Page 5 of Dad's Best Friend Scientist
Mrs. Davison smiles with tears in her eyes. “Ed, I’m doing just fine. And yourself?”
“Couldn’t be better, honey. Been playing chess all day,” I say. It was the old man’s favorite pastime besides fishing.
“Good to know. I miss you so much, Ed.”
“I know. Sweetheart. Same here. But I’m with you every day. You know that, right?”
“Yes, Ed. I do.”
“Is everything okay?”
Mrs. Davison takes a moment to calm down before she speaks. “No, honey. The truth is I need your opinion.”
“What is it?”
“You see, my friend Betty. Remember her? She moved into a retirement home last year, and she’s been telling me to move in with her, saying it’s a great place.”
I know who Betty is, and I’ve met the lady a few times.
But I don’t know what to say to her. When my grandma was alive, she spoke about retirement homes with fear and never even contemplated the idea.
“Do you wish to live there?” I ask in Ed’s voice.
“I’m not sure, honey. That’s why I’m asking you.”
“What are you not sure about?”
“It does sound like a great place to be. The nurses and staff take care of everything for you. But I’ve been living here for half a century, Ed, and I have the best memories. Besides, I still want to see grandbabies in the house.”
That reminds me of her son, and I have to fight my embarrassment for words. “Have you spoken with David about it? What does he say?”
“He thinks I should go. You know, he isn’t home most of the time and he would love for me to be somewhere with people. He likes the idea because I won’t be alone all day and someone will be taking care of me.”
Damn. I rack my brain for the proper answer. Whatever I say, Linda will take it seriously because she is used to letting her husband decide everything for her.
I should probably agree with David because it is safer for her to live in a facility, but it isn’t something she wants.
Finally, I say, “I’ll need some time to think about it, Linda…honey.”
“You need more time?” Mrs. Davison looks taken aback, reminding me that her husband wasn’t the type of person who would need time to make decisions. He proposed to his wife on their first date, purchased the first house they saw on the market, and died of his first heart attack. There was simply no room for hesitation in the man’s life.
Life is too short to be wasted on making decisions.That was Mr. Davison’s well-known motto.
Thus, I feel the need to justify my answer. “You see, honey, one thing nice about being dead is you don’t need to hurry anymore. You have all the time you need.”
“It makes sense,” Linda smiles. “But the thing is, Ed. I only get to speak to you once a month. Betty says there’s a vacancy, and the manager is holding the spot for her. I’ll need to let her know within a week.”
Damn. “I’ll see what I can do, then.” I pause to think. I could speak to David because he’s home, and it shouldn’t take too long for him to decide. “I’ll speak to you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Linda’s eyes light up. “Okay.”
Chapter 6
David
I put on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, take out a book from my briefcase and go downstairs. I sit down on a chair under an oak tree next to the rose bushes.
This is a perfect summer afternoon. The sun is setting, but the sky is still bright. I relax into the seat and open the crime mystery I’ve been reading. It’s an intriguing story that I’ve enjoyed for the past few nights. But today, I have a hard time getting back into the story because my mind keeps straying.
