cantankerous. He had standards and he was going to stick to them. He doubted a household of students would be concerned with keeping the bathroom floor from being wet or cleaning the shower after use.
He was about to circle another futile possibility with red pen when Keisha arrived. He’d been positive he’d taken things a step too far last time she’d visited and would never see her again. For all his scatty moments, he remembered when he’d shown her his scar.
‘Are you okay? You look pale,’ Clive said.
‘You’re the second patient to say that today. My friend Lucy has been admitted to the hospital. She’s been sick for over a week and they want to find out why. I’m okay, just very tired. There’s been a lot going on this week. How are you?’
‘Oh goodness. I hope they sort her out soon. That must be a worry for you.’
Keisha nodded, the mentioned tiredness creeping through.
‘As for me, I’m much better. And I want out of this blasted place. They’ve said I’m well enough to be discharged, if only there was somewhere to be discharged to. If I don’t have a wife to go home to, then I want a new home.’
‘You do seem a lot sprightlier than when I last saw you.’
‘I can prove it by dancing if you like?’
‘I’m good, thanks.’
‘I’m sorry. About last time. It’s not something I usually share.’ Clive rubbed the crook of his arm. He was embarrassed that he’d so openly exposed his old wound, the one from the grieving years. It wasn’t something he was in the habit of doing.
‘I guess we’re both guilty of that.’
Clive sensed there was something more she wanted to say, but they were both holding on to their truths.
‘Can you believe they’re talking about putting me into an old folks’ home? All because they’ve decided to treat my house as a crime scene.’
‘They have?’
‘Something to do with local burglaries and wanting to check my house hadn’t been broken into after all. They put the back door being open down to my delirium. Now they’re wondering if there’s more to it. I know they’re saying it didn’t happen, but to me it really did. It’s very hard when what you thought was true doesn’t match up with reality. And between us, all this talk of burglaries doesn’t sit right with me. I know something is up. You mark my word.’
‘I don’t think…’ Keisha trailed off, her sentence hanging. ‘I’m not sure what to think.’
‘Nobody is, other than not believing me. But I’m not crackers and I certainly don’t want to be shoved into a care home as a solution. I know I’ve been poorly, but I’m not due at that juncture yet. They wouldn’t even be putting me there because I need care, just because they don’t have any other answers. This is where having children would have been handy. I’ve never been in need of someone loaning me a sofa bed more.’
‘Are there any other options?’
‘I’ve started looking at some myself.’ Lifting the paper, Clive waved towards the circles he’d penned around the ads. ‘But it’s thin pickings. I’m not sure any student houses want an old man staying with them.’
‘Not all of them are the same. I’m still in one even though I’m way past the point of being a student. I’d offer you Lucy’s bedroom, but she shares with her boyfriend, so I think he’d have something to say if you started sleeping in their double bed.’
Clive laughed at the thought. ‘It’s kind of you, but I’ll find something. I’m just not sure what. Anyway, you’ve not come here to worry about my predicaments. You must be here for your study. What do you need to record first? Blood pressure?’ He lifted an arm like he did so regularly for the nursing staff.
‘Nope. Not today. My manager gave me a day off after everything that’s happened with Lucy. I’ll get you booked in as soon as I’m back. Hopefully you’ll be able to come to the cardiac lab at the university next time.’
‘That must be hard work without Lucy there. How’s she doing?’
Keisha’s expression went through a rotation of tiny grimaces, the question catching her off guard. She was pushing away tears. Clive could tell. It reminded him of Nancy when she was doing her utmost not to cry. He shook his head, recalling also the many evenings he’d sat watching television alone; that memory wasn’t possible. And yet it was there. The wife that was his