Page 34 of Take Me Please, Cowboy
Uncle Clyde just wanted to be alone, and have his meals served to him in bed.He even resorted to using the bedside urinal, so he didn’t have to get up too often.In theory, Ansley didn’t mind dumping his urinal and washing it out before returning it to his bedside, but he was supposed to be regaining mobility and independence.He wasn’t making the slightest effort to do either.
He asked her to move the TV set into the bedroom, and she agreed, but then worried that if she moved a TV into her uncle’s room, he’d have no incentive to become more independent.She tried to call her mom, but she was out, or unavailable, Ansley’s call going to voice mail.Ansley knew better than to call her dad.Her dad refused to get involved.She’d always respected her dad so much but his inability to forgive his brother, and his unwillingness to help make decisions for his care and the ranch, deeply disappointed her.
Troubled, Ansley drove to the Wyatts to get advice.Melvin and Summer Wyatt welcomed her warmly, and they sat at the kitchen table having tea and banana bread which Sophie had baked that morning.
“I worry that Uncle Clyde is regressing,” Ansley said, feeling guilty for coming to the Wyatts but she didn’t know what to do, and the Wyatt family had been neighbors with the Campbells for generations.If anyone outside the family knew how to deal with Clyde Campbell, it would be them.“He’s asked me to bring the TV into the bedroom and there’s no cable access in the bedroom.I could ask the cable company to come and put in access, but I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do.The doctor was adamant that Uncle Clyde has to get out of bed and walk every day.He needs the exercise and stimulation, but he’s only getting up to use the bathroom once or twice a day and he won’t allow me to schedule the physical therapist.Insurance will cover someone coming here and working with him.”
“But he’s getting up to use the bathroom?”Summer asked.
Ansley hid her embarrassment.“He’ll use it once a day, but the rest of the time he prefers peeing in the plastic urinal the hospital sent home with him.I then empty it for him.”
Melvin glanced at Summer who appeared equally concerned.“That’s not right.He should be up and moving around, strengthening his legs.”
“And working with the physical therapist, doing the exercises,” Summer said sternly.“Even I do my exercises.”
“I’m glad you’ve come to us,” Melvin said.“You shouldn’t have to be dealing with those all on your own.Hopefully your parents will be coming soon.This shouldn’t fall on you—”
“Or you,” Ansley interrupted carefully.“You have your own family to take care of.I don’t want you being burdened.I just hoped you might have some ideas.I’ve never done any elder care.I never even did much babysitting when I was younger, so this is all new to me.”
Summer reached over and placed a light hand on Ansley’s.“We have a long relationship with Clyde.His wife Sandy was one of my good friends.We’ll start paying Clyde visits.He’ll come ’round, you’ll see.”
Ansley gave Summer’s hand a gentle squeeze.“Thank you, but I hope you don’t think I’m complaining—”
“No.You’re trusting us, which is good,” Melvin said.“And I’ll be stopping by later today but won’t mention that you’ve been here.”
Ansley nodded gratefully.“Thank you, and I should be getting back.It’s probably not smart of me to leave him alone.”
“You’ve only been gone twenty minutes or so,” Summer said.“If he’s sticking to bed, he should be fine.”
But Ansley was already on her feet, reaching for the car keys.“Thank you again—”
“Don’t thank us,” Melvin said, interrupting her as he, too, got to his feet.“Think of us like family.We’ve got to stick together and take care of each other.It’s the only way to get through life.”
Impulsively, Ansley hugged Melvin, and then gave Summer a careful hug, too.“Lucky to have you as neighbors,” she said.
“We feel the same way,” Melvin said, walking Ansley out to her car.
She opened the driver-side door and hesitated.“If Summer knew Clyde’s wife, Sandy, then you must have known my dad and Uncle Clyde as kids.”
“I did.My boys grew up with the Campbell boys.They played sports together and competed in amateur rodeo events together, but Sam and JC went pro, and Clyde and Callen had their own careers.Your dad enlisted and he never returned.That was a shame.He was missed.”
She looked up at Melvin, curiosity filling her.“You knew why he didn’t come back.”
“I knew.We all knew.”
“Why did he do it?”she asked, thinking of the photo in the Campbell living room of two little boys all dressed up for church.
“You mean, why did Clyde steal Sandy from your dad?”Melvin sighed.“Why does anyone do anything?Desire, fear, anger, insecurity?But of all those things, I think your uncle truly cared for Sandy.I think he’d always envied Callen’s relationship with her—he’d harbored secret feelings for her—and so once your dad was gone, Clyde saw an opportunity and he took it.”
“What was Sandy like?”
“Pretty, petite, and very lively.She was raised on a ranch close to the town of Emigrant and she was as social as they came, always organizing picnics and barbecues.In winter, she’d have everyone out at Miracle Lake ice-skating and building a bonfire.She tended to be the life of a party, which I think appealed to Clyde.Clyde was not as outgoing as your dad, and not as confident.Clyde was quiet and shy, and Sandy was the opposite.”
“I can’t imagine my uncle with someone like that.He seems so… crochety.”
“All I know is that he truly loved Sandy.From the start, he adored her, and after they married, he treated her like a queen.She brought out the best in him, and she was his world, and since they didn’t have children, he was hers.”
“They didn’t want children?”
