Expanding Horizons by Jonathan W.
Meadow Greens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Nagog Woods, MD
“So what are we going
to focus on today, Matthew?”
Matthew was just rolling into Michele’s
office when Michele asked him that. It was nine-thirty, Friday morning. “I don’t know.” Matthew replied. “What is
worth getting at today?”
Michele began to think of what was
worth focusing on. They didn't have anything planned. That was somewhat
unusual. “Well, we could look at your
overall goals for your program today.”
She began thinking about Matthew’s
individual service plan and thought about the goals he’d expressed personally.
“And,” she said, “You said you were
interested in traveling around and seeing what’s out there…”
Instantly she reached for a drawer at
her desk, looking for books she had acquired recently. She pulled one out and
opened it. Matthew was rolling up when he suggested, “Why don’t you open it up
to the section on Virginia?”
Looking at the contents, Michele asked,
“Why Virginia?”
“I’ve always been interested in what
happens there, and although it’s so close, I’ve only been there once.”
Michele opened the book
to Virginia, and looked for the most obscure point she could find. When she opened up to an area in the southern
region Matthew said, "Well now, doesn’t that look interesting?”
He was noticing a very small village
that was on the page, and he began saying the name, “Buena-”
Michele quickly said, “Uh no, it’s
spelled ‘B-E-U-N-A!’ Beuna Vista.”
Michele had been talking to Matthew,
previously, about perception, and noticing oddities. Matthew said “Hey! Isn’t that weird? Um, I think I knew that, actually.”
He then asked her, “Have you heard of
it before?”
She replied, “No, I don’t think I
have. And you have?”
“Well, I had a friend who went there
for college. I went and visited him there, once. He also said there’s a nice pawn shop
there!” Matthew really liked pawn shops.
“And did you get to this shop?” Michele
asked.
Matthew replied, “No, we never
did. I've kind of regretted that.”
Michele thought. “Really?” she asked. Then, “Would you like to plan another trip
and go?”
Matthew smiled and replied, “Well, I
don’t see any reason why not!”
He looked at Michele. When he'd first began coming to Meadow Green
Rehabilitation Center a year earlier, she had really befriended the guy,
helping him out the way a cognitive therapist should. She was really the reason Matthew began
enjoying rehab. Matthew was curious at
first, and saw this therapist as someone he really enjoyed working with,
kinda similar to a grade school teacher
he'd had a crush on, as a kid.
“Well then…” Michele began. Matthew
already pulled the book over and began thumbing through the pages.
At this point they began planning for a
potential trip. They looked at the information on a map they found online.
“It’ll take…” Michele began.
Matthew cut her off. “3 hours and 31
minutes if we take Route 29 South,” he said, reading.
“But we’d have to get on MD 198-West,
take it to I-95 South, then hop on I-495 West,” Michele said. She then
continued reading, “Then I-195 South, I-66 West via exit 49, I-81 South via
exit 1A left toward Roanoke. US 60 East via exit 188A toward Beuna Vista. Right
onto Beech Ave/US 501, follow Beech Ave/US 501 into Beuna Vista, VA.”
Matthew was trying to follow along as
she read the directions. Then, Michele
said, “Look alright?”
Matthew said, “Well, I lost you back on
I-198 West.”
Michele said, “Alright, but does the
plan look okay to you?”
“Yep.” He then asked, “So are you ready
to go?” smiling. “Um... we are going to
look at the college there, right?” said Matthew.
“That’s the plan,” said Michele. “I’ll
go sign us out.”
The two went out to the
front room and Michele said to the receptionist at Meadow Woods, “We’re taking
a quick road trip. Tell Bob we’ll be back sometime this afternoon.”
“Okay, au revoir!” said Betty the receptionist, smiling. “Oh,” she said, as they were stepping
out. “It's Friday! You'll be gone for what, an hour?”
“Ah,” said Michele, “We're actually
taking a trip down to Virginia, so we'll probably be gone for longer than
that... Um... Tell the residence I'll have him back
tonight!” Betty then smiled and waved
them off.
At this point, they went down to the
parking lot to Michele’s car. Before they got in, Michele said, “Do you have
your money?”
“As always,” said Matthew, proudly.
“Okay, let’s be off.” She then put his wheelchair in the back,
after Matthew climbed in.
After they both got in, they began
following the directions toward MD-198 West.
