#suindara

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February

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Clara was positively livid as she got off the train andhailed a taxi that could take her straight to where she needed to go withoutworrying about navigating a bus schedule she hadn’t needed looking at in years.There were plenty of things that were angering her at this point, yet none ofthem were nearly to the degree of why she was currently in Blackpool, makingher way through the city of her youth, exiting the taxi in front of thehospital and storming her way up to the front desk. She found where her fatherwas located and immediately went there, finding that Dave was sleeping. Therewere stitches on his forehead where he had cracked his head open on the countertop,which made things look all the more grisly. Sitting down in the chair next tohis bed, she waited for him to wake up, a scowl on her face.

“Clara…?” he marveled as he floated back into consciousness.“You didn’t come all the way here from London, did you?”

“You lied to me,” she frowned. The words made him flinch.“You said you were taking your medication, that you were keeping up on things,that I shouldn’t worry, and that was only twomonths ago. How long have you not been doing what you’re supposed to?”

“Clara…”

“Don’t you ‘Clara’me, not after laying on the kitchen floor for two days.”

Dave sighed heavily in defeat. “I haven’t taken it atall—I’ve been doing well without it… for the most part.”

“Heart medicine is nothing to ignore,” she scolded. “You hada heart attack, as in you almost died,and less than a month before Wynn’s wedding. I thought you said you wanted tosee that, let alone when she and Davey graduate at term’s end.”

“I do, but…”

“But what?! Dad, you’re turning seventy-eight this year andaren’t in the best of shape for your age… you need to take care of yourself nowmore than ever if you want to make it to these things! We were lucky that itwas just a heart attack and that thepostman found you!”

“I’m fine though…”

“No, you’re not; it’s ridiculous that we are even having thisconversation.”

“It’s my life, Clara…”

“…and I am not losing both my parents before I’m ready!”

Silence fell upon the room, with no noise between them asidefrom the steady beep of the heart monitor. Father and daughter avoided oneanother’s gaze as the beeping slightly sped up, then calmed again.

“Clara,” Dave saidwearily. He reached out and took his daughter’s hand in his, attempting to keephis composure. “I know it was hard when your mum died, but Ellie was more thanjust your mum to me.”

“Yeah, I know—you nearly walked into the street in front ofa car, which you weren’t used to watching out for at the time, and she savedyou.”

“…and I couldn’t save her when she needed me most. I justwant to see her again…”

“Dad, Mum died of tuberculosis,not anything you could have helped,” Clara replied quietly. “We’re just luckythat we didn’t catch it… I’m lucky that youdidn’t catch it and follow her. Fifteen and alone? I wouldn’t be where I amright now, that’s for certain.”

“You’re not fifteen anymore… your daughter isn’t even fifteen anymore…”

“No, but I am old enough to know that what you’re doing isreckless, not to mention even more selfish than me wanting to keep you alive.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” he sighed.

“Sarah Jane passed last year and John has considered himselfon ‘borrowed time’ for over two—not onlywould he lose it, but the kids wouldas well,” she scolded. She squeezed his hands a little tighter, careful not toput pressure on the IV. “Just know you have other options, okay? For nowthough, you need to take your medicine, you stubborn old fool.”

“Yeah, watch out—I hear that sort of thing doesn’t skip ageneration.”

At least that was something they could both laugh at.

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July

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It had been an intense few months as Claraand her father figured out what they were going to do. The two had argued backand forth, neither budging on their stance. Dave did not want to move out ofhis house and into an old folks’ home, nor did he want someone barging in everyday in order to tell him what to do. Meanwhile, Clara was firm on the fact thathe needed someone watching over him, telling him what to do because she nowlived in London and a move would have been disastrous for her. It went ‘roundand ‘round and ‘round over a couple different phone calls, and even during histime in town for Wynn’s wedding, until John had picked up the kitchen phonewhile Clara was in the sitting room, bringing the argument to a dead halt.

“Move in with us—we’ve got the room—and thenwe can gang up on her and she’ll have two old men to boss around.”

That sealed the deal.

A couple hours each day, John conscriptedDavey into helping him with the formal sitting room’s transformation intoDave’s new living quarters. The young man helped his father haul old furnituredown the stairs into the basement, got up on ladders to reach stubbornwallpaper bits, and even had to learn how to install a new light fixture whilestanding precariously on the top of a ladder. He nearly failed his finalportfolio because of the home improvement projects, but every time he expressedworry over his grades, his father scoffed at the idea.

