Living Life A Bit Differently, chapter 14
Billie walked down the hospital corridors, happy to talk with Edna after nearly a week. Jess and him had spent the time together getting back to being friends, and through the week-long period, he hadn't had time to check in on his elderly friend not once.
When he reached Edna's room, he turned the knob slowly, wanting to surprise her, but what he saw surprised him, and not in a good way. What greeted him was an empty room, the night stand cleared off and the sheets torn off the bed as if no one had been there in years.
He stopped a passing nurse, "Where did Edna Apocoly go, did she switch rooms?" he asked a bit panicked.
"Were you one of her relatives, dear?" the nurse asked in a tone that suggested something bad happened.
Billie Joe had yet to pick up on the 'were.'
"No, I am her friend, where'd she go?" he asked, quickly turning back to the empty bed.
"I'm so sorry, sir, but she passed away." the nurse patted his shoulder, hoping it would comfort him.
But it didn't, "When?!" he nearly screamed, trying to keep the tears from forming.
"Two nights ago, I'm sorry, but she was very old. She passed away in her sleep, peacefully; no pain whatsoever," the women was about to leave Billie Joe to his mourning, but a thought popped into her head, "Are you Billie Joe Armstrong? Ms. Apocoly mentioned you quite a lot, she wanted to give you this."
The nurse pulled a folded piece of paper out of her rather large pocket and handed it the man, who was near hysterics. His friend, his only friend other than Jess, had died.
Billie nodded before staring at the floor embarassed of the way he had acted. Once the nurse was out of sight, he unfolded the white paper and read to himself.
"Dear Billie Joe, my time is almost up, I can tell because Justice Files on the television is starting to become blurry, and that's not a good sign, even for an old geezer like me. I wanted to let you know to always study, you have a lot ahead of you, with intelligence or non, and you will always be loved.
'You may only be one person in this world, but to one person, you may be the world.' Good luck, and even though I was just some old lady, please remember me, I'll definately remember you.
Love,
Edna"
Billie Joe smiled, refolded the paper, and placed it in his pocket gently. He would always remember the old women, she was a great friend, and a good person, and he hoped she was happy where ever she was, now that her time alive was spent.
***
"Look, Billie, I'm sorry for giving your job to someone else, but you were gone for so long, what was I supposed to do, leave the shit all over the floor and lose business?" Kit asked.
"No, but you could've asked how I was doing and when I was coming back; or at least told me I was being replaced." Billie Joe answered quietly.
"Okay, okay, I could've done that much, you're right, but I didn't know the number of the hospital!"
"You could've asked Deefer, or Jess, or Ms. Nesser." he answered, standing his ground.
Billie couldn't believe he was standing up to his boss for once, and winning!
"Oh, shut up and get to work!" Kit huffed, defeated.
Billie Joe sighed and pulled the water-filled bucket off the counter, slowly walking over to the restrooms he was doomed to clean for eternity...or until Jack decided to give his job back.
***
When he reached Edna's room, he turned the knob slowly, wanting to surprise her, but what he saw surprised him, and not in a good way. What greeted him was an empty room, the night stand cleared off and the sheets torn off the bed as if no one had been there in years.
He stopped a passing nurse, "Where did Edna Apocoly go, did she switch rooms?" he asked a bit panicked.
"Were you one of her relatives, dear?" the nurse asked in a tone that suggested something bad happened.
Billie Joe had yet to pick up on the 'were.'
"No, I am her friend, where'd she go?" he asked, quickly turning back to the empty bed.
"I'm so sorry, sir, but she passed away." the nurse patted his shoulder, hoping it would comfort him.
But it didn't, "When?!" he nearly screamed, trying to keep the tears from forming.
"Two nights ago, I'm sorry, but she was very old. She passed away in her sleep, peacefully; no pain whatsoever," the women was about to leave Billie Joe to his mourning, but a thought popped into her head, "Are you Billie Joe Armstrong? Ms. Apocoly mentioned you quite a lot, she wanted to give you this."
The nurse pulled a folded piece of paper out of her rather large pocket and handed it the man, who was near hysterics. His friend, his only friend other than Jess, had died.
Billie nodded before staring at the floor embarassed of the way he had acted. Once the nurse was out of sight, he unfolded the white paper and read to himself.
"Dear Billie Joe, my time is almost up, I can tell because Justice Files on the television is starting to become blurry, and that's not a good sign, even for an old geezer like me. I wanted to let you know to always study, you have a lot ahead of you, with intelligence or non, and you will always be loved.
'You may only be one person in this world, but to one person, you may be the world.' Good luck, and even though I was just some old lady, please remember me, I'll definately remember you.
Love,
Edna"
Billie Joe smiled, refolded the paper, and placed it in his pocket gently. He would always remember the old women, she was a great friend, and a good person, and he hoped she was happy where ever she was, now that her time alive was spent.
***
"Look, Billie, I'm sorry for giving your job to someone else, but you were gone for so long, what was I supposed to do, leave the shit all over the floor and lose business?" Kit asked.
"No, but you could've asked how I was doing and when I was coming back; or at least told me I was being replaced." Billie Joe answered quietly.
"Okay, okay, I could've done that much, you're right, but I didn't know the number of the hospital!"
"You could've asked Deefer, or Jess, or Ms. Nesser." he answered, standing his ground.
Billie couldn't believe he was standing up to his boss for once, and winning!
"Oh, shut up and get to work!" Kit huffed, defeated.
Billie Joe sighed and pulled the water-filled bucket off the counter, slowly walking over to the restrooms he was doomed to clean for eternity...or until Jack decided to give his job back.
***
