A Foreign Object in Parking Lot

Summary

Senior residents at a care home humorously speculate about a mysterious object in their parking lot, which turns out to be a plastic bag.

Abstract

In a senior home, the residents' daily routine is interrupted when Betty spots an unidentified moving object in the parking lot, sparking a lively debate among the seniors about its nature, with guesses ranging from a turtle to something extraterrestrial. The object, a large black plastic bag, is eventually investigated by Betty, who returns with it, humorously demonstrating her "strangulation prowess" by twisting the bag as if wringing its neck. The incident, though trivial, provides a moment of entertainment and a cherished memory amidst the isolation and changes brought by the Covid crisis.

Opinions

The seniors are engaged and curious about the strange object, showing an active interest in their environment despite their isolation.
There is a sense of camaraderie and playfulness in their interaction, as they banter about the object's identity.
The residents have a philosophical acceptance of life's final chapter, yet they miss the way things were before the pandemic.
Del's comment about not knowing Betty would "kill it" adds a touch of dark humor to the situation, reflecting the seniors' ability to find amusement in everyday occurrences.
Betty's actions and the group's reaction to the plastic bag reveal a light-hearted approach to life's small mysteries, providing a brief escape from the constraints of the Covid crisis.

Seniors see something strange and fear danger

In our senior home today, we sit, isolated, trying to keep our wits together. This Covid crisis has changed the carefree attitude we had before.

This brief story I wrote before the Coronavirus is typical of what goes on in happier times in a senior home.

Two of the senior women mentioned in the story are no longer with us. We accept this as we know this is the last chapter of our lives, but we long for the way it used to be.

Here is the story:

At lunch, Betty saw a strange object moving across the parking lot. “Look at that” she exclaimed.

Everyone looked. “Looks like a turtle,” said Eloise. Del said, “Too fast for a turtle”. Eloise replied, “Well, it has a head, just like a turtle”.

The object stopped moving. It looked like it was thinking about going under a car.

It began moving again, slowly. Del said, “That is the strangest thing I have ever seen.”

Betty said, “Look. It stopped again. I think I will go look at it, check it out.”

Del said, “Be careful. It is larger than a turtle. It could be from outer space.”

Betty said, “Outer Space!. Don’t be ridiculous”. She rose from her chair and headed for the door.

All watched as she walked across the parking lot until they lost sight of her among the cars. They started eating lunch again, throwing furtive glances out the window.

Betty came back into the dining room, holding a large black plastic bag. “Here is your Turtle from outer space.”

With a grand gesture of irritation, she grabbed a head-sized piece of the bag and began twisting it as if she were wringing its neck. Satisfied with her strangulation prowess, she tossed it on the floor and walked out of the room, waving both arms in a WTF manner.

Del picked up the bag, looked at the tight knot and said, “I didn’t know she would kill it”.

Memories of a fun day.