Weeping Willows

Chapter 3

 Elderly Misconduct

     Elizabeth sat at her kitchen table sipping her cup of coffee going over a mental list of supplies she would need for her day. When she got her degree in fine arts, she had had dreams of becoming a vagabond artist. With visions of roaming the world painting the beauty she saw within it. Wandering aimlessly across foreign countries, finding hidden gems to recreate. She could still see her wistful ideas of enjoying local taste in faraway places while painting her days away in peace. Even though she could still recall her idealist notions of what she wanted her life to look like they now seemed created so long ago. Maybe it’s because she was no longer that naive young artist who had those dreams, or maybe they just seemed so unimportant anymore. Whatever the reason she couldn’t find the excitement in those imaginings that she once had.

     What she hadn’t conjured up in those daydreams was teaching. She wasn’t necessarily averse to the prospect, but it just hadn’t fit within her romantic notions of her future. Now, she found herself resigned to doing just that. It wasn’t like it was an 8 to 4 daily job, but it still lacked luster in comparison of her original plans. She had promised Lauren though that she wouldn’t cut herself off from the rest of the world. Which, if she was being honest, had been the initial intention when she first wanted to move here. Crystal Springs was a small town that had properties that were miles apart from each other. Where she had found her house nestled within a quaint forest with its own access to the local reservoir. She had planned to hide herself away and become a hermit getting lost in her house and artwork. However, a promise was a promise, so she had contacted the senior center offering to do a class once a week. The activities director had been thrilled to add her art class to the weekly events for the residents and had assured Elizabeth she would have plenty of interested pupils. So, with great reluctance she made the minor commitment agreeing to see how it went before signing on to a more frequent class.

     Glancing at the clock as she placed her cup in the sink, she heaved out a sigh. She could do this; it wouldn’t be that bad. A quiet little elderly community wouldn’t cause that much chaos in her life. They were older adults after all not misbehaved children. She could still float through life with minimal upset she was sure. With that thought in mind she grabbed her bag, locked the door behind her and headed out to begin her day. The sooner she got this over with the sooner she could be back to the comfort of her home and she could continue to explore her new place.

     Crystal springs retirement home was as picturesque as she had imagined it to be. It was a bright white, one floor building with palm trees lining the property. There was a large white rock lot next door for visitors and staff to park in. With a well-manicured lawn and loads of vibrant blooms in the flower beds it was a rather cheerful site. Exiting her car, she was greeted with the tranquil sound of birds chirping and the fragrant combined scents for each flower. The place gave Elizabeth a sense of peace. She hefted the box of supplies from the car and headed across the walk to the large ornate front doors. Her first stop would be to the office of the activities director so she could sign her paperwork and be shown to where she would be teaching her class.

     The inside was just as beautiful as the outside. The entrance had bright white walls with dark hardwood edging. Plenty of windows and skylights lit the place up with copious amounts of natural light. Just ahead was a bird atrium with the chirping of a variety of small species. As she gazed through the glass panes at the brightly colored animals, she realized that she didn’t know what most of them were. This wasn’t going to be as bad as she had initially thought. She made her way to the office she was looking for and knocked lightly before entering through the open door. The woman behind the desk was dressed in vibrant colored outfit. With a flowing light blouse and a cheerfully patterned shirt Elizabeth thought of her as resembling the small creatures she had just seen. The woman, Mrs. Dickson, greeted her with a wide welcoming smile as she offered Elizabeth her hand for a shake.

     “You must be Miss. Foster.”

     “Guilty.” Setting her box down near the door, Elizabeth shook her hand returning her friendly smile with ease.

     “I have a few rules to go over with you and some paperwork for you to sign here. If you’ll have a seat, we’ll get you all set and then I’ll take you down to the commons room to set up.”

     “Sounds good.”

