The Castaway Hotel: Book 7

At the funeral home, Richard picked out the casket his father would be laid to rest in. It was a silver, metallic casket, which looked very elegant.

“Dad said his next car would be this color,” Richard told me, to justify his selection.

With this decided, Richard selected the vault the casket would be placed in, when it was lowered into the ground. Once this was done, we went to the director’s office, so Richard could give him the information he needed for the obituary.

Richard knew most of the information, but occasionally I would have to jump in to fill in the gaps. I was able to do this, because Albert had given me some information when Richard first came to live with him. In fact, it was those notes that I ran in to retrieve before we left the house. I pulled the paper from my pocket and located the required details as they were needed. When this process had been completed, we set up times for the calling hours and funeral service, before I took Richard over to the church. We would complete the final arrangements there.

After I introduced Richard, the minister asked him some questions about Albert. He was looking for anecdotal information he could use in the eulogy, to make it more personal. Since our pastor didn’t know Albert very well, because the Beckers only occasionally attended services with us, this material was essential for him to be able to depict a true picture of Albert.

Richard answered all of our clergyman’s questions as best he could, but intermittently I would add details Richard wasn’t aware of. These were things I had learned about Albert during our many conversations and I felt these tidbits would give the minister a truer picture of our departed loved one. Once this interview was concluded, Richard and I went to pick Arlene up, so the aide could leave for the day. On the drive there, I decided it would be a good time to discuss the Spences’ proposal with him.

“Richard, Mrs. Spence has offered to have your mother come live with them,” I began. “She did this because she likes your mother and Arlene has showed a particular attachment to Margaret over the years. I will have the aide coverage moved there, if you decide you approve of this, or we could take your mother in to live with us. I will leave that particular decision up to you.”

Richard sat looking in my direction, but his eyes were focused on nothing in particular. He was merely lost in thought and weighing the options over in his mind. It was several minutes before he spoke again.

“The Spences are home all day, right?” he asked.

“Yes, they are retired and don’t go out very often,” I replied. “They do go shopping for groceries and other things, but I’m sure they would either take your mother with them or leave her with the aide, depending on how she is that day. They also join us from time to time, for our various get-togethers, so they will bring your mother with them when they do.”

“That means they’ll be able to keep a really close eye on Mom, right?” he pressed, while trying to clarify the situation in his mind. He didn’t want to make a hasty or inappropriate decision.

“Yes, with the two of them at home and the aides assisting,” I concurred, “they should be able to keep a very good watch over your mother.” I could tell he was thinking about this some more.

“And I can go visit her whenever I want?” he followed. I knew my answer would have a great impact on how he decided.

“I’m positive the Spences would have no problem with you going there to visit whenever you wished,” I assured him.

“And they live close enough so I can walk to their place from your house?” he persisted, since he didn’t remember the Spences were our next-door neighbors.

“They live in the next house down the hill,” I clarified. “They bought that particular house so they would be close to us and you can easily walk there whenever you want.”

“Okay, I think that would be best for all of us then,” he agreed. “Having Mom in the house can really upset things and with everyone going in and out so much, you might lose track of her. I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s just that Mom can be hard to watch, even without so many people coming and going. She could easily slip out behind one of them and they might not even notice she had done so. She could go around the corner and be out of sight quickly, so they wouldn’t see her, even if they did turn around.

“There are other reasons too,” Richard added. “A lot of times Dad had to give her a bath or clean her up after she had an accident. I don’t think any of you should have to do that and I think Mom would feel better if a woman was helping her. Even though I want to stay in the same place with her, I think it would be better if she was with Mrs. Spence. I’ll visit her every day, so it won’t be like I don’t ever see her and it won’t be that bad.” I reached over and placed my hand on his leg, so I could pat it a couple of times, just to let him know I was there for him.

“Richard, I agree with your reasoning and think it’s a very wise move,” I concurred. “Mrs. Spence has always had a special connection with your mother and I know she’ll take very good care of her. Not only that, but Margaret has the time to do a more thorough job than we do. Since you’ll be going to visit your mother on a regular basis and with the aides to help, I think she should do just fine.”

I could see Richard still had some doubts about doing it this way, because he still wore a very sad expression on his face. For that reason, I thought I’d offer him a little more encouragement.

“Richard, even though it’s a difficult decision for you to make – hell, it’s a tough decision for anyone to make, but it’s the best option you have. This will keep your mother from being placed in a nursing home and will put her with loving friends. You will be with her as much as you can and she’ll still be there for our family functions. That’s the best a loving son can do at this point, so you can’t feel bad about it.”

