Emerald Oasis

The Granddaughter

Joyce was the first person in the dining room. She spent two hours on her own. She wasn't really on her own, she had the company of fairies promoting their favourite political parties. As they spoke, she thought of King Fore, and how she never expected him to be the leader of a left-winged party: she saw him as the most right winged thing in existence.

The nurse, Harold Moody slammed the door to one of the cabinets. "Who keeps pinching all our teaspoons?"

"Maybe it was the fairies," Joyce said.

Harold scolded Joyce for her talk about fairies. He said in a bold and crystallized voice: "There are no such things as fairies. Don't be so silly."

Joyce wasn't surprised. Harold was most probably having a bad day. That bad day seemed to pass onto her when she saw Rodger walk in in a usual outfit. By that time, Dorothy and Victoria were already in the dining room.

Hisashi Iwao was walking around in his dressing gown. He had a towel in his hand. "Ohayo Gozaimasu!" He wandered around a little more, took one look at Rodger and laughed. "Hakou, hakou, oni no pantsu."

"What are you doing?" Joyce asked Rodger. He strolled into the dining room with his underpants over his trousers. He was the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons. Rodger laughed as he sat down between Victoria and Dorothy.

"It's the new fashion trend!" Rodger said, pulling his pants up above his belt. Joyce wanted to cringe. She wasn't even sure if she wanted her breakfast. Her rumbling stomach was mute. Rodger appeared to be getting excited the more Joyce cringed. "Now look here, my grandson wore it like this the other day when he came to visit me."

"Doesn't mean you should do it," Joyce said, squinting at Rodger. Her cheeks were covered. "It's cute when kids do it, but when fully grown men like you do it, it looks like an embarrassment."

"That's right." Victoria pulled the pants down to Rodger's knees. "Take them off now. Before I call the police on you."

"Oh have a laugh." Rodger sighed and listened to Victoria. His cheekiness didn't stop there, he pulled the pants over Victoria's permed hair.

Harold slammed his trolley. "Look, Rodger, please stop. If you're going to be silly then go to your room."

"Haha!" Rodger felt no remorse. Victoria pinched the pants at once and flew it out the window. "Cheer up you miserable sods. Can't we have a bit of fun for once?"

"Don't be rude," Harold said in the rhythm of his medicine trolley.

Rodger rubbed his stomach, then placed a handkerchief over his collar. He clutched onto his cutlery with the sharp points facing the ceiling. "I'm hungry now. Where's my breakfast?"

"It's on its way," Harold announced. "They'll be here at 8:30. "

Joyce looked at her watch. "It's only 8:20."

"What are you having?" Rodger asked.

"Just toast and marmalade I would imagine," Victoria said with a slight groan as if she didn't want to speak.

"Bacon sandwich for me," Joyce said. She hoped that the bacon wasn't thin and flimsy and in soggy bread like the ones in the hospital. So far, the food in the home has been edible. The fairies informed her that the food in the home was generally good, so her hopes were high.

"I want a full English," Rodger announced, letting go of his cutlery and rubbing his hands together. "And by full English, I mean full English. I want the whole works; baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, sausage, bacon, hash brown, black pudding, eggs of course - preferably fried. And toast – you've got to have toast with lots of butter."