“That was thoughtful of you; I’ll take it now.” Sal took the paper and tucked it in his pocket.
Henry petted Teeny, who had been prancing on Phyllis’ purse; trying to get his attention.
Phyllis smiled. “Teeny just loves when you take him along on your paper route,” she said.
“Oh, and I like having him, too,” Henry replied. “He’s good company, and when he gets tired of walking, I just put him in my satchel.”
“Yes, and I’m sure Teeny feels right at home in there,” Phyllis said wryly.
Henry approached Betty and touched her sleeve. “Um, Betty?” he began tentatively. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry… you know, about Ernest. He was always really nice to me… and showed me how to build stuff and fix things… and how to whistle.”
Henry licked his lips and whistled for Betty.
Betty smiled. “You sound just like him, Henry. Ernest can whistle the birds right out of the trees,” she said.
Henry looked down at his feet as he went on. “It’s like… I can’t believe he’s gone. We were planning to go fishing this spring.” Henry’s voice cracked. “We tied flies and everything. I just wish I had a chance to thank him…for, you know… everything.”
“Oh, don’t you worry,” Betty said mysteriously, glancing over Henry’s shoulder. “He already knows.”
As Betty spoke, Sal felt an odd prickle on the back of his neck, and noticed the boy’s hair move strangely; as if it were being tousled by an invisible hand.
Sal was touched by Henry’s obvious affection for Ernest.
“I’d be happy to take you fishing, Henry,” Sal offered.
Henry’s looked at Sal in surprise. “Really?” he asked.
“Sure, we’ll go in the spring, as soon as it gets warmer,” Sal promised.
“Gee… thanks, Sal.” Henry gave Teeny another pat before saying goodbye and leaving the diner.
Phyllis turned to Sal. “That was very sweet of you, to offer to take Henry out fishing,” she said. “I didn’t realize you knew how to fish.”
“I don’t,” Sal admitted. “I guess I should learn before spring.”
Phyllis laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about it,” she said. “If anyone could figure out the best way to catch a fish, it would be you.”
The group finished their coffee and got ready to leave.
Sal heaved Phyllis’ giant purse onto her walker, along with the food she had packed earlier.
As Phyllis and Sal headed to the cash register, Sal noticed Betty lingering at the table and nudged Phyllis with his elbow.
Phyllis turned to see Betty talking to the empty space next to her. She laughed and kissed the air, before gathering her coat and mismatched glove and mitten.
Chapter 6
“Would you like me to bring the car around?” Sal asked as they left the diner.
“No, we’ll go with you, Sal. It’s not far if we cut through the alley,” said Phyllis.
Betty stopped; her eyes wide with alarm. “No!” she cried. “We mustn’t go that way.”
Phyllis sighed. “Now Betty… we don’t want to go all the way around the plaza, do we? I just can’t walk as far as I used to. Come along, or we’ll be late for the meeting with your lawyer.”
Betty frowned. Nobody seemed to listen to her anymore. She reluctantly followed Sal and Phyllis into the alleyway, looking around nervously.
The alley was narrow, and shaded by tall buildings on either side. It seemed very dark in comparison to the bright winter sun they had just come from.
They hadn’t gone very far when a hooded man, wielding a knife, leaped out from the shadows.
He stood in front of Phyllis, blocking her way and waving the knife threateningly.
“Gimme that bag, you old bat!” he snarled. He grabbed Phyllis’ handbag, knocking over her walker and dumping her dinner onto the pavement.
“Stop! Thief! My bag! TEENY!!! Phyllis screamed.
Stunned, Betty watched as the events of her dream unfolded before her eyes.
The robber must have underestimated how heavy Phyllis’ bag was. He was already struggling to run with it when Teeny poked his head out of the giant bag and began biting his hands.
“Hey! Get off me!” the thief yelled.
Had Sal been a younger man, with two good legs, he would have run after the crook and tackled him.
Instead, the old man lifted his cane, took careful aim, and flung it at the escaping crook. The heavy cane sailed through the air, end over end, until the solid metal handle connected with the back of the robber’s head. The thief dropped like a rock. He lay motionless, sprawled on the pavement. Phyllis’ bag rested near him, its contents scattered all around the alley.
