Need help figuring out adoption relationships? Schedule a complimentary consultation with Lori Holden, M.A.

Double Feature

Thanks to the Girl Scouts, Rob and Lynne were having a grand Date Night. They’d dropped the kids off at the local school where the Scouts were hosting a Parents Night Out. They’d kissed the heads of their children and admonished them to behave for the babysitters. Before too long, Rob and Lynne were sipping their Pinots at a local bistro, enjoying the first, second and dessert courses, and discussing upcoming opportunities.

With plenty of time to spare, they arrived at the multiplex to see Lynne’s pick, The Blind Side. The theater was sparsely populated, so Rob led Lynne to the front-row center of the main level. They sat together and put their coats on adjacent seats. They talked more as the pre-show ads played on.

~~~~~

Cecil’s excitement eclipsed even the pain in his hip. He and Mildred were going on a date tonight. A real, live date — dinner and movie with his life-love. He picked her up at the door of their retirement community in their old Caddy, now rarely driven. He hoisted himself out of the driver’s seat, shuffled around the car and opened the door for her. She unsteadily lowered herself into the seat and as they drove away, he thought, “Sprung!” He was glad to leave all those old people behind.

Cecil drove 23 miles an hour across the town to their favorite place to eat, a chain cafeteria. It’s strange that they would choose a place just like the cafeteria at the retirement home, but the cottage cheese really was better here. Cecil had chicken-fried steak, and Mildred had meatloaf. Doused in sauce, with creamy mashed potatoes.

They paid the bill and eventually got back into the Caddy. At 23 miles an hour, they headed a few parking lots away to the theater. The Blind Side was their choice. He fumbled the bills out of his wallet to pay the lady. Criminy. Even the senior prices were outrageous!

~~~~~

The elderly couple entered the darkening theater just as the previews began. They stood at the entrance for a bit, unsure where to go and leery of the dark. There were plenty of seats up the stairs, but their preferred front row was filled.

Rob and Lynne both turned their attention to the newcomers. Simultaneously, Rob and Lynne moved their coats into their laps. Lynne stood and crept over to the older couple. “Sit here,” she whispered loudly, and motioned for them sit in the newly available seats.

~~~~~

Something was nagging at Lynne. She was trying to pay full attention to the engaging movie, but the old lady beside her had been gone awhile. She’d left the theater, oh, 15 minutes ago.

Just watch the movie, Lynne told herself. She took a few mental notes for the review she was going to write about it. She didn’t want her attention to wander any more.

But it did. Unable to quiet the uneasy feeling, Lynne leaned over and asked the old man if he wanted her to check on his wife. “Nah, she just went to the bathroom. We’re 90. We’re slow.”

Two more scenes passed. Lynne whispered to Rob that she was going in. “Tell me everything I miss from now until when I get back.”

Lynne got to the mostly empty bathroom, and the older woman was at the sink, washing her hands. Lynne took this opportunity to go to the bathroom herself.

She opened the first stall, clanked the latch and was committed to that stall, when she was assaulted by the smell of sick. The toilet had only one tell-tale sign of a mini-tragedy — a tidy bundle on the back of the toilet rolled up in toilet paper. Well, that and the smell of sick. Without touching anything, Lynne relieved herself, then washed her hands.

The older lady was still at the sink, dabbing her face with a paper towel. “Are you OK?” asked Lynne.

“Oh, Sweetie.” the woman said, without eye contact. “I’ve never been so sick in my 90 years. Cecil wanted to eat at his favorite place, but I just don’t feel well at all.”

“Would you like me to bring your husband back out?”

“No, Sweetie. Would you take me back to him? Here, please take my arm.”

The two women twined their arms and began the long trek back to the theater. “It’s a shame to ruin our date. But I am so sick, in the bowels. I am afraid I made quite a mess. I tried to clean it up.”

Lynne was torn. She wanted to let the lady talk if she needed to, but she also wanted to resume her own date. When they got to the correct theater, Lynne asked the lady, “Here’s a bench. Would you like to wait here while I let your husband know what’s going on?”

“Oh, yes, Sweetie. God bless you. I don’t know why I got so sick.”

~~~~~

Lynne’s eyes adjusted to the dark theater. She got to her own seat and whispered loudly to Cecil the news about his wife. He slapped his hand down in frustration. And did not get up. Lynne briefed Rob about the events of the last 10 minutes. They looked at each other in the dark, wondering what to do, trying not to create any more commotion for the other theater-goers.

Finally, the old man got up and walked toward the exit with a deep sigh. Rob could see a trail of coat, hat, and scarf, items that were about to be left behind. He leapt up, gathered the dropped items, and escorted the old man into the light.

“I’m so sorry,” said Mildred when Cecil emerged. “Gah!” said Cecil, with that same frustrated hand gesture. “We never get out! And when we do, bad luck!” Cecil said, more to Rob than to Mildred.

Their coats on, Cecil and Mildred shuffled away to the parking lot, bracing for the cold air and the trip back to their reality.

Rob returned to the theater. He and Lynne never did fill each other in on the parts they missed, but they did decide on the spot to buy the DVD when The Blind Side is available.

And young. Boy did they feel young.

guide to living in open adoption

Lori Holden, mom of a young adult daughter and a young adult son, writes from Denver. She was honored as an Angel in Adoption® by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.

Her first book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole, makes a thoughtful anytime gift for the adoptive families in your life. Her second book, Standing Room Only: How to Be THAT Yoga Teacher is now available in paperback, and her third book, Adoption Unfiltered, is now available through your favorite bookseller!

Find Lori’s books on her Amazon Author page and catch episodes of Adoption: The Long View wherever you get your podcasts.

19 Responses

  1. How amazing of Rob and Lynne to sacrifice their own enjoyment to help that elderly couple. I would venture to guess that Cecil and Mildred eventually agreed that those simple gestures made up for having missed the movie.

  2. I’ll bet I know which cafeteria it is.

    Responsibility for others never ceases, does it, even for Date Night.

    Rob and Lynne are very kind people.

  3. Growing old is not for sissies, as they say. Always good to remember our blessings and enjoy youth while it’s here.

  4. Ahhhh, such a sweet story and so well written. Have you ever thought about writing a screen play? Seriously. Your writing style fits it perfectly!!!

  5. You wrote the story?

    Wow! *bowing to you*

    If I were the old lady, I would have been the one cribbing about missing the movie……

    Good work!

  6. so sad 🙁 i commend R & L tho on doing the right thing. its so easy sometimes to ignore that nagging feeling that you should do something, even when in your heart, you know you should… Even tho theres may reasons for people’s actions (you dont say anything bc you dont want to butt in, you dont want to get yelled at, etc etc), in 2010, i hope to never ignore that nagging feeling…

  7. I love reading your stories. You have such a way with words.

    Thank you for sharing this. Beautifully written.

    I vote YES on screenplay!

  8. Very touching and sad scenario laid out there.
    I deleted my wisecrack about wearing adult diapers when dining out after a “certain age”.

  9. Oh my G-d–I loved this post and I’m hoping it’s real and that you’re Lynne. That slamming of the hand in frustration–I felt so deeply for that old man who just wanted to be young again and able to pick up and go out. To be so frustrated at being blindsided by bad luck when you have so few chances to have that evening out. Is it silly that I cried for him? I’m already in a weepy mood tonight and this was just the thing I needed to have a good cry.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *