“We Are Not Alone”

by Mark L Casper

Jack Redman sat slouched within his wheelchair, with his right arm trapped under the weight of his torso. Despite the efforts of various aides to lift him in order to straighten his posture numerous times during the day, he unknowingly would slide down slightly sideways, into the same precarious position. He stared straight ahead at the blank white wall and his right hand remained gnarled like a crow’s foot perched around the branch of a tree. He lifted his fork, grasped tightly within the palm of his left hand up to where his mouth would be, so that he could have another taste of the roast beef. It was his third try and although much of it fell back to his plate, he appeared to be rather contented with himself. He chewed and then chewed some more, not cognizant of course that his molars had already grinded and even pulverized the meat he had somehow managed to put in his mouth about a minute ago.

“Come on now Doctor Redman,” she laughed with some amusement, “you got to swallow your food. If you keep shoveling the food in your mouth like that, your cheeks are going to look like this,” the health aide said, as she blew her cheeks up in an attempt to mimic the great Louie Armstrong, preparing to blow out a tune.