Old Birds

Drama at the nursing home

Written for the

FORUM

Writer's Cramp wishes WDC Happy 25th!  (13+) Write the best poem or story in 24 hours or less and win 25K GPS during Birthday Week #333655 by Sophy wishes WDC Happy 25th!

The prompt for 1 SEP:

NEW PROMPT DUE Countdown Expired
Write a story or poem using this prompt as inspiration: Seven missed calls from an unknown number - the last call left a frantic voicemail "Please call me back!" with no other explanation.

Word Count: 997

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Gus walked into the game room at the nursing home, leaning on his cane. Mikey told him there was a new bird and he wanted to check her out. Mikey said you couldn’t miss her – with her red hair and all.

Gus shrugged his shoulders a little and shuffled over to the mirror making sure the collar on his polo shirt was down. Mustache trimmed. Hair slicked back. Yes, he still had his hair – it was thinner, but it was there. The old birds liked that. He looked over the game room. Sophie was doing puzzles with Greg. Gus huffed. Those two should get married. Who cares if they were 76? Then there was Sonia who knitted with her friend, Berta…

His pocket vibrated. He slid his knotty old knuckles into the pocket and took out his cell phone. Well, it wasn’t his daughter, Emma. Emma knew everything there was to know about cell phones. Her face usually came up with big fat letters that said, “E-M-M-A.” He shoved the phone in his pocket.

Where was the new bird?

Stu and Eddie were playing Chess. Ah – right there by the windows – there was the new bird sitting next to Kathie and Suzie and they were coloring.

Gus shuffled over to where they were sitting. “Hi Kathie. Hi Suzie.”

Kathie looked up. “Hi Gus. This is Linda. She’s new.”

Linda looked up Gus up and then down. Boy, she was nice looking. She had blue eyes and red hair, and white teeth.

“HI Linda,” Gus smiled. “Mind if I join you?”

“Hi Gus. Sure. Join us.”

Just then Gus’ pocket vibrated again. He pulled out his phone. Same number as last time. Oh well. He shoved it back in his pocket.
“Who was it Gus?” asked Kathie.

“I dunno. Spam?” Gus sat down and leaned his cane against the table.

“What do you want to color? There’s a frog in a pond,” said Suzie.

“Sure.” Gus took the page and started looking for crayons.

His pocket buzzed again. He sighed, pulled out his cellphone and left it on the table. Same annoying spam number. Gus swiped left and the call was gone.

“You have a cell phone?” asked Linda.

Gus grinned. “Yeah. My daughter, Emma, gave it to me.” He paused. “What are you coloring?”

“A fairy princess.”

“You look like a princess,” said Gus.

“Gus is flirting again. Pay him no mind,” said Suzie.

“But—” The cellphone started vibrating again. Gus made a grizzly old face and swiped left again.

“So, Gus, the girls warned me about you,” said Linda.

Gus frowned at the girls. “Oh? I’m harmless.”

“They said you cheat at cards.”

Gus humpf’d. His cellphone vibrated again. Really? Five times. Sigh.. He swiped left. Gone.

“Every man cheats at cards,” said Gus. “It’s what men do.”

“Men cheat just about on everything they do,” Kathie added, bitter.

“It’s not my fault your old man left you for a chickie twenty years younger.” Gus frowned at Kathie. Then he turned to Linda. “Everyone knows.”

“Oh,” said Linda.

Gus’s phone vibrated a sixth time. Exasperated, Gus swiped left.

“Really Gus. Just answer the phone at this point,” said Suzie. She picked up a red crayon.

“I’m trying to flirt here,” Gus admitted. He took a green crayon and started coloring his frog.

Kathie sighed.

“If you’re trying to impress me, Gus, it’s not really working,” said Linda.

“Well, I can con Jesus the cook out of a steak anytime I want. We can go eat steak in the garden.”

“Is that your idea of a romantic dinner?” Linda asked.

“Best it’s gonna get.”

Gus’s phone vibrated a seventh time. Gus blew out a breath and swiped left. After a few seconds his screen indicated he had a voice mail.

“Gus, do us a favor and just listen to the voice mail.” Suzie started sipping on her iced tea. “We all want to know who has been calling you.”

“Why?”

“You’re a crotchy old man, Gus. We’re all dying to know who would call you seven times if it wasn’t your daughter, Emma,” said Kathie.

Gus chuckled. “Maybe it’s sweet old Rose from the antiques store,” Gus replied. “I did give her my phone number a week or so ago.”

Suzie laughed so hard she spit out her tea.

Gus played the voice mail. A frantic female voice said, “Please call me back!” and then hung up. Everyone’s eyebrows perked up.

“She sounds like she’s in trouble,” said Kathie.

“Who was that?” asked Suzie.

Gus rubbed his chin. “Might have been Rose.” He pressed redial on the phone. All the old bitties leaned in. The phone picked up.
“Hello? Is that you, Gus?”

“Rose?” he asked.

“Thank goodness. I need you come to the antiques store right away. My ex-husband is here with flowers and he wants to get back with me, but I told him I had a beau and he won’t leave.”

Kathie’s mouth fell open. Suzie’s eyes grew wide.

Linda pointed to the door.

“I dunno, Rose…”

“Rose, this is Kathie. We’ll have Gus over there in five minutes.”

“Oh, who’s Kathie?” asked Rose.

“She’s just one of my friends at the nursing home,” said Gus.

“Okay. Just be convincing when you get here, Gus.” Rose hung up the phone.

Kathie, Suzie, and Linda all stood and picked up Gus by the scruff of his collar.

“We got savin’ to do,” said Suzie.

Gus furrowed his brows. “You ladies ain’t never fussed me this hard ever.”

“We know,” said Linda.

They helped Gus to front desk and told the clerk they were going for a walk. Kathie and Suzie held his arms and they all walked down the street about a block to the antiques store. As soon as Rose’s ex-husband saw Gus he hightailed it outta there. Rose was so grateful she gave Gus a kiss on the cheek and told his friends they were welcomed to visit any time.