For the next three hours they were
going to listen to some of Michele’s music she had in her car. “Do you like the
Beach Boys?” she asked.
Matthew looked out the window and bit
his tongue. Then he forced a smile and
said, “Of course.” Michele looked at him, noticing the forced smile and said,
“Well I think I might have some… what do you like?”
“I enjoy metal. Do you have any
Metallica?”
They continued driving
with nothing on the radio. They passed the state line, and Matthew said, “So
what will we do when we get there?”
“Well,” Michele said, “Aren’t we going
to stop at that college you were interested in?”
“Kinda,” replied Matthew, “Don’t forget
we’re also going to look for that pawn shop!”
In another two hours, they began
noticing signs for Beuna Vista. Michele asked, “So Matt, are we going to the
college, or the pawnshop first?”
Matthew turned his head, and
thought. After a minute, he said, “Well,
I forget where the pawn shop is. Maybe if
we ask, I hope someone at the college will tell us.”
After entering they
began the ascent up a hill. Suddenly, Matthew said, “I remember going up and
down this hill during the time I was visiting my friend who was going here.”
“Do you recall what he was going for?”
Michele asked.
“He was majoring in Computer Science.”
When they got to the
top of the hill, they maneuvered around a bit to find a parking spot. At this point it was about 12:50 pm. After
she helped Matthew into his wheelchair, she asked, “Isn't it about time we get
lunch?”
Matthew led to the door he used to go
in all the time, and suddenly stopped and said, “Shoot! I forgot about that!” They were standing before a step.
“Hey, if you guys want in, you could
try the elevator down there,” said a
passing student.
“Oh yeah, thanks Scott!” said Matthew
to the student. Then, Scott shook his
head and said to Matthew, “Matt! I...
well, it's been what... two, thee years?
Ya look good man!”
Matthew smiled and said, “Um... I...
well...”
Michele put her hand on his shoulder
and whispered, Say thanks, Matthew!
“Gosh thanks, Scott! You do too!”
Scott walked up, Matt introduced Michele, and the three began walking.
After Scott had first
helped them to the elevator, he asked about their trip and all that. Matthew said, “I'm just here to show Michele
around the campus.”
Matthew then said, “Now we’ll just go
up one floor on this and we’ll be on the main floor.” They bid Scott farewell, then got into the
elevator.
After the door closed, Michele pressed
the button for the main floor.
“Does this all look familiar?” Michele
asked.
Matthew replied, “Uh, yeah, but not the
way I remember. Ya know?”
When they reached the
main floor after a minute, the door opened.
There looked to be several students waiting to get on.
“Hi!” said Matthew.
“Matt!” the two young women said,
almost in unison. They quickly rushed
in, and the two cornered Matthew.
“Where've you been?” one asked,
reaching down to give him a hug.
Michele smiled and reached down to hold
the door open. After a minute, Matthew
said, “I've been... uh...”
“Wait uhh...” the one said, “Maryland,
right?”
“Wow... you remember? I'm impressed,” Matthew replied. He looked over at Michele, smiling. She'd asked him before, in therapy, about his
past social life. She smiled, and
Matthew turned to the woman and asked, “And how've you been, T- T- uh...”
“Tiffany! Ya got the first
letter...” All four then got off the
elevator, into the hallway.
“So, is it okay that we grab something
for lunch?” Matthew asked.
The girls led them down the hallway,
and Tiffany commenced drilling Matthew on a number of topics.
“So you're where now?”
Matthew replied, “At this rehab in
Maryland... WDS Rehab.”
“And what's 'WDS' stand for?”
“Uh... World... World...”
Michelle kind of chuckled before she
jumped in. “We're 'Meadow Green Nursing
and Rehabilitation Center in Nagog Woods, Maryland.' Sometimes the word 'woods' is abbreviated to
WDS. That must be where he got that,”
she replied, as everybody chuckled. And
Matthew felt a little embarrassed; he tried to smile and laugh along. “Yeah...” he said, trying to grin.
They were now passing
through a large circular room that Matthew recognized. “See that piano over there?” he asked
Michele, pointing to a baby grand piano.
“I spent a lotta free time at
that...” he had this wistful look on his face.
Michele then asked him, “Could you show me a little of what you
played?”
As the two girls headed into the lunch
room, Matthew replied, “Well, maybe after lunch. I'm hungry... c'mon.”
So they headed in. Matthew said, “Man, I don't remember the
counters being so high up...”
