Return of the Black Sheep

Caution this story contains abuse of an elderly woman

"Ring, ring, ring! " the phone woke me up in the wee hours of the morning.

"Aww shut up." I covered my head with a pillow.

"Ring, ring, ring." I glanced at the alarm clock. It was 3am. No! Nothing good happens in the middle of the night.

"Ring, ring, ring" the phone switched to voice mail. Good be quiet. Not bailing anyone out of jail, or giving any fools a ride.

"Ring, ring, ring." Damn it again. I picked up the phone, listened to my message. The voice mail screeched into my ear. Hysterical crying, gasping breaths, then click.

I checked the number. It looked familiar. It was my Grandmother's, my grandmother Kelly!

I grabbed the phone. Hands shaking, I called her.

"Hello Grandma hello?"

"Dia Dhuit." Then crying. Gaelic, she was speaking Gaelic.

"Grandma? Hello. "

She was crying and sobbing, she hung up.

I called the police non-emergency number.

"Hello Kent Country Police, how may I help you. "

"I'm in California, my grandmother just called me totally upset. She's in her 80s, lives alone and needs a wellness check. "

"Is this an emergency?"

"Yes, I'm thousands of miles away, can you send someone over?"

"Address please. "

"3182 Plymouth Ave, Grand Rapids, Mi. Thank you. "

"A police officer is on their way. "

I hung up. I stared at my digital alarm clock, watching the seconds roll over. The faucet dripped. A dog barked. A siren wailed. Click another second, which felt like an eternity. Please please Grandma be OK.

"Ring, ring," I grabbed the phone.

"Hello, this is Officer Vandyke. "

"Ok, are you at my grandmother's house?"

"Yes, I found her laying on the floor. She's not responding, but she is breathing. "

"Ok, have you called an ambulance?"

"Not yet, need family permission. "

"What the hell! I'm her granddaughter, permission granted. She needs to go to Saint Mary's Hospital. Can you do that?"

"Ma'am ambulance is on the way. "

"Thank you. "

"Ma'am the hospital will call you. " He hung up.

I tossed back the white cotton sheets of my single wide bed. I glanced out the window at the back alley. Moonlight shone off the garbage bin and a poor broken excuse of a wooden fence. The air smelt of warm asphalt.

I brewed a pot of coffee to pass the time. Nothing good happened in the early morning. I took a lukewarm shower and sipped hot coffee, waiting. I stared at the peeling yellow paint and the ceramic sink. The brown digital clock read 5:41am.

I called St Mary's hospital.

"Hello St Mary's Hospital. "

"Good morning, I'm calling in regards to Kelly O'Ryan. She was sent to the emergency room via ambulance. "

"Let me check the records. " Elevator music played while on hold.

"Miss she's in the emergency room now. "

"How is she?"

"The staff is working on her. I won't know for a couple of hours. "

"What?"

"She is being treated. She is alive but confused. I'll know more in a couple of hours. "

"Thank you. " I hung up.

The clock said 6;02am. What was going on? Grandma only spoke Gaelic when she was extremely upset. She never cried or called me. How did she even have my number?

Waiting sucked. I called my sister.

"Ring, ring, ring." No answer. I left a voice mail.

I rang again and again. Finally she answered.

"Hi it's early. This better be good. "

"Morning Carol."

"Who’s this some kind of prank call?"

"It's Spring your sister."

"Spring your alive? What do you want?"

"Grandma Kelly's in the emergency room. She called me last night. What's going on?"

"You move away for some music career, wake me up and pretend to give a fuck?"

"Love you too, little sister. What's up with Grandma?"

"Don't know, don't care bye."

I set down the cell phone. So much for sisterly love.

The digital clock clicked another second. Dim early morning sunlight shone through cheap polyester curtains. A dog barked. A car engine turned over.

I called my cousin, Debbie. She answered on the first ring.

"Good morning. "

"Good morning, Debbie, how are you?"

"Spring! is it you?"

"Yes it is, the one and only. "

"It's been years, you just disappeared off the planet. "

"No just left Michigan. "

"You sure did. No one bothered to look for you. There are nieces, nephews and grandkids that don't even know you exist. "

"How is Grandma Kelly doing?"

"Grandpa died. She lives alone now. "

"When did he die?"

"Years ago. Nobody knew where you were."

So how did Grandma Kelly call me in the night?

"So how is Grandma Kelly?"

"Stubborn, she refuses to go to a nursing home. Her house is worth a fortune, but we can't sell until she moves or dies. "

"What?" My hands trembled. "Could you repeat that?"

"Spring, listen! She's old and insists on living in her house. The house is on prime land. Location, location, location! If we sell the house, we'd be rich. We could travel and party and not work. Don't worry you'll get your cut. "

"So who helps her?"

"Who cares. She just needs to die. "

"I see. Debbie, good talking to you. Gotta go now. "

"Don't wait years to call again. Bye. "

My cut! My bloody cut! My cousin was waiting for my Grandma to die. The evil, wicked, cruel, greedy BITCH.

