Road Trip (2018 Wattys Long List)

Chapter 5

Stewart spent the next few days doing reconnaissance of the grounds. He took care that he was not being obvious so as not to raise any suspicion from the staff. He spent a lot of time outdoors, acting as if he was enjoying the fresh air and flowers, should anyone be watching. The entire property was fenced in by six foot high chain link fencing. No way they could scale that. Even if they could, where would they go next and how? His car was still here, right where it had been ever since he came to Glenwood. They would go in that, once he figured out how to get it out of here without alarming anyone.

By asking a few casual questions of several different nurses, he learned that the front gates were activated from the office during the day and by a key pad during the night. That way all the staff had to do was to give any regular night visitor the code to punch in to open the gates when they were ready to leave. No need for someone to be monitoring the gates at night that way.

Sitting on a bench under the majestic old shade trees, Stu watched visitors come and go during the day. The gates opened automatically when a car approached them from the outside. The gates remained open for a good minute before they closed again. If a vehicle was ready to leave, there was a buzzer and intercom that would notify the day attendant inside the residence, who would open the gates for the car to leave after speaking to the driver. The other thing he knew was that the only vehicles in or out at night were scheduled deliveries and they of course would have the code to open the gates.

Regular supplies would arrive during the night, partly to avoid mixing elderly residents and heavy delivery trucks in proximity to each other and also to avoid disruption of the rural feel of daily life there. Food, garbage removal and laundry came and went during the wee hours of the night, while the residents slept. This always took place just after midnight. Laundry on Sunday, garbage on Wednesday and fresh food on Fridays, just in time for the weekend visitors. Stu thought this over carefully. Sunday evening was usually pretty quiet, once all the visitors had gone. That was their best chance for escape.

Sunday evening came, and the four old folks were set to make themselves scarce, under the cover of darkness. The day staff had gone home, and so had Sarah, who had spent most of the day visiting Harvey.

"I'm so glad you are settling in well, Dad. I've been worried about this all week", Sarah had told him with relief.

"Don't worry about me, Sarah, I'm doing ok, getting used to it here", Harvey had assured her.

Finally, after hanging out visiting all afternoon, she had left, and they put their plan into action. The day drew to a close and the home was settled for the night. Vivian, the administrator, had made the rounds herself and checked on Harvey, then Stu and Reg, and especially Mildred, tucking her in for the night. She too had gone home and would not be back till morning. When all was quiet and 'lights out' had come and gone, Stu lay in bed, wide awake. It seemed like forever for the hands of his watch to reach eleven thirty. When they finally did, he rose quietly and dressed before slipping silently into the hall, in semi-darkness. He rapped softly on Reg's door, and his old friend joined him in the passageway, pulling the apartment door closed behind him. Together, they tip-toed to Harvey's rooms and the old man joined them, stealthily. Slipping into the elevator, they made their decent. |All three crept into Mildred's first floor room where she lay snoring softly.

"Come on Millie, we gotta' get going," Stu whispered to the sleeping woman.

Mildred stirred, slowly coming awake. "Where are we going now? asked the groggy and confused woman.

"Don't cha' remember? We're gettin' outta here, goin' to Vancouver", Stu said, "I tried your window today and it opens up, nice an easy!" he said proudly.