Old Man Barnsworth

           Tonya, a very skilled nurse specializing in geriatric care, was assigned to a patient by the name of Frederick Barnsworth. Mister Barnsworth went through nurses like most people go through a jug of milk.

           He had a reputation for being a cynical old man that hated life and anyone in it, and he was not afraid to express himself. The last nurse ran out of his home crying frantically after the horrid treatment she had received.

           Apparently, this nurse had made the mistake of offering to help shave the back of Mister Barnsworth’s neck, and moments later, she found herself being chased across the room by her patient as he wielded a straight razor in his right hand and steadied himself upon his cane with the left.

           Tonya pulled up in front of the decrepit old bungalow and instantly began regretting her acceptance of this placement. The roof was partially covered in a large blue tarp to cover the missing shingles, the paint on the lapboard siding was peeling, and the grass on the front lawn was as high as her knees with prickly weeds poking out through the thick brush like serpents.

           Carefully, Tonya edged her way along the broken patio stones that lined a pathway to the front door. She searched for a doorbell, but there was none, so she knocked softly on the rustic wooden door. No answer, so she rapped a little harder. The door cracked open slightly, so she leaned her head toward the opening and called out for Mister Barnsworth.

           “What do you want?” came a grumpy voice from the darkened living room.

           “Mister Barnsworth, my name is Tonya Redfield. I am your new nurse, sir,” she replied.

           “I keep telling you people that I don’t need any help! Now, go away!”

           Tonya knew before she arrived that he was going to be a challenge, but she was prepared for the worst. She insisted that he allows her to come in and talk about it with her. Reluctantly, he accepted.

           Tonya entered the dismal living room. She thought to herself that it seemed more appropriate to call it the dead room, because there was not much living happening in there. Even the flowers that sat on his end table were dried out and wilted. Tonya could hear flies buzzing past her ears.

           “Would it be okay with you if I opened one of the curtains slightly or turn on a light while we speak, Mister Barnsworth?”

           “I suppose if you have to. You will need to draw the curtains. The lightbulb in here burnt out over a month ago.”

           “Thank you, sir,” Tonya replied in a calming voice.

           Mister Barnsworth shaded his eyes at the sudden onslaught of sunrays piercing his pupils like tiny daggers. He had lived the life of an introvert for so long now, that he had forgotten what the sun had even felt like.

           Tonya sat upon a chair directly across from the grumpy old man. She stared into his frumpy face and smiled, hoping it would encourage him to smile in return, but he just continued to scowl.

           “Can you tell me a bit about yourself, Mister Barnsworth?”

           “There’s nothing to tell. I just want to be left alone,” he replied.

           “If that is what you choose, I will leave, but not until we have a short conversation,” Tonya said insistently.

           “Fine. Say what you need to, then go.”

           “Thank you, sir. Firstly, can you please tell me about what it was like for you growing up? I always enjoyed history, but I find it much more interesting hearing it from those who lived through it.”

           The old man grunted his distaste for the questioning, but finally gave in and told her about his life.

           “I was born in 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts. It was two days after Amelia Earhart landed in Northern Ireland. Herbert Hoover was finishing up his term as President of the United States and Franklin Delano Roosevelt was being sworn in.

           My dad was an Irish-Catholic who worked part-time at a local movie theatre as an usher. Times were tough during the great depression. Trying to raise a child on a single income at that time was very difficult.

           My mother stayed at home after I was born. When I got older, they told me that they went days without food just so I could have pablum to eat.

           We lived along the waterfront in South Boston. It wasn’t known to be an upper-class neighbourhood. As I grew up, I had to learn to fight to survive. Each day was a new challenge, but my fighting skills improved as the years progressed.”

           Tonya sat silently and smiled, taking in all that she could about this old man. Mister Barnsworth paused to take a drink out of his dirty glass that sat on the coffee table in front of him.

           “Please, continue,” Tonya requested.

           “By the time I turned sixteen, my dad passed away from liver disease. The doctors said it was the drinking that killed him. My mother was never the same after that. I had to go out and start working so we could keep living.

