Living Life A Bit Differently, chapter 11
Billie Joe entered the hospital he was so used to being inside, five new cards sat safely in his pocket. Once he walked up to the receptionist's desk, the receptionist smiled, "Hey, Billie. New cards today?"
This was his latest time in many that he had been finding the people who had given him flowers.
"Yes..." He fished for the five cards in his pocket, quickly unfolded them and handed them to the receptionist, who he had known by now that her name was Linn.
Linn smiled--a real smile--and took the cards. When she had finished looking everyone's name up on the ancient computer, she wrote each room number or where to find each person down on a piece of paper and handed him the paper and the cards.
"If you have any problems, you know where to find me." Linn winked before continuing with whatever she was doing.
Billie looked at the first thing on the list of messily scribbled names and numbers: Mrs. Apocoly, second floor; room 235. He read it slowly to memorize it, hoping that Ms. Nesser was right about his memory.
He then stuffed the paper into his back pocket with the folded cards and headed for the elevator. Once he had taken the elevator and had gotten onto the second floor, he checked the numbers: 227, 229, 231...
When he had reached the room he was looking for, he knocked on the door, not wanting to barge in. A tiny "come in" was heard and he opened the door to see a weak old women hooked up to a bunch of machines.
"Mrs. Apocoly?" Billie asked nervously.
"It's 'Ms.', deary. My husband died a long time ago." Ms. Apocoly stated with a chuckle.
Billie nodded and sat down next to her bed, and sat there in silence. He didn't know what to say, the same with every other person he had thanked for the cards he had recieved.
"I-I just wanted to say thank you for sending me flowers," Billie took out the card she had sent him with the bouqet of rododendrans.
The old women smiled, the first one in a long time, "You're the boy who had that surgery. I appreciate you comin' back, not many people like sittin' with an old women, too much trouble."
She patted his hand which was laying idly on her bed.
"I could come back some day if you want," Billie answered, placing the card back in his pocket.
Ms. Apocoly rested her head back down on the pillow, "I would love that, come back anytime."
Billie nodded and stood up. He pushed the chair back next to the wall and walked towards the door. Before he could go any farther, Ms. Apocoly stopped him; "Please do come back soon, it gets very lonely in here."
"Okay, I'll come back tomorrow." Billie answered, and smiled.
He left to find everyone else on his list, hoping everyone was as nice and friendly as Ms. Apocoly, the old women in room 235.
***
Adrienne placed each item on the conveyer belt, not paying too much attention to anything else. She was in a hurry, Mike was to be home from work in an hour and she had to cook him a good dinner for their anniversary.
"Adrienne! Long time no see!" Jess smiled as she began to push Adrienne's food supplies over the price check and stuff them in bags.
After being fired by Kit, she had begged her Aunt to give her a job at K*Mart, failed, and landed a cashier job in the local food store.
On her apron, there was a name tag that read "Hello, my name is Jessilyn", which she had used a marker to scribble out the last few letters so it then read "Jess".
"Wow, I didn't expect to see you here!" Adrienne laughed, taking her wallet out of her purse.
Jess shoved more cans into large brown paper bags, while Adrienne put them in her cart.
"Yeah, well, I got fired so now I work in this Hell Hole." she sneered as passing employees stared at her rudely.
"Yes, Billie Joe told me."
Jess stopped what she was doing, "How's he doin'? Gettin' any smarter?" she asked, concerned for her old friend.
"He's a fast learner, I've never met anyone who had such a drive to learn."
Jess, not satisfied with this answer, continued, "Yeah, that means he's getting smarter, right?"
"Every day," Adrienne answered happily, "He misses you, you know. Says he hasn't talked with you in a long time. Care to share or is it too personal?"
"Fifty dollars and thirty-three cents..." Jess read out Adrienne's bill, and the women handed her $100.
Jess handed back the change, "I'd rather not talk about it, I'm still a bit pissed with Billie Joe."
"Is there anything I can do?" Adrienne asked simpathetically.
Jess turned to her, "Tell Billie I'll call him some day this week."
