Nightcaps

Des had been my neighbour now for nigh on close to twenty years, And from a humble retiree back then, old age so quickly nears. His wife passed away ten years ago, so Des lived on his own; A total independent man yet hated to be left alone. I’d see him leaning on his gate and watching up and down the street, so I’d wander over from my place and have a morning meet, when Charlie, Mal and ‘Whinging Winny’ must have heard no doubt, for they would join us in no time, destroying what we talked about. But Father time has run us down, as we walk his rocky road, Mal and ‘Whinging Winny’ passed away, and poor old Charlie’s slowed. Des became my biggest worry though, being in his eighties now, for his mind was wandering too far, and so I knew somehow - The time had come for neighbour Des to leave his loved abode, and be tended in a nursing home for symptoms that he showed, but there’s no shame in slowing down when you reach a grand old age, so I left Des with the nurses for comfort in his latter stage. Visitors for Des were few; in fact I was the only one he had. And to see Des in the state he is, in my mind’s rather sad. My conversation topics now are based on his surround … “Are the nurses good? How is the food? Are you sleeping sound?” Des was quite contented now, and mentioned “Everything’s just right, I get one Viagra tablet and Milo every night”. Could this be a shocking scandal! For old men the drug’s designed, but I didn’t push the issue yet the question’s on my mind. I tried asking personal questions hoping Des could understand until it was time to bid farewell, and so I shook his hand. But this Viagra issue seemed to me to need clarification … though I understood the Milo, but not Viagra medication. Then at the desk on my way out my fears were quickly put to rest, when the nurse explained the reason, for she efficiently confessed, “Des needs a cup of Milo, to settle down at night” she said, “And a Viagra tablets given - to stop him rolling out of bed!”