Burnt Bridges

I’ve been busy with working out, cooking against my will (trying out recipes that won’t upset my gut), and needlepoint. My schedule is free of reading material, as I've nothing new to read since finishing up Vicky Ward’s book.

Finished It

Such a sad pathetic family No 45 has.

They have money, power, some not all have looks, but all are so warped, damaged by greed that I feel pity, rather than disgust.

At any rate, my favorite author Walter Mosley had two new books come out while I was reading Kushner Inc. and these other three ....

Finished 'Em

But, what with my other activities, I’ve not the time for catching up with Mosley’s books right now.

Except for Friday when, after that trip to the desolate looking senior center, I returned home and jumped directly on the indoor bike and did six miles, I let Trainer and myself down remainder of the weekend.

The fitbit, on days not with him, generally register some activity, at least 55 – 60%, but I didn’t do any moving on Saturday. Just sat on the couch thinking/meditating, staring out the patio window into space, occasionally seeing residents go here/there/up/down the pathway.

Sunday was more of the same ─ thinking, meditating, staring into space, glimpses of seniors, except I did put the fitbit on and managed to register 32% puttering around in the unit.

During my sabbatical from activity, I heard sirens approaching and seem to stop out front.

That happens so often with the old people suffering falls, heat exhaustion, death, that I no longer head outside to see who/what. It’s sad to say, but I’ve become desensitized. I never left my perch on the couch.

Then, on Sunday, seeing residents walk down the pathway obviously, from how dressed, heading off to church, it occurred to me .... I haven’t seen The Seer or Shadow on the pathway. In fact, I’ve not seen either of then since Apache’s birthday when they gave him the unwrapped gift of a watch.

Not seeing either of them is a pretty big deal because, regular as clockwork, Shadow was on the pathway, coffee cup in hand, heading to The Seer’s unit for breakfast. Along about noon, you’d see the two of them heading for his unit and/or off somewhere for lunch/an excursion. On Sundays, it was off to church for the two of them.

So thick were they that I’d prophesized a wedding in their future.

And seeing their comings/goings on the path, it’s not that I’m spying on them. More like they put themselves in my line of vision when I’m staring off into space, looking at nothing.

At any rate, I’ll have to catch up with Apache, ask what’s happened to them, do they even still live here, thought I.

During this morning’s training session, Trainer said, “There was some trouble at your building on Saturday”.

Don’t know if he was driving by and spotted police and fire rescue, or saw from his studio, but I admitted hearing the commotion but that I was too desensitized to go outside and check on who/what, but guessed it was probably a death.

It was.

Immediately after working out, I’d popped into the market and who did I see but my buddy Apache.

He tells me the death was a woman who lived on the opposite side of the complex. Long time readers might recall her as the Woman Who Runs into Things ─ she backed into the decorative median in front of the complex, ran over the flowers, backed into and bent the tree, then almost hit the back end of a car she was following through the gate.

Her car has all kinds of dents and dings from other things she’s obviously hit, all of which is how she’s been tagged with the name Nancy The One Who Runs into Things (NWRiT), in order to distinguish her from the other Nancy we have 0n the property.

NWRiT was found deceased fairly quickly by a neighbor who’d heard noise in her unit, described as bumps and banging around.

Accustomed to Nancy running into things, inside and outside, the neighbor didn’t check right away but said, a little while later, something told her to. The door to Nancy’s unit is always unlocked, so the neighbor went in, found her sprawled out in the front room, called authorities.

NWRiT was lucky to have been checked on and handled so quickly.

When I asked Apache if The Seer and Shadow still live here, the answer was yes, but Shadow is no longer attending church with Seer, no longer even driving The Seer to church. Neither ever comes to Bingo now, and Shadow no longer comes to the game room to shoot pool with the guys.

I haven't even seen him outside smoking", as is his habit, said I.

"He's in his unit drinking", said Apache.

It appears both are keeping a low profile.

Awkward!

Whatever happened between the two, I imagine The Seer is embarrassed because she got on her high horse at landing a man, angry and defensive because she'd settled on a man who made her look desperate to be in a relationship, and burned so many bridges.

And this explains why, on Sunday, I saw the other Nancy on that walkway.

What’s she up to; she’s never down this way was my immediate thought, as I saw her pushing her walker on the path.

Dollars to donuts, it’s because Shadow lives down that way.

She’d pressed up on him when he first moved in, but had come on so strong that she scared him away and into the arms of The Seer. I wouldn’t put it past him to be more amenable now, making it even more awkward for The Seer.

Looks like the beginning of an interesting soap opera.