Friday, May 18, 2012
Today’s afternoon Bingo started on a very bright note. After a brief moment of uncertainty (there were only four or five people in the Bingo room, and no official 10-ton Bingo table), I almost literally ran into Eileen from Activities in the hallway. She was pushing the official 10-ton Bingo table.
She smiled. “I was thinking we should rename Home Bingo to Volunteer Extraordinaire Bingo,” she said.
I smiled back. “I don’t see what would be wrong with that,” I said. “We could call it V.E.B.!”
Inside, Eileen stopped to talk to Gary. I was really hoping I’d see Gary today. I rubbed his shoulder and he said a very sweet hello, but I didn’t want to interrupt, and when I turned around, he’d disappeared.
As I was loading the prize cart, I saw Leo Martell outside the door. “No Bingo for you today,” I said. “Only nice people.”
Eileen kind of gave me a look. “He’s been confused today,” she said.
I didn’t realize Leo got confused that way. I told Eileen I wouldn’t tease him, then, and she said normally she likes it when I do.
Just then Leo snorted, “Whaddya mean, no Bingo? I’ll be nice.”
I smiled at Eileen, and she smiled back.
“You have to promise,” I told Leo. And Leo was back.
There was a new guy in Royal’s usual Bingo spot today—a young-looking man working on the crossword and the Sudoku from the newspaper. I introduced myself.
When David Fox wheeled in to his usual spot, which is usually right next to Royal, I introduced him to his new tablemate.
“His name is Kevin,” I told David.
Kevin said, “Tell him Kevin stands for ‘handsome.’” I did.
David said, “Kevin stands for a mansion?” I made a hand gesture that probably is not the universal symbol for “handsome,” but David got it.
“Tell him I can’t hear,” David said. “I might have to ask him his name later.”
“I think you just did,” I told David.
Bingo moved along nicely, with Matt calling numbers and two other volunteers helping residents with their cards.
Royal was sweet enough to sit at another table instead of asking Kevin to move—and she won every single game there. “Maybe that’s a good spot,” Matt said.
Billy won and asked again for the prize cart as his prize. “I would do that,” I said, “but then I’d have to load all the prizes on your lap and push you around for everyone else.” He picked pudding instead.
At one point David called me back to ask about my family. He always asks about my family. “And you have a son named … Kevin?” he said. And then he said, “No. That’s not right. Give me a minute.” So I did.
In just about exactly a minute, David turned around and waved me over.
“Your son is Carson,” he said. I beamed and rubbed his shoulder. “Yes,” I said.
“And he can’t play chess better than me, but he’s a better downhill skier,” David said.
I laughed. “That might be true,” I told him. “But he’s also a better golfer.”
“Golf!” David said. “That’s right.”
Near the end of Bingo, Dick came in, but not in time to win. He did, though, overhear Kevin say he is from Wyoming, and he perked up a little.
“Were you from Wyoming, too?” I asked Dick.
“Still am,” Dick said. Point taken.
Bingo was over, but David and Kevin were still getting to know each other. David was asking questions, and Kevin, brilliantly, was writing the answers on his newspaper. It was the most heartwarming thing I’ve seen in a long time.
I told Kevin it was a pleasure to meet him, and I was glad he’d come to Bingo. I headed for the door full of happiness and affection—and then Dick stopped me.
“I don’t know what to do,” he said, and his lips started to quiver. “I feel like I’m going crazy.”
He has done this before.
“Why don’t we go down to Activities and see what’s going on?” I asked him. “There are always people there, and something to watch on the big TV.”
We got to Activities, and I told Jane the volunteer that Dick could use one. An activity, I mean.
She pointed to the table where Dick apparently already had been playing cards. A big note on the table said Dick’s next smoke break was at 4:15.
Dick looked at his watch. “What am I supposed to do until then?”
I didn’t really know. But he had an idea.
“Would you come outside with me?” he asked. “Just as a friendly thing to do? I just want to be with someone I know.”
I pushed Dick outside. He wanted to sit in the smoking area, but another resident said he couldn’t because of his oxygen tank. At the same time, Lyle and Arla were coming out to sit in the sun. I suggested Dick join them. Lyle was very welcoming.
“What do we do here?” Dick asked.
“Just sit,” Lyle said.
So he did. No one talked. I asked Dick whether he would be all right there, and he said he would.
“I’ll see you at Bingo tomorrow, OK?” I said.
“Tomorrow?” Dick asked. And he looked at his watch again.