           I got my first job working as a paperboy for The Boston Globe. The editor at the time was a bit shady. They said he had mob connections. I always tried to do a little extra hoping to get noticed. After the first eight months, the boss called me in and asked me if I wanted to earn some extra cash. I jumped at the chance. Little did I know what I was being asked to do.”

           Tonya was being drawn into the story. She began to imagine what Frederick Barnsworth looked like as a teenager. She pictured him as being tall and muscular with a fighter’s spirit.

           “So, the Chief asked me to deliver a package to an address on the East side. He said that time was a factor, so I ran as fast as my legs would carry me until I reached the location. Two burly men stood outside the door. I told them I had a package from my Chief, and they took it from me and told me that nobody gets in to see their boss without his say-so.

           I headed back to the waterfront and arrived back home just before dark. My mom was pacing the floor when I walked in and asked where I had gotten to. She said that she had been worried sick. I tried to explain that I was working, but my words seemed to fall on deaf ears.

           Over the next several months, I seemed to spend more time delivering packages, than delivering papers. I ended up giving up the paper route altogether. I was making more money at seventeen than what my dad made his whole life.”

           Tonya then asked, “Can you tell me about your wife?”

           “My wife?” Mister Barnsworth asked as sadness filled his sunken eyes. “Yes, sure.”

           “We met one day after I finished one of my deliveries. I stopped in at a soda shop for a milkshake. I sat at one of the tables and ordered a chocolate shake. The waitress left with my order and came back moments later. She said that a girl in the booth across the room ordered a chocolate shake as well, but there was only enough left for one, so the waitress wanted to know if I would like to order something else.

           Instead, I walked over to the booth where the girl sat. I planned to ask her if she would be willing to let me have the last chocolate milkshake, but as I rounded the edge of the table, I was left speechless. She was gorgeous. Her pale blue eyes and flowing blonde hair left me in awe.

           She asked me if I wanted to sit down, which I did. After I got over the initial shock, I asked her if she would be willing to share the last chocolate shake. She called the waitress over and asked for two straws. I introduced myself, and she said her name was Maisy. It was love at first sight.

           Bringing her home to meet my mom was the hardest thing. By that point, my mom hardly spoke a word to anyone. She would go days without eating or bathing. I was so embarrassed when Maisy came by. The smell of mother was intense, and I could see that Maisy was trying to avoid covering her nose as we approached. When I introduced her to mother, I might as well have been talking to the wall.

           I knew early in our relationship that Maisy was going to be my one-and-only, but I was too afraid to ask her to marry me. I knew that mother could not live alone without having me there to help her every day, but at the same time, I couldn’t ask Maisy to start off our marriage living with a woman that seemed to be living in another dimension all day and night.

           It was if fate was reading my thoughts that day, for when I finally decided to ask Maisy to marry me, and I went home to tell mother the good news, I found her lifeless body laying on the bed. A bottle of whiskey and some pills laid beside her. She was gone.”

           Tonya saw a tear running down his cheek and she began to get choked up as well.

           “So, a few months after the funeral, Maisy and I got married. We moved into my mom’s old house and tried our best to brighten it up.

Maisy was amazing. She turned that dingy old place into a home. It always felt joyful in there after that. Nineteen months into our marriage, Maisy announced that she was pregnant with our first child. I panicked at first saying that I didn’t know how to raise a kid, but Maisy sat me down and explained that after taking care of my mom all those years, taking care of a child would be a breeze.

           When Lisa was born, my world became crazy and wonderful all at the same time. I was stressed at work, but as soon as I saw Maisy and Lisa, all my anxiety disappeared.

           Lisa was an amazing child. She looked so much like her mother too. Those big blue eyes would melt my heart every time she stared into my eyes.

           Sean was the next to be born. He came along just over a year after Lisa was born. His personality was more difficult, like mine. I could already tell that we were going to have our hands full with him.

           The two of them grew up so fast.” Mister Barnsworth pointed to the framed pictures that hung on the wall across the room. There were several photos of both of his children along with what she assumed was his grandchildren.

           “They are such beautiful children,” Tonya began. “Where are they now?”

