Fatima Works at the nursing home!

Written in response to: Write a story about someone who must fit their entire life in a single suitcase.... view prompt

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African American Fiction Funny

Fatima loved being a doctor and providing medical assistance to her community. From time to time, she would visit several nursing homes in the local area, who was short of doctors, who could provide medical aid to the residents who needed it the most.

It was early morning on a Sunday when she got the call. Her dear and oldest friend Carol called with a favor to ask Fatima.

Carol and Fatima spent several months together during her externship and the Verterans Hospital when Fatima was a LVN.

Carol and Fatima also graduated from the same highschool and has been friends for many years.

Carol needed a physicain to fill in for the regular physican, who had to take a leave of absence due to matarnity leave.

"Fatima, it has been too long, my dear, how have you been?" Asked Carol

"I have been doing well Carol." "I agree with you sister." "It has been way too long." "We must do lunch and catch up very soon." Fatima replied

"How is it going at Community General?" "Still working long hours for short pay?" Asked Carol

"Of cours I am." "You know I didnt become a dotor for the money." "I love the satisfaction of helping those who cant afford luxury like medicle insurance, in orde to recieve medical care." Replied Fatima

"Same old Fatima." "Always there for her community, when in need." "Never change sister." "You will die with that beautful soul."

"I have a one time opportunity, to make 60,000.00 for three months working in my nursing home as a phycisan."

"Thats 20, 000 per month plus room and board." "You can stay in my guest home."

Fatima quickly accepted her friends offer to make 60,000.00 to fill in for an absent physican.

Plus, sixty thousand dollars for doing something that she loved doing, didn't seem like a bad deal, at all.

Fatima had lots of vaction time saved up so she put in a request to take time off from her job as a physician, for the next three months and away from Community General.

Fatima confirmed her travel plans and began to prepare for a long over due semi-vacation.

Fatima put in a call to the post office to have her mail, put on a temporary hold, as well as to hold all packages that may arrive durring her time away from home.

Fatima lived in a community that consisted of diffrent types of people from all walks of life. Fatimas community, loved her the same way she loved her community.

Fatima was particular about her home and her personal and private space but who would take care of her plants and her Miniture Pomeranian Mimi.

Fatima hired Taj, to help provide care for Mimi, on the days she had to work late. Taj would be a perfect candidate to water her plants as well as dog sitting for the next three months.

"Taj, I will be going away for the next three months." "I was wondering of you would like to make some extra money by not only taing care of Mimi, but watering my plants as well as keeping an eye on my condominium, while im gone." asked Fatima

"I would love to make some extra money. Fatima, thank you for the opportunity" "Were are you going Fatima" asked Taj

"Im going to help out an old friend. who is in need of some professional assistance at her nursing home."

"I will back before you know it Taj." "Three months sounds like a short amount of time, if you look at it being only 90 days."

"I have left you an envelope with some cash and a few pre paid debit cards in case of an emergency." said Fatima

Fatima was finally packed and ready to head for the airport. Fatima packed enough cloths, scurbs and personal hygignes that would last for the next three monts. It was alomst like her whole life was packed in one single suitcase.

It was a good thing that Taj lived next door because he would be able to drive Fatima to the airport so she could spend a few more moments with Mimi, before leaving for her business trip for the next three months.

Fatima, finally arrived at Carol's nursing home and she was glad about it. The ride was only a three hour flight, but it was not so comfortable in coach.

Fatima booked a return trip in first class. After making sixty thousand dollars, she would be able to afford it.

Fatima walked into the nursing home and was immediatly impressed. Most nursing homes have an awful smell of bodily fluids, but this was not the case at her friend Carol's facility.

"Fatima!" "You made it!" "Im so glad to see you!"

"You look good sister." "Thank you accepting my offer to fill in for Linda." "She has not been so succefull in the past with having babies, but by the grace of God, she was able to go full term." Said Carol

"You look good as well Carol."

"Thank you for thinking of me to fill in." "Im glad I could help you out in your time of need."

"Your facility looks fabuols!"

"You always talked about owning your own nursing home, and you did it." "You should be proud of your self sister." "Im proud of you." Said Fatima

"Thank you Fatima." "I have worked very hard at getting my facilty to where it is now" "My residents are very impotant to me." "Over the next three months, you will come to love all of the residence." "You may even pick out your favorite." Said Carol

Carol's facility was a small facility compared to the normal facilites that society was used to. Carol's facility could only hold up to 30 residents at time, which made Fatma's job that much easier.

Carol gave Fatima a rundown on how things worked at the facility and Fatima was eagar to get to work.

