Sundown you better take care

Sundown You Better Take Care by John Passadino

Francis brushed his teeth with fervor. The cool water and mint-flavored paste gushed over his gums and teeth, stimulating his taste buds. He savored the sweetness, thinking of the stack of York Peppermint Patties he layered on his tongue on Easter Sunday during his formative years. The experience and thoughts jolted him with an oxytocin high.

“Ah yes, nothing like a peppermint toothpaste rush.”

 He spat into the sink, feeling a trickle of warm drool on his chin, and watched the fluffy lime green water swirl down the drain slowly. He wiped the foamy overflow from his mouth with his tee shirt sleeve. The motion scratched the irritating itch on his chin left by the drool.

“Mavis? Are you there? The drain’s going down slowly again. Can you bring me the liquid plumber or the snake?” He asked through the thin, cream-colored bathroom door. He looked back at the mirror and saw a haggard face.

“Darn, I need a shave again. Mavis? Are you coming?” He turned the water off so he could hear better.

“She’s probably on the phone again. I’ll get the pipe poison myself. Sixty years with that woman, and she hasn’t changed a bit. She would yak away as the alien ships abducted us all and carried us to kingdom come.”

The octogenarian stashed his belongings back into his zip-lock bag, placed it on the shelf, then turned to his right, where his gray metal walker waited. He gripped the black rubber handles and felt the nubs on them protrude between his fingers. “Here comes Mr. Magoo, walker version. Can’t see a lick, but I can motor my way around this place and set the pace, that’s for sure.”

“Here goes nothing.” He turned the metal handle forward, hearing the lock click open. “Well, that WD40 did the trick again. Lock pops open like a champ.” He shuffled through the door, counting his steps to ensure he’d find his way back to his bedroom.

“Francis, how’d the brush feel?”

“Mavis, it was better than sex. No offense. Hehe.”

“Today was the first day you brushed in a long time.”

“Apologies for the bad breath before today. I guess that’s why you stopped kissing me. You used to be a spitfire when you were young. Now, null and void. Don’t say it. You are post-menopausal. Well, I’m post-man-o-pausal, but I still like to kiss, darn it.”

He waited for a reaction but saw an outline of her taut face and knew she wasn’t in the mood to joust.

“Did you bring the juice?”

         “Your juice is waiting for you by your bed where it always is.”

         “No, not drinking juice, the juice for the slow drain.”

         “I’ll take care of that later.”

         “Good. I’d probably pour it down my pants with these horrible eyes of mine.”

         “My pleasure. Now get into bed, please.”

         “I told you I’m feeling much better. Enough with the bed. Can’t I sit outside today? I want to check the cucumber and tomato plants.”

         “It’s ninety degrees out and feels like one hundred and two. That’s not happening.”

         “All right, I’ll sit in the chair then.”

         “Deal.”

         “You’re the best, Mavis. I always loved you.”

         “I love you too, Francis.”

         “After all our decades together, it’s nice to hear that, my love.”

         “All right, enough with the lovey dove talk; let’s get you into that chair.”

         She squatted in front of Francis like a powerlifter going for the deadlift record, then she thrust her arms out like a forklift and slid them under his armpits.

         “Help me out here, Francis. On the count of three. One, two.”

         “Damn, your eyes are still pretty, and I love when you hold me like this,” he said.

         “Come on, let’s focus. Let’s start the count again and finish it.”

         “All right, killjoy. One, two, three.”

          They melded together into a greasy auto repair shop hoist, and he rose and plopped down in his easy chair in one fluid motion.

         “There, we got that move down to a science, that’s for sure,” she said.

         “Now, we must work on some other moves. I’m getting my mojo back, honey.”

         “Drink your juice.”

         “What? Before you pour it over my head, right? I know you like a book.”

         “No comment.”

         Francis downed his juice. “Mm, nothing like orange juice into a freshly brushed mouth. The OJ bubbles up against the toothpaste remnants.”

         “Look what the wind blew in. Hello Stanley!” Francis said to the tall, erect man who strode into the room and was now standing over the bed. “Good to see you, son,” he continued.

         “Good to see you, too. How are you feeling today?”

         “I’m in the pink.” Then he gestured across the room. “All I need is for your mom to loosen up a bit.

         “I see.”

“You have a way with words, young man. Just like your mom,” Francis said.

         “Thank you for your usual compliments, Francis. I don’t know what we’d do without them,” he chirped.

         “You’d cash in my assets and be rich and you know it!”

          “Funny. I have good news for you. Your loan is here, and you will get it officially tomorrow morning.”

         Francis sat up in his chair. “I told you we had good credit, Mavis. I always said we should cut those credit cards, and now you know why.”

         “You’re absolutely right, Francis” Then she shifted and spoke out of earshot.

          “He’s been like this since yesterday.”

         “Any family come to see him? That would help reorient him.”

         “No, his wife Mavis passed away two years ago, and he’s estranged from his son, Stanley.”

         “We’ll have to work on that tomorrow after the kidney transplant operation. I don’t want to get him stressed before it.” Then he walked to the side of the bed and put his hand on Francis’s arm. “You’re going to be okay after the loan. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

         “Thank you, my son. I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

         “Bye, pop.”

Then the doctor released Francis’s arm and left for his next hospital room visit.

“See that? We raised a wonderful son, Mavis.”

“Yes, we did, Francis. Now, I’ll be sitting in the corner there if you need anything, okay?”

“You know what I need, my love.”

“Yes, I do. I truly do.”

The end