“Of course not,” said Michele,
smiling. She grabbed a couple of trays
and put them on a ledge. She saw what
was available, and asked Matthew what he wanted.
When they had collected the food, Michele
gave Matthew his tray, and they went up to a table. Michele pulled out a chair so Matthew could
roll under. As he did so, Michele quick
went to go get drinks.
“I want a Sprite,” said Matthew.
By the time they had both settled at
the table, several students had wandered up and were talking to Matthew.
When Michele sat down next to him,
Matthew was talking to another guy.
“...on Thursdays, when I go see this
psychotherapist.”
The guy asked, “Yep... and what do you
do there?”
Matthew replied, “Uh, well... he asks
me how I'm doing, and then we talk
about... stuff.”
“Really? Sounds like a shrink. -Stuff like what?”
Matthew replied, “Um... usually... how
I'm feeling... We talk about my family... stuff like that.”
After the guy glanced over at Michelle,
he asked, “And who's this young lady you're with?”
Michele was actually only several years
younger than Matt, and she smiled when people noticed.
Matthew replied, “Oh, that's Michele, a
cog therapist.”
“And what does she do?”
Matthew thought, and replied, “She,
uh... helps me with rehab stuff like
memory, thinking, and... the rest I forget.”
“Ah.
I see she's doing her job!”
Others at the table chucked, while
Michele looked away. Then she turned to
Matthew. “Matt! Now think about it! What do I usually do with you when I see you
Monday mornings?”
She'd asked Mathew this before, and he
was supposed to know this. It was as if
a light bulb appeared over Matthew's head, as he said, hesitantly, “Oh. Uh... We review the weekend, last week,
and... she asks me about plans I have for the next week.”
Michele piped up, smiling, “We have
been working on internalizing plans and goals, and... Working on overall
independence.”
The man they were speaking with looked
to be slightly older than Matthew, had sandy hair, and glasses. Michele asked, “And you are?”
“I'm uh, Sam,” the man said, smiling,
“And you helped Matt get here today?”
“Yeah.
We'd talked about goals Matt had, and Matt asked about visiting here
before, and... the trip wasn't too far, and he knew somebody that'd come here,
and-”
The man said, “And who's that?”
Matt spoke up, “Uh, do you remember
Jim?”
The man said, “Oh yeah... Jim
McClellan? He was here a little while
back.”
“Yeah, we were good friends,” Matt
said, “You know he's gotten back? I
think he's in Utah now.”
“Yeah... that sounds like him!” Sam
said, smiling.
They continued
chatting, when a young woman wandered up.
“Matt!
Is that you?”
It was a red haired woman, looked to be
somewhat older than Matt, who suddenly appeared. She was standing by the table, looking down
at Matthew. He looked up and said,
“Megan?”
The woman said, “Matt!” and reached
down and gave Matthew a big hug. Matthew
began rising up, during the embrace.
Michele smiled and continued eating.
After, Matthew sat back down and
resumed eating. Megan skipped off, but
quickly returned with a chair. She sat
at the corner of the table, looking at Matthew.
“So Matthew!” she said. “Tell me what have I missed?”
“Well, not really a whole lot. I-” He
saw Megan glaring at him. He then
smirked, and explained the accident\rehab experience to her.
He gestured toward his wheelchair and
said, “This, uh, is from about nine months ago, when I wrecked my car,
y'know? Um... I was comatose for a few
months...”
Megan piped in, “Yeah. We all heard about that. We weren't sure you were gonna live.”
“Well, I did, and I'm here visiting today, with a cog therapist, Michele,
here.” He gestured now toward Michele,
and then he resumed eating.
Megan leaned more toward Matthew, and
began talking about what he'd missed since he'd visited.
After the rest of the table had
finished and run off to classes, Matthew and Michele were still talking to
Megan.
Megan said, “Well, Michele, when
Matthew visited awhile ago, we really hit it off,” she said, smiling. She then looked at Matthew, dropped the
smile, and said, “And when we heard about Matt's accident, we were all a little
shook up.”
At this point, there were only about
two other students, and two faculty members in the cafeteria.
Michele looked at Matthew and said,
“Seems you made a bunch of friends when visiting your friend Jim, here.”
He replied, “Yeah, it was a great
weekend. I was even looking at coming to
school here, a few days before my injury.”
“Really? That never panned out, eh?”
