Getting old is a disaster.

by Rita Lakin.

The construction worker embraced the storm,

letting the torrents of rain sting his face and soak his denim jacket. His hard hat offered little soak his denim jacket. His hard hat offered little protection. His sopping tool belt weighed him protection. His sopping tool belt weighed him down. But he was content to be the last man onsite. He knew how to finish a job. down. But he was content to be the last man onsite. He knew how to finish a job.

The dim work light flickered with the splatter of the raindrops. Bolts of lightning illuminated the the raindrops. Bolts of lightning illuminated the wooden billboard staked across the construction wooden billboard staked across the construction site: Lanai Gardens Modern, new one- and twobedroom garden apartments. Three acres of lawns, site: Lanai Gardens Modern, new one- and twobedroom garden apartments. Three acres of lawns, Six Phases pools, recreation rooms. Fort Lauderdale Six Phases pools, recreation rooms. Fort Lauderdale at its finest. Opening September 1958. at its finest. Opening September 1958.

A few more minutes and he'd go home. To a hot shower, his bottle of whiskey, and the news on the shower, his bottle of whiskey, and the news on the radio. He was always fascinated by the news in his radio. He was always fascinated by the news in his reluctantly adopted land. reluctantly adopted land.

Meticulous and compulsive, he was annoyed that he could not find the shovel that he'd last seen that he could not find the shovel that he'd last seen near the tall piles of gravel. He debated whether to near the tall piles of gravel. He debated whether to keep searching. Never mind, he told himself. He keep searching. Never mind, he told himself. He would dig it out of the mud tomorrow in the daylight. All he had left to do was tarp over the rest of would dig it out of the mud tomorrow in the daylight. All he had left to do was tarp over the rest of the tools that were too large to be put in the shed. the tools that were too large to be put in the shed. Then, home. Then, home.

The booming thunder kept him from hearing the stranger until the man was standing before the stranger until the man was standing before him, wrapped in a huge black greatcoat with a him, wrapped in a huge black greatcoat with a wide-brimmed gray felt hat obscuring much of his wide-brimmed gray felt hat obscuring much of his face. The construction worker startled, his boot face. The construction worker startled, his boot clanging into a pile of pipes. Then he relaxed. clanging into a pile of pipes. Then he relaxed. Probably someone lost, needing directions. Probably someone lost, needing directions.

The stranger didn't move as he watched the construction worker lay the last corner of the tarp down. down.

"Are you lost?" the construction worker finally asked. asked.

For a moment the stranger didn't answer. "No, I am not lost." am not lost."

The construction worker straightened, bracing himself, forming his huge hands into fists. He always had a knack for smelling danger. "What do himself, forming his huge hands into fists. He always had a knack for smelling danger. "What do you want?" you want?"

"I want you to die," the stranger said with unchecked bitterness. "Now." unchecked bitterness. "Now."

A huge bolt of lightning lit up the site and at the same moment they both saw the hard staff and same moment they both saw the hard staff and sharp blade of the missing shovel less than five feet sharp blade of the missing shovel less than five feet away, sticking up in the mud. The two men lunged away, sticking up in the mud. The two men lunged for it. The stranger got to it first and raised the for it. The stranger got to it first and raised the shovel high, preparing to charge, but the construction worker was too quick for him. He grabbed at shovel high, preparing to charge, but the construction worker was too quick for him. He grabbed at the shovel, twisting it, pulling it away, using his the shovel, twisting it, pulling it away, using his more ma.s.sive body to throw the stranger off balance. The stranger held tight, desperate to regain more ma.s.sive body to throw the stranger off balance. The stranger held tight, desperate to regain control. control.

Lightning and thunder were as witnesses to this dance of death. Huge earth movers stood as silent dance of death. Huge earth movers stood as silent observers as well. The stranger grappled mightily observers as well. The stranger grappled mightily in his battle to keep standing. But he fell. Then the in his battle to keep standing. But he fell. Then the construction worker fell. Rolling, tumbling, neither losing his grip on the shovel. Mud blinded construction worker fell. Rolling, tumbling, neither losing his grip on the shovel. Mud blinded them, covered them, slowing their movements, but them, covered them, slowing their movements, but hatred and the realization that only one of them hatred and the realization that only one of them would survive kept them going. Raw animal cries would survive kept them going. Raw animal cries belched from their throats. belched from their throats.

Several minutes later, the victor lifted his eyes to the sky so that the rain would rinse them. When he the sky so that the rain would rinse them. When he could see, he bent down and stared at the dead could see, he bent down and stared at the dead man's face. He smiled grimly, then glanced around, man's face. He smiled grimly, then glanced around, determining his next move. determining his next move.