“Teeny?” Phyllis whispered in a choked voice.
As the three seniors cautiously approached the robber, Teeny crawled out from under the bag, shaking his fur. He gave the unconscious man a disdainful sniff before lifting his leg to pee on him.
Phyllis heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that her beloved dog was unharmed.
“I…I tried to warn them, Ernest,” Betty whispered. “But they just don’t listen to me anymore.”
Moments later, a man ran into the alley. He was tall, with salt and pepper hair. After looking at the comatose thief in astonishment, he righted Phyllis’ walker and began to gather up the spilled contents of her purse.
“I was coming from the Veteran’s Memorial when I heard shouting,” he told Phyllis as he deposited a stapler, a potted plant, and the folding ruler back in her bag. “I ran here as fast as I could, but it seems you folks already have the situation under control.”
Phyllis described what happened. As she did, Teeny began showing off, lunging and growling at the still-senseless thief, as if boasting that he had apprehended the thief all by himself.
Just then, Henry ran into the alley, his satchel bouncing off his hip. “When I heard you scream, I called the cops… they’re on their way,” he assured Phyllis in a breathless voice. He crouched down to help gather up the items from her bag. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes, Henry… we’re fine,” Phyllis replied.
Sal had retrieved his cane, and was limping back when the tall man saw Sal’s face for the first time. His eyes went wide and he leaped to his feet, stood at attention, and gave Sal a smart salute.
Sal put his hand on the younger man’s shoulder and said, “At ease, I’m retired now.”
“So this,” the man pointed at the unconscious thief, “is your idea of a relaxing retirement?”
“Well, no.” Sal shook his head. “But this isn’t how I usually spend my day.”
The man laughed and said, “Well Sir, you always did find clever uses for that cane… I should have known it was you.”
As the two men talked, Henry stared at Sal; a look of wonder on his face.
When the police arrived, Henry left to finish delivering his papers. The cops began questioning everyone. The thief, who still seemed disoriented, was put in handcuffs, and placed in the back of a cruiser.
The police officer who was questioning Betty had an exasperated look on his face. “Okay now, which one of you is Ernest?” he called out in frustration.
“Oh dear,” said Phyllis.
They were definitely going to be late for the meeting with Betty’s lawyer.
Chapter 7
It took a long time for the police to finish their paperwork after the purse snatching. The cops had some difficulty sorting out what happened, since Betty’s description of the event included a conversation with her dead husband, Sal being beaten by a giant man, and something about a toothpick.
Phyllis called the lawyer and rescheduled Betty’s appointment for tomorrow. It was just as well, as three seniors were getting tired, and Phyllis wanted to get home in time to watch ‘Jeopardy’.
Sal and Phyllis dropped Betty off first. They went inside with her to make sure she had everything she needed fo
r the night.
They didn’t like leaving Betty at home by herself. They worried she might accidently start a fire, or mistakenly eat something toxic.
Shortly after Ernest’s death, Phyllis and Sal had suggested that Betty move to an assisted living facility. But Betty refused to live anywhere else.
“Ernest built this house for me with his own two hands. I’m staying right here,” was Betty’s stubborn reply. Since they couldn’t convince Betty to move, Sal and Phyllis had made an effort to reduce the hazards in her home. Sal unplugged Betty’s stove, Phyllis emptied the medicine chest, and they checked in on Betty as often as they could.
Betty’s small house had a homey feel to it, with well-worn furniture and dozens of photos covering the walls. Ernest and Betty had raised seven children in this house, and although they loved her, Betty’s children had become too busy with their own lives to realize just how bad Betty’s memory had become.
Phyllis smiled, took a photo from the table, and showed it to Sal. “Do you remember this?” she asked.
It was a photo of Ernest, Betty, Phyllis, and Sal standing in front of Niagara Falls.
In the picture, Sal and Phyllis stood very close to one another, almost touching. Ernest, with his white hair and whiskers, still managed to look like Santa, despite the fact that he wore a shirt that said ‘OLD FART.’ He had his arm around Betty, who gazed adoringly at him. An even-teenier Teeny peeked out of Phyllis’s handbag.