Suddenly, Megan piped in, “I remember you and Jon were talking about
plans to get like an apartment, off-campus here?”
“Really?” asked Michele. “And who's 'Jon?'”
Matthew looked off the side, as he
tried to remember. “Ooh yeah. Jon was guy I met here, who... Well, he was really good at art, and while
visiting here, he actually drew a picture of me and a friend I was with.” He looked at Megan. “Whatever happened to him?”
She replied, “Uh. After you left, he kinda flipped out at one
point.”
“'Flipped out?'” Michele asked.
“Well, you know he was kinda really
good at art, and...” Megan thought. “I
think he... Well, I don't know. I kinda
lost-”
Michele broke in, asking, “Flipped out?” Was anybody hurt?”
“Oh no no,” Megan giggled, “Nobody was
hurt but himself.”
“'But himself?' I don't like the sound of this.”
Matthew then said, “Well, I heard a
story some time after I left of this guy I'd met that was really good at art,
but he was a little haywire upstairs, I guess.”
Megan said, “He made the really good
pictures, that... were a little strange.”
She glanced to the side. “I
wonder what happened to him? He...” She then collected herself. “Well, you know how those artsy types get...”
“He was a cool guy,” Matthew told
Michele, “I was talking about renting an apartment in B.V. with. Jon had some good ideas, but... he just
wigged out, I guess.”
Michele then asked, “Show me the
picture this guy drew of you, sometime, okay?”
Matthew thought, then said “Okay,”
smiling.
Just then, Megan
glanced at her watch. She said, “Ooh,”
then stood up and said, “I'll see you, okay? “ then walked off. Just then, a man walked up. Michele remembered he'd just been sitting,
across the room a ways.
“Hi!
How's your visit going?”
There was the man, now standing by the
table, and Michele and Matthew now looked up at him. He had glasses on, was wearing a tie, and
sported a casual grin.
“Oh, great! We're from Maryland, just looking around,”
Michele said.
“Are you interested in applying here?”
“Well, I work with Matthew here, at
rehabilitation. He'd mentioned an
interest in visiting here,” Michele said, “And I brought him here, from
Maryland. Kind of -you know- a day
trip.”
“Well hi,” said the man, smiling.
“I'm happy to say that recently, we've
taken a number of measures to make the whole campus accessible...” he said, while
glancing down at Matthew's wheelchair.”
“Yeah, great,” said Matthew smiling
politely.
“My office is just down the hall. If you have any questions, come find me,
okay?”
As the man began to walk away, Michele
said, “Oh,” then asked who they could talk to about admissions. “We're just trying to take a look at the way
things are,” she said.
Then, the man pointed out an office
that was a little way down the hall.
“Talk to Tim Bowers,” he said.
Michele put a hand on Matthew's
shoulder and said, “Shall we go talk to the guy now?”
They went to where they were directed, and found the door that was marked Tim Bowers. They knocked, and once they heard a “Come
in,” they started in.
Matthew found themselves entering an
office.
By the time they finished
with that, the clock read 5:25. Michele
said, “Matthew, if we want to be back tonight, it'd be a good idea to leave
pretty soon.”
“Gotcha,” said Matt. He then looked as the Michele began
sauntering away. He quick asked,
“Where'd we park?” He looked up at
Michele, and she moved behind him to get a hold of his wheelchair's handlebars.
Michele then replied, “Don't worry, I
remember where the parking lot is.” As
the two headed down the hallway, he bid farewell to several administration
types they passed, who in turn bid them a heartier farewell.
It took them a few minutes of continued
farewells to students, and then they made it back to their car.
“Oh,” said Matthew, “Think we'll stop
for dinner anywhere?”
“Nope,” replied Michele, “We're gonna
fast our way home. Mua-ha-ha-ha!”
Matthew rolled hes eyes and said, “So
where we gonna stop?”
After a minute, Matthew
climbed in, and Michele put his wheelchair in the trunk. After Michele got behind the wheel, she
looked over at Matthew.
“So ya glad we came?”
“Thanks, Michele. I mean that.”
He paused. He wanted to let her
know how he felt getting out on a trip like this, but he couldn't quite find
the words.
“You look like there's something you
want to say...”
He just stammered out, “Awright, I
think... I think...”
“Matt, thank you for initiating this trip.
I've had fun. And it was great
seeing a new side of you... it's something we don't see much of, at Meadow
Green.” She looked at Matthew. “I kind of wish we did, on a more frequent
basis, Matt.”
