Mary had a tiny dog. It was called Peanut. Mary loved her dog, as old ladies do. Peanut was old too and he sickened and then died. Mary was friends with Larry, who lived in the C hall. Larry had a car. He and Mary ate out together a lot. Larry had diabetes and ate anything he wanted–mainly doughnuts– and his diabetes worsened. Larry’s diabetes got so bad he had to move away to a nursing home. He possibly had an amputation of one leg, but we aren’t sure about that. Mary was sad. Before long, Mary decided to move back to Mississippi, where she was from and where one of her daughters still lived. Mary had other children living in other places. Mary left messages on the phones of all her children, announcing her plan to move back to Mississippi. Mary told us all that she would be moving back to Mississippi.
At the card table we discuss Mary.
“I wonder why she decided to move away. I thought she was happy here.”
“Maybe because Larry moved away.”
I said, “and because her dog died too.”
Anna, “definitely because Larry moved.”
The talk moved on to the new woman with the long blonde hair and Sue won the hand and the quarters.
Juanita, who was a close friend of Mary, was sitting in the foyer alone, so to start conversation, I said to her, “I bet you are going to miss yor buddy, right?” She knew I meant Mary.
“If she goes,” Juanita muttered. Nothing fazes Juanita, who turned 92 last month. Juanita is also from Mississippi. Maybe that’s why she and Mary bonded.
“Has she changed her mind”, I asked.
“None of her kids called her back”, Juanita sounded angry.
I understood the anger. And the sadness underneath it. Poor Mary.
Time passed.
At the card table Sue said, “I guess Mary won’t move then.”
“No, None of her kids called back.” Anna the realist spoke.
We agreed it was very sad, and that day was another of Sue’s lucky days at cards. She won a second hand and the quarters.
Mary didn’t mention Mississippi again. She stayed in her apartment for a week or so, then began to come out. She and Juanita were soon a regular sight in the foyer again.
The lady with the long blonde was called Ada. She had started going around with Ronnie.
We had to skip cards for a week because Pat’s sister-in-law, Bootsie died and Pat went to stay with her brother for a few days after the funeral.
