Page 67 of Too Old for This
It may be designed to look like a castle, but there’s no royalty here. Just a lot of elderly people and staff. At least the smiles don’t seem too fake.
The tour ends in Miss Marcia’s office, which looks like an eighteenth-century sitting room. She has a pot of tea brought in and we have a chat.
“I’ll be the first to admit Tranquil Towers isn’t for everyone,” she says. “But the people who choose to be here love it.”
“It’s definitely different,” I say.
“So you’ve looked at a lot of places?”
I take a sip of the tea. Different brand than mine, not quite as good. “A few, yes. I’m still trying to decide.”
Miss Marcia pulls out a booklet. Burgundy with gold trim and a crest in the middle. “There’s a lot of information in here. I’m happy to go over it, if you’d like?”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
My phone buzzes. Archie is calling. I motion to Miss Marcia that I have to take it and move into the hallway. Monday morning is an unusual time for him to call.
“Archie? Is everything okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
I am now confused instead of worried. “What’s going on?”
“There’s just a few wedding things to go over. I want to make sure this all works for your schedule.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you, and yes, I would love to hear the details. Can we talk later?”
“Are you busy right now?” he asks.
“I’m heading into the doctor’s office.”
Pause.
“Doctor? What doctor?”
“Everything is fine. Just a checkup.”
Not my best lie, but I don’t want to talk to Archie about this. I’m not ready to discuss it yet.
Miss Marcia is sitting behind her desk, and she looks a bit annoyed. Hard to blame her for that. I hated it when customers at the bank kept me waiting while they talked on the phone.
“I guess we can talk later,” he says. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m sure. And I’m looking forward to hearing all about the wedding. Love you.”
I end the call and return to Miss Marcia. It takes over an hour to go through the details, including pricing, and to get all my questions answered. Despite looking like a castle, Tranquil Towers is less expensive than Oak Manor. It’s in the same range as Serenity Village, but much nicer.
As I start the long drive back, I realize why. This place is in the middle of nowhere, two hours away from Baycliff, from my church, and from my friends.
CHAPTER 37
The long drive gives me plenty of time to think. The scenery is beautiful, yes, but notasbeautiful the second time around. The thought of driving back and forth twice a week to church is not appealing.
And who knows how long I will beableto drive. That’s one more thing I don’t want to think about.
When I’m back home, I sit down with my computer and start putting everything together. On principle, I would never make a spreadsheet, but I can make a price list for Oak Manor, Serenity Village, and Tranquil Towers. First, the cost of an individual unit, then the monthly cost for all the amenities.
I add in four more columns—for the amount I can comfortably pay if I live for five, ten, fifteen, or twenty years.