Matthew looked at Michele. He was feeling kind of sentimental. He hated when he felt this way, because he
always had a hard time finding words. He
knew he wanted to say something, he just didn't know what it was. “Um...” he began. He looked a little to the side. Then he looked at Michele, who had an
expectant look on her visage. He thought
of the friend she'd been, how much she'd helped him, and the way she'd opened
up to him, and didn't ask for anything, really, in return.
“Michele, I love you.” Before she could respond in any way, he
caught himself, and quickly blurted out, “No no, wait. I'm not trying
to come on to you... I just want to let
you know that I really am grateful for today.
Okay?” He was sheepishly looking
at the floor... but after a minute, he looked over at Michele- and he saw the
understanding eyes of Michele looking back.
She blinked, smiled, and said, “I
love you, Matthew,” right back.
They sat in a friendly silence for a
minute, and then Michele straightened up and started the car. “Ya ready to go?” she asked.
“Well, sure,” he replied, smiling.
Finally, they pulled
onto the road and carefully began their descent down the hill. In time, they made it back onto the highway.
“Ya know what?” Matthew said, “I wonder
when we should start looking for food.”
Michele replied, “Ya know what? Maybe we shoulda' got something there!”
“Well,” said Matthew, “I'll look around
for a nice restaurant.”
Michele asked, “What're ya in the mood
for?”
“Like something ethnic...” At this point, they passed a sign for KFC.
“Ethnic enough for ya?” Michele asked.
Matthew's stomach growled. “Evidently,” he replied.
So they pulled into the parking lot. After Michele fished Matthew's wheelchair
out, she set it up and rolled it over to Matt.
They went in.
“Hi! Table for two?” Michele asker as this when
they were spotted by the receptionist.
“Certainly,” said the receptionist,
grabbing to menus and beckoning to follow.
During, they talked. “So how we doing with time? Think we'll make it back okay?”
“Ha!” snickered Michele, “Well, if
we... uh...”
She was looking in her purse.
They actually enjoyed
the dinner that followed, and finished in decent time.
Once they both got back
to the car, they began to get in. It was
getting dark; once they started the car up, they saw that the clock read
8:27. Matthew asked, “What do you think
we'll do now, Michele?”
She looked over at Matthew and
thought. Then began pulling out. “I'm thinking... that...” She pulled the car onto a highway. Just when the gas gauge beeped, she said,
“Well, we gotta stop somewhere. The gas's getting low,” she replied. “Did you bring money?”
“Actually, you should've asked me that
this morning,” he said, before exhaling.
“Well, I thought the tank was filled up enough!”
Then, she saw a sign by the side of the
road in the dim light. It said 'gas
10' “I don't think we can make it ten
more miles, Matt,” Michele said.
“And... ya know? It's probably closed,” Matthew replied.
“Well, the pumps usually aren't.” After a minute she said, “Well, that sign we
just passed said there's a hotel in another mile. I think if we park there... maybe they could
bring gas to us, ya think?”
“Well, have ya got Triple A?” Matthew
asked.
She replied, “Well, I haven't needed
any help from them fer so long... I... I hope I do.”
They pulled into the hotel parking
lot. The gauge pointed out that they
were running on empty, with a light ding.
Michele said, “I might have something here,” while fishing through her purse. She then looked up. It was about 9:15. “Where are we?” she asked Matthew.
She looked at him. He appeared to be
spacing out. “Matthew!” she said loudly
while snapping her fingers.
Matthew lightly jumped. “Sorry!
I'm just a little pooped, I guess.”
“Long day?” she asked, smiling.
“Michele?” Matthew replied, “It's been
a long, but good day. Thanks.”
Michele parked the car into a
space. The gas gauge beeped again. Once the car stopped, she looked again through
her purse.
“Aha,” she said calmly. She looked over at the hotel. It was a 'Days Inn.' “Shall we stay here tonight?” she asked.
“Um,” Mathew thought, “Would Meadow
Greens be okay with that?”
Of course Michele had to think for a
sec. “Well,” she said, “I don't think
they would be okay with driving late at night with no gas... We can get gas in the morning.”
Matthew then agreed, and it was
9:25. Michele got Matthew's chair, when
they tooled in.
On the way, Matthew saw Michele on the phone;
she appeared to be talking with someone from the rehabilitation center. Matthew tried following the
conversation.
