Blackbird (15 page)

Chapter Fifteen

              Robert pulled into the parking lot of the nursing home barely missing another parked car in his haste. Hearing that his mother was so upset they couldn’t calm her down and that she was asking for him sent him into a tailspin. Paul was the main contact but they had failed to get hold of him, likely he was in surgery if that was the case. Robert didn’t need to be told twice. He sped all the way there, barely saying a word to Chelle who was looking confused and worried herself.

              He should have offered to drop her off somewhere before seeing his mother to take care of whatever was going on, but he was in such a state of panic it didn’t even occur to him. Now as he looked at his gas gauge he swore. “Shit. I’m sorry about this, Chelle. I’m almost out of gas and it’s freezing out here. I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I’m sure they have a place for you to wait. You’ll have to come in or you’ll freeze to death.”

              “It’s ok,” she said. “I just hope your mom is alright.”

              “I hope so too. I’ll try to take care of whatever it is quickly.”

              “It takes however long it takes. It’s your mom. Don’t hurry on my account.”

              The inside of Angel Manor was, on the surface at least, cheerful and bright. Large windows in the main area where the public came and went suggested a happy living environment. The rooms toward the back where his mother was being kept suggested anything but. To Robert it looked like a prison. Much less attention was put into this area with its old grey walls and yellowed floor tile. Greg had referred to it as a ‘great place.’ Robert huffed at the thought.
Great my ass.

              Once he’d passed the outer waiting area he could hear his mother crying and when he rounded the corner what he saw broke his heart. She was standing facing the window, forehead pressed to the glass, big wet tears streaming down her face sobbing like a lost child. In his entire life he’d never seen her that way. The woman who’d kick a drunk out of Cole’s without the aid of any bouncer and kept all the financial books, most of which she’d committed to memory, didn’t seem to know where she was.

              A very exasperated nurse was standing next to her, trying to convince her to get back in bed. “Come on now, Lillian. You’re upset. You should lie down and take it easy.” The nurse obviously didn’t know who he was talking to. Lillian Cole had never taken it easy. She always went at things full force and when life hit hard, she hit back harder.

              “Mom?”

              She turned to him upon hearing his voice and stretched her arms out. He went straight to her and held her for a moment. She was so frail and if at all possible, had seemed to become smaller in this place overnight. “Oh, Robert I can’t find the dogs. And I want to go outside and look for them but these people won’t let me.”

              Instead of his presence calming her, she cried harder. He walked her over to the bed where they sat down, his arm around her shoulders. “The dogs are fine, mom. They’re at home.”

              “No, they’re not. I don’t see them anywhere.” Robert realized the reason she was so upset was that she thought she
was
at home. He hadn’t thought it possible for his heart to break any more, but it did.

              A robust blonde woman in a bright blue pantsuit peeked her head around the corner. “Mr. Cole? I’m Pamela, the director. Can I see you out here for a moment?”

              His mother cried harder still. “Don’t leave me.” His mother begging for anything was not something he was accustomed to. For a moment he wanted to cry as well.

              “I’m just going into the hallway for a second, Mom. I’m coming right back.”

              She pressed her forehead against his chest as if it were the last time she were ever going to see him, soaking his shirt with her tears. It was almost physically painful to tear himself away from her but did he did it, following Pamela out into the hallway. They stepped around the corner, the sounds of his mother’s sobs floating down the corridor, into his ears, into his brain. It took all his focus to hear what Pamela was saying.

              “This has been going on for over three hours now. We’ve tried everything to calm her down, but nothing seems to be working. Does this happen often?”

              “I’ve never seen her like this before at all, let alone often, so no.”

              “I think we should consider giving her something to calm her down. I’ve called for the doctor and as soon as he sees her he can order something. Shouldn’t be long.”

              “So you’re going to drug her to be quiet? I’m not sure if I like the sound of that.”

              “Mr. Cole, I assure you it’s quite common in dementia patients. We can’t have her causing a ruckus. It’s not good for the other patients and it’s not good for her, and it won’t be good for you if we have to keep calling you all the time especially if it’s not doing any good.”

              “You can call me as often as you need to.”

              She could see Robert wasn’t a fan of what she was proposing and crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. “I think you’ll change your tune on that when we’re calling you at three a.m.”

              “If it’s three, four, five, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m always available.”

              “You have to understand Mr. Cole, this is something that’s done. Better to get started now. Your mother is only going backwards from here.” Robert wrung his hands together. Why did people have to keep saying that? Surely they were talking about someone else. Another patient perhaps, not his mother. As hard as he tried he couldn’t process the fact that she was going to get worse, and at some point, die. He stood in the hallway, leaned up against the support rail that ran all along the corridor suddenly feeling old himself. He tried to formulate a response, but none came.

              As he stood there he realized his mother had fallen silent. The constant barrage of sobbing he and everyone else had been listening to since he arrived had ceased abnormally quickly. Sensing he needed to check on his mother he forgot about talking to Pamela and made his way back around the corner and to the door of her room.

