Losing Robert

“Um, Trish? Is, um, is, um, Robert with you?”

Is Robert with me?? It’s 9:30 on a Thursday evening the week before Christmas. I’m changing into my sweatpants because my regular pants are way too tight in the middle of this holiday season. I have presents to wrap tonight, stocking stuffer loot to sort, cookies and brownies to bake (see above, re pants problem) and Robert’s Care Facility is calling to see if I have Robert? NOOOO! I do not have Robert. You are supposed to have Robert.

The nurse gave me a quick summary of the last time they saw Robert (7:30 that evening) and how they’ve looked everywhere for him, asking one more question to be sure I didn’t have him (I don’t think I’d forget if he was at my house or if I left him anywhere) and then me saying, “I’ll be right there.”

I finished pulling on my sweatpants, threw on some boots and flew out the door with my husband right behind me. Now, I’m not known for my mad driving skills. The slow lane is my home and I like it that way. I drive a van, for goodness sakes. Danica Patrick, I am not. But, I was making even my husband nervous as I sped along the freeway toward the Care Facility.

About halfway there, my daughter called to tell me the nurse called back and they had found Robert. He was safe and sound back in his room. The nurse didn’t give any explanation as to the whereabouts of Rob the last two hours but at least he was found. Where was he? Strolling through the adjacent neighborhood looking at Christmas lights?

My husband and I continued on our way to Rob’s so I could see him for myself and figure out what happened. We walked into the Care Facility and the nurse explained Robert had gone to look for his lost jacket. Rob later explained to me that he had walked to the activities building across the parking lot to look for his jacket. The Care Facility is on several dozen acres with two large buildings separated by a parking lot. The assisted living “houses” are set up like four individual cottages which makes the facility quite quaint and charming but fairly spread out. Nestled in the midst of a residential community, a person could fairly easily get lost.

So Robert had put on his pajamas, noticed his jacket missing, left his room, walked across the parking lot to the other building and tried the door which leads to the activities room. That door was locked so Rob walked all the way around the building until he found an unlocked door which led to the skilled nursing facility. He wandered through that area of the facility until someone saw a strange man walking around in pajamas, socks and a helmet and asked how they could help him. Robert explained about the lost jacket which he was sure now resided in the activities room and they helped him look for it. When no jacket was found, Robert went back to his room. Where, of course, he found his jacket. In his closet.

My husband and I said our goodbyes to Rob and made our way back home at my normal, leisurely pace. My to-do list would be pushed to another day but, once home, I relaxed in my comfy, roomy sweatpants, grateful to have this happy ending.