Michele said, “Yes, I know. Now, but... but tonight, we're both going to
stay at a Day's Inn. We... well, no. But...
No, it'll be all right. I think
that... that- well, no. Of course
not. We... Yes.
We...”
“Room fer two?” she
asked the receptionist, while pushing Matthew in. Then, she caught herself. “Er, two beds?”
“Right,” the receptionist replied. Michele saw him look, taking notice of the
wheelchair, “We... have a room like that just opened up. 1D, down the hall.”
Michele thanked the man, and the two
made their way to the room.
“Okay, so we'll stay
here tonight. And look!” Michele pointed
to the sink, as they went in. “They have
toothbrushing stuff here... hmm.”
Matthew said, “I hope they have shower
stuff in the bathroom...” while rolling in, to take a look.
“Do they?” Michele called.
“Ah.
Yah,” Matthew replied. “Now you
know... I might need a little help in the morning,” he said to her.
“Sure,” said Michele, as they separated
to get ready.
Later, Michele was
getting ready for bed, when Matthew rolled out of the bathroom. He soon asked, “What time should we get up
tomorrow?”
“Well, I'll go ahead and set the alarm,
so I'll get you up, okay?”
Suddenly, Matthew asked “Oh uh... how
we doin' on money?”
“I'm glad you asked,” Michele
replied. She walked over, and sat on
Matthew's bed. “We've been doing okay
with what we've brought,” she said, “But we've got just enough to make it back
home okay.”
The next morning,
Michele awoke first. She got her glasses
on, and looked over at Matthew, sleeping soundly. The clock read 7:56, so she climbed out.
After walking over, she sat in the side of the bed and lightly shook
Matthew's shoulder, calling him softly by his name, “Mat-thew!”
“Mmm... Arby's...” he mumbled.
“Matthew... get up...” Michele tried
rousing him.
He then opened his eyes.
Seeing this, Michele said, “C'mon. I'll help you get started.”
Matthew took a nanosecond to scan the
room, before he sat up on the side of the bed.
Michele quick made sure everything was
all set in the bathroom, before she returned.
Matthew was already in his chair when she returned, and he tooled into
the bathroom.
“I get the shower after you, so don't
take all the hot water, okay?” After
saying that, Michele walked over and got the brochure that talked about
breakfast arrangements.
“Uhh... little help-?” Matthew then
called.
“What’d you think?”
asked Michele, after they'd both gotten to the lobby, to eat..
Matthew replied, “About what?”
As his cognitive therapist, Michele
wasn’t surprised by this obtuse question.
“About the trip?”
It was then that Matthew jolted as if hit by something. “Oh, yeah! We gotta
stop by that pawn shop.”
“Ah. Afterwards we’ll head there.”
Afterwards, after
they'd both finished eating and getting ready, they met just by the door, to
leave.
“Okay Matt, I think we're ready to
leave.”
Matthew said, “Cool. Let's go.”
Then he said, “Wait. Are we
forgetting anything?”
Michele said, reassuringly,“I think
we're all set. C'mon...”
Then he asked, “I mean... we got all
the money and luggage?”
“Money's okay. And we don't have any luggage! C'mon!”
At this point, they closed the door and
Michele escorted Matthew down to the front desk by the lobby, to return the
key.
Matthew said, “Wait. There is something we gotta do... I'm trying to remember...” he looked
frustrated.
At the front desk, Michele returned the
key, and then asked about the gas station.
Pretty soon, they found themselves headed there. Matthew was betting against it, but they made
it. “See what a little faith can do,
Matt?” Michelle asked.
“Do you really think we'll make it back
okay?” he asked, trying her.
“Well, do you?”
And so they continued on their way.
A little while later,
they pulled up to the store, as Michele had promised Matthew. The sign read
‘Pawn Solutions.’
“I think
this is the place,” Matthew said, looking around skeptically.
They went in, and Matthew was still a little unsure. Suddenly, Matthew noticed something.
“Well, this’ll work.” This he said,
while looking down at a typewriter he noticed.
Michele asked, “You like that?”
Matthew replied, “This looks just like
the one I bought, but lost!”
They looked at the price tag. “$45.00.”
said Michele.
“What?” said Matthew looking a little
surprised, “Did I really pay that much for it back then?”
“Well…” suggested Michele “Maybe you did.”
