Part 47 If Oak Tree Could Talk     

I don’t know about you, but time seems to be marching way to fast on this end of the screen!  Here we are in the middle of summer already! As always I am so grateful  that you’re here, and with all of my heart I want to thank you again for either reading along with me or listening to my Video Blog of my Romance/Suspense novel If Oak Trees Could Talk each week.   We will be winding the novel up in a few weeks, so my hope is that you will continue to stick in here with me until the end!

I am excited because I’ve been working on a brand new book entitled:

5 Steps to Birthing your Dream (A Spiritual Midwife’s Manual)!  As an author, this for me is such a release of creativity and overwhelming joy!  I pour my heart and soul into each of my books. The expectancy of them really touching the hearts of my readers is something that is difficult to explain!  I once heard it said and I am sure I am not quoting it exactly, “Being a writer is both an egotistical and a humbling thing, it is an egotistical person who would think people would actually want to read what they write, but again, it is also a humbling experience to think of people actually wanting to read what I write!”   I know I probably botched that quote, but my point is that I am truly humbled that many of you have followed my blogs every week.  I honor you as my guest today and wish I could set across from you and sip on a tall glass of sweet tea or maybe a cup of coffee and simply visit with you.  I would love to hear what you aspire to be, or what you’ve already achieved.  Maybe as we shared with one another, we would realize that we both bring a lot to that table and can really help one another!

Today we pick up back up in Chapter 21 The Final Plan

Another knock at the door came on the heels of Mr. Hodges leaving.  Amelia again answered it.  This time it was Nurse Applegate.

            “Hello, Nurse Applegate, Amelia said rather loudly so if perhaps Mr. Hodges was listening she did not want to let on that she knew Nurse Melba on a first name basis. 

            When Nurse Applegate was inside, Amelia shut the door.  She immediately asked Nurse Melba if she could meet with her and Mr. Henderson at her house.  Melba agreed.

“Oh, Mrs. Tyler, before I forget, therapy is looking for you. I did not want you to be alarmed when someone knocked on your door.”  Nurse Applegate stated.    “They went into your old room several times yesterday.  I think they assumed that you had gotten released to go home since you have just a few more sessions to go.”  Nurse Applegate explained.  “It is okay Mrs. Tyler they are the same therapist that you’ve always had!”

            “Momma and Daddy, I have some more errands I need to run before this evening.  If you need me I will be home around Six o’clock.  She then turned to Nurse Melba, if you’re off early, then who will take over for you?”  Amelia said with concern. 

            “I will order their dinner and medication before I leave.  Nurse Warren will be at the desk again, so if they need anything, all they will need to do is buzz her via their on-call button and she will assist them.  Will you be okay with that Mr. and Mrs. Tyler?”  

            “Whew, finally Helen, some alone time if you know what I mean!” Henry said as he winked at his sweet Helen.  What’s the sense in having our own room and double bed if we can’t use them?”  He continued with that familiar grin.

            Nurse Applegate just smiled.  She thought that Henry was talking out of his head.  She never knew anyone that still had relations after they were senior citizens. 

            Helen flashed Henry a gentle smile, however she was weary. She wanted this to come to an end.  She, like Henry found something at home that she had lost.  She was ready to reclaim it.  She remembered back again when Henry was in the service.  He was wounded as he rescued many men from his battalion.  In return for his bravery, he received the Purple Heart for his service, but Helen didn’t want Henry to prove he was a hero again.  He was her hero already.  She just wanted both of them home where they could enjoy and really live the rest of their lives together. She never wanted to waste one more moment being in Glenview. 

            Amelia seen something in her mother’s face that she had never seen before. Not even when she first had her stroke and had to work so hard to regain her speech and mobility.  No this was something else altogether.

            “What is it Momma?”  Amelia asked as she was very concerned.  Go see the lawyer Amelia. I am ready to leave this place now! I’ve changed my mind about being in here.  I don’t want to wait.  We can do what we have to do on the outside.”  Helen stated.  When she was that direct, Amelia knew that her mother meant it, so she determined to see Mr. Howard, her parent’s lawyer on the way home.

            Henry in the meantime thought it a wonderful thing that Nurse Applegate or no other nurse would be checking on them.  He felt like tonight was the night that the Ghost did his thing!  He had rehearsed what he was going to do.  He mentally memorized all of the details down to even the black uniforms that were lying on the shelf in the cafeteria’s supply closet.

            “I will see you later on in the evening Mr. and Mrs. Tyler to get your dinner orders! If you need anything before then, just buzz me!”  Nurse Applegate said as she headed toward the hallway.  “I will see you after while Amelia.”  She whispered as she was now in the hallway.

            “Daughter, please stay with your mother for just a little while longer.   I need to go somewhere really quickly. I will be right back!” Henry ordered.

