Typically, love stories begin with a run in at the grocery store, a beer at the bar or a mutual friend who is tired of seeing the two of you single. The man courts around the woman opens the door and picks up the check but this love story I’m going to tell you is a different kind of story. In this love story, unconventional events took place while creating a profound love.
Once upon a time there was a college senior head of her sorority’s philanthropy committee. At the same time, there was a 94-year-old World War II Army Veteran just miles away. While the two people lived their two very separate lives, fate brought them together one very special event on Valentine’s Day to forever change each of their hearts.
The room was loud, filled with laughter and music. It smelled like a nursing home, was a nursing home, but looked like a party. The girl made her way through the music on over to what looked like a very solemn, handsome, elderly gentleman. To her surprise, he was welcoming and overjoyed by her as was she of him. You could say it was love at first site, they just may not have known it yet. After much small talk, the girl asked the man to dance and he so promptly agreed. Without a hitch in her 90s leather booties, she pushed the man and his wheelchair out onto the dance floor.
As they twisted and shouted, laughing at each other, for her it was almost as if nothing else was there. The kindness in his eyes, strength in his smile and softness of his hands reminded her of simplicity and happiness; pure happiness.
The two, so obviously enjoying each other, agreed that the girl would visit once a week. As the first week approached she was timid as she believed due to his age she could possibly be reintroducing herself with every new meeting. On the bright side, she would relive only happiness from the very first evening but on the shadowed side, the two wouldn’t get to know each other as best as she’d hoped. This wasn’t the case. He remembered her and boy, was he waiting for her.
As every new Thursday evening came and went, the pair felt more happiness than believed in a very long time, more sadness than expected with every goodbye and more anticipation for another Thursday to roll around. But before no time, a friendship that balanced on every Thursday evening wasn’t enough for the two. He asked to see her more; every day more. She began spending three to four days a week for two to three hours at a time with him.
They spent evenings in the dining hall where she would feed him dinner. Little details about him began to arise. The food, like any other nursing home, wasn’t the most appetizing but he took his meals for what they were worth. He enjoyed evenings where he was served mac n’ cheese with stewed tomatoes, he took two packs of vinegar on his spinach and three sugars in his hot tea. She enjoyed these tiny details because there was no more and no less to them; he refused to take only two sugars.
Stories filled the walls of each room of the home they sat in together and she listened with the utmost intent. The buzzers for other patients in the background and noise of the nurses faded out when he spoke. He familiarized her of his time in the Army, the stories of his love life in France and the downfall of it with his first and only ‘Dear John’ letter. He described every car he loved like his children and cried every time he spoke of his dog. He told her the story of how he proposed to his late wife and the 18 cruises they took together after his retirement from the military.
She was a little kid again leaning in closer and closer to hear every word he spoke. She giggled for hours on end and blinked more quickly than natural to take in every expression he offered her. They shared Hershey kisses and packs of crackers. They held onto each other’s last words before goodbye and lingered with every hug and kiss on the cheek. Multiple goodbyes ensued daily because they just couldn’t let go, not even for a day.
They talked about doing things both parties knew would never happen. Traveling to nearby cities together, going out on the water and seeing parts of the place he once lived. None of this was possible while both dreamed and wished it was. His care was too extensive to do these things but they both continued to tell of all the adventures they planned to do together. She wished so badly she could take him to the ends of the earth. It broke her heart, even only knowing him a short time, to see him in pain. He was dying as they were falling in love.
For the elderly man and his young visitor, falling in love wasn’t about a sexual chemistry. It wasn’t about going on adventurous dates; the furthest they went for a while was the nursing home parking lot to let him feel the sun; to smell the nature. Their love was about time spent. It was about what the two could offer each other. Her seeking a consistent male companion and him seeking company, they did more than what they needed each other to. Their love stemmed from entertaining, teaching and respecting one another.
Outside of the nursing home, they shared one date to a baseball game. Inside of the nursing home, they shared St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Father’s Day and the 4th of July. She motivated him to keep eating and working on getting out of his wheelchair. He wanted to walk again and she determined him.
Their love turned sour as her life continued to go on and his began to end. With college graduation recently in the past, it was time for her to move away from school and adjust herself to the big girl world. She wanted to fly and he gave her wings.
A month before she planned to go she walked in through the automatic doors of the home with a sickening pounding in her heart. She chose a city and it wasn’t realistic that they’d see each other again. She had to tell him, to prepare him. As they held each other’s hands tightly, weeping sorrowfully he broke her heart and spoke through his tears, “I knew we were going to have to break up one day.”
They spent their last month together in a lot of pain. The sadness of her leaving took over every one of their meetings. He asked her to stop coming by to steer from more tears but she refused; she couldn’t be miles away without seeing him every chance she got.
His health took an ultimate turn for the worse. He wasn’t moving around at all anymore, eating wasn’t a priority and he began to quickly lose weight. His dentures wouldn’t stay in his mouth anymore, his eyes were ultimately tired shut and his tongue was dry. With every an extensive cough, she could hear his dry lungs whimpering for liquid. Time moved quickly and their last day together painfully approached. How could she say goodbye without seeing the happiness she brought him in his eyes one more time?
As she sat on his bed next to his sick body, holding his sweet, soft hands, tears washed her face like a heavy flowing river. He couldn’t speak; she couldn’t give him a proper goodbye. She stared down at his hands squeezing onto hers with all the strength he had left. She knew he knew. She tried to see every vein, every broken nail through her fogged eyes. She wanted to remember everything about him. She told him how much she loved him, and kissed him goodbye several times as she knew they would be her last. Her lips quivered as they touched his cheek. Much to her surprise, she felt his lips on her cheek. His dry lips scraped up against her cheek as he kissed her goodbye. She knew he knew.
Typically, love stories end with a joyful kiss, a wedding or a sunset. The man takes the woman’s hand and rides off into the sunset with her but this love story is a different kind of story. In this love story, heartbreaking goodbyes knowing they’ll never see each other again took place because a profound, unconventional love was created. She walked away from room 217, alone, for the last time.
