Frank And Me

It was just before noon when the car arrived . At first I never heard the knock
Because I had the TV turned up loud . It was only after I saw the friendly face at the window I realised my lunch had arrived .
"Hello Joe . Its Meals on Wheels . she said .
I got up slowly and made my way to the door .
Outside the kids on the street played cricket and the dogs barked at the excitement of the screaming .
"Clean bowled ."
He was as I took the tray from the young lady .
"I used to play cricket once ."
I said .

She smiled and left me the envelope .
I must get to the bank tomorrow .
They take cheques but the prefer like cash . Cold and hard .
I used to work for them once , when I had a license , when I had a car , when I had better reflexes .
Meals on Wheels

I remember the day my car was stolen .
What a day that was .
The police found the car later that week . It had been set alight .
Some of the meals were burnt and those people had no meal that day .
It wasn't long before they caught the young ones responsible .
Guess what ?
They had to do six months community work .
Guess where ?
That's right , Meals on Wheels .
Guess who they where helping ?
Yeah , you're right again . It was myself .
Sure enough .I told all the clients right across the neighbourhood too .
Each day they made them pay .
I had to laugh . Eventually the young louts had learned their lesson .
Some of them even turned out to be ok .

I'll tell you what , when I see young ones turning a new leaf it makes me glad to be alive . I grew up in a different time when all the kids walked to school together and helped out when things had to be done .

When I started working as a volunteer for Meals On Wheels , times were tough .The war had just ended and people had troubles a plenty .

There was an old man I brought meals to called Frank . He was a returned soldier and after the war was over he was afraid to go outside .
Some days when I took Frank his meals I could hear him softly crying .
Frank had isolated himself in a tiny little one bedroom flat embrangled by the chains of the injustice of war that had left him an emotional cripple .
One day as I knocked on his door I heard him screaming out .
That's when I decided to take action .
I pushed open the door and walked into Franks life .
There I found him all curled up in the corner of his little flat .
I went to assist him and found him holding Jack , his little white scruffy haired dog. Jack was dead and it looked as if Frank had been sitting there for days with his friend that had died .
His meals weren't touched and Frank had not been washing .

"Hello Frank .Its Meals on Wheels .
I shouted .
Frank never heard or saw .
His senses were going . Eyesight and hearing .
He was pinned down by grief .
Frank had not had social interaction for a long time and it really amazed me that nobody had ever come to see him .
He must have had no family or friends .

I had always assumed that the war veterans, or some community health organization knew about Franks situation . But no , I was wrong .

If I had known that I was the only person who had been coming into contact with him I would have acted for him before .
I found Frank could read so I wrote some things down on apiece of paper and he nodded to me that he understood .
Next I took Frank and Jack out to the garden . We buried the little dog there under a Lemon tree .
.
After that day I informed the community health about his situation .
Frank gradually got better .
Once he was afraid to leave his flat and now he was able to look out the window without the silent danger of a long distant war or a monster out there waiting to attack .

When I found that Frank had been a regular church goer before the war I took him some hold cards and candles along with his meals .
One day I was amazed to find him there praying beside a little shrine he had placed beside the holy pictures I had brought him .

He trusted me enough to give me some money now and then to buy him little items from the shop .
I remember the first time I took Frank to the local for a beer .
The look on his face , its hard to put into words .

I contacted other community welfare agencies who gave Frank support .
As it turned out Franks hearing was improved by hearing aids and his eyesight wasn't as bad as I had first thought .
Frank told me about the war and how his wife had died when he was over there . When he returned he had no living family members left to care for him .
Then I though to myself , here is an old man that had almost died alone in a little flat after fighting for the country he loved .
I called together some people in the community who had a bit of clout and we decided that there could be a project to help people like Frank .

After a meeting with some aged care organizations and members of the local health team it was decided to provide Frank with daily home help and a regular community nurse would call each Wednesday to do his shopping and tend to his personal care issues .

Frank now had the total support of the community around him and some funds were donated to help him feel comfortable and free in his little flat .

A new security system was placed outside his front door and smoke alarms and sprinklers fitted . The installation of spotlights around the outside of his front and back yard had complemented the new walkways around his flat .
Frank was still able to do regular exercise and he became involved with lawn bowls at the seniors club .
Frank had some new friends and was seen back at his local church again .
His war was now over and it was great to see him happy again .

When Frank passed away I received a letter from a solicitor .
Frank had left me a place in the world that was his .
I moved in to Franks flat and I know he is always here with me .
Soon it will be my time to leave as well .

I hope there is someone I can help after I go .
I've been thinking lately that Meals On Wheels might need a new place .
Their office is even smaller that this flat .
I'll have to say a prayer about it .
I'm sure Frank wouldn't mind at all .

The End

By Paul McCann Ó