A Matter of Tact.

Alice was still thinking about her father long after she had put down the telephone. It worried her that he was so depressed. Surely he should have settled into his new flat by now. But, almost a week after moving into the sheltered housing complex, he was still refusing to mix with the other residents.
            She recalled how it had been nothing short of a miracle that she’d got him to move in the first place. Even while she was trying to explain the complex’s finer points, he had sat stubbornly in his armchair, his eyes locked onto a point on the wall opposite.      
            “Dad, I know it’s hard, but don’t you see, it’s for the best,” she’d said gently. “You’ve had a mild heart attack. What if you were to feel unwell while alone in this big house? In your new flat, you could pull on the bell cord and someone would come to your aid. Besides, your doctor feels the stairs here are too steep.”
            There had been no response, her father hadn’t even flinched. “You’ll have your own space and your own furniture around you. It’s not like being in a nursing home. You can come and go as you please. And...”
            “I should think so too,” he’d interrupted. “I’m not an invalid.”
            “But on the other hand,” she’d carried on valiantly. “There’s a communal room, where you can join the other residents if you’d like some company.”
            “Why on earth would I want to sit in a room full of people who only talk about the weather or their arthritis?” He had sounded indignant.
            “That’s being unkind, Dad and it’s so unlike you. Besides, it won’t be like that at all.” But her words had fallen on deaf ears.
            He had simply told her he was quite happy where he was and didn’t want to move. “You shouldn’t have made arrangements behind my back. You’re so impetuous, Alice. Always telling me what I should do.”
            She resisted the temptation to remind her father she had kept him informed of what she was doing every step of the way. It wasn’t her fault he had refused to listen.  
            Alice smiled as she remembered how Mrs. Cummings, the warden, had done her best that first day. After introducing herself, she had informed him ofthe activities available to the residents. “Now then, what can I put you down for, Mr. Armstrong?” she’d asked, cheerfully.
            “Nothing,” he’d answered. “I don’t want to involve myself in any of your childish games.”
            “Well, you might wish to... ”
            “No! Thank you, Mrs. Cummings, but what I really wish, is to be left alone.”
            “What did I tell you,” he’d said when the warden had gone. “Chess, draughts, a sing-a-long, you’ll see, that woman will have me in a party hat next. Honestly, can you see me playing chess? Her title of warden definitely suits her. It’s like being in prison.”
            “Dad, please. Stop being so stubborn, she’s only trying to help.”
            Alice, feeling embarrassed at her father’s attitude, made a point of seeing Mrs. Cummings to apologise for his behaviour.
            But the warden had brushed off the incident. “Don’t worry about it, dearie. I’m used to it. Everyone feels the same at first. He’ll settle down. It just takes longer for some, especially if they’ve been active all their life.”
            Alice knew that to be her father’s problem. Not only having worked very energetically all his life, he had always been very keen on
gardening in his spare time. Every summer his beautiful garden had been the talk of the neighbourhood.  
            The sound of her son outside drew her back to the present. Looking out of the window, she saw Tommy digging out a small flower-bed. He loved his grandfather and took after him in many ways, but most especially where gardening was concerned. Hanging on his every word, he never tired of hearing about the flowers and the wildlife in the garden.
            Alice sighed as she thought of her mother. She had died only last year. What would she have done in this situation? After nearly forty years of marriage she knew how to deal with her stubborn husband.
            What was it she always said? “My dear Alice, it’s simply a matter of tact, you make him believe the idea was his in the first place.” Alice realised she should have handled the operation differently. 
            She decided to ring Mrs. Cummings. Perhaps her father wasn’t being truthful and had joined in some of the activities after all. But Mrs. Cummings could give her no comfort.
            “As far as I am aware,” she said. “Your father hasn’t left his room since he moved in on Monday. I gather no one has seen him. I considered calling in on him, but dismissed the notion believing it may have worsened the situation. He should really make the first move.”
            Thanking the warden, Alice hung up. What was she to do? Her father’s house hadn’t yet been sold. He could move back any time, but it would be against his doctor’s advice.  
            Glancing at the clock, she realised she was going to be late. She had promised her father she would be there by 2pm.
            Tommy had asked to go with her, he was anxious to see his granddad’s new home. But was it a good idea for her son to see his grandfather in his present mood?
            However, thinking it through, she decided that her father might not be so obstinate if his grandson was there. Calling her son in from the garden, she told him that she would take him after all. “It’ll do Granddad good to see you.”
            On arriving at the complex, she took Tommy to the communal room and asked him to wait there until she had spoken to her father. “Give me ten minutes to have a few words with him first. Just sit here quietly; don’t disturb the people over there.” She smiled at the small group of men and women having coffee by the window.
            “He won’t bother us,” one of them said. “Come over here, son. Tell us all about yourself.”
            “Now, Tommy, don’t forget what I told you on the way here,” Alice said, walking across to the group. “When you come upstairs, try to make your granddad see how nice everything is.”
            “Yes, Mum. I’ll try. But it’s so unfair Granddad having to leave his house and garden.”
            “Yes, Tommy. It is.” For a moment Alice felt guilty at having urged her father to move house. However, remembering the reason behind it, she pulled herself together and continued. “But Granddad isn’t as well as he used to be. He needs other people around him. We don’t want him to hurt himself with no one there to help him, now do we?”