“I know, but it’s still a hard thing for me to do,” he confessed. “I felt like I lost her a long time ago, but now that Dad is gone too, I feel like an orphan again.” He paused and began to weep. I reached out and pulled him against me.

“You’ll never be an orphan,” I promised, while trying to will some strength into him. “You’ll have two more dads, even though Jake or I would never attempt to replace your father. We realize we’d never be able to truly fill Albert’s shoes, but we will do our best for you. You’ll also end up with a slew of brothers, whether you want them or not. You’re stuck with each of them and all of their faults, so I hope you’re ready to become part of our nuthouse.” This comment caused him to break into a grin and he even giggled a little, through his tears. I was glad to see him perk up even that much.

“It’s not that I’m unhappy about coming to live with you,” he explained, “because that’s what I wanted to do, before I met my mom and dad. It’s just that I hate the thought that I’ve lost them so quickly. I was hoping I’d be in college, or even older, before anything like this happened.”

“I understand and I’m sorry fate has worked against you, but we all have to play the cards life deals us,” I explained. “You’re a survivor, and we both know that, so I have no doubt you’ll do well and blossom with us. You also won’t have to worry about your future, because between Albert’s estate and what we can do for you, you’ll be able to go to college or whatever else you might be inclined to do.” Richard looked shocked after hearing me say this.

“Uncle Pop, you don’t have to do all that for me!” he exclaimed. “You have all the other boys to take care of too and I don’t want to take anything away from them.” He was being sincere, yet emphatic. I could tell he was truly upset by the thought I’d be robbing the other boys for him.

“That won’t happen, Richard,” I replied. “The boys are set up already. Each has his own account for college or to start life on his own with, so no one will lose a thing. However, we’re going to make sure you’re taken care of too. Besides, the farm is the key here and will take care of most of your needs. I’m just grateful your father decided to buy it back a couple of years ago or this might not have worked out so well for you.”

“Uncle Pop, thank you and I love you so much,” he told me. He then locked us in a somewhat lengthy embrace, even though I was driving at the time.

“When we get to the farm,” Richard added, “I’m going to give you even more hugs.” After he said this, he also flashed me one of his special grins.

“I’ll take that as payment in full for your debt,” I responded.

“No way!” he exclaimed. “Maybe a bunch of hugs every day, but not just today.” I just looked at him and smiled.

“Sounds like a great deal for me,” I agreed. “I’ll take it.” It was nice to see he was temporarily out of the doldrums.

Shortly after that, we pulled into the driveway at the farm. After I stopped the car in front of the house, we got out and headed toward the door, but not before Richard kept his promise. He raced over and hugged me again, long and hard, before tilting his head upward and kissing me on the cheek. When he pulled away, he thanked me again.

I have always felt a special connection to Richard and love it when he’s around. I suspected someday he might have to come live with us, but I didn’t want it to happen so soon or under such dire circumstances. However, I was pleased to see he was excited about the idea of being with us too.

As we entered the house, the aide greeted us. She said Arlene was having a fairly decent day, so we decided to go speak with her. We walked upstairs, knocked and entered her room when she told us we could.

“Hello, Arlene,” I greeted her, as we walked in. “How are you feeling today?”

“Oh, hello, Josh,” she responded, sounding like her old self and apparently in a fairly decent mood.

“I didn’t hear you come in. Do you know where Albert is?” she asked, looking concerned. “That person downstairs won’t tell me anything. Oh, Richard,” she said, once she noticed her son behind me, “come here and give your mother a hug and kiss. You haven’t done that yet today.”

Richard did as he was told, but the tears were already streaming down his cheeks. “Richard, what is wrong with you dear? Why are you crying?” Richard looked over at me, seeking help.

“Arlene,” I began, taking him off the hook, “we have some bad news for you. Maybe you should sit down first.”

“Josh, I don’t need to sit,” she stated, defiantly. “I’m not feeble or an invalid, so tell me what’s wrong with Richard?”

“It’s not Richard. It’s Albert,” I advised her. “He had a heart attack earlier. I’m sorry, but he’s gone.”
“Gone where?” she asked. It was evident she didn’t fully comprehend the implication of what I’d told her.

“Arlene, Albert’s dead. He passed away earlier in the day from a heart attack.” As it began to sink in, she started to weep too.

“Why didn’t anyone say anything or take me to be with him?” she wondered. I had to come up with something quickly, rather than depress her about her own situation.

“Albert and Richard had run to town to pick up a few things and it happened while they were gone,” I explained, hoping that would satisfy her curiosity. “Arlene, it happened so quickly that they had to rush Albert to the hospital, but he was gone before we could have you brought there. We also felt it would be best if we came to tell you in person, rather than on the phone. I’m so sorry.”