The work light barely silhouetted the killer as he ripped off his clothes and exchanged them with ripped off his clothes and exchanged them with the victim's. It was a difficult, tedious job. The the victim's. It was a difficult, tedious job. The clothes were soaked. The fit was bad. Carefully clothes were soaked. The fit was bad. Carefully he searched his own pockets, making sure not to he searched his own pockets, making sure not to leave any evidence. leave any evidence.

Then suddenly he saw it. And with a shudder, he understood. He stared at the man's body as if understood. He stared at the man's body as if memorizing something. memorizing something.

He dragged the dead man along the sodden gravel until he came to a plywood-framed trench. gravel until he came to a plywood-framed trench. His rage returning, he kicked the body, edging him His rage returning, he kicked the body, edging him closer and closer to the hole, until the dead man closer and closer to the hole, until the dead man tumbled and fell in. He picked up the shovel. Over tumbled and fell in. He picked up the shovel. Over and over, he pitched mud and gravel in on top of and over, he pitched mud and gravel in on top of the dead man, and finally, anger spent, his body the dead man, and finally, anger spent, his body heaving with exhaustion, he stopped. He spit into heaving with exhaustion, he stopped. He spit into the dirt and walked away. the dirt and walked away.

1.

Home

The airport van pulls up between the Phase.

Two buildings of our Lanai Gardens condominium complex. It's a mild September evening with just a bit of drizzle coming down. I'm home at last.

I sigh happily, getting out of the van. We are back from New York and I'm so glad to be on home ground again. At the same moment I wonder-where will we all go from here?

The girls and Jack pile out. I call them girls although there's not one of them under 73-my sister, Evvie, and our three friends, Bella, Sophie, and Ida. They're also my partners in our three-monthold private eye business.

My on-again-off-again boyfriend Jack Langford, now definitely on for good, graciously pays the van driver, since the girls manage to fumble through their purses long enough, with sheepish smiles, for Jack to take up the slack. He's immediately commandeered into lugging suitcases for each one of them. Suddenly my girls are helpless? Next year's birthday presents should be smelling salts in case they decide to take up fainting. But Jack goodnaturedly carries Bella's bags, along with my sister Evvie's, up the elevator in the P building, to their second-floor apartments. Then he's down again and racing across the courtyard to schlep Sophie's and Ida's things up to the third floor of building Q. The girls are always one step in front of him, rushing to unlock their doors-their idea of being helpful.

I wait downstairs for the troop movements to cease. I can foresee that there will have to be some rules and regulations as to how much they use and abuse my guy now that we are officially an item. What a relief that the girls are finally happy about our relationship, after fighting it for so long. Or are they? We shall see.

Tiny Bella is all atwitter. "It's so nice to have a man around the house," she trills off-key, hanging over her balcony and waving down to me.

"I could get used to it," Sophie calls out from across the way, patting her skirt down, trying to smooth the creases out of her lime-green velour traveling outfit as Jack lugs her stuff into her apartment.

Ida insists on carrying one of her own bags, so she picks up her small carry-on. "I'm not helpless. Yet," she tells Jack as she grudgingly allows him to wheel the other case-which, from the way it is listing to one side, looks like she packed an elephant inside.

Some of our neighbors stick their heads out to see what's going on. Not a surprise. They always stick their noses into anything anyone does at any given moment. Newlyweds Tessie and Sol Spankowitz pop out of Tessie's apartment on the second floor of Q. Is it my imagination? The reluctant husband, Sol, looks like he shrank since he got married. Not like the Sol we knew as The Peeper, who scared all the women with his lecherous snooping. Super-sized Tessie looms over him, eating pistachio ice cream from a gallon carton.

Naturally Mr. Know-it-all, Hy Binder, appears in a flash, on the second-floor balcony of P. And right behind him is his parrot. I mean his wife, Lola.

"Look who's finally blown back into town," he calls out. "So how was the Big Apple? Anybody get mugged?"

"Yeah," mimics Lola, "anybody get mugged?"

Bella, standing two doors away, beams at the two of them. "No, but we were in a parade and got a medal. We had a fabulous time."

Sophie has to chime in, calling across, "And look who we met up with in New York. Our very own Jackie."

Uh-oh, here they go. My entire life will now be spilled out of the girls' eager mouths into our neighbors' ever-inquiring minds. But what can I do? I love them even though sometimes I want to paste duct tape across their lips.

Years ago, our husbands all dead-or in Evvie's case, divorced-we formed a new family unit sworn to care for one another through thick and thin. Mostly it's more thick than thin. We are an odd combination-mixed nuts is what Evvie calls us. My smart, fast-talking sister is also my best friend. Then there's Bella, our sweet, diminutive shadow, who follows us everywhere; roly-poly Sophie, who sees herself as a fashionista, mad about clothes; and last but definitely not least, Ida, our curmudgeon and self-proclaimed man-hater.

Bella is breathless in the face of everyone's attention. "Have we we got a big announcement to make." got a big announcement to make."

