Page 35 of Talk to Me

“You are incredibly nosy,” I teased. “Not everything I do is about you or for you. Being perpetually online has made it impossible for you to mind your own business, hasn’t it?”

Theo laughed loudly.

“Okay,” he said, “I am a very curious person. Especially when we’re talking about the lives of my friends.”

Stopping and turning to him, I considered him for a moment. Theo stopped to face me, a goofy smile affixed to his face.

Telling him about Spice House and Arthur wasn’t that big of a deal, really. Arthur wasn’t some big embarrassing secret, and my friendship with him wasn’t a personal shame. However, I’d always refrained from talking about him much with others. It wasn’t to protect myself; it was because our friendship was precious to me.

When I told people I went and hung out with a senior man in his assisted living facility every Monday, I didn’t like the reactions I received. People would smile and nod, as if they had come to some understanding. As if I was doing Arthur some big favor by keeping him company. They immediately thought Arthur had no one who cared about him, so I was simply trying to be a good person by hanging out with him until the inevitable happened.

The truth was, Arthur was a real friend. Even after I graduated from Midway, I’d find ways to come back and visit him as often as possible. Not just that, he was a vital, healthy man for his age. He wasn’t sitting in a dark room, hooked up to machines, waiting for death. He lived at Spice House because he had a few mobility issues at times, and having help nearby in case was good. Having help at hand if he found his knees or back acting up made him feel secure.

Also, the staff at Spice House did all the cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Arthur simply had to bathe himself—though he could get assistance if needed—and entertain himself in between meal times and activities. As far as I was concerned, we should all end up as lucky as Arthur. If you find yourself living in a home that has regular movie nights, game nights, serves three delicious meals a day, and does all of your chores for you, you won at life.

So, I didn’t want to see those stupid sympathy grins on people’s faces when I talked about one of my best friends.

It was that simple.

“Do you want to come with me?” I asked without thinking it over. “Sate your curiosity?”

Theo studied me for a moment, his eyes squinting with deep thought.

“This isn’t a trick, is it?” he asked. “You’re not going to drop me on the side of the highway to teach me a lesson for getting in your business, right?”

Laughing, I started walking again.

“Well, I wasn’t going to,” I said. “But now that you’ve given me the idea…”

Laughing, Theo ran to catch up with me.

“Okay,” he said. “I’m in. But if I end up walking miles back to campus, I will never forgive you and I will make a video for Peepers about what a dick you are.”

“Fair,” I said.

We got to my car and I unlocked it with the fob. Theo slid into the passenger seat and closed the door. He immediately fastened his seatbelt, which I appreciated. I hated having to tell grown people to wear their seatbelts, or worse, arguing about it. I followed his lead and started the car.

“It’s cool you bring your car to campus,” Theo said. “Do you have to drive far to get home?”

“A few hours,” I said. “East side of the state. But it’s not bad.”

Heading out of the parking lot, I listened as Theo talked about his car he had at home. Living across the country, it was too much of an ordeal to bring his car to have available while attending classes. So, he either had to walk everywhere or ask friends for rides. Having not made many friends at Midway yet, he was doing a lot of walking so far. Of course, I told him I’d be happy to drive him places if he needed when I had time. Being a college student and not being able to easily get to a grocery store was a pain, so I would be happy to help.

At the gas station, Theo grabbed a giant fountain drink, several bags of chips, and enough candy to get him through an apocalypse while I considered the candy aisle. Although Rolos was Arthur’s favorite, having too much of a good thing often lessened one’s love for it. After careful consideration, I decided on a Twix bar for Arthur. He could still get his caramel and chocolate fix, but with the cookie layer, it’d make things different enough to not wear him out on the combination of sugary substances.

When I got back to the car, Theo was loading up the supplies he’d purchased for his dorm room, a twelve-pack of sodas having joined the rest. He smiled at me sheepishly when I laughed at his haul. Immediately, I told him we’d plan a trip to the local grocery store over the following weekend so he could stock up. Grinning with gratitude, he slid back into the passenger seat as I hopped into the driver’s seat once more.

A few minutes later, after furthering our trip down the highway, I was pulling into the parking lot of Spice House. Theo leaned forward and stared out the window at the sign as we passed into the parking lot, a look of wonder on his face. When I parked and got out without saying anything, he followed my lead and walked across the parking lot in silence with me. We checked in at the front desk, as I always do, and got our name badges to stick to our shirts.

Leading Theo down the hallway that led to Arthur’s room, he would peek into rooms surreptitiously and glance at residents we passed. Whenever I’d say “hello” to a staff member or resident by name, I could tell he was dying of curiosity. However, he had enough tact to realize that asking too many questions while at Spice House was probably rude. When we got to Arthur’s room and I knocked, I could tell that Theo was about to burst at the seams.

Arthur’s voice came from beyond the closed door before Theo could say anything.

“Come in!” Arthur squawked.

I pushed the door wide and led the two of us into the room. Theo’s eyes danced around as we made our way into the room, not quite noticing Arthur in his chair. For once, Arthur had his drapes open, the sunlight pouring into the room, filling it with warmth. He only had a throw blanket over his legs, so his button-down and bowtie were on prominent display. He had chosen a blue-on-blue combination for the day. When he saw me, his eyes lit up. However, a second later, he noticed Theo, and his eyes darted over to him.

“Hey, Arthur,” I said cheerfully. “How ya’ doin’?”