Page 7 of Flamingo Christmas

“I’m much better and glad to be back at the shop. It’s getting extremely busy, which is good for business.” Sue sat down and patted the stool next to her. “Sit. Tell me how you are. How’re your parents?”

“That’s why I’m here. I just dropped them off at their place a few blocks away. They took off from the home this morning. It was hours before they reached out to me to pick them up in the old park they used to like to go to. I looked everywhere for them and had forgotten that place.”

“Of course you would. I remember you saying how worried you were that they weren’t getting enough fresh air.”

“That’s right. After Dad’s knee replacement, they kinda stopped venturing out much at all. But now, they’re so unhappy, they wanted a taste of the old neighborhood. Walked to the bus stop all on their own and made their way there. Then they were too exhausted to get back themselves.”

“How sad. I’m sorry for them. I wish you could have placed them in the senior’s home with my parents. They might have settled down better with people they knew.”

“I know. I thought about it but both of them need assistance with their medications, and Dad’s getting feebler all the time. I don’t trust them to be on top of things, and the staff at your parents’ home weren’t willing to look after them.”

“No. You’re right. My folks are still very functional. Mom, especially, likes to entertain and be involved in a lot of activities.”

“See… my mom and dad lead a much quieter life. But they still miss their neighbors and their old place. I don’t know what to do anymore. I want them to be happy. They assure me they’ll be fine. And I might be tempted to believe them if that assurance wasn’t followed by them sadly looking at each other and sighing.”

“What about that couple Colleen mentioned earlier? You know, the ones who were planning to move into the same place as your parents.”

“Their move fell through. They opted to move closer to their son on the mainland in Abbotsford.”

“That’s too bad. You know, maybe they need to live in a smaller place. I saw an advertisement yesterday for an assisted living arrangement in a big old house. The owner is a nurse and has made four small one-bedroom apartments and uses the large communal kitchen for everyone. Seriously, it looked quite homey with nice large windows and gardens all around. Would you like me to go there with you and look into it?”

“Would you? I’d be very interested. Where did you see the ad?”

“Here it is.” Sue opened her phone and sure enough, she found the site she’d seen the day before. “There’s no address, but there is a phone number. Let’s call.”

Jacquie’s face gave away her delight when minutes into the conversation she made arrangements to go there directly to see the place.

“Tell me. What happened?” Sue had been sitting there listening, her fingers crossed, and her heart beating hard.

“The woman told me she’d had a list of people and turned them all away as she’d filled her spots before she’d even opened her doors. Then one of her chosen families lost their partner the day before yesterday, the day they were supposed to move in. Now she suspects there might be a vacancy.”

“How sad for the other couple but it might be just the thing for your parents.” Sue took a moment to grieve for the unknown couple and then she asked for more details.

Jacquie shook off her own sympathetic feelings and straightened her shoulders. “I’m very sorry for the other family too, don’t get me wrong. But if this works out for my mom and dad, I’ll be forever grateful. Would you come with me to look into the place? She said we could go now.”

“Yes, of course I will.” Sue gathered her belongings and noticed the project she’d been working on all morning. “Look. This is as close to Art’s flamingo as I can come. What do you think?”

“I think you have one of the biggest hearts I’ve ever known. I hope he does get back to you and is grateful for all this effort on his behalf.”

“It’s for his little girl. I just wish I knew how to find her.”

“Me too. There must be a way.”

“Yes. That’s what I thought. But I can’t think of anything other than going to the police and getting laughed at.”

“They wouldn’t laugh, Sue. They might think you’re a bit weird is all.”

Both giggling, they carried their good feelings along with them as they drove to the address Jacquie had written down. Surprisingly, it was only a block away from the place Sue’s mom and dad had settled into.

Once they arrived, they saw a lovely old Queen Anne Victorian-styled home with stained glass windows and wonderful gardens all around. “It’s too good to be true,” Jacquie whispered in awe. “It’ll be a fortune.”

“That’s just it. When I scrolled through the site, I was shocked at the price. I believe it’s probably close to what you told me your parents are paying now.”

“Which is already outrageous. These new assisted living accommodations are ridiculously priced. If my parents hadn’t gotten a great deal of money when they sold the old place, there’d be no way they could afford to live like this. Thankfully, they both have good pensions too.”

“Then this is going to work. My only worry is that there must be stairs. Your dad couldn’t handle that, could he?”

“No. But she mentioned that the vacant apartment is on the first floor. Besides, they installed an elevator.” Jacquie grabbed Sue’s hand and held it tightly. “Let this be the one.”

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