Time Warp: Sparks (Harmony)

[Beatrice Booker]

In all her 84 years Beatrice Booker had never liked the idea of not being in total control of a situation. Today, as her family dumped her off at Fox Run Retirement home was absolutely no difference. The only good thing was that she was living with her long time friend Harmony, who she hadn't seen in too long, about a week. This would be just like old times, she thought as she continued to unpack her boxes. 

Beat shuffled over to the kitchen where her appliances sat. She still had the same ones from her first apartment on her own in college, the toaster was her favorite, sure it burnt the toast nearly every time and had a spring handle that was broken off forcing you to push down the actual spring, not to mention the rust on the outside. But it was perfect. It made better grilled cheese when turned on it's side than anything. 

"Want some toast?" Beat cheerfully called to Harmony as she happily waddled across the linoleum floor to plug in the clunker. As she inserted the plug it sparked and Beat clapped her hands together with joy "Oh sparky." She laughed and then started hacking. "Shit where the hell are my meds?" 

[Harmony Muller-Barton]

Harmony had been dumped here a few years ago. But really, who could blame her family. Her 'wonderful' mood seemed into barbed wire over the years. Not that Harmony was upset by it. She told them all good riddance and moved onto annoying every staff member in the retirement home.

And she was not exactly happy about being forced to have a roommate either. The staff had let her know a few days earlier, hoping that the time would help her to ease into the change. Still, even though it was her old Hammel pal (at least the closest to a pal Harmony had), Harmony was none too happy at having to share.

"Sure, whatever," Harmony said from her seat on the rocking chair in the corner. When the toaster shot sparks, she added. "Geez, don't burn the place down on your first day. You tryin' to kill me?"

At the mention of medication, Harmony stuck out her tongue. "Humph," she said, frowning. "You'll never catch me letting some young whippersnapper shove the latest cure-all crap down my throat."

[Beatrice Booker]

Beat rolled her eyes at Harmony's snippiness. It was true, old age did make you a bit bitchier. Actually that was one of the things that she had looked forward to most about getting older. When you were a senior there were perks. For one you got discounts on movies, for two you could curse whenever you wanted and it somehow turned from rude to endearing, and thirdly if you wanted to ride a fucking segway, you could ride one all day long and no one would look at you funny... of course segways had long been forgotten so that dream of chasing kids with her cane waving high while she trailed behind on a bedazzled segway had long since gone.

"Sparks has NEVER started a fire... he's just got some kick." She assured her as the toast flew into the air, one falling on the ground. "five second rule!" She called quickly picking it up then tossing it back in the air, bouncing it to the plate "hot hot hot hot hot!"

Beat grabbed her pills, straining her eyes to see what they said, morning or night? Night... where were her others then? She scratched her head, her hair was now a big white mop on top of it tied into a bun. "You do what you want, I'll take a magic pill any day if it makes me feel like i'm on a cloud.... plus i have a medical marijuana prescription that I quite enjoy." she informed her proudly wondering where that was packed away too. "Damn it Julia..." She cursed her daughter "She always packs things so I can't find them."

[Harmony Muller-Barton]

Harmony had definitely taken advantage of the bitterness allowance for the elderly. And yes, she had often join in comparing how the "old days" had been so much better. Though surely her thirteen-year-old-self would have argued with her. She was also one to take advantage of others assuming she wasn't all there mentally. More than once she'd been caught shoplifting and just acted completely lost and confused. It worked like a charm.

"I'll be sure to remind you of that when we're standing out in the cold in our nighties because the building is ashes," Harmony added with a humph. "I get the one that didn't fall on the floor," she added, rising slowly to her feet to shuffle over to the toaster.

Harmony stuck out her tongue again at the mention of medication. Sure she'd love to be on a cloud sometimes, especially when the cold weather settled in her bones, making them ache. But she hated doing anything she was told to do, like keep to a medication schedule. Instead she had pain pills she was free to take or not take as needed. And even those she was hesitant about. Seriously, it seemed that the doctors were only getting younger and stupider as the years went by and she only grew more skeptical of them.

"Geez woman," Harmony said, starting to rifle though Beatrice's bags. "If I help you look for them, will you stop complaining for two seconds?" Yes folks, this was Harmony's definition of being nice.

[Beatrice Booker]

"Fine." Beatrice rolled her eyes irritated that she'd noticed that it'd fallen. She had planned on giving that one to Harmony, "A little dirt never hurt anyone... in fact this sterile shit and over precaution we've forced into our kids has made them fucking wimps." She said with a humph as she bit into her toast, sending crumbs falling to the floors. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and with floor toast, if i can survive this i'll be living to 110." 

She smiled as Harmony offered to help her look. "If you find them I'll kiss you if it'll make you happy!" She said sliding the bag closer to Harmony who had yet to crack a smile. Jeeze, tough crowed. "Seems like you could use it with that puss face." She rolled her eyes her own smile wiped off her face, replaced with a scowl. "I guess old age really does turn some people into crabs." She added as she plopped into the creaky dining room chair. 

She was starting to regret agreeing to living with an old friend. 

[Harmony Muller-Barton]

Harmony actually cracked a smile as Beatrice rolled her eyes. "Yeah, kids these days are going to grow up to be such wimps. It would do them well to eat a little dirt now and then." She echoed her old friend's humph, shaking her head for added effect.

"You kiss me and I'm calling on of the aids to report an assault," Harmony said, still she was half-smiling when she said it. It did suck to have to share a room with someone, but at least Beatrice wasn't a totally moron, even though she'd always been a bit too peppy for Harmony, at least her fun side had a more devious note to it.

"Who you callin' puss face, ya old hag," Harmony asked, still looking though the other woman's bag. "Here's your pills by the way. Take some so you can chill would ya?"

With that she tossed the container to Beatrice and sat back down.

[Beatrice Booker]

Beat looked at Harmony over her shoulder making kissie faces and sounds, mocking her only ending with a laugh. "If you call the cops I'll just pretend I have no memory of it at all and it's the dementia." It was an awful thing to joke about, she'd seen so many friends go out that way and she'd even started showing signs... but laughter was God's best medicine and if it was going to eventually kill her, she wanted to have the last laugh... while she could remember it. 

Beat fumbled to catch the container and quickly popped the top off. "So.... are the activities here any good? I saw water aerobics on the schedule and can't help but wonder what some of those saggy old men look like in a speedo." She chuckled. "Lord knows they can't wear those boxer type swim trunks any longer... their balls are probably sagged down to their kneecaps." She laughed heartily at her own joke.  

[Harmony Muller-Barton]

Harmony tried to keep from joining in the laughter, but finally gave up. It took too much work and she tired easily in her old age. She could still be stubborn, but sometimes it wasn't worth the effort. "That always works," Harmony had to admit. "Or you can convince the cop you think he's your son or something. I got out of three shoplifting charges that way." She smiled broadly, clearly proud of herself.

Harmony had also see others go slowly loosing their memories and minds. Though since so few of them Harmony actually called 'friends', she didn't really care about joking about it.

"Oh God," Harmony said. "You're gonna make me loose my breakfast. It looked bad enough going in, I'd hate to see it again." Harmony had gone to water aerobics exactly once. But between the sagging of both balls and breasts, she'd vowed to kill anyone who dragged her there again. She didn't care how good it was supposed to be for her.

"If you ask me the only good activities involve keeping away from the morons around here," she paused. "Although, the guy they've got running Bingo on Fridays isn't half bad." And that was as much as a glowing recommendation Harmony was libel to ever give.