By LARRY BALLWAHN | Wilton
Duffy Sinclair was 88 years old. He was a resident of Centennial Nursing Home in Everton, Texas. His roommate, Carl Upton, was a couple years younger with about the same degree of disability. Most notably, they had trouble walking. That said, they liked each other, their nurse, Nora, and Anderson, the cook and jack of all trades. They were satisfied with Centennial and their routine. Now and then they wondered what life was all about, but in general, this seemed like a pretty good last chapter.
And then Josie showed up. She didn’t just stop in for a visit; she literally dropped in by climbing through the window that had her Peepaw’s name, Carl, on it. The young lady was barefoot and sported a black eye. Duffy couldn’t believe what had happened to them. It must be some scam the young woman played on the elderly to get money. Unbelievably, roommate Carl said she was his granddaughter even though Duffy knew Carl had been married 52 years with no children. Much to Duffy’s amazement, Carl confessed to an affair that had produced a daughter and a granddaughter. His daughter had wanted nothing to do with him, and thus the blank in Duffy’s knowledge.
The two men went to breakfast so as not to raise suspicion. There were to be no guests staying with them. Josie soon made an entrance through the front door, announcing that she was here to see her grandfather. She was very popular with the elderly group; they appreciated youth and vitality. No notice was taken of her black eye and lack of shoes. Anderson, the kitchen/dining room manager did note the presence of the young woman and briefly joined the conversation. A couple of women in the group invited her to accompany the group on the Walmart outing that was to take place.
It was in the bus to Walmart that Duffy noticed Josie’s shakes. As an alcoholic himself, he knew the signs and realized the problem that he and Carl had. Duffy made it his business to see that Josie didn’t get herself in trouble at Walmart, but the drinking problem would have to be dealt with on top of keeping her hidden. It helped that she had become a favorite of many at Centennial. What it didn’t help was the process of detoxing. It also didn’t keep Duffy from getting into more than his share of trouble trying to cover for her.
One thing that Duffy learned when attempting to keep Josie from drinking was that Anderson — the cook, driver and general handyman — was familiar with alcoholism, too. His dad had been a drinker. That knowledge plus Anderson’s attraction to Josie meant that Duffy had an ally in his effort to save Josie from herself. Since Anderson had keys, a vacant room provided the space needed to the detox effort.
The whole effort was made harder by the effort to shield Carl from the knowledge that his granddaughter was a drunk. When the actual reason that Josie showed up shoeless and with a black eye is revealed, the problems are even greater.
Something that hasn’t been discussed yet is the fear Centennial residents had of being asked to leave Centennial. If you required too much care for whatever reason, you were required to leave. This was especially concerning to Duffy, as he was acutely aware that the only other senior care facility in Everton, Texas, was the Simmons Home for the Aged, a place he considered a “hellhole.”
“The Big Finish” was the February book for the Ontario Public Library book club. The review above doesn’t give a hint as to the title, though perhaps the title gives a clue.
The Ontario Public Library book club could use some new members. The book is worth reading, but if you don’t get it read, you still should attend the next meeting at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, socially distanced in the basement. The monthly meetings offer a good opportunity to share and a reason to read at least one book a month.