Richard was hugging his mother tightly and she was sobbing on his shoulder. After a minute or so, she looked up at me.

“When can I see him, Josh?” she asked. Looking at the sadness in her eyes, I completely understood how she felt and knew what she was going through.

“He’s at the funeral home,” I replied, “and you can see him tomorrow, during the calling hours.” She looked a little put off that she’d have to wait until then, but quickly recovered.

“Did he suffer?” she wanted to know.

“No, Arlene. I understand he went quickly,” I assured her. “He didn’t have time to suffer.”

“That’s good,” she replied, succinctly.

“Arlene, we’re going to take you with us now,” I told her. “You’re going to stay with Margaret and John Spence for a while, so you’ll be closer for the calling hours and funeral. Richard will stay at my place, with my boys and me. Is that all right with you?” She thought about this for a second and then responded.

“Oh, yes. That will work fine. I’d love to see Margaret again,” she agreed. “Come on, Richard, we both have to pack a suitcase for this visit.”

They went off together, to get their things, and I suggested to the aide that she should go see if she could help. While they were busy doing that, I waited downstairs. Since I was alone, I checked out the house and made a couple of quick phone calls. I contacted a few of the neighbors to explain what had happened and asked if they could look after the animals for a few days, until we could work something out. Once they agreed and that task had been taken care of, I studied the pictures scattered about on the shelves or hung on the walls. It was obvious to see they had been a loving and close-knit family.

When Richard and Arlene finished and came back downstairs, we put the luggage in the trunk and started to get into the car. However, before he did, Richard took one more look around. I think he was making mental notes about the place, so he wouldn’t forget what it was like. When he finished this task, he joined us and we drove away.

Arlene chatted continually during the trip and talked mostly about Albert. She reminisced about things they had done together and what it was like before Richard came along. I think even Richard was amazed by some of the things she told us, along with being astounded by how well she was doing. Surprisingly, this continued throughout the ride.

We stopped at the Spences first, to drop Arlene off. She seemed extremely happy to see John and Margaret again, so after chatting with them for a few minutes, Richard and I excused ourselves and left. Although we didn’t have very far to go, Richard had some things he wanted to tell me.

“Thanks for bailing me out with Mom,” he began. “I didn’t know how I was going to tell her about Dad.”

“I figured that might be the case,” I confessed, “so I was kind of prepared for her.” Richard was still looking down in the mouth, so I tried to see what was up.

“Is there something else bothering you?” I asked.

“It’s just hard seeing her like she is today. It’s the way she used to be, before she got sick,” he admitted. “The problem is, I know a few minutes from now she probably won’t remember what happened and may not even recognize any of us, including me.”

“I understand and can empathize with you,” I explained. “This has to be very tough on you.” He merely nodded in response.

“Uncle Pop, can you do me one more favor?” he asked, while looking a little sheepish.

“Sure, my boy. Anything,” I replied. “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Would you start calling me Little Ricky again?” He was studying me now, because I failed to respond right away. I guess he felt this meant he needed to clarify his request some more.

“But I just want you to call me Little Ricky,” he added. “I think it will be less confusing if I stick with Richard for everyone else. Besides, I think it would be kind of strange for the others to be calling me Little Ricky, because I’m bigger than some of them. I do like hearing you call me that though.”

How could I not agree? He was so honest and adorable in the way he broached his request that I could never say no. I agreed it was what I’d do and Little Ricky looked extremely pleased I had consented.

“I’ll feel better doing it this way,” he confessed. “Besides, I think if you called me Richard it would remind me too much about my parents and I’m not sure I could handle that right now.”

“Sure, champ, if that’s what you want,” I confirmed. “I’ll tell the boys too, so they’ll know it’s what you want as well.”

“Thanks, Uncle Pop,” he gushed, “or should I just start calling you Pop now?”

“That’s up to you, Little Ricky,” I informed him. “Whichever you feel most comfortable with.”

“Okay. Let me think about that for a while,” he replied. I nodded my agreement and we got out of the car and went to get his things out of the trunk.

“Come on. Let’s go see the crew and we’ll find you a place to sleep tonight,” I added, as I pulled his suitcase out.

“Do you think I can stay with Ricky tonight?” Little Ricky asked, hopefully.

“We’ll ask him, but I’m pretty sure that won’t be a problem,” I replied. “I know you two bonded when you first met and I’m sure he’d love having you with him.”

“Thanks, Pop. I love you.” Hearing what he said, I concluded he’d made up his mind about what he was going to call me.

“I love you too, sport,” I shot back and put my arm around his shoulders, as we made our way to the front door.