Today’s afternoon Bingo started on a very bright note. After a brief moment of uncertainty (there were only four or five people in the Bingo room, and no official 10-ton Bingo table), I almost literally ran into Eileen from Activities in the hallway. She was pushing the official 10-ton Bingo table.
She smiled. “I was thinking we should rename Home Bingo to Volunteer Extraordinaire Bingo,” she said.
I smiled back. “I don’t see what would be wrong with that,” I said. “We could call it V.E.B.!”
Inside, Eileen stopped to talk to Gary. I was really hoping I’d see Gary today. I rubbed his shoulder and he said a very sweet hello, but I didn’t want to interrupt, and when I turned around, he’d disappeared.
As I was loading the prize cart, I saw Leo Martell outside the door. “No Bingo for you today,” I said. “Only nice people.”
Eileen kind of gave me a look. “He’s been confused today,” she said.
I didn’t realize Leo got confused that way. I told Eileen I wouldn’t tease him, then, and she said normally she likes it when I do.
Just then Leo snorted, “Whaddya mean, no Bingo? I’ll be nice.”
I smiled at Eileen, and she smiled back.
“You have to promise,” I told Leo. And Leo was back.
There was a new guy in Royal’s usual Bingo spot today—a young-looking man working on the crossword and the Sudoku from the newspaper. I introduced myself.
When David Fox wheeled in to his usual spot, which is usually right next to Royal, I introduced him to his new tablemate.
“His name is Kevin,” I told David.
Kevin said, “Tell him Kevin stands for ‘handsome.’” I did.
David said, “Kevin stands for a mansion?” I made a hand gesture that probably is not the universal symbol for “handsome,” but David got it.
“Tell him I can’t hear,” David said. “I might have to ask him his name later.”
“I think you just did,” I told David.
Bingo moved along nicely, with Matt calling numbers and two other volunteers helping residents with their cards.
Royal was sweet enough to sit at another table instead of asking Kevin to move—and she won every single game there. “Maybe that’s a good spot,” Matt said.
Billy won and asked again for the prize cart as his prize. “I would do that,” I said, “but then I’d have to load all the prizes on your lap and push you around for everyone else.” He picked pudding instead.
At one point David called me back to ask about my family. He always asks about my family. “And you have a son named … Kevin?” he said. And then he said, “No. That’s not right. Give me a minute.” So I did.
In just about exactly a minute, David turned around and waved me over.
“Your son is Carson,” he said. I beamed and rubbed his shoulder. “Yes,” I said.
“And he can’t play chess better than me, but he’s a better downhill skier,” David said.
I laughed. “That might be true,” I told him. “But he’s also a better golfer.”
“Golf!” David said. “That’s right.”
Near the end of Bingo, Dick came in, but not in time to win. He did, though, overhear Kevin say he is from Wyoming, and he perked up a little.
“Were you from Wyoming, too?” I asked Dick.
“Still am,” Dick said. Point taken.
Bingo was over, but David and Kevin were still getting to know each other. David was asking questions, and Kevin, brilliantly, was writing the answers on his newspaper. It was the most heartwarming thing I’ve seen in a long time.
I told Kevin it was a pleasure to meet him, and I was glad he’d come to Bingo. I headed for the door full of happiness and affection—and then Dick stopped me.
“I don’t know what to do,” he said, and his lips started to quiver. “I feel like I’m going crazy.”
He has done this before.
“Why don’t we go down to Activities and see what’s going on?” I asked him. “There are always people there, and something to watch on the big TV.”
We got to Activities, and I told Jane the volunteer that Dick could use one. An activity, I mean.
She pointed to the table where Dick apparently already had been playing cards. A big note on the table said Dick’s next smoke break was at 4:15.
Dick looked at his watch. “What am I supposed to do until then?”
I didn’t really know. But he had an idea.
“Would you come outside with me?” he asked. “Just as a friendly thing to do? I just want to be with someone I know.”
I pushed Dick outside. He wanted to sit in the smoking area, but another resident said he couldn’t because of his oxygen tank. At the same time, Lyle and Arla were coming out to sit in the sun. I suggested Dick join them. Lyle was very welcoming.
“What do we do here?” Dick asked.
“Just sit,” Lyle said.
So he did. No one talked. I asked Dick whether he would be all right there, and he said he would.
“I’ll see you at Bingo tomorrow, OK?” I said.
“Tomorrow?” Dick asked. And he looked at his watch again.