Show me the way to go home

This is a short story I wrote about my Papap, I know it seems long, but I'd like to think it's well worth the read! Please take the time to check it out.

“Hello, Maggie? This is Nurse Jill down at Caring Heights. How are you?”

“Hi Jill, is everything okay?”

“Orlando isn't doing too well, he had a sudden drop in blood pressure and he’s not very responsive. We had to hook him up to oxygen to maintain his breathing.”

“Thanks Jill, I’ll be there as soon as possible”

Trembling, trying to find her keys, Maggie breaks down in tears. 

“Please God, let me make it there before you take him.” She whispers to herself. 

She struggles out the door for her feeble body impairs her from moving well. She notices her son Tom who happens to live right next door; however, he might as well live clear across the country in an underground bunker because he’s never around. He’s a spitting image of Orlando, but he’s nothing like his father. It was eight months ago when Tom saw his father last, he felt no need to take the time to visit him because he thought his father wouldn't even remember who he was. See, Orlando suffered from Dementia and although the disease was eating away at his brain he still managed to recall those he loved most, yet it was too much for Tom to see him slowly dissipating.

“Your father isn't doing too well,” Maggie said, “maybe you should come with me to the home to see him for once.”

With no hesitation Tom flicks his Marlboro red cigarette on to the pavement and walks toward his mother’s 1997 scuffed up silver Chevy Impala. She wastes no time and ventures off on her ten minute drive to see her ailing husband of 62 years. As Maggie turns the bend she nearly collides head on with her granddaughter Kelly, they both swerve just barely missing contact. As Kelly rolls down the window to talk to her Nana she realizes her Nana’s face is flushed with fear, that her vexed expression isn't just about their near car accident.

“What’s wrong?” Kelly exclaims in a worried tone.

Tears begin to roll down Mae’s cheek as she struggles to get out the words, 

“Your Papap isn't doing too good, I’m going to the nursing home.”

“I’ll follow you there,” Kelly said as she began to pull away hurriedly. 

She knew this day was coming, but she didn't think it was going to happen so soon. Dressed in all black, coming straight from work smelling like soy sauce and egg rolls, Kelly wastes no time and begins to venture to the nursing home, praying that she doesn't get the call from her Nana that it’s too late.

They burst into the nursing home getting bombarded with that unmistakable smell of disinfectant that’s so strong it tickles their nose hairs. They see the familiar faces of all the residents who eagerly greet them with big smiles on their faces, for they have no idea of the severity of their visit, yet Maggie and her family say “Hi”, and smile back. As they walk further, they see him. Orlando is reclined in the upright position on a hospital reclining chair hooked up to oxygen in the hallway by the nurses’ station; they put him there so the aides could keep a close eye on him. He’s down to 85 pounds now and his legs are so weak that they’re stuck in the same curled up fetal position.  He’s responsive and he can recollect who everyone is with a little bit of encouragement and help. They all sat there in silence for a few minutes looking at what old age and a mind eating disease could do to someone. He can’t do anything on his own anymore, he can’t go to the bathroom by himself, he can hardly hear, and he has to be spoon fed or else he won’t eat. Their eyes fill up with tears as Maggie leans in to kiss Orlando. She tells him how much she loves him and asks,

 “Do you want to go outside to cut some grass today gee?”

For years she called him Gee, it was a name he had acquired during his Army days in the thirties while he did time in the Philippines. Now, anyone else might think the statement of cutting grass seemed ridiculous as it was being directed towards a man who can’t even stand up, but it was something she had said to him almost every day for years.  If there was one thing Orlando loved as much as his family it would have been his grass. For over forty five years he cut his grass every single day even when it didn't need cut. He would ride around on his big black and grey refurbished riding lawnmower from Sears, giving the grandchildren rides, and just enjoying the summer sun beating down on his face all while smelling that distinct scent of fresh cut grass that only nature can produce, to him it was the smell of satisfaction.

“I’ll go cut grass.” He replied in a faint mumble.

At that point, Kelly thought it would be a good idea to lighten the mood so she asked him to sing a song because on good days he would sing his heart out, over and over again because he would forget that he started singing in the first place. Sure enough Orlando began singing, “show me the way to go home,” by the late great Irving King. It’s amazing how the mind works, a man who doesn't remember what he said ten seconds ago can recall a song that’s nearly as old as he is.

