Page 30 of The Naughty List
When we arrive, he looks ready to bolt from the vehicle like a tortured animal.
“Not a fan of the holidays?” I inquire as we walk inside the center.
“Not really.” He pulls on his black sweatshirt and I notice the WDA logo in the top left corner. It’s almost too small to be legible. I make a mental note to talk to someone in the Marketing department about enlarging it.
“How come?”
Shrugging, he pulls his hood up over to cover his head. “Just wasn’t all that special when I was growing up so I was never too excited about it.”
I don’t know much about his childhood and he seems uncomfortable enough as it is, so I don’t push.
Once we reach the main desk, I greet Wanda, my grandpa’s regular day nurse and she asks how my family is doing. We catch up briefly and I show her the robe I brought.
“The entire staff will be grateful,” she says with a smile. “He’s quiet today. I don’t know if he ever did take a nap but he wouldn’t eat a bite for me. Maybe you will have better luck than I did.”
Jonah follows me tentatively down the hall to my grandfather’s room.
“What’s your grandpa’s name?”
“Ralph Leery. We call him Gramps. My mom calls him Pop.” I stop when we get to his door. I should’ve prepared Jonah better on the drive up. “Look, he doesn’t hear very well and he doesn’t always know who I am. Most of the time he thinks I’m my mom so I go with it. They encourage us to correct him gently here but we have to be careful not to agitate him or that’s the end of the visit. He’s also a diabetic and he gets cranky if his sugar is low. If you’d rather hang out in the waiting room, I completely under—”
“I can handle it, Hollis. I’ll behave.” He lowers his hood and places his hand on the small of my back. I don’t know why, but the gesture makes me feel better about bringing him here.
When I open the door, the lights are off but the television is on. Gramps is in the recliner Mom bought him last year at Christmas watching a game show I don’t recognize.
I knock gently on the door as we enter. He doesn’t acknowledge me. This isn’t unusual.
I set the shaving kit on his bedside table and see the tray containing his untouched vegetable beef soup, a roll, and a small bowl of cantaloupe covered in plastic wrap.
“Gramps, your soup is going to get cold,” I say softly.
Nothing.
I move to the window beside him so I’m in his line of sight without blocking the television. “Aren’t you hungry? It smells good. Looks like vegetable beef. Your favorite.”
His watery eyes move slowly to where I’m sitting but there’s no sign of recognition in them. I force a smile. He returns his attention to the television.
When I was a kid, I thought this man was ten feet tall. He carried bubble gum in his pockets to sneak me and my brothers when our parents weren’t looking. He used to call me squirt and tell me I was his favorite granddaughter. I’m his only granddaughter, but I didn’t realize that until I was ten or so.
Every visit it feels like that version of him, of who he used to be, is slipping further and further away.
My heart aches as I continue to comment on everything from the weather to the show he’s watching without the slightest response from him.
I’m about to give up and tell Jonah we can go. When Gramps doesn’t recognize me, I don’t break out the razor for fear he might flip out mid-shave.
“This soup is making me hungry,” Jonah comments suddenly. “Think I might see if I can sweet talk one of these nurses into bringing me a bowl.”
My grandpa snorts. “Good luck.” He turns and looks at Jonah. “Hey, do I know you?”
Jonah shrugs. “I don’t know, Mr. Leery. Do I look familiar?”
Gramps stares long and hard at him. “You’re that fighter. The one from TV with the lightning fast reflexes and the strong left.”
My mouth drops open. I don’t bother to hide my surprise. He doesn’t recognizemebut he recognizes Jonah who hasn’t fought in years?
Jonah grins. “Well, thank you, sir. I thought you were going to say the one who walked away at the peak of his career like everyone else does.”
Gramps grunts. “Everything has to end sometime, boy.” Before Jonah can respond, my grandpa continues. “I did a little boxing during my time in the Army.”