I hugged myself and rocked back and forth on the single wide bed. A roach crawled up the wall. Tears soaked my shirt. I drank cold coffee, washed my face.

I called St Mary's hospital.

"Hello St Mary's Hospital. "

"Good day I'm calling in regards to Kelly O'Ryan. She was in the emergency room earlier today. "

"I'll check the records. " Elevator music played while on hold.

"Mrs O'Ryan was admitted to the hospital. I can connect you to her nurse."

"Thank you. " Elevator music played. Click the phone disconnected. I redialed the phone number.

"Hello St Mary's Hospital. "

"Good day, I'm calling in regards to a patient Kelly O'Ryan. She's been admitted to the hospital. I was disconnected earlier. "

"Let me connect you to her nurse. "

"Hello how many I help you?"

"Yes, I'm calling in regards to Kelly O'Ryan, a patient. "

"Mrs. O'Ryan is in room 304. She is being treated for dehydration, malnutrition and confusion. " answered a tired female voice.

"Can I talk to her?"

"She's sleeping, I can leave a message. "

"Do you know what her treatment plan is?"

"Not at this time. I can leave a message with her social worker. "

"Thank you. "

I hung up.

Ok, she's in the hospital. She has a social worker. My counsin wants to sell her house. Her house is worth money? My head pounded. I ordered food delivered and waited for the phone calls.

"Ring, ring, ring. The clock said 4:13pm.

"Good day. "

"May I speak to Spring O'Ryan " Requested a woman.

"Speaking. "

"This is Mary Spencer, a social worker at St Mary's hospital. I've been assigned to Kelly O'Ryan. " Her voice sounded dull, tired. "

"Yes, how is my Grandma doing?"

"She is confused. This is the third time admitted to the hospital this year. She is being treated for dehydration and malnutrition. "

"Three times. Why?"

"She lives alone. She has problems with activities of daily living. "

"Excuse me. "

"She's confused and unable to take care of herself at this time. She will be placed in a nursing home. "

"Is that decision final?"

"She needs around the clock nursing care."

"What dose she need help with?"

"She 's ambulatory. She needs help with grocery shopping, cleaning her house, dressing, bathing and still accessing her needs. "

"Could she stay in her home with help."

"She needs around the clock nursing care." I stared at the ceiling and counted to ten.

"Mary, could she stay in her home, if someone lived with her?"

"She can't afford around the clock nursing care."

"No me. Can she stay in her home, if I move in?"

Dead silence, a long drawn out breath. "It's always better for elderly patients to remain with family. "

"Is that a yes?"

"If you're willing to take care of her, yes. "

"Thank you for your time. "

I set down the cell phone. A roach crawled between the chipped yellow paint on the wall. Traffic hummed. Was I really considering moving back to Michigan? The one place on the planet that I never ever wanted to see again. What did I have to loose? My freedom, my sanity, good weather and delicious food. But my career was in the toilet. My love life sucked. I no longer feared my relatives.

I phoned St Mary's Hospital room 304.

"Ring, ring, ring, hello."

"Debbie? It's me , Spring. "

"Hi Cousin, what do you want?"

"How is Grandma doing?"

"She's hanging in there. She has an IV and is eating on her own. "

"When can she go home?"

"It's bad. She can't live on her own. Nursing homes are so expensive! It could take all her assets. "

"What if you sell the house?"

"She just needs to die. "

Debbie said that in front of Grandma! The cruel, evil snake. "Can I talk to her?"

"Dia Dhuit. " Replied a sad familiar voice.

"Hey Grandma, long time no see. It's Spring. "

"Dia Dhuit A stor. "

"Grandma, English please. "

"Your cousin is staring at me like a vulture, waiting for me to die. " she answered, breathing heavily.

"I heard Grandpa died. "

"Yes, he passed away 5 years ago. "

"Do you want to go to a nursing home?"

"Spring she left the room. She wants me dead. She wants to sell my house."

"How bad are you?"

"I can't drive any more. My meals on wheels are being canceled. My groceries were delivered to the wrong address,. My food delivery never arrive. My water and electricity were turned off. " She cried.

I listened to the sobbing. She didn't sound confused.

"Grandma, do you want me to stay in your house?"

She hiccuped. "I'm scared. "

Yes, our family was scary. "Ok, do you want to go to a nursing home?"

"No!"

"Do you want me to come home? Do you want me to take care of you?"

She cried. "Yes, help me. She's coming back. Sian A stor. " she hung up.

I cried. A streetlight lit up the room. The faucet dripped. A police siren wailed in the distance.

I took a shower and packed my bags. A beige canvas backpack, a beat up leather suitcase and a guitar. The luggage was covered in tags and stickers from Paris, London, Rome and Gitmo. I made an airplane reservations and called a taxi.

Like a bat out of hell, the black sheep was returning home. My grandmother would enter a nursing home over my dead body.