              Chelle, who he assumed he had left back in the cheery lobby, had followed him all the way down and he hadn’t even noticed. She was sitting with her back to Robert, kneeling down in front of his mother, speaking softly to her. Lillian’s lips had now curled up in the corners to a small smile as Chelle reached out, taking her wrinkled hands in hers and stroking them gently. She was whispering something to her as she did, although Robert could not make out what.

              Robert, the nurse, and Pamela all stood watch. Enthralled at what they were seeing. For several minutes Chelle kneeled and spoke softly. There was no denying it, Robert was in awe. She had never met his mother but Lillian Cole was looking at her and smiling like she was looking into the eyes of a long lost friend. The look on her face was one of pure contentment and he relaxed fully as Chelle worked whatever magic she had. They all did.

              After a time she stood, helped the old woman into bed and covered her over tucking her in. She touched her hand one more time and Lillian closed her eyes falling almost instantly into sleep. Chelle looked up noticing everyone for the first time.

              “Young lady if you ever want a job, we’re hiring.”

              Chelle laughed under her breath and keeping her voice low said, “Well, I have an interview today, but if that doesn’t work maybe I’ll come see you.”

              “You do that.” Pamela turned back to Robert. “I’ll give you a call later on to let you know how she’s doing. We’ll go from there.” Robert nodded and Pamela made her exit, gesturing for the nurse to follow.

              Robert wanted to hug her. He was so grateful that his mother was no longer suffering that he wanted to sweep her into his arms and squeeze her, maybe kiss her too, but that would risk freaking her out. Instead he came and stood close to her as they both looked down on his now sleeping mother together. “What did you say to her?”

              “I just told her that everything was ok. Sometimes that’s all people really need to hear.”

              “Everyone else tried that and it didn’t make a bit of difference though.”

              “I don’t know,” she said locking eyes with him finally. They were so dark, so deep. This woman was a deep well of secrets and suddenly the only thing he wanted was to find out what each and every one of them were. “Old people like me.”

              “Would you really come work here?”

              “Depends how my job interview goes today.”

              “I’m starting to think you were meant for bigger things than being a barmaid. You working for me seems like kind of a waste.”

              She fluttered her eyelashes. Once, twice, three times. Robert wasn’t sure if she had done it on purpose or if it had just come naturally but the gesture caused his pulse to race and his mouth to run dry. “I like working for you.”

              “Good. You’re hired then.”

              She smiled. “Good. I’m glad we settled that. And your fiancé won’t be firing me again?”

              “I told you. I don’t have one of those.”

              “Just making sure. Because the next time someone kicks me out of there I’m never setting foot in that place again.”

              Despite the fact that her tone hardened the smile never left her face. “Duly noted.”

After making sure his mother was settled they were back in the car and heading toward Oceanview Drive. “I can go straight to work. You don’t have to drop me. I was supposed to start at three and it’s after that now.”

“I told you there are no openings until tomorrow. You’re gonna be a real keener, I can tell.”

Chelle reached out and playfully smacked his arm. “Stop it, Robert. We both know you’re short staffed. You need me tonight.” He was beginning to realize that was true in more ways than one.

“I don’t. Get some rest. You didn’t look so good this morning. You look better now, but I need you firing on all cylinders. I run a tight ship.”

“You’re also kind of pig headed.”

Robert looked down the end of his nose at her, feigning offense. “That’s no way to talk to your boss Miss. Canary.”

“My apologies, Mr. Cole.” Both of them were laughing now. Snow fell on the road before them and they stared out the window as the car went silent. As Robert hit the turn signal to head for her street she said, “You should drop me on the corner. Right in front would be suspicious.”

“Are you going in now?”

“Everyone’s having dinner so I should be ok.”

He stopped the car and Chelle reached for her backpack, but Robert got to it first. He held it for a moment before handing it over, not wanting to let her go. “Chelle, I hope we can be friends.”

She reached forward prying the backpack from his fingers and smiling again. “We are friends.”

“Good. I’m glad. I hope we can do this again sometime. My cell number is on that card you know, so…if you need anything…”

“It’s ok. I know where to find you. See you tomorrow, boss.”

Backpack in hand she exited the car, swinging it over her shoulder as she did. Any sign of injury seemed to have left her as she strode down the street, moving with much more ease than she had just this morning. Robert watched, holding his breath as she pulled up her hood, darted up the driveway and into the house. When she was safely inside he let the breath out. For a moment he sat in the car, telling himself he was crazy for being involved in any way with someone like her. Then he noticed that even as the thought crossed his mind he was smiling. He felt better than he had in months and decided he wasn’t going to question it.

Chapter Sixteen

              Hyori Gwok was annoyed. Of all the times her husband’s father could have picked to have a massive heart attack did it have to be when they were wintering in Florida? She so hated this time of year and the only reason they were setting foot back into it was because they believed the old man to be on his last legs. Now that they’d made their way home to Canada, at great expense, he was expected to live. If he was going to cost them all that money he could have at least had the decency to die.