            “No, Mum. He’s my Granddad. I want him to take me for walks across the common and to tell me all about the flowers and the birds and everything.”
            Tommy fell silent for a moment. “Mum, He’ll be able to come out with me, won’t he? I don’t want Granddad not to be able to come out with me ever again.”
            Alice stopped and bent down. “Tommy, of course he can come out with you. And you must make sure that Granddad understands that. I’ve tried telling him, but he won’t believe me. Together, we must convince him that this is not the end of everything. That’s why I chose this place. Everything he holds dear is close by; his friends, the park, the common and, most of all, you, Tommy. You mean everything to him.”
            On reaching the group, Alice smiled. “I’ve come to visit my father, Mr. Armstrong. Perhaps you’ve met him.”
            They shook their heads. No one had seen him.
            After telling Tommy how to find his grandfather’s flat, she walked over to the lift.
            “Dad, how’re you settling in?” Alice tried to sound cheerful. “Shall I make us a nice cup of tea? Tommy’s downstairs, He’s dying to see your new flat, but I wanted to see you on my own first.”
            “I’m not settling in at all. What did you expect?” He nodded towards the kitchen. “Put the kettle on if you like, but not for me.”
            “I thought that by now you might have got to know some of the others living here.” Alice filled the kettle and plugged it in. “Look Dad, if you’re really so unhappy, you can move back into your house. I’ll tell the agent to take it off the market.”
            Her father’s face lit up. “Of course, I want to go home.” Already he was looking brighter. “And I think I will have a cup of tea after all.” He looked around. “Where did you say my grandson was?”
            Alice was just about to answer when there was a knock on the door. She opened it to find Tommy looking very excited.
            “Granddad! Granddad!” He yelled. “This is a wonderful place.”
            “Don’t overdo it, son,” Alice whispered. “Just look around the flat and tell Granddad how nice it is.”
            Taking no notice, Tommy rushed past her.
            “Granddad! Have you seen the garden out at the back? It’s huge. Just like the park. Not as many flowers though. Some nice ladies downstairs showed me the garden; they don’t know the names of the plants, but I told them my granddad would know.”
            “What’s all the noise? Is everything alright, Mr. Armstrong?” The warden rushed past Alice, who was still by the open door. “I was just about to knock next door when I heard your grandson call out. I was worried you might have taken ill.”
            “Of course I haven’t. Young Tommy was telling me something about a garden.”
            “Yes, we have a large garden beyond the yard,” said Mrs. Cummings, looking very relieved.
            “Well then, why didn’t you tell me about that instead of all those board games?” Alice’s father looked indignant. “I’d have loved to have seen the garden.”
            Mrs. Cummings drew herself up to her full height. “I’m sorry, Mr. Armstrong, but I...”
            “I accept your apology, Mrs. Cummings.” Granddad interrupted, winking at Tommy.
            The warden looked flabbergasted. “I wasn’t apologising Mr. Armstrong, I...” she began, but changed her mind. Glancing at Alice, she continued, “We have a lovely garden out back. Some volunteers do their best for us, but sadly they’re not up to competition standard so we have yet to come anywhere near winning the local competition; though we live in hope.”
            Changing the subject, she told them she must get on. “I was on my way to tell everyone that the talk for tomorrow evening has been cancelled. I’m afraid the speaker has gone down with a sore throat.”
            “Granddad, you could help with the garden,” said Tommy excitedly. You could tell the gardeners what flowers to use and how to plant them.” He looked across at the warden. “My granddad knows everything about gardening. He could win the competition for you. And I bet he could talk at the meeting as well.”
            He looked at his granddad. “You could, couldn’t you? Just like the speech you gave at my school last year.”
            “Could he really do all that Tommy?” asked the warden.
            “Yes he could. He’s my granddad, he knows all these things.”
            “Well now, that’s all very well, but I’m afraid your granddad doesn’t like living here.” Mrs. Cummings gave Alice a broad wink.     
            “That’s right, Tommy,” said Alice added, quickly catching on to the warden’s game. “I’m taking Granddad back to his old house this very afternoon. In fact he’s going to pack his case right now.”
            “Why, Granddad?” An expression of sadness had replaced the excitement in Tommy’s face. “It’s nice here. The people downstairs are friendly; they showed me the garden and they really wanted to hear about the flowers, but I couldn’t remember them all. Please stay here. I love you, Granddad and I don’t want you to get poorly ever again.”
            The old man wiped a tear from his eye and cleared his throat. “Just you wait a minute, Alice. There you go again, telling me what to do.”
            He looked at the warden. “She’s so impetuous that girl, she’s not giving me a chance to settle in. There’re so many things for me to do here and she wants me to go back to that big lonely old house. I could help your volunteers to win the gardening competition. Then I even could learn to play chess, something I’ve always wanted to do.”
            “But Dad, you said...”
            “And the meeting tomorrow evening, Mr. Armstrong.” The warden quickly intervened and gave Alice a look that said, don’t argue while we’re ahead. “I’d be grateful if you could give a talk. The residents will be disappointed if the meeting is cancelled.”
            “Well, perhaps I could give a talk about wildlife in the garden.” Beaming, the old man looked down at his grandson. “What do you think, Tommy? I might be a bit rusty. Do you think I’m up to it?”
            “Of course you are, Granddad.” Tommy looked up at the warden. “He’s my Granddad. He can do anything.”
                                                                       The End.