Sal nodded. “Sure, I remember. We had a lot of fun on that bus trip. Look, Teeny was just a puppy then.”
Phyllis wiped the dust from the frame and placed the photo back on the table. She left two pills and a glass of water next to the photo, with a note to remind Betty to take them at the proper time.
“Now remember, we’re going to the lawyer’s office tomorrow right after water exercise… we’ll pick you up at nine,” said Phyllis.
“Don’t forget to lock the door,” Sal reminded Betty as they left.
“Don’t worry. Ernest will take care of me,” Betty said as the door shut.
Betty’s parting statement did nothing to reassure Phyllis and Sal as they made their way back to the car.
*****
Alone inside her house, Betty wandered aimlessly from room to room, talking to herself as she tried to remember her bedtime routine.
As she headed to her bathroom, the door to Betty’s house locked with a loud click; seemingly all by itself. Then the deadbolt slowly slid into place as if it were moved by an invisible hand.
Two curlers hung crookedly from Betty’s hair when she wandered back into the kitchen, holding her dentures in her hand. She stopped and stared at the dentures for a long moment, as if wondering how they got there. Betty then looked around the kitchen with a puzzled expression. Finally, she placed the dentures in the freezer… right beside her slippers.
When Betty climbed into bed, a transparent hand gently pulled the covers up to Betty’s chin, and tenderly stroked her thin, grey hair.
“Good night, Ernest,” Betty said sleepily.
Betty fell asleep, and again dreamed of the man with the toothpick. He advanced toward Betty and her friends; waving a knife menacingly.
Betty groaned and rolled over in bed. Groggily, she reached out toward the empty pillow. When she fell back asleep, her dream changed. Now she and her friends were prisoners, locked in a small room with no way out. She saw Phyllis hunched over her walker, sobbing.
Betty awoke with a start and sat up. Even though she was safe in bed, she still felt as though she were trapped and needed to escape. She clutched the blanket to her chest and wondered if she was really awake or still dreaming.
Ernest’s hazy form appeared on the edge of the bed. He wiped the tears from Betty’s eyes with a misty finger, and stroked her hair until she fell back asleep.
*****
After leaving Betty’s house, Sal dropped Phyllis off at the senior housing complex where she lived. As she unlocked her door, Phyllis noticed a rolled-up newspaper on her doormat. Teeny jumped down and retrieved the paper for Phyllis.
There was a note on it:
Dear Miss Phyllis,
I had an extra. No charge.
-Henry
PS: Sorry you got robbed
Phyllis smiled. Being on a fixed income, Phyllis couldn’t afford a daily copy of ‘The Specter County Spectator’, but Henry knew she liked to read the obituaries and solve the crossword puzzle.
Phyllis took her paper and hurried inside, hoping to catch the last half of ‘Jeopardy’ while she and Teeny ate dinner.
Phyllis’ tiny apartment was crammed with baskets and boxes that were chock-full of all kinds of useful things that were just too good to throw away.
Phyllis grunted as she hoisted her handbag onto the cluttered kitchen table and turned on the TV. Teeny jumped onto the couch to watch.
Phyllis frowned; remembering how the thief ruined the food she had saved for dinner. She opened the refrigerator, even though she knew there wasn’t much in there. It was the end of the month, and the money she got from her tiny pension often ran out before she received her next check.
Phyllis rooted around the cluttered apartment, opening boxes and drawers until she finally produced a small, dented can of corned beef hash. She winced as she struggled to operate the can opener with her stiff, swollen fingers. She listened to ‘Jeopardy’ while she worked, answering all the questions correctly before the contestants did.
When she finally succeeded in opening the can, Phyllis moved a box off the couch so she could sit beside Teeny while they shared the can of hash.
After ‘Jeopardy’, Phyllis climbed into bed. It had been a long and tiring day. Teeny positioned himself at Phyllis’ feet and faced the bedroom door. He growled as if to warn anyone who might dare disturb Phyllis while she slept.
