cory striplin
My First Visit
I remember the first thought that came to mind when I sat in the waiting room. It really is just like the movies. It did feel somewhat caring and comforting, but I swear it wouldn’t take long before I’d want to blow my brains out.
"Mr. Morris?" The nurse at the front desk called me over so I got up from my seat.
"Oliver is ready for you now. I’m Marilyn. I believe we spoke on the phone earlier. So, everything is set. Let me take you to him". I glanced at her momentarily, said, “Thank you Marylin”, and began following her down the hallway. Marylin wasn't that much older than me, but I can tell she reached a level of maturity that I'd only scraped the bottom of.
As we walked down the hallway, I was surprised to see a lot of patients with smiles on their faces. It seemed as if they were all happy to see me in a way, although they were all behind separate closed doors. Perhaps they tell them beforehand to keep it together for future snacks or special treatment. Or, once again, maybe it really wasn't like the movies. As we walked down the hallway, I could hear classical music faintly grow louder. Once we got to Oliver’s room, which was the only one open, I realized it was a lot smaller than the others; all that was present was a red velvet lazy boy and a beat-up record player. "It's just the Thought of You, The Very Thought of You, My Love ". There on the lazy boy sat Oliver in dark green blazer and light brown slacks, glancing out the window. "I see we have us an Al Bowlly fan" I quickly started to grab his attention. I said it like I didn't already know. Dave grew awkwardly quiet, turned over to me, and glanced for a second.
That's when it hit me that I was no one. He glanced at my uniform and asked with a smile, "Are you a new nurse?"
"No, sorry. I don't work here. I'm actually a dental assistant. My name is Charlie.”
"Oh okay, good. I was going to say you're a little young to be working here. But It's very nice to meet you nonetheless, umm…"
"Charlie. Like my father," I replied.
"Ah yes… Sorry, I'm not very good at remembering names. It might take me a while.”
“Is it okay for me to ask what you remember?"
Oliver had a very welcoming vibe at the time. He was coming off seemingly acceptable of anything I was interested in knowing. “Yeah, sure, I'll give it a shot. I mean, why the hell not?" He looked down, then back up and smiled, "What would you like to know?" I looked at the nurse for a second, then back at him. "Umm, well, for starters, what's coming up in your memory right now?" He put his knuckles to his chin and paused for a moment, then began scratching at the gray on his face. "Let's see... I remember that I'm Oliver, and that it's September..." He points towards a calendar on the wall, "I know it's Sunday, and… I already forgot your name, oh, but don’t tell me what it is! Let me see if I can get it right...” He grew quiet and started to make cringeworthy faces but was suddenly distracted by the music. "Ahh, yes. I remember my mother used to sing this song to me when I was a child. Right before bedtime every night. Yes. Oh, wait. No. It was either this song or Blue Moon? Damn, I can't remember. Excuse me, it's foolish of me", he said with sheer concern in his eyes.
"Hey, no need to worry... You know, I'm quite a fan of Bowlly myself," I said, redirecting the conversation. "Oh, that's very unexpected. And how old are you?" He asked. "I’m 26”. “Well... that's nice”, he replied with an uninterested look on his face.
"Mr. Morris, if it's okay with you, I'd like to join you for breakfast every day for the rest of this week. Nurse Marylin agreed it'll be okay, as long as it's okay with you." He looked into my eyes. For a moment, it almost felt like he saw something.
"I can't promise you that I'll remember this tomorrow, but I can assure you now that I could really use the company at breakfast." He smiled at me, and I smiled back at him.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Morris. Enjoy your Sunday."
"Likewise.”
I was oddly surprised at how well the visit went, but I was a little hurt that he didn't remember me. I really wanted to tell him that it was neither Blue Moon nor The Very Thought of You that his mother would sing to him as a child, but Love is The Sweetest Thing.
author bio
Cory Ellis Striplin is a UTEP senior majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in Film. His preference of styles are fiction and scriptwriting. Other than his love for movies, he works full time as a local cable guy.