Even Ida is grinning.

By now Jack is at my side, puffing a bit, and as the new male alpha dog of our little pack, he decides to nip this bud off quickly. "Ladies," he calls out. "We've all had a very busy day. Time to get some rest."

"Yes," Evvie says with a tad of sarcasm, "let's get some rest." I can't believe my eyes. Immediately they scamper inside their own apartments, waving cheery good nights as they do. Doors one, two, three, and four-closed and not opened again. I hold my breath in case one of them changes her mind. Jack and I stand there and wait. And finally the looky-loos retreat, too. It seems as if the show is over. But I know better. They'll all be peering from behind their venetian blinds to see what we do next.

My very tall darling bends down to whisper to me, "I can feel their eyes burning holes in me."

"Not to worry," I tell him. "They'll get bored as soon as their favorite TV show comes on."

"What do we do now?" he asks. "Do you want me to come up with you?" A reasonable question since now we are officially a couple.

"It might be a better idea if we go to our own places alone. Let's meet tomorrow and figure out a plan of survival."

"Good idea. But I don't care if the yenta brigade is watching. I am am going to kiss you good night." going to kiss you good night."

I'm so lucky to have this wonderful man. For a brief moment I let myself think of the life-changing events that occurred when we were in New York. It will take a while for me to absorb the truth about my husband's murder so many years ago. But it was Jack who gave this truth as his finest gift to me. It has finally brought us together-forever more, I hope.

And Jack kisses me. Beautifully. Lovingly. I cling to him, not wanting the kiss to end.

From somewhere I hear a low smattering of applause.

Jack, suitcase in hand, walks to his building in Phase Six, his jacket collar turned up against the drizzling rain. He hears a sugary voice calling out to him from the third floor.

"Hi, honeybun. Up here."

He glances up to see Louise Bannister waving a

handkerchief. His upstairs neighbor is a flamboyant widow in her sixties, who, because she's a bottle redhead, is under the illusion she's a Rita Hayworth lookalike playing Gilda. As she leans over, her Chinese red robe reveals-as Jack a.s.sumes she planned-much cleavage.

"Welcome home," she says breathily. "We missed you while you were away."

"Thanks, Louise," he answers quietly so as not to disturb the other neighbors. She's hard to take, his overwrought femme fatale neighbor, but Jack has to admit that Louise is a darned good bridge player.

His eye is caught by two men coming toward the building. Both are dressed in the Orthodox Jewish tradition: black hat, suit, and vest; full beard and mustache.

Louise calls cheerily. "Abe, Stanley, look who's home."

To Jack, the two men, both in their eighties, seem an odd pair, but they're always together. Abe Waller squints, peering through his c.o.ke-bottle eyegla.s.ses, and nods in recognition. Stanley Heyer smiles openly and waves in greeting. Whereas Abe is big and burly, Stanley is small and feisty. Abe speaks rarely, and smiles little. Stanley is garrulous and upbeat.

"Well, gotta go, boys," Louise says, straightening. "See you soon, hon." She winks at Jack before turning to go back into her apartment.

"I can hardly wait," Jack says under his breath.

"Good trip?" Abe asks.

"Very," Jack answers."Just in time for some heavy rains," Stanley comments as he plucks a few dead leaves from a hibiscus bush nearby.

Jack smiles politely. Everyone knows that Stanley was one of the original developers of Lanai Gardens back in the late '50's. Apparently he liked it so much, he moved into one of the apartments himself when they officially opened.

The two men separate and go their own way. Stanley crosses the courtyard to building Y and Abe walks into his ground-floor apartment in Jack's building, Z.

Jack's finished gathering his mail and is about to head up the stairs when he hears another voice behind him. Dora Dooley pops out of her first-floor apartment. The pet.i.te eighty-one-year-old soap opera addict is always cold, and wears a bulky sweater and wool scarf no matter the weather. "It's about time you got back. My garbage has been piling up."

"I'll take care of it in the morning, Dora. I promise," he says in his usual patient voice.

Welcome home, he thinks ironically. Women to the right of me, women to the left of me. It's not going to be easy having some kind of life with Gladdy around here with all these clutching women.

The phone has already rung four times. Each of the girls called me to do what they always do: say good night, make plans for the next day, share lastminute thoughts of any kind. Bella is last. Finally, peace and quiet. It's wonderful.

The phone rings again. It's Jack this time. "I've been trying to reach you, but the phone's been busy."

I sigh. "It's a tradition."

"I can't stand not being with you. I wish it was morning already. Maybe I should wait until dark and sneak over. No one will see me."

"That's what you think. The native drums will beat your arrival. Got a better idea. Meet me at the bus stop at the main gate. Six-thirty a.m." This time he sighs. "Six a.m. all right. Until tomorrow, my dearest. I love you."