Chapter 1

Having resided in Green Grove Senior Citizen’s Home for a number of years, Tom Wilson was a fixture and he appeared to live by routine.

He kept the same morning ritual from the day he moved into the home for seniors.

Since the residents were all elderly most suffered from various elements that forced them to use canes, walkers and even wheel chairs to get around. However, Tom didn’t seem to have any ambulatory problems. At age 80 he still walked on his own two feet and although his tall, lean body was bent a little with age he still stepped pretty lively. Since his gait was a measured pace with long strides and slightly swinging arms some of the staff and seniors thought he might have been in the army at one time but nobody knew for sure because Tom never talked much about his past.

He had a few friends but he was generally up and about before them. As regular as clockwork he appeared for breakfast at 8 am. It consisted of one egg, two rashers of bacon or a slice of ham, and toast washed down with a cup of coffee and then a refill.

So, while other residents were just starting to arrive for breakfast, he returned to his room to grab a battered up old baseball cap, slip into his running shoes and don a jacket if the weather looked bad. Then he was out the front door and gone for his walk. Nobody knew exactly where he went and since Tom was the silent type he didn’t volunteer much information. All they knew was that he would be gone for a couple of hours, and return sometimes with the smell of beer on his breath but since alcohol was only forbidden in rooms nobody ever complained.

When he returned from his walk it was near lunch time so Tom would sit himself down in front of the big screen TV in the lounge until it was time to eat. This meal he always ate with his three friends. Wally Cashley, Norm Elkin and Susan Coombs were his card playing pals and right after lunch was over, the foursome would go to the lounge to play bridge. They would play for several hours and then retire to their rooms for an afternoon nap.

Tom had been following that schedule for years but then one day he broke it. He failed to appear for breakfast at 8 am. It took the kitchen until nearly 8.30 am before they realized he was missing. A concerned staff decided to check up on him. He was found still lying in his bed and a doctor was called. By 9 am the whole building knew what had happened. Tom had suffered a stroke during the night. He was rushed by ambulance to the hospital and he stayed there for a week.

When he returned he no longer looked like his former self. His body was bent a little more and he looked pale and weak. Far too weak to go for his regular walk and he was always late for breakfast, sometime he even took it in his room. He didn’t play near as much cards with his friends either but he continued to talk regularly with Wally.