I sit by the front door, and I wait expectantly. I wear a rumpled undershirt and sweat pants.
“That is all we could find that was clean, George,” nursing home staff tell me. My family takes my clothes home to wash when they visit. But it has been several months since their last one.
I wonder if they are too busy looking after my grandchild. She turns four today, but we have never met. My son feels my old face, wrinkled skin, and hunched back might frighten her. So I keep quiet.
If I say anything, they might stop visiting altogether.
So moving. Loved it.
Thank you David for your lovely comment.
A study in loneliness leading to a powerful assertion of fear of abandonment.
Thank you Perry for reading and commenting.
Very touching!
Thank you for your kind comment.
Gorgeously emotive slice of life.
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
sad!
Yes. But sometimes we must write about the sad parts of life. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
aw. That’s a bit heart-rending 🙁 Nicely written.
Thank you for reading and making the time to comment. Much appreciated.
Extremely touching. Nicely done.
Thank you.
A good read. A small slice of life through George’s eyes. He sounds so brokenhearted. Well done.
Thank you Joy for taking the time to read and comment.
Stories like these make me want to climb onto an ice floe and drift out to sea before I’m too old to climb.
Thank you for sharing, Shoshauna.
This genuinely made me feel tearful. Powerful in its simplicity. Well done
Thank you Alex for taking the time to read my story and commenting.
So much emotion encompassed in so few words. Sad, but meaningful. Thank you!
Thank you Laura for reading my flash and taking the time to comment.
Very authentic. This family is not alone; there are many like this–unconnected and unloving.
Thank you TTH for taking the time to read and comment. If this family visit George they will be reminded of their own mortality. Aging and the thought of death frightens many people.
Nice work. You’ve brought several core feelings (e.g., loneliness, fear) to the surface in this 3-generational story.
Thank you Neil for your insightful comment.
Nice work Marjan!
Thank you Melanie.
Excellent. Sadly, rings all too true.
Thank you Mary for taking the time to read my story and for your comment.