            “Daddy, I don’t want you out where Mr. Hodges can see you.  If you get into more trouble, I hate to think what he would do to you!”  Amelia tried to convince. Listen, I know that you both feel like you’re in imprisoned, but why don’t you go to the activity center and visit with some of your friends.  At least get out of this room and try to enjoy yourself a little.

            “I’ll be right back, gals.  It won’t take me but a second.  Now stop treating me like I am a little boy Amelia!”  Henry scolded.

            “Henry, there is no sense in speaking to Amelia that way!” Helen said. “I don’t want you to go out there either!  I know that you are the hard headed man that I love, not some little boy.  We are concerned for you!”  She continued as she softened up every harsh word.

            Henry was determined to do what he felt needed to be done.  He opened the door to look out.  He spanned the hallway.  He stepped outside and instead of taking a left to go toward the front desk he took a right in the opposite direction.  Henry needed to find a way to get to the cafeteria without having to walk past Nurse Warren.  He really didn’t want to run the risk of running into any of the staff.  The staff, however knew that Henry was an amnesia patient and could be a wanderer.  After all, he had just come back from a trip where he wandered all the way home.  He walked down to the end of the long empty corridor.  At the last door was a sign in bold red letters that read stairs.  Henry opened the door and went inside.  It was a stairwell to every hallway on that floor.   When Henry followed it through to the end, he realized that the hallway actually ended a door down from the cafeteria.   He needed, however, to check out where it ended if he went up a flight of steps to the next floor which is where Mr. Hodges’ office was located.  While Henry was climbing the steps he realized just how noticeably out of shape he had gotten because he was breathing very heavily.  He thought to himself when he got back home he would fix that problem.  He would start working in the gardens or mowing lawn again.  Henry would get back into shape not only physically but also mentally as he loved his gardens for they were good for his soul. When at the top of the steps there was an exit door to the second floor.  Henry opened it slightly and looked out.  This hallway was much busier.  As he continued to watch he saw Mr. Hodges.  He was standing at another nurse’s station.  There wasn’t anyone down at the end of the hallway where Henry was so he opened the door just slightly more to get a better view.   He noticed that this floor seemed to be busier than the floor he and Helen were on.  As he continued watching he realized that this was the floor that the really sick residents lived.  When he moved to the extreme left he could see a patient who was hooked to several machines that beeped. He watched Mr. Hodges until he moved from the nurse’s desk.  He walked to the end of the hallway until he disappeared into a room to the right.  Henry concluded that this was Mr. Hodges office.  It was as he had estimated earlier on his trip with Nurse Applegate.  Mr. Hodges’ office runs parallel with the cafeteria.

             Henry quickly found his way back to his room after he was satisfied that he knew the layout of Glenview’s building and most importantly where Mr. Hodges’ office was located.  He would move tonight as soon as the cafeteria closed.  He too was ready to leave Glenview, but he wanted to leave knowing that he had done all that he could to help his friends and neighbors that had  no choice but to stay at Glenview. 

            When Henry returned to his room Amelia was obviously upset that he took so long.  “Now, Daddy, you are worrying me and Momma. Please forget about what you think you need to do.  I will take care of everything, I promise.”  Amelia pleaded, but she and Helen knew that it was a waste of good time and energy.  When Henry set his mind to doing something, he was going to do it or die trying, no matter what he ran up against. Amelia just hushed and squeezed her Momma’s hand. 

            “Okay, now that you are both back together I am going to say good-bye.  Do you need anything before I leave or do you need me to bring you back anything?”  Amelia asked. I sure wish you were coming with me, she said in all sincerity.

            “We will be home very soon dear!”  Helen whispered. “We will!”

            Henry shook his head in agreement as Amelia hugged them both.  She looked at Henry, and ordered, “Daddy, please stay out of trouble.”          

Thank you once again for “tuning in” or reading along with me!  It is my hope that you have been enjoying my Romance/Suspense novel, If Oak Trees Could Talk, for it has been my pleasure to share it with you!  As always I would love to hear from you.  I want to thank all of you that have begun following my WordPress blogs.  Please continue to “tune it” as we are moving right along through the book.

If you are interested in obtaining your own copy of If Oak Trees Could Talk! or any of my other books, please visit my Amazon Author Page here!  Also If you are new to my Video Blogs and would like to catch up on the story from the beginning please check out the archives in this blog or simply Subscribe to my blogs or to my  Youtube Videos as they are numbered and in order!  When you Subscribe to my WordPress Blogs, I have a wonderful free gift for you as my thank you! I am also a weekly contributor to The Lakeview Times.   All of my videos are published each week at http://www.lakeviewtimes.com

Tags: #ChristineGilliamHornback, #IfOakTreesCouldTalk, #inspirationalstories, #inspiringonedreameratatime, #Love, #Lovestories, #Oldfashionedromance, #Romance/Suspense