           “Lisa runs a pet store, and Sean works as a chef at a local restaurant. I don’t hear from them much anymore. They used to come around every weekend after their mother passed away, but their lives became busier, and my life seemed less important to them.”

           Tonya could see that the thought of his family was beginning to upset him, so she told him that she would leave him alone but asked if she could return another day. Surprisingly, he agreed.

           Tonya tracked down Mister Barnsworth’s son, Sean. He worked at O’Malley’s Bistro, so Tonya made a reservation and stopped by for dinner one night. She ordered the veal parmigiana with a side of fettucine pasta. It was delicious. She insisted on personally thanking the chef, so the waitress went into the back and asked Sean to come to the table.

           Tonya praised the meal then explained to Sean who she was and asked if he could give her a call to discuss his father. She left her personal number with him and waited two days before he called.

           She went over his medical records with Sean then spoke of his father’s loneliness. She asked if he could tell her where his sister worked. The next day, Tonya stopped by Paws and Claws Pet Store. She browsed through the store and waited for someone to approach her. A few minutes later, as she spoke playfully with the puppies in the kennels, a voice came from behind her.

           “Is there something I can help you find?”

           Tonya turned to see an attractive woman with strawberry-blonde hair and knew instantly that it was Lisa.

           “Yes,” Tonya began. “Would your name happen to be Lisa Barnsworth?”

           The woman looked shocked and confused.

           “It was Barnsworth but hasn’t been for a few years now. I am married and go by the name Harrison now. Do I know you?”

           “No, but I know your father. I’m his nurse. That is the reason I am here. Your father has been going through some emotional issues for a while as you may know, and I am concerned that he is becoming very depressed.

           He spoke highly of you and Sean, and I could tell that he truly misses you both. I was hoping that I could convince you two to visit a little more often with him. It would help his mental state greatly.

           I will be honest; if he keeps chasing away his nurses like he has, the agency will eventually cut him off and he will be without medical care. I don’t want to see that happen to him.”

           Lisa sympathized with her father’s condition, thanked Tonya for caring, and said that she would try harder to spend time with him.

           Tonya stopped by the Barnsworth home a few days later for her scheduled visit. Mister Barnsworth was his usual miserable self when she came inside. His hair was disheveled, and he was still in his pyjamas. Tonya was about to help him prepare his lunch when there was a knock at the door.

           Mister Barnsworth growled and the sound as Tonya went to see who it was. When she opened the door, she was pleased to see some familiar faces and let them inside.

           “You have company, sir,” Tonya stated.

           “I don’t want to see anybody!” he shouted back.

           “Dad, it’s Sean.”

           Mister Barnsworth perked up slightly.

           “Sean? My son? Is it really you?”

           “Yes, dad, and Lisa is here too. She brought you a surprise as well.”

           Lisa and Sean entered the living room, glancing around at the less-than-comfortable conditions. In her arms, Lisa held a yellow lab puppy that she held out in front of her father’s face.

           “Dad, I want you to meet Rascal.”

           The puppy stretched out his long tongue and slid it up Mister Barnsworth’s face from chin to nose. Tonya expected the old man to go into one of his rants and tell them the get the dog out of there, but to her surprise, Mister Barnsworth instead smiled for the first time in years. He reached out his hands and took the puppy from his daughter, holding it snug against his chest. Rascal continued to kiss his new friend.

           “I had a dog just like him when you two were just little. Do you remember?”

           “Yes dad, which is why I thought you would like some company around here,” Lisa said. “Rascal is yours if you want him. We will come by and take him for walks every day when we visit. Your grandkids said that they would help too. What do you say?”

           Her father’s face lit up with joy. They had not seen him smile since their mother was alive.

Tonya could not believe that such a simple gesture could make such a huge impact on Old Man Barnsworth’s life. She knew at that point that she made the right decision by contacting Sean and Lisa. She had a good feeling that she would be seeing a lot more smiles during her future visits.

When she came by the following week, Sean was at work mowing the lawn while a crew of laborers patched the roof and began prepping the siding to be painted. As the old paint was stripped away on the outside of the house, the layers of cynicism that once surrounded Mister Barnsworth’s heart were stripped away as well, and the love that once held his life together, was now returning.