Sunshine Boulevard
an excerpt

PROLOGUE

In the middle of the dark Florida night, a searing yellow flash filled the home of George McDonnell. His sleeping neighbors in Citrus Ridge 55+ Senior Community never noticed the light. The next morning Lottie Carpenter, Mr. McDonnell’s neighbor, did smell a peculiar, strong odor, but figured once the garbage was picked up that morning the stench would be gone. She continued watering her flowers that bright, sunny winter morning like she always did.

CHAPTER ONE

“Watch out!”
Gloria Hart slammed the Buick’s brake pedal down hard to the floor. Her husband, Jim, had yelled at her from the side yard. She was so startled, she forgot to take the car out of reverse, and it began rolling back again down their concrete driveway toward the road when she lifted her foot from the brake.
She quickly hit the brake again and checked her rear view mirror as old Mr. Tweeble casually drove his red electric wheelchair behind her car and kept rolling on down the road. He was completely unaware that he could have been squashed like a Florida cockroach by the old Buick. Mr. Tweeble was deaf and practically blind, but it didn’t keep him from walking his dog while riding in his wheelchair. Everyone in the senior community knew to watch out for him.
Poor Gloria. She had checked for traffic on the road before she began backