The Other Visitor

No matter how Audrey tried, she just couldn't get used to the nursing home. While there was no denying that the place was the best money could buy, it seemed stuffy and possessed of an odd, artificial smell as though someone had vested the air with a vaguely medicinal aura. Most of all, Audrey was upset because her dear Granny was lying here in one of the rooms on the third floor, suffering yet clinging tenaciously to life. The dear old woman's body was melting away to almost nothing but her intellect was still sharp and she loved company. It was for Granny's sake that Audrey kept returning to this place every week.

On this fine autumnal day, she emerged from the elevator clutching a bouquet of small, orange roses and headed down the hall toward Granny's room when she was surprised to see another visitor peeking out at her. "Hi!", the other visitor said, then gestured back over her shoulder and continued "They're taking care of your Granny. Why don't we go get a cup of coffee together?"

The two of them continued down the hall, until they reached the combination lunch room and reception area where Granny and Audrey used to visit back when Granny was still strong enough to leave her room. The other visitor looked vaguely familiar to Audrey but she couldn't recall where she had seen her before. The two young women poured themselves each a cup from the vending machine in the corner and chatted about this or that. Time passed quickly and Audrey cheered up, feeling better than she had in months.

"I must go see Granny now" she told the other visitor and was surprised when the other visitor reached over and impulsively took her hand. "It's been so nice meeting you" said the other visitor "... and I'll never forget you or the time we've spent together." A bit surprised, Audrey returned to her Granny's room, only then realizing that she didn't know the other visitor's name but by that time, the other visitor had left.

Granny's bed was empty and a sad-looking nurse was changing the sheets. "I'm so sorry" said the nurse. "We didn't see you come in and we were just trying to phone you." With a sinking heart, Audrey knew what was coming next ... "Your grandmother passed away peacefully about a half an hour ago." Audrey was too stunned to cry ... tears would come later ... but now she stood there helplessly, foolishly clutching the roses and looking around. Then she noticed some of her grandmother's personal possessions, including an old family album which contained pictures of Granny as a girl, a bride, and a young mother.

Audrey opened the book and glanced at the old photographs, then did a double-take. There, smiling out of her from an old snapshot of Granny was a pretty young woman ... the other visitor.