My Neighbor

I live on the top floor of a condo building and the people on my floor are all older than my husband and me. I have Jim and Virginia, they are 84 or 85 years old. We have George and Sharon and they are in their late 50's I do believe. We have three condos that are empty at the moment and then we have George. (Yep, another one) George from New York. George who loves Sarah Palin. George who took care of his wife for 25 years while she had MS. When she died, he moved here to Jacksonville and bought the penthouse condo in our building. George is 79. I love George. He has purchased and sold more cars since I've known him, than I think my parents have had their entire lives. He loves Costco and knows everyone who works there. He took me once and introduced me to everyone. George calls me his girlfriend. You have to talk loud when you speak to George because he doesn't like to wear his hearing aids. George really likes to talk to me because he says he can hear me - I have the right tones to my voice he says.

I think I just talk loud, so it's easier for me to keep up the volume!

The house next to George's son in the Carolinas went into foreclosure about 6 months back. The house is literally next door to his son's home. It was too good to be true. The son convinced his dad to put an offer on the house. It took many months to get the deal through, but George now owns the house.

I kept telling George that if he got the house his kids would want him to move in permanently. He kept assuring me that he was only going to live there in the summers at least for a few years.

I came home today to see a strange car in his parking spot and that car was just full of paintings...Georges paintings, from his house. I knocked on his door and saw the moving boxes. Then his son came to the door and said that he was here to "...pack up Dad's stuff and move him home."

I could hardly speak. (at this moment, I can hardly type)

I asked him how long he was staying and he said a few weeks. I asked him if he was ever coming back and wouldn't tell me. His son finally said - "Dad, of course you aren't coming back."

I stayed for a few more minutes but I could hardly keep from bawling.

I just noticed that nearly every paragraph has started with I. Well, this is because it is all about me. I am going to miss George so much I can hardly stand it. I know his son (and his other children who also live near his new home) are just wanting their 79 year old father to be near them for many reasons, but also in case anything should happen, they want to be able to care for him. I get that. I also know that out of all of my neighbors, I love George and really like spending time with him and I am going to miss him like crazy.

So, I came back from speaking with George and his son and I told my husband that Georges condo was full of boxes...and that's when I started sobbing. Next thing I know, my husband is out the door. About 30 minutes later he comes back. I had regained my composure while he was gone, but started crying again. He thinks that George is going to end up leaving in a week. He thinks his son is going to insist that George leaves with him, especially if the condo is all packed up. It's hard to live in a packed up house and who wants to?

I will have to go back and hang out with him for awhile. I hope I can keep from sobbing. I really hate goodbyes. I really dislike them when I believe I will never see the person again. There is no reason for George to ever come back to Jacksonville. I can go see him, but I doubt we will ever get there. It just happens that way.

I'm glad that Georges family wants him to come home. I just wish they didn't want him to come home full time! Can't they share? I'll get a few pictures of George and share them shortly.

Has there ever been anyone in your life that just moved away all of a sudden? I have never been able to deal with this type of goodbye. I think I need to learn some life skills to deal with this because I obviously don't know how.