Today will be a good day. She picked up her tote bag with all the gear in it and walked out of the bedroom into the living room. She stopped cold.
Oh. My. God. There were six big holes in the living room wall.
She stared. Shaking her head, she added the drill to her tote bag and left.
*****
As she headed down the hallway toward the stairwell, the next door down from hers opened and out stepped the tallest older woman Madison had ever seen, standing at about 6’4” or 6’5”. She was wearing a pink housecoat, what Grandma used to call a duster, and had puffy white hair that skimmed the top of the door frame. Her face looked like she was in her 70s, but her body appeared younger somehow. She was fit and toned. She was obviously the same older woman that Madison had mouthed off to last night. Madison was struck by her height but also by the empty look in her eyes and her slack jaw. Not wanting a confrontation, Madison had decided to keep walking when the old gal swayed and collapsed in her own doorway.
Madison jerked to a stop, her tote bag swinging at her side.
Everything was quiet. Most of the old gal’s body had fallen inside the narrow entryway of her own apartment, while her legs from the knees on down were sticking out into the hall. She was wearing the biggest fuzzy slippers in existence.
Madison looked around, but no one else was in the hallway. It quickly occurred to her that she didn’t know anyone else who lived here yet. Who should she tell?
She dropped her tote bag. “Hello? Are you okay?” The doorway was blocked with the woman’s body so Madison bent over and slapped her legs and knees, the huge fuzzy slippers shaking with each slap. “Hey! Are you all right?” She slapped some more, but the older woman wasn’t responding enough for Madison’s fear to subside. She was barely coherent. Damn it!
Madison pulled up her long Arthurian gown into the crook of her elbow, delicately stepping between the old gal and the narrow entryway wall, her Lady Guinevere slippers making not a whisper, till she was all the way into the apartment and could put her hands under the woman’s armpits to pull her back inside her home.
Dragging her across the hard flooring of the entryway was not too hard because of the slick surface of the floor next to the old gal’s housecoat, but getting her across the carpet proved to be a much bigger challenge. Madison heaved and pulled, her tiara falling off onto the woman’s chest. “Errrh…” That got a reaction. She was responding.
Madison had her all the way into the living room, the apartment being a mirror duplicate of her own apartment next door. She stopped tugging and shoved her tiara back on. Grabbing a pillow off the sofa, she slid it underneath the old woman’s head. The confused eyes blinked and looked around. “What’s going on?” Her voice was weak.
“You fainted and collapsed. Just stay still for a moment. I’ll get a cold cloth.” Madison went into the kitchen, found a small towel, and soaked it in cold water from the faucet. She noticed trophies and colorful award ribbons all over the place. There were pictures of old style Vegas showgirls lifting barbells, or Rat Pack era men, into their arms. Holy crap, is that her in younger days? Wow. Autographed black and white glossy headshots of handsome men dotted the walls. Madison returned to the older woman whose color was returning.
The older woman said, “It’s this damn diet again. It can’t be the training.” She blinked several times. “Crystal was right. I shouldn’t rush it.”
Madison said, “Close your eyes a moment.” She complied as Madison used the towel to gently wipe across her upper eyelids and down the sides of her face and asked her, “Who is Crystal?”
With her eyes still closed she said, “My pain in the ass niece.” She scrunched up her brows and said. “I shouldn’t say that. She interferes because she cares. Family is important, but they can be damned inconvenient
Oh. My. God. There were six big holes in the living room wall.
She stared. Shaking her head, she added the drill to her tote bag and left.
*****
As she headed down the hallway toward the stairwell, the next door down from hers opened and out stepped the tallest older woman Madison had ever seen, standing at about 6’4” or 6’5”. She was wearing a pink housecoat, what Grandma used to call a duster, and had puffy white hair that skimmed the top of the door frame. Her face looked like she was in her 70s, but her body appeared younger somehow. She was fit and toned. She was obviously the same older woman that Madison had mouthed off to last night. Madison was struck by her height but also by the empty look in her eyes and her slack jaw. Not wanting a confrontation, Madison had decided to keep walking when the old gal swayed and collapsed in her own doorway.
Madison jerked to a stop, her tote bag swinging at her side.
Everything was quiet. Most of the old gal’s body had fallen inside the narrow entryway of her own apartment, while her legs from the knees on down were sticking out into the hall. She was wearing the biggest fuzzy slippers in existence.
Madison looked around, but no one else was in the hallway. It quickly occurred to her that she didn’t know anyone else who lived here yet. Who should she tell?
She dropped her tote bag. “Hello? Are you okay?” The doorway was blocked with the woman’s body so Madison bent over and slapped her legs and knees, the huge fuzzy slippers shaking with each slap. “Hey! Are you all right?” She slapped some more, but the older woman wasn’t responding enough for Madison’s fear to subside. She was barely coherent. Damn it!
Madison pulled up her long Arthurian gown into the crook of her elbow, delicately stepping between the old gal and the narrow entryway wall, her Lady Guinevere slippers making not a whisper, till she was all the way into the apartment and could put her hands under the woman’s armpits to pull her back inside her home.
Dragging her across the hard flooring of the entryway was not too hard because of the slick surface of the floor next to the old gal’s housecoat, but getting her across the carpet proved to be a much bigger challenge. Madison heaved and pulled, her tiara falling off onto the woman’s chest. “Errrh…” That got a reaction. She was responding.
Madison had her all the way into the living room, the apartment being a mirror duplicate of her own apartment next door. She stopped tugging and shoved her tiara back on. Grabbing a pillow off the sofa, she slid it underneath the old woman’s head. The confused eyes blinked and looked around. “What’s going on?” Her voice was weak.
“You fainted and collapsed. Just stay still for a moment. I’ll get a cold cloth.” Madison went into the kitchen, found a small towel, and soaked it in cold water from the faucet. She noticed trophies and colorful award ribbons all over the place. There were pictures of old style Vegas showgirls lifting barbells, or Rat Pack era men, into their arms. Holy crap, is that her in younger days? Wow. Autographed black and white glossy headshots of handsome men dotted the walls. Madison returned to the older woman whose color was returning.
The older woman said, “It’s this damn diet again. It can’t be the training.” She blinked several times. “Crystal was right. I shouldn’t rush it.”
Madison said, “Close your eyes a moment.” She complied as Madison used the towel to gently wipe across her upper eyelids and down the sides of her face and asked her, “Who is Crystal?”
With her eyes still closed she said, “My pain in the ass niece.” She scrunched up her brows and said. “I shouldn’t say that. She interferes because she cares. Family is important, but they can be damned inconvenient
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