     After twenty minutes of do’s and don’ts she was shown to a large room to get ready. Bidding Mrs. Dickson goodbye Elizabeth surveyed the surroundings. The room was open and airy with lots of natural lighting as well. Round tables were spaced across the hard tile floor which she was grateful for. While the residents weren’t small children there would still be some clean up, and the hard, smooth surfaces would make it an easier task at the end of her day. Just outside the windows were flowers she had seen coming in. Maybe after she had accessed the people that would be attending her class, she could plan a watercolor lesson and paint the riot of blooms outside. Today she had brought some oven bake clay for them to shape and mold. It was a softer form of clay she was hopping would be easier for the seniors to work with. She only had white on hand but if they enjoyed the project, she would have to investigate colored versions. According to Mrs. Dickson she should have a total of ten residents in her class for today. Elizabeth figured that was a good amount to start out with. With a head full of plans she began to set up things for her class anticipating her easy day to come.

     Almost ready for her very first class Elizabeth was startled out of her musings by what could only be described as screeching. Listening intently, she noticed the raucous was getting closer to the room she was in. With a sense of dread Elizabeth waited to see what was going to walk through the door. She didn’t have to wait long as a harried nurse opened the doors emitting a rag tag group of elderly people. Elizabeth’s eyes widened as she took in the chaos that had begun descending upon her once serene room.

     First through the doors was a rather robust elderly man dressed in slippers, slacks, and a flannel shirt. The scowl upon his face caused his wrinkles to crease further and making his displeasure very apparent. Whether the class or his companions was the cause was unclear and Elizabeth didn’t know just which she would have preferred. Next was a slight woman wearing all pastels looking like an ad for 50’s clothing apparel. From her yellow polyester pants to her lavender frilly blouse and a pink cardigan she looked like brightly colored Easter egg. To top the whole ensemble off her head of pin curls were a soft shade of blue. Merriment danced in her faded blue eyes as she giggled like a schoolgirl. Next came a stalking gal stomping in wearing fuzzy slippers and a loud printed muumuu. She too was scowling but unlike the gentlemen before her it was clear what had caused her displeasure as she swatted at the man directly behind her. In comparison he was beaming a bright mischievous smile at the woman he was clearly tormenting in front of him. Rather enjoying himself at her benefit. He was dressed in blue coveralls and a pair of loafers. His short silver hair stood on end about his head as if he had rubbed it so hard the static made it defy gravity. The two that came next were a pleasant pair. The tall gentleman wore thick rimmed glasses, a plain button up shirt, and a pair of slacks only slightly darker in color to the shirt. His toothless smile radiated joy from his face as he looked around the room and the people occupying it. The woman accompanying him was of equal height with soft white curls and a motherly smile. Her arm was placed inside his as if he was escorting her to a dance, but it was clear it was she that was guiding him along. She wore a flower print dress and a soft cardigan that made Elizabeth think of June Cleaver. She looked at the man beside her with a patient soft smile as he babbled to her in excitement. Next were another pair a tiny fragile looking woman in a wheelchair being pushed in by the man behind her. Even though she was clearly able to wheel herself she sat serenely with her hands folded in her lap creating a picture of grace. Her short steel colored hair framed her tiny face and curiosity clouded her eyes. The man behind her smiled serenely as he pushed her in cringing occasionally by the noise that had yet to be seen. Once they had cleared the threshold the real show began. The final two women were both in wheelchairs and fighting each other to be first through the door. The one on the right was a short squat woman with glasses and a beehive nearly as tall as the length of her face. The one on the left was almost a mirror image of the other but with glasses and whose hair was a simple bun atop her head. They threw insult after insult at each other while grabbing on to the arm of the others chair trying to push her out of the way. These two were very clearly related and by the put-upon look of the nurse behind them, they clearly acted this way a lot. The male nurse bent down towards the two women catching their attention with whatever he said. As he graced them with a charming smile meant to diffuse the argument. Having the opposite affect the two women began the fight anew as each tried to flirt while pushing on the face of the other. Elizabeth sighed taking it all in and wondering just where her peaceful day had gone.