Adrienne nodded and said good-bye, not sure Jess heard her, because she was already helping another customer. She pushed the cart out into the parking lot and towards her car, immediatly remembering the dinner she had to prepare.
This was his latest time in many that he had been finding the people who had given him flowers.
"Yes..." He fished for the five cards in his pocket, quickly unfolded them and handed them to the receptionist, who he had known by now that her name was Linn.
Linn smiled--a real smile--and took the cards. When she had finished looking everyone's name up on the ancient computer, she wrote each room number or where to find each person down on a piece of paper and handed him the paper and the cards.
"If you have any problems, you know where to find me." Linn winked before continuing with whatever she was doing.
Billie looked at the first thing on the list of messily scribbled names and numbers: Mrs. Apocoly, second floor; room 235. He read it slowly to memorize it, hoping that Ms. Nesser was right about his memory.
He then stuffed the paper into his back pocket with the folded cards and headed for the elevator. Once he had taken the elevator and had gotten onto the second floor, he checked the numbers: 227, 229, 231...
When he had reached the room he was looking for, he knocked on the door, not wanting to barge in. A tiny "come in" was heard and he opened the door to see a weak old women hooked up to a bunch of machines.
"Mrs. Apocoly?" Billie asked nervously.
"It's 'Ms.', deary. My husband died a long time ago." Ms. Apocoly stated with a chuckle.
Billie nodded and sat down next to her bed, and sat there in silence. He didn't know what to say, the same with every other person he had thanked for the cards he had recieved.
"I-I just wanted to say thank you for sending me flowers," Billie took out the card she had sent him with the bouqet of rododendrans.
The old women smiled, the first one in a long time, "You're the boy who had that surgery. I appreciate you comin' back, not many people like sittin' with an old women, too much trouble."
She patted his hand which was laying idly on her bed.
"I could come back some day if you want," Billie answered, placing the card back in his pocket.
Ms. Apocoly rested her head back down on the pillow, "I would love that, come back anytime."
Billie nodded and stood up. He pushed the chair back next to the wall and walked towards the door. Before he could go any farther, Ms. Apocoly stopped him; "Please do come back soon, it gets very lonely in here."
"Okay, I'll come back tomorrow." Billie answered, and smiled.
He left to find everyone else on his list, hoping everyone was as nice and friendly as Ms. Apocoly, the old women in room 235.
***
Adrienne placed each item on the conveyer belt, not paying too much attention to anything else. She was in a hurry, Mike was to be home from work in an hour and she had to cook him a good dinner for their anniversary.
"Adrienne! Long time no see!" Jess smiled as she began to push Adrienne's food supplies over the price check and stuff them in bags.
After being fired by Kit, she had begged her Aunt to give her a job at K*Mart, failed, and landed a cashier job in the local food store.
On her apron, there was a name tag that read "Hello, my name is Jessilyn", which she had used a marker to scribble out the last few letters so it then read "Jess".
"Wow, I didn't expect to see you here!" Adrienne laughed, taking her wallet out of her purse.
Jess shoved more cans into large brown paper bags, while Adrienne put them in her cart.
"Yeah, well, I got fired so now I work in this Hell Hole." she sneered as passing employees stared at her rudely.
"Yes, Billie Joe told me."
Jess stopped what she was doing, "How's he doin'? Gettin' any smarter?" she asked, concerned for her old friend.
"He's a fast learner, I've never met anyone who had such a drive to learn."
Jess, not satisfied with this answer, continued, "Yeah, that means he's getting smarter, right?"
"Every day," Adrienne answered happily, "He misses you, you know. Says he hasn't talked with you in a long time. Care to share or is it too personal?"
"Fifty dollars and thirty-three cents..." Jess read out Adrienne's bill, and the women handed her $100.
Jess handed back the change, "I'd rather not talk about it, I'm still a bit pissed with Billie Joe."
"Is there anything I can do?" Adrienne asked simpathetically.
Jess turned to her, "Tell Billie I'll call him some day this week."
Adrienne nodded and said good-bye, not sure Jess heard her, because she was already helping another customer. She pushed the cart out into the parking lot and towards her car, immediatly remembering the dinner she had to prepare.