“You’re a good boy, Teeny,” said Phyllis.
Phyllis’ twin sons, who were both veterinarians, had given Teeny to Phyllis as tiny a puppy. They were moving to California to open an animal hospital, and they worried their mother would be lonely without them.
At first, Phyllis had told her sons that she did not want the responsibility of owning a dog. But when Phyllis saw Teeny’s furry little face and big brown eyes, she quickly changed her mind.
From then on, Teeny had appointed himself Phyllis’ guardian and he took his job very seriously.
Teeny gave the bedroom door one last menacing growl, and then, satisfied that Phyllis was safe, the devoted little dog put his chin between his paws and fell asleep.
*****
After dropping Betty and Phyllis off at their homes, Sal arrived at his own house and limped inside. His house was plain and tidy. There were no knick-knacks or pictures on the walls.
As Sal got ready for bed, he thought about when he first retired, and how difficult it was to adapt to life outside the military.
Sal first became acquainted with Ernest, Betty, and Phyllis at the Senior Center pool, after his doctor suggested a water exercise class might help his injured leg. The class participants were all women, except for Ernest, who immediately befriended Sal. Soon, Sal began joining Ernest, his wife Betty, and her friend Phyllis for meals and outings. Over the years, they became the family Sal never had.
Ernest’s sudden death had been hard on Sal, and at his funeral, Sal had made a silent vow; that he would help Betty however he could.
Sal’s thoughts turned to Phyllis, and how he had liked her from the moment he met her. He liked how her eyes crinkled when she smiled, and how she always seemed to get his jokes. Sal wanted to tell Phyllis how he felt about her, but he wasn’t good at that kind of thing.
Sal lay down on his narrow bed, turned out the lamp, and tried to go to sleep.
Chapter 8
After delivering his newspapers, Henry hung out in front of the senior center, finishing his homework on the steps. He could go home, but his mom worked second shift today, and that meant the apartment would b
e empty.
Henry didn’t like to be alone in the apartment. The walls were thin, and the sound of the neighbors talking and laughing only made Henry feel more isolated.
Henry would rather be here, outside the Senior Center, greeting people as they came and went. The old folks were nice to him, and they usually had time to talk.
Henry thought about Ernest, and how much he missed the kindly old man.
Ernest had always stopped to talk to Henry, and eventually Henry began to help Ernest with odd jobs around the house. This developed into many afternoons spent in friendly companionship while the old man taught Henry new skills. Together they’d washed cars, built bird houses, raked leaves and so on.
Ernest’s cheerful but absent-minded wife, Betty, often brought them snacks while they worked.
Henry smiled, remembering the time Betty had baked them cookies, but she’d confused the salt with the sugar, and they tasted terrible. Not wanting to hurt Betty’s feelings, Ernest ate his cookie with gusto, all the while telling his beloved wife how good it was. Taking his cue from Ernest, Henry took a big bite of his salty cookie, and tried to keep a straight face while he enthusiastically agreed that it was the best he’d ever tasted.
Betty’s wrinkled face beamed with pride as Ernest and Henry complimented her baking.
Ernest gave Henry a conspiratorial wink, and suddenly Henry felt… included, like he belonged. It made him happy, to be united with Ernest in a secret attempt to save Betty’s feelings.
Henry sighed. That was the last time he’d seen Ernest before he died. They had spent that afternoon tying flies in preparation for their upcoming fishing trip.
Henry bit his lip and poked his pencil into the hole in his sneaker.
If I had only known that that was the last time I was going to see him, Henry thought, I would have… I would have…
Henry didn’t know exactly what he would have done; said something special or hugged the old man, maybe. Henry barely remembered saying goodbye to Ernest that day. He had just assumed he would see Ernest the next day at the Senior Center. He didn’t realize that he was saying goodbye to him forever.
Henry shivered. It had gotten dark, and the Senior Center was closing. Henry’s bottom was cold from sitting on the concrete steps. The receptionist passed Henry on her way to the parking lot.
“Are you waiting for a ride home?” she asked.
“No, I live right there.” Henry pointed to his apartment building.