired as to his state of health. They did not stop to listen to his usual litany of complaints, but began unloading the groceries and putting them in their rightful places. Delores had sat back in her place at the table. She couldn't stand for long these days.
"What's that I smell?" she asked.
"It's a roasted chicken we brought from that deli in Gillette, mama. How 'bout we light the oven and bake some sweet potatoes while Ennis and I take inventory for the stock sale next weekend. We'll have dinner when we come back in an hour or so."
Delores was delighted with the plan, John was grousing as usual, and the boys got their gear together and went on to their tasks. Since that fall on the ice, she couldn't do much in the way of cooking. They ate cereal most nights, as long as the milk held out; and canned soup if Delores was getting around better that day.
"Compound fracture" is what the doctor said. It was not healing as quickly as it should, making life precarious for the two old folks. John had been in a wheel chair since '99 and she could no longer make up all the slack. He blamed her of course, but what else is new?
Ennis and Jack had talked and talked. They'd decided that their goal had to be to keep the parents in their own home as long as possible. This plan was working out fine; they came every weekend, but that was not enough time to care for the folks, and care for the animals as well. The animals had to be sold. John threw a hissy fit every time it was mentioned. But there was no other choice and he knew it. Never thought the day would come that he couldn't care for his own land and stock. Truth be told, he hadn't been able to for several years now and it brought tears to his eyes, but never in front of anyone else. It broke his heart to be so helpless. It truly did. "It's a bitch to get old." he mumbled beneath his breath. John Twist swiped his shirtsleeve across his eyes and pretended it wasn't happening.
Jack had brought a big stack of clean clothes and towels in from the truck. Mama just flat out could not do the laundry anymore. So each week, they took the soiled clothing, tablecloth, towels and whatnot home with them to be washed and dryed. Nothing got ironed, but that was not important to any one of them.
While the boys counted the cows, bulls, chickens, goats and horses, Delores ran a bath for John. She trimmed his hair with the barber tools she'd used for years on her husband and her son. Then she led him into the steamy bathroom, and assisted him into the tub.
John could bathe himself, but could not get in and out of the tub alone. Soon, she'd be too weak to even help with that, and they'd have to wait for Jack or Ennis to do it. A weekly bath was all they could manage. She knew he was pretty gamey by the time the week was up, but it couldn't be helped. She wondered if she smelled as bad as he did at times.
The elder Twists were both clean and wearing fresh clothes by the time the animal inventory was completed. The dirty laundry that Jack would take home with him was piled in the corner as usual. After the mid-day dinner, Ennis and Jack would remake the old folks bed, and stack the dirty sheets and pillow cases with their clothing they'd worn that week. He'd wrap it all together in the sheets and take it home to wash.
Delores managed to get the plates on the table. Truth be told, she no longer put them up in the cupboards anymore. She kept the four clean plates, bowls, cups and silverware in the dish drainer and threw a clean tea towel over them. They were at hand this way, and no climbing necessary. Compromises have to be made when our bodies give out on us. At least they were able to have clean dishes all week, within reach in the dish drainer.
Over coffee, Ennis and Jack showed the numbers to the old man. He seemed surprised that the counts were pretty close to what he'd remembered, with just a slight increase for births. They calculated what they thought (or hoped, more likely) about what they would all bring.
They discussed keeping a couple of the chickens to have fresh eggs, but everything else had to go. They'd count on having a garden again only if mama got to where she could get around well enough.
The sale was set for the next weekend, and John called it in to the Classified Ads section of the local paper. He set the prices, and left his name as contact person. A man needed to be in charge of something, especially when he'd given his entire life to running the place. Until lately, of course.
The sun had set and the lamps were lit. Ennis went out to the truck to get something he'd been saving for just such an occasion. It was just an ordinary looking box, maybe 14 x 14 inches, give or take. And the picture on the top of the box was of a baseball game in progress. It was originally painted by Norman Rockwell, but with his realistic style, even John loved it. Baseball was his favorite thing. It was a jigsaw puzzle. The family happily set about turning all the 1000 pieces right side up on the dining table. Then they located all the edge pieces and the fun was on. The background was hard. It was a crowd scene of all the people in the stands along the first base side. And the hot dog vendor. And the cotton candy seller. It was going well, when Jack's stomach growled.
Everyone laughed at him, including himself. "Is it popcorn time?" he asked.
By ten p.m. they'd made a good amount of progress on the jigsaw puzzle, and they'd had popcorn and cold apple cider. It was time for tooth brushing, washing up and hitting the hay. It had been a really long, very hard day.
John had been so amenable to the boys, he got himself a good night kiss from Delores. Maybe there was something to this 'being nice' idea. He smiled after telling his wife good night, and they fell asleep in their old bed.
Ennis and Jack fondled each other, kissing and becoming passionate. It was hard to be in the same bed, or even the same room with each other without wanting, touching and tasting. After all these years, forty one or so years it was, and they still wanted each other. Glory be.
On Sunday morning, they loaded up all the things they were taking home with them, and then filled their thermos and made sandwiches. The folks had oatmeal and toast waiting for them when the truck was fully loaded. They ate hurriedly and got on the road before 9:30.
It had been a good weekend with the old folks and if push came to shove, the boys might just consider (not agree to, but consider) bringing the parents to come live with them. Someday.
Each day, Delores and John made a little progress on the puzzle. And John took calls, enquiries, offers and counter offers for the animals in his sale. John loved having this new responsibility; he kept detailed notes.
Tbc in part 3