Fatima's first patient was Marie Salazar. Ms. Salazar was 85 years old and was the oldest resident of the facility. Fatima could tell right away, she was the alpha female of the facility amongst the other residents.

"Good morning Ms. Salazar." "My name is Dr.Fatima and I will be filling in for your regular doctor for the next three monts." "I hope that's okay with you." asked Fatima

"It's okay with me." "But im sure youwill have issies with the other residents in thefaciity." "If you need some help, just ask for my aid, Jason and he will get a mesge to me." Said Ms Salazer.

"I'm sure what ever issues I may come accross, I will be able to handle it." "I have been a physician for some years now."

"But thank you for the offer." Said Fatima

"I know you think im just an old lady, but im not just a resident here at Carol's faciliy." "Im a very important person, even in my old age." Said Ms. Salazar

Fatima continued making her rounds and introduncing hersef to the residents at Carols facilty and beoming familiar with each and every one of them.

Fatima had been at the nursing facilty for two weeks and was loving every minute of it. It was late at night when Fatima noticed a few of the resients gathered in the dinning room as though they were haing a private meeting.

Fatima decided to drop in before leavng for the evening, and say good night to the residents. As Fatima walked towards the circle of residents and could here Mrs. Salazar instruct the residents to stop talking.

"Good eveng everybody." "How are things going this evening?" Fatima asked

"Things are going well Dr. Fatima, have a good eveing." said Mrs. Salazar with a stren tone and dismissed Fatima.

Fatima was too tired to make sense of the private meeting but later, it would all come together soon enough.

Fatima was six weeks into her temporary position as head physiscan for her friend Carol' nursing home facility.

It was like Fatima was part of the family and she felt right at home.

Caorl was right when she said the residents would touch Fatima's heart. Fatima loved all thirty residents, but she had her favortie of them all, Ms. Susan Pines.

Fatima loved Ms.Pines. Ms. Pines would never say one word or complain about anything. She was sweet and kind and Fatima simply loved her.

One morning while Fatima was making her rounds, she could hear Ms. Pines crying. When Fatima asked Ms. Pines why she was crying, Ms Pines simply pointed to Ms Salazar.

Fatima didn't know what to make of Ms. Pines pointing to Ms Salzar, but she intended on finding out why Ms. Pines was crying, and if Ms .Salazar was the reason for it.

Fatima had one week left, and her time at Carol's nursing facility was coming to an end.

"Fatima, I really appreciate you filling in for Linda, and she appreicialtes it as well." said Carol

"It has been an awesome adventure, but I must admit, I am ready to return to Mimi, my pomeranian."

"But there is one thing I would like to know Carol." "How are you able to afford to pay me sixty-thousand dollars cash, while keeping up such a beutful facility."

"Its equipped with the most expesive high tech security system I have ever seen." "Every room has its own, color telvision mounted to the wall and themeals are like the come froma five star resturant." Said Fatima

"I have a very highend clintle list." "These are mothers and fathers of some very important people." "They would pay, just about anything to make sure their parents and loved ones are safe."

Fatimas last day was cming up and she wanted to do something special for her favorite resident. When Fatima, went to visit her room, Fatima found that Ms. Pines was dead, and had died the night before. Fatima was hart broken, but she still had a job to do. She filed the proper paper work , and contacted Ms.Pines closest reletive, her neice Pam

"Thank you for contacting me." "My Auntie Susan became too much for me to handle by myself, as to why she ended up here."

"Luckily, my husband is a sucsessful lawyer and is finacially stable." Said Pam

"Im very sorry for your loss Pam, your Aunt Susan was a beautful soul and will be mised hee at Carols Facility." "Although she never said a word , I fell like I haveknown her for years." said Fatima

"After My Uncle Hank was murdered several years ago, my Auntie Susan hasen't said a word." "

She was there the night he was killed by an intruder that broke into their home one late night."

"The doctors diagnosed her with PTSD." "After that she just stopped speaking." "To any one." "My husband thinks its a possibility, that she saw who killed her husband, and has been to afriad to say who it was." Said Pam

Fatima went home and gathered her things for her return trip back home in a few days.

She realized that she left her favorite coffee mug at the facility and would rather not leave it if she could help it.

Although it was after hours, Fatima decided to go to the facility andretrive her coffe mug and say good bye to all of the residents, on last tme.

Fatima used he passkey to enter into the facility and was surprised to the darked hallways of he facility. She wnet in to the office wher her nugh was still sitting the the desk, where she left it the moring of. Fatima locked the door behid her but was distracted by the lit up dinning room hall wher Ms. Salazar and the other residents

January 20, 2025 19:41

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