Free Love Me ~ Like That by Renee Kennedy Page A

might have had a heart attack. I’ve called for an ambulance and they are on their way.” I can hear her telling someone else what I just told her.
    “Oh, no! Where’s Bailey?” She starts to cry.
    “Ma’am, I saw her leave an hour ago and there doesn’t appear to be anyone else here but Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. I hear the ambulance now, and we should know more in a few minutes.” The paramedics come barreling into the house, and I get shoved against the wall while they take their assessment of Mrs. Jackson’s condition. I notice Mr. Jackson’s wringing his hands, his eyes wild with fear. The paramedics ask to which hospital to take Mrs. Jackson. I give them Kathy’s instructions and they load up Mrs. Jackson.
    Kathy asks me if I can bring her dad because he has dementia and can’t be left alone. I have to physically lift Mr. Jackson into my truck, but he’s not very big, neither one of them are. Mr. Jackson is about five six and he might be one hundred forty pounds. Mrs. Jackson is even smaller than he is. She can’t even be five feet tall. I close his door for him and walk to my side of the truck and get in.
    “Thank you,” he says with a nod. “Are we going to go to the hospital too? She needs me up there with her.” He rubs the back of his neck.
    “Yes, sir, we’ll get there as fast as we can,” I say.
    On the way to the hospital, I call mom to let her know what is going on. Now that I know Mr. Jackson has dementia, I’ll research the condition so I know what to expect when I’m keeping an eye on him. I’ll ask Kathy to tell me how to best handle Mr. Jackson’s fears when he is struggling. Having the woman you love laid out in the middle of the floor is scary enough, let alone having a stranger bust through the door. “Mr. Jackson, are you okay over there?”
    He looks over at me. “You know I used to work at an orange packing company in Florida. And so did my wife. I made the boxes to begin with then I became the boss over the women. Addie worked on the line checking the oranges making sure they were good enough to eat…”
    I guess he is lost in his own thoughts.
    “You know we have been married over sixty-five years?”
    Being married that long is almost unheard of these days and is something to be proud of. “Is that right, Mr. Jackson? You must be doing something right. Are you going to let me in on your secret?” Maybe getting him talking will ease his mind.
    “She is always right, that is all you have to know.”
    I can’t help but laugh.
    He grins, too. “Always say ‘yes dear’ and you will stay married forever. That is the secret.”
    That’s kind of funny. I bet he was a lot of fun before he got sick.
    He looks out the window, “Do you think she’ll be okay?”
    I really don’t know what to say. Do I reassure him? If something does transpire, what will happen to him? “I’m sure the doctors will do everything possible for her.”
    His eyes get glossy with tears, “I don’t want to live without her. I won’t be able to go on with half a heart.”
    What do I say to that? This feels too deep and I’m not good at this kind of stuff, but I feel like he needs some kind words right now. “Mr. Jackson, I think you’ve been very lucky to have someone so special in your life that you feel like you can’t live without them. I don’t think everyone gets that lucky, sir.”
    “I am the luckiest man to ever walk the face of this Earth. I’ve spent my whole life loving the woman of my dreams.” He wipes his eyes. “You know what, I think you might have a good head on your shoulders, and I like you. So I’m going to let you in on another little secret.”
    I glance over at him, and he looks so serious, “Please tell me, I need all the help I can get.” I can’t wait to hear this. I love the advice the older generation likes to dish out. Some of it is useful and some of it is genuinely funny.
    “You need to be with someone who can’t stay mad at you for very long, and is