They both looked around a little bit, and Michele suddenly pointed out
something... She expressed interest in a necklace she had found.
“What’s that?” Matthew asked. Michele
was looking at the necklace, examining the price. $79.00 was written on the tag. Matthew saw it and said, “Do you
want that?”
Michele then looked at Matthew and
laughed. “Yeah right,” she said.
“No, I’m serious.” Matthew said
smiling.
“Listen,” said Michele, “Maybe, in
another lifetime!”
“Hey,” said Mathew, “I’m patient. Would
you really like that?”
At that Michele looked at her watch
and, noticing the time, began heading for the door knowing they needed to get
back.
“Where you going?” Matthew asked. “I’m
serious!”
Michele continued toward the door
saying, “Come on, Matt, we need to get back.”
After climbing in, they then got back
on the road.
On the trip back, Matthew was thinking.
“So what's up, Matthew? It's been awfully quiet here...”
“Oh, sorry,” Matthew replied. “What's the best way to say thank you?”
Then he said, “I really wanted to get
you that necklace! I was about to make
sure I could afford it!”
Michelle looked over at Matthew and
said, “Matthew, thanks, but just saying thank you is the best way! You can't buy appreciation.”
Then she smiled, glancing over at him,
“Or friendship.”
Matthew glanced back and smiled. As the journey continued, they engaged in
light conversation.
At last, they returned
to Meadow Green, and parked.
After she turned the car off, Michele
glanced over to see Matthew looking at her.
She asked, “All right, we're back.
D'ja have fun?” She smiled at him.
“'Did I have fun?' Michele, I'm really
glad I got to spend all this time with you.
I'm glad for everything I got to know about you. I really think our friendship has only grown,
and...”
Matthew paused before he continued, “I
think I look at you in a totally different way now.” He paused and said, “I love you,
Michele.” Then he smiled and said, “But
you knew that, right?”
Michele smiled,then opened the door,
got out, and walked over to Matthew's side. Then she opened his door, and
lifted him out to a standing position.
Once they got eye-to-eye, Michele said, “I really look at you
differently now, Matthew.”
She then continued looking at Matthew
and said, “Remember I said I loved you?
Well, that's still true.”
He looked at her and smiled as she sat
him down and got his wheelchair.
Soon, they were both out and began
heading in.
It was Saturday so naturally no one was
at the receptionist desk. They headed down the hall toward Matthew’s room.
“So you glad we went?” Michele asked.
Matthew rolled into his room. “Michele,
it was a good trip, thanks,”
Suddenly Bob popped his head into
Matthew’s room and said, “Michele, we need to talk.”
Matthew gulped.
Michele said, “Matthew, I’ll let you
finish settling in and I’ll see you for our next session when you’re scheduled,
I think on Monday.” She then walked out the door, and down the hall following
Bob toward his office. Matthew turned and rolled over to his desk to write down
what he remembered of the trip they had just taken.
Then he began writing something unexpected.
Michele,
And he thought. Almost half intentionally, he found himself
writing,
I'm
writing this now, after we've just gotten back I just want you to know how
greatful I am to have a friend like you.
He
paused and thought. Then he continued, I would like you to know
that no matter what happens in life, I will always he thought...
And continued, be here as someone you can talk to, I will be happy to give you
anything you want, and then
he finished I just want you to know that you have given me more then, he just erased that last part and rewrote Michele, I don't know
exactly what I'm trying to say he
had to pause and think, you have made me think about and see 'What?' he thought the possibilities of having another person to
walk at my pace, he erased those
last few words and rewrote what it's like to have someone else in my life that's really interested
in me, and he
dropped his pencil and thought.
“Yo Matt?”
He jumped as a voice from behind piped
up and startled him. He turned
around. “Matt? C'mon.
We're all playing bingo in the dining room.” It was Gary, one of the staff at the place.
“Awright. I, uh... was just...” he looked down at what
he was writing. What was he trying to say? He'd
lost his train of thought. He sighed and
turned around, followed Gary down the hall.
In time, Monday came,
and Matthew got his schedule for the week.
He was not scheduled to see Michele.
He looked at Tuesday. He was not
scheduled to see Michele. The thought
that he'd gotten Michele in trouble raced through his mind and terrified
him. Then, he glanced at Wednesday. He felt as if a huge weight had been taken
off his shoulders, as he read 2:00 Cog
(Michele). He reached in his pocket
and clutched the letter.
THE END