“Your stuffy professors in their ivorytowers probably don’t even know what good art is anyhow—not to mention you’regoing to be working for me, and I say you’re more than talented enough.”

With that, they continued on, with Daveybarely scraping together a portfolio worthy of his newfound degree and Johnreveling in fact that his son was now his ultimate assistant. While Dave wasscheduled to begin moving his things in when he arrived to watch hisgrandchildren graduate university, it wasn’t until late into July before heactually began the process. Davey picked the figurative short straw and endedup being the one to head to the train station the afternoon his grandfathercame in, greeting the man on the platform.

“It’s good to see you,” he said, takingthe suitcases from his grandfather. “The ride wasn’t too terrible, was it?”

“Dreadful, but I’m sure you know that bynow,” Dave nodded. He grabbed onto Davey’s arm so as to not lose him andallowed his grandson to lead the way through the crowded station and into thecarpark. “I still think this is ridiculous—I shouldn’t have to be here.”

“You know you do, Granddad,” Daveyreplied. They reached his father’s junker old car and he put the suitcases inthe boot before they both got into in the car. “I thought you wanted to dothis.”

“I did, but now I don’t know anymore.”

“Come on—I did not have Dad order mearound for three months for you to get cold feet. You’re being silly.” Daveystarted up the cart and drove out of the carpark, headed towards Grynden.

“We’ll see how you like it when you haveto abandon the house you lived in for decades, only to be shoved in with familythat has their own lives to live,” Dave grumbled. “Wynn’s kid might give you nochoice; it could even be a court order.”

“Hey, I’m not that pessimistic,” Daveylaughed. “It could be my own kid that orders me to move in with them one day.Just because Wynn can’t keep her hands off Orson while I don’t even have agirlfriend doesn’t mean that I’m never going to have a family of my own.”

“It’s still going to be interesting thatvisiting Gran and Granddad will also include Granddave and Uncle Davey,” theolder man snarked. He glanced over at his namesake and saw the frown on hisface. “Oh, come on… I remembered what you said after graduation: build up fundsfirst, then head off on your own.Could be a while before that becomes a reality—you could be an uncle two orthree times over, bless Orson.”

“Yeah,” Davey muttered lowly.

“Going by your father’s timeline, youhave until, what, 1996? Is that math right?”

“It is, because I’ve done it before, andI don’t like thinking that if I do attempt something like Mum and Dad did, thenI’d have three years before I start searching the cradles.”

“Maybe Wynn’s kid can introduce you to aclassmate? You never know.”

“I’m going to need you to shut up now,Granddad, or you’ll be attempting to navigate an unfamiliar bus system in a fewminutes,” Davey deadpanned. Most of the remaining ride was quiet and they turneddown Grynden without much fuss. “Here we are: home.”

“Home is still in Blackpool for me—it’lltake a while.”

“Hey, beats living with a bunch of oldcodgers.”

“No—that’ll be you in two minutes,” Davechuckled as his grandson pulled into the driveway. John and Clara must havebeen watching for them, because they both came out to greet him immediately.

“Glad you made it safe, Dad,” Clara said.She gave him a hug that she had a difficult time ending, breaking it to helphim into the house. “Here; let’s get you settled in.”

“I’m old, not an invalid,” her father scowled.

“Some people think that’s one in thesame.”

“Don’t remind m—”

Dave stopped and stared at the set ofdouble doors that were blocking off what he had known as the formal dining roomfrom the rest of the house. He opened one of the doors cautiously, peeking intohis new room. There was a bed, a chair, a chest of drawers, and even thewardrobe that he had shipped over two weeks prior. Fresh paint replacedwallpaper and there was a new rug sitting on the floor.

“Do you like it?” Clara asked.

“Roomier than I expected,” he replied.

“What were you expecting?” John wonderedas he and Davey brought in the suitcases.

“Not sure, but it’s better than beingalone in that old house,” Dave shrugged. He went over to the bed and unzipped asuitcase that had been placed atop it. “When are we going back next?”

“Late next month—want you to get somerest first before heading all that way again,” Clara said. She allowed a kissfrom her husband before going to her father’s side. “We’ll figure out the restof the stuff at the house, don’t worry.”