Thanksgiving, all of Grandpa Buck’s sweaters were missing. Even the red and yellow wool turtleneck I’d knitted for him last Christmas. He’d called it hideous, but he wore it every Sunday when I came to visit.
Valentine’s Day, Grandpa Buck only had one pair of boxers. “The washer’s been eating laundry,” the nurse said. “A new one’s coming next week.”
St. Patrick’s Day, Grandpa Buck had gangrene in both feet and needed them amputated. “What’s the point of livin’ if I can’t walk?” he asked.
Memorial Day, Grandpa Buck’s wheelchair was found in the swamp. He’d missed breakfast that morning.
word count: 100
—Nortina
Friday Fictioneers is a weekly challenge where you must write a story in 100 words or less using the provided photo prompt as inspiration. Click the froggy icon to ready other stories and add your own.
Lovely Curses 
The way you’ve structured this is very effective – using the holidays as markers of his deterioration instead of times of festivity and family. Well told.
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Thanks, Margaret!
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Such a sad story. One could tell the character was once a fiery one. Great writing.
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With a name like Buck, he has to be, right? 😉 Thanks for dropping by!
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No problem 🙂
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Sad! We should give as much thought to quality of life as extending life.
Lily
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I couldn’t agree more!
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Great story Nortina ! It is so sad about grandpa Buck ending his life because he couldn’t walk anymore. Nursing homes are very depressing. When my grandmother was in one all of her things kept being stolen. By staff or other elderly people we never knew.
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Same thing with my great aunt. She lives 3hrs away, so we don’t get to visit her as often as we would like, but every time we go to see her, it’s something new. My mom is not shy about telling the staff how she feels about it either. It’s sad what the elderly are reduced to.
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Yes, it is sad what the elderly are reduced too. And, so many younger people look down on them because they see them as a burden to society and they don’t want to have to think about that someday they will be old too. It is so nice you all go to visit your aunt.
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This is so sad, and also true for many people. I don’t know about giving up, though. Tough decision. Great writing.
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Such sharp pain related in these few words. Great job.
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So sad about Grandpa Buck but I do think people can get involved to make older people’s lives better so they don’t have to jump in a swamp. What was happening with the wool BTW? 🙂
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I know of some people who just hang out in nursing homes and talk to the people there. Some of them never get visitors, so I’m sure they’d enjoy the company.
Oh, the ugly wool sweater that was lost? Maybe one of the other patients stole it. Or maybe Grandpa Buck conveniently forgot and “threw it away.” 😉
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Yes it is true about residents of Nursing Homes sometimes not having any one. And the belongings do get lost or mixed up with others at times. 🙂
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Getting old is no fun. I wonder whether there’s any point to continuing. Nothing is going to get better.
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While visiting my great aunt in a nursing home a few months back, I overheard one of the ladies repeatedly say, “I just wish I was dead!” A woman visiting tried to console her, but the nurses pretty much ignored her. It was so sad.
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