The Escape of Harvey Goldfether

The Escape of Harvey Goldfether

"It's a damn shame, ain't it Maggie? We coulda been so good, you and
me. I'd a loved to buy that cottage, you know? Down at the beach, just
you and me, walkin' the shoreline. God, it'a been good." He was laid
back, letting her button his jammies in the front.
She smiled, bouncing back to the days when they were shorter in the
tooth. He had to go and bring up that cottage again. Always holding it
over her head he was. Every time she came to see Harvey Goldfether, he
reminded her of that proposal ten years ago. He said he was going to
take her in his arms, sweep her away, and carry her off to some little
white cottage by the shore where they would wither away together. She
turned him down. Now he was withering away with dozens of people in
Rolling Hills all alone.
She straightened him up and pulled the cold nylon sheet up to his
neck. "You want the bed lowered down?"
"No, I'm fine there, Maggie. You just go on home now. Don't wanna see
no bags under them pretty little eyes of yours." He was grinning like a
little kid, reminding her that he should have gone ahead with those
dentures years ago.
She turned off the bedside light and leaned down to his ear, felt him
tense at her touch. "Back when you promised me that cottage, I shoulda
said yes. Good night, Harvey."
Old Harvey was paralyzed with delight, couldn't budge an inch. He
hadn't felt his spine tingle like that in thirty-five years. By the
time he worked up the strength to sit up, Maggie was gone, just saw the
thin line of light under the door. He looked around the room, reached
for his walker, and pulled it toward him. She had changed her mind and
by damn, he had a promise to keep.
He poked his bald head out the door and looked back and forth from
left to right like a bad driver at a four-way stop. Inching out the
door, he stopped and popped a Ritalin to get the old juices flowing. He
liked it more than he needed it but had convinced some pretty little
nurse to round him up a bottle. It helped him focus on what was most
important, which was Maggie O'Malley.
The hall was filled with the buzz of the florescent lights, not another
sound. Harvey picked up his feet like a farmer in a cow pasture to make
sure his slippers didn't squeak. He made the orderlies oil his walker
wheels every other day, so no worries there. When he pulled up at the
side door, he stopped and stood there for a while like waiting for a
ride, glancing behind him as a couple of passing nurses forgot to look
his way. He had timed this every night for six months. This door was
unlocked for between twenty-three and twenty-nine minutes after
visiting ours. It had been eighteen since Maggie left. Unless tonight
was the exception to the one hundred eighty day rule, he was almost
home free. Pushed the handle and sighed when it gave way, bathing him
with his first whiff of fresh air in half a year.
The hill was steep as a ski slope and Harvey Goldfether had to sink
back on his heels to keep from tumbling down into the street. He inched
down, feeling the weight of the walker as it tried to get away,
checking behind him for baby blue nurses coming to run him down. He had
worked out his escape plan over two hundred times in his mind every
night to get to sleep. Most nights he recited the whole thing and had
to start over. He never dreamed it would be this easy. The hill finally
leveled off and he saw his destination a few feet away across the
street.
Maggie O'Malley had broken his heart ten years ago. They had been
dating for three years, both widowed by kind spouses not built for the
long haul. They went to dinner, went to the movies, went shagging,
spent four or five nights a week together. Harvey Goldfether walked her
home every night and gave her a goodbye kiss on the front porch. It was
like courting again, and he loved every minute of it. One Monday night
in June of '91, he decided to pop the question in his own little
way.
They were sitting on the front porch swing watching the sun go down.
The sky was glowing purple orange and white. He put his arm gently
around her shoulder and let it all out.
-Maggie, I tell you, I didn't ever think I could be this happy again.
It's like bein' a teenager. I want you to know that I love you.
-I love you too Harvey, and you look like a teenager.
-No, I'm serious. I feel like a crazy kid. I'll prove it to you. Get in
my car with me, lets drive up to a chapel in Gatlinburg and get
married. After that, we'll head for the coast and get us a cottage on
the beach all by ourselves."
-Harvey!
-I ain't kiddin'! Let's go.
-Harvey, you old fool.
-Are you turning me down, woman?
She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. -You're serious.
-I have never been any more serious in my life. I'm gonna take you up,
sweep you away, and carry you off into that pretty sunset. All you
gotta do is say I can.
She smiled and a tear swelled up in the corner of her eye. -Oh, Harvey,
I wish I could.
Harvey stood up. -Well why can't you?
-It just don't feel right, Harvey. I'm old, you're old.
-So let's be old together. Come on, Maggie.
She pulled him back down beside her. -Harvey, it about killed me when
Frank died. I never saw it coming, and I had never even imagined life
without him. For two years I was a walking zombie waiting to die. I
didn't want to live and wasn't about to try to. Then you came along and
that all changed. You put life back into me when I thought it was gone
for good. I can't take a chance on goin' through that kind of loss
again, Harvey, so let's just keep it like it is, OK?
He squeezed her hand, hoping she couldn't see or hear his heart
breaking. Harvey bit his bottom lip and nodded. He was still stifling
tears as she took his head and held it on her shoulder.
They sat there like that for ten minutes, not saying a word. Harvey
finally managed, -so we gonna just keep it like it is?
She held his hands. -For now. I might change my mind one day.
Harvey looked up at her expectantly.
-Maybe. I'll let you know. But we have to make a deal.
-Anything.
-I might be right there with you, or I might be somewhere and call you
on the phone. Wherever we are, we leave and go straight to the phone
booth in front of the Beckley Street Market, right on the outer edge of
town. From there we'll call our families and tell 'em the news, then
ride off into the wild blue yonder.
Harvey Goldfether dreamed of that meeting for nine years. In his mind
they were passing the phone back and forth excitedly crying tears of
joy. They hopped in a convertible beetle and rode off into an orange
sunset. A stroke took his mind off of it for a few months, but when
Maggie took him to the Rolling Hills Retirement Home, he was happy to
see that their phone booth was right across the street.
The same phone booth he was standing beside now, shivering in silk
jammies, leaning his walker against the booth. Maybe he had made too
much out of what she said. Maybe she wasn't coming. "I shoulda said yes
wasn't a dead giveaway. It was by far the strongest hint she had given
in ten years, but maybe that's all it was, a hint. Harvey looked up at
Rolling Hills across the street. Even if he could make it back up that
hill, he was sure to be caught trying to break back in. After that, the
baby blue nurses and green orderlies would make sure the door was
locked right after visiting hours and he would never have the chance to
escape again. If Maggie ever changed her mind for real, it would be too
late.
Unmistakable headlights crested the hill. Harvey Goldfether bounced
with joy as the red Volkswagen convertible pulled up to the curb. The
door flew open and Maggie took him in a tearful embrace. She kissed his
lips and disengaged to put change in the payphone. When she was done
with her daughter and sister, she put more change in and gave the
receiver to Harvey. He called his son, told him the news, and hung up a
minute later.
She embraced him and looked adoringly into his cloudy blue eyes. "Come
on, Harvey," she said, "I wanna be at the shore by sunrise."