The Fugitive Grandma

Chapter 6 - Durable Power

After the appointment, Frank took his mother to Marie Callender’s, a family restaurant in the same strip mall as Caruso’s Supermarket. They had coffee and apple pie, a treat that had become a tradition for them, a way of celebrating every successful trip to the doctor’s office. Eating forkfuls of pie and stirring nonfat milk into their coffee, they laughed and gossiped about what kind of lunchtime activities Dr. Whittier and Julie might engage in.

“I think there’s something going on between those two,” Frank snickered.

“I think you’re right,” Stella replied. “He’s turning into a ladies’ man. Did you see the silk shirt and designer tie he was wearing today? He used to come in looking like a nerd in the old days, now he could pass for some Hollywood big shot. The doc’s got a good thing going, and he’s milking it.”

“That guy pisses me off. The way he passed you off to the nurse. Who does he think he is?”

Stella waved her hand dismissively. “I let it slide. Whittier may be a little highfalutin nowadays, but I got to give the kid credit. He hooked me into Helixin. He got me in the trial. Since then, it’s seems like everything’s been smooth sailing.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling you, Mom. You don’t have to worry. All that stuff you went through is over.”

“I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming. My old boss, Mr. Caruso, used to always tell me that the greatest wealth is health. Boy, was he ever right about that.”

Frank grinned and gobbled a bite of his pie.

“You know, Frank, I keep remembering something from when I was real sick. I had this feeling like maybe there’s some kind of mission that’s still ahead of me, some contribution I have to make.” Stella shook her head. “Life’s funny that way. Sometimes you don’t know whether you’re at the end of the book or you’re just kicking off a whole new chapter.”

“Mom, you have plenty of chapters left. You’ve got sequels. And then some.”

She laughed. “I wasn’t sure for a while, but I’m starting to think the same thing myself. That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.” She paused and her manner turned more serious. “Frank, since my health is back. I think that I’m ready to be in charge again. We don’t need that contract.”

Frank’s grin disappeared and his lips twisted with unpleasant shock, like he just bit into a piece of dill pickle in the middle of the pie filling. For a moment, it seemed he might have choked on his pie, until he swallowed and recovered. His mother was referring to a power of attorney contract they drafted during the worst stage of her illness. The agreement granted Frank decision-making authority over all of Stella’s financial assets and health-care decisions.

Frank cleared his throat. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Mom? You wanted that thing in place to make it easy to take care of you if anything happened.”

“That’s true, but like you said, I don’t have to worry now. Everything is back to normal. Besides, I’ve been reading up on this, and we can set up the contract so that it’s springing.”

“Springing?”

“Right now it is set up for durable power of attorney, which makes you the decision maker at all times. If we change it to a springing agreement, I stay in charge now while I am healthy. Then, if anything happens, the contract goes into effect and puts you in charge of everything.”

“We spent a lot of time drafting that agreement. I don’t see why we have to go back and pay a lawyer to change it.”

“Frank, as long as I’m healthy, don’t you want me to be in charge of my own life?”

“Of course I do.” Frank rested his hand on his mother’s shoulder. He realized his reaction was too strong and would make her that much more determined. “I know how much you value your independence. I don’t want to see you lose that, ever.”

Frank didn’t talk during the drive back to Mariposa Street. He was trying to untangle a trap in his mind. If it came to a struggle, his mother couldn’t challenge the contract. She’d need his consent. He had read in the paper about many cases of seniors who granted durable power to their guardians. It was like giving away the key to your life. You could never get it back unless you got agreement from the keeper of the key.

Frank anticipated the hard choice he would need to make. A terrible debt was coming due, one of his own making. The wolf he faced would not hesitate to devour him. He would need all the money and assets he could muster to feed the beast and spare his own life. He remembered their earlier argument, on their way to the doctor’s office. Was it his time or her time? Did it really have to be one or the other? A man should never have to choose between his own survival and his mother’s. He would have to find a way to save them both.

Copyright 2013 Dmitri Ragano