sleep.
Olympia stood and stepped out from behind the privacy curtain. Elinore was there, propped up against a pile of pillows, listening to her radio and reading. Ever gracious, she was trying to give them as much privacy as she could in the close, cluttered room.
“Elinore?”
“Yes, dear?”
How do I say this without sounding like a criminal investigator, which at the moment is exactly how I feel?
“Uh, has another one of the chaplains been in to visit you? A man named Luther Stuart?”
“Not me, Olympia. He only comes to see her.” Elinore gestured to the sleeping woman in the other bed.
“He doesn’t visit you?”
“Oh he’s polite enough when he comes in. He says hello and asks how I’m doing, but he always goes right over to see her.” Elinore held her hand up to the side of her mouth and whispered, “If you ask me, I don’t think she likes him very much.”
“Really, did she actually say that to you?” Olympia hoped she was keeping her voice level, but she felt an uncomfortable tightening in her chest.
Elinore wiggled herself into a more upright position. “Not in so many words. She said he asks a lot of questions about her family and her husband and if there’s anything she’d like to tell him. I try not to listen, but you know what it’s like here. There’s no real privacy.”
“What does she do then?”
“Oh, they talk a little. Then he takes her hand and reads the Bible. Sometimes he strokes the side of her face. Like I said, I try not to snoop, but if it was me, I’d tell him to mind his own business.” Elinore grinned at her own impertinence. “That’s what happens when you get old, you say what you want. But Nancy is nicer than I am, and she probably likes the company. No matter how many people come to see you, Olympia, it gets lonely in here. I suppose he’s doing his job, but I’ve never liked having any kind of religion shoved down my throat. You’re a chaplain, too, dear, but you don’t come in here pushing God at me.”
Now it was Olympia’s turn to grin and squeeze back a few fond tears in the process. God I love this woman, she thought. She made a mental note to ask to Nancy again about this when she returned on Monday. Better to check it out in person before jumping to any conclusions. This was all so new, and there was still so much to learn.
“So, Elinore, how are you doing today? I see you’ve got your leg on.”
“I’m doing real good, Olympia. I walked all the way to the far end of the hall and back again before they caught me.”
By now Olympia was laughing out loud. “Caught you red-footed, did they?”
Elinore cast a conspiratorial glance toward the door, then stage-whispered to Olympia, “I’m not supposed to be walking around without someone beside me in case I fall. It’s one of the rules, but I’m bound and determined to go back to my own home. Gerry promised to come in every day and help me.”
“Who’s Gerry, one of your sons?”
“No, dear. I guess you haven’t met him yet. He’s my boyfriend.”
Olympia dialed Jim Sawicki’s rectory number the minute she got home.
“Jim, its Olympia. Have you got a couple of minutes? I need to talk to you about something at the hospital.”
‘Only a minute, I’m on my way out. What’s going on?”
“This is going to take longer than that. Do you have any time Saturday morning?”
“Olympia, you have been there exactly four days, and already something’s gone amiss. What is it with you?
“It could be serious, and I could also be overreacting. That’s why I want to talk to you and get a reality check before I go into overdrive. Maybe we could meet at some halfway place.”
”Is Braintree halfway enough for you? There’s a breakfast place just off the highway at the first exit after the split, Lucky’s Diner. You’ll love it, great omelets and fried potatoes. Grease for two with extra butter. What time’s good for you?”
“Nine?”
“Nine it is,” said
Olympia stood and stepped out from behind the privacy curtain. Elinore was there, propped up against a pile of pillows, listening to her radio and reading. Ever gracious, she was trying to give them as much privacy as she could in the close, cluttered room.
“Elinore?”
“Yes, dear?”
How do I say this without sounding like a criminal investigator, which at the moment is exactly how I feel?
“Uh, has another one of the chaplains been in to visit you? A man named Luther Stuart?”
“Not me, Olympia. He only comes to see her.” Elinore gestured to the sleeping woman in the other bed.
“He doesn’t visit you?”
“Oh he’s polite enough when he comes in. He says hello and asks how I’m doing, but he always goes right over to see her.” Elinore held her hand up to the side of her mouth and whispered, “If you ask me, I don’t think she likes him very much.”
“Really, did she actually say that to you?” Olympia hoped she was keeping her voice level, but she felt an uncomfortable tightening in her chest.
Elinore wiggled herself into a more upright position. “Not in so many words. She said he asks a lot of questions about her family and her husband and if there’s anything she’d like to tell him. I try not to listen, but you know what it’s like here. There’s no real privacy.”
“What does she do then?”
“Oh, they talk a little. Then he takes her hand and reads the Bible. Sometimes he strokes the side of her face. Like I said, I try not to snoop, but if it was me, I’d tell him to mind his own business.” Elinore grinned at her own impertinence. “That’s what happens when you get old, you say what you want. But Nancy is nicer than I am, and she probably likes the company. No matter how many people come to see you, Olympia, it gets lonely in here. I suppose he’s doing his job, but I’ve never liked having any kind of religion shoved down my throat. You’re a chaplain, too, dear, but you don’t come in here pushing God at me.”
Now it was Olympia’s turn to grin and squeeze back a few fond tears in the process. God I love this woman, she thought. She made a mental note to ask to Nancy again about this when she returned on Monday. Better to check it out in person before jumping to any conclusions. This was all so new, and there was still so much to learn.
“So, Elinore, how are you doing today? I see you’ve got your leg on.”
“I’m doing real good, Olympia. I walked all the way to the far end of the hall and back again before they caught me.”
By now Olympia was laughing out loud. “Caught you red-footed, did they?”
Elinore cast a conspiratorial glance toward the door, then stage-whispered to Olympia, “I’m not supposed to be walking around without someone beside me in case I fall. It’s one of the rules, but I’m bound and determined to go back to my own home. Gerry promised to come in every day and help me.”
“Who’s Gerry, one of your sons?”
“No, dear. I guess you haven’t met him yet. He’s my boyfriend.”
Olympia dialed Jim Sawicki’s rectory number the minute she got home.
“Jim, its Olympia. Have you got a couple of minutes? I need to talk to you about something at the hospital.”
‘Only a minute, I’m on my way out. What’s going on?”
“This is going to take longer than that. Do you have any time Saturday morning?”
“Olympia, you have been there exactly four days, and already something’s gone amiss. What is it with you?
“It could be serious, and I could also be overreacting. That’s why I want to talk to you and get a reality check before I go into overdrive. Maybe we could meet at some halfway place.”
”Is Braintree halfway enough for you? There’s a breakfast place just off the highway at the first exit after the split, Lucky’s Diner. You’ll love it, great omelets and fried potatoes. Grease for two with extra butter. What time’s good for you?”
“Nine?”
“Nine it is,” said
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