He seemed okay, maybe this isn't the end Kelly thought to herself, yet no more than a minute later Nurse Jill dressed in her usual black and white checkered scrubs approached Maggie and her family. She told them that they had called hospice in because it didn't look like he would last much longer than a few weeks. There wasn't much more they could do that day, they had been there for over three hours just staring blankly at him and at each other. They all kissed and hugged him and said their I love you’s as he replied back, 

“I love you too.” 

Little did they know that was the last time they’d hear him speak.

The next few days continued to go downhill, Orlando wasn't eating and he was becoming less and less responsive. He just laid In bed, with his eyes open not moving an inch. Maggie made sure she went to see him every day, as opposed to every other day. She stayed for lunch and dinner so that she could feed Orlando herself, otherwise the nurses would have just let him starve. Maggie knew his condition was getting worse when she gave him his usual handful of M&M’s for the day and he wouldn't even eat them.

Orlando had one other son Rick who lived in Texas and a daughter Donna who just so happened to leave for vacation the day before things got worse with her father. Rick was like Tom in the sense that they both didn't want to see their father in the nursing home lifeless, but Donna on the other hand didn't care. She went and visited her father almost every other day; she would push him around on his wheelchair outside so that he could enjoy the sun and watch the stray cats run around in the open field behind the home. He loved those days.

Sunday came; it was almost a week since Orlando had his episode. Donna had come back from vacation and didn't waste a minute to go spend time with her “daddy”. Maggie, Donna, her husband Bob along with their three daughters Kelly, Michelle and Christine sat in room 513 for hours. It was the longest day ever, filled with tears and laughter as they reminisced of the times Orlando shined his brightest, he was the type of person who never had anything bad to say about anyone or anything. He was loved by not only his family but his community. He always smiled and laughed and his presence alone was enough to light up a room. See Orlando and Maggie weren't just grandparents to their children’s kids they were grandparents to about twenty-five of their grand kids friends, everyone called them Nana & Papap.

As day turned into night things weren't getting any better with Orlando’s condition, the family asked Father Paul from St. James Church to stop by and give support and to say any prayers to help them make sense of this difficult time they were having.  Father Paul said his heartfelt prayers then anointed Orlando with oil as a rite that is performed to convey God’s Grace through the power of the Holy Spirit.

It was getting late; almost midnight when everyone but Maggie decided to leave the nursing home, she decided to spend the night with her husband for the first time in almost two years. She attempted to sleep in the empty hospital bed beside Orlando but she kept getting up in the middle of the night to check if he was still breathing. She held his hand for the majority of the night and for a brief moment she noticed he squeezed back. Soon night turned into day and before Maggie knew it was 12 p.m , she was talking to the hospice nurse when her youngest granddaughter Kelly walked in the room. The nurse explained to Maggie and Kelly that it’s just a matter of time before he passes away.  The nurse sat down beside them and in a very calm tone she said,

 “He’s comfortable, and I don’t think he feels any pain but in the next couple of days you’re going to notice his breathing is going to become less apparent. There’s going to come a time where he won’t breathe for what seems like ten to twenty seconds and then he’ll gasp for one last breath.” 

Kelly and Maggie both sat there and nodded as they tried to comprehend all of this, they stared at Orlando lying there lifeless.

The Hospice nurse left, there was nothing left for her to do. The room was silent. Kelly and Maggie sat on both sides of Orlando, Kelly holding on to one hand and Maggie holding on to the other. Kelly leaned in to kiss his head as she whispered, 

“I love you Papap,” 

she slowly sat back down in her chair feeling weak in the knees. Maggie was beginning to feel a bit restless; she had been there for almost twenty-four hours straight and was still wearing the same blue skirt and flowered blouse as the day before. She debated going home for some rest as she blankly stared at her ailing husband. Before any decision was made Kelly and Maggie both noticed at the same time that Orlando hadn't taken a breath in over ten seconds. Maggie stood up and said, 

“Kelly is he breathing?” 

Kelly hopelessly shook her head and said, 

“I think this is it.”

 Maggie bent over and began hugging and kissing Orlando, and for the first time since he’s been ill she said to him,

 “it’s okay to go home now, you can go cut the grass.” 

As they sat there weeping, Orlando took his last breath.