The door slams and they speed off kicking up exhaust, headed towards the interstate, to finish packing up. I slowly turn eastward, the sun beamed down on my forehead, like a sniper in training. I raise my hand to block my face. A few paces up the walkway, “Todd” starts to jump down my neck about my “frown”. “Hey boss man, cheer up, you’ll have a darn good time her at Timeless” he says. “It’s the sun” I try to explain before he cuts me off with, “Your son misses you too, boss.” I brush pass, heading over to the shade and glass doors, I stop before the handle, turn over my left and say, “You have to be a better listener, man”, “got it, boss, I am all ears!” he responded like an automated system, those damn things are worst than outsourcing.
I waive off the receptionist and turn right and rush down the hall, “Monika” lead me over to my room from the nurses station, “You in Room 1044, right, Mr. Maruchan?” “Yup, that’s what it says on the door, ha, that’s a good one; and just call me Aaron,” I say. “Yeah you are a real natural Mr. Maruchan I will see you in two hours for lunch.” “Wait, I wanted to ask something, cause I just noticed earlier this morning, when we were unpacking my things and such, that you were the supervisor around here. You had a strict sense of time and a strong voice during clean-up, after breakfast. I’ve discovered a weak-link in ya’ team and it’s that Todd guy, he don’t got no heart, well at least no caring one anyway. Why the hell does he always call me boss? It’s almost after every sentence, boss, boss, boss!” “Todd? He is a good kid, I like em, he probably looks up to you” she says and skates down the hall before my reply.
The hallways were dressed with paintings that were signed by Gio Tanner. The floors were a beige and freshly glossed tile. The room smelled like lavender and fresh linen, and the accent walls made the rooms expand.. I head to the corner of the room, place my hand on the chair and look out the window, and back down to the chair, which was a worn-blue with orange and gray circles patterned throughout it, I brought it with me from Jr.’s. I wonder why he had to sell the house on Maple, the yard was kept up, the paint was a mint green, red tile on the roof, and white shutters. The sun always came through in the right spot, feeding my Lucky Chinese Bamboo. Now, I am hardly gonna get any shine with a North facing window. I hear over the loudspeaker, “Assistance to Room 1022 immediately,” it sounded like Monika. I take a seat, and look over some odd papers left on my table, “Progress Note,” “Aaron Maruchan Sr.,” “Condition: Dissociative Identity Disorder, see notes” I skimmed through for more information, Todd swings-in over my shoulder before I could finish, to snag the papers, “Thank, you, I’ll take care of those boss,” and he slips out of the room.
I follow into the hallway, stop at the doorway, look to my left and see the custodian wheeling his mop and bucket into Room 1022, over to my right, the Nurses station is empty. I slip down the hall, to find someone, anyone. “Hey!” I turn around to see a pale, broad, brunette, smiling at me. She was glowing, I probably had her beat by fifteen years, but just looking at her put me back into my thirties. “How do you do? I am, well, everybody calls me Maru, you can call me that, what’s your name?” “Jillian DeMachoa, pleasure meeting you Maru,” “Oh no, pleasure is all mine, wait, can I call ya’ Jill?” I reply. “Sure, Jill will do, there was a Jill in me before I was ever a Mrs. DeMachoa. Enough of that, let’s head down the hall for a game of Tonk,” she offers and I reply, “Yup, just wait a minute, let me grab my glasses.” I return from my room, we head to the tables, crack open the cards and begin to shuffle the deck. “You enjoying yourself here, Maru, I mean have you gotten to meet anyone here?” “Nope, I have not been here long at all. Probably won’t be here long either, my son, will send for me once he and the family gets settled in California. You know it’s a big place over there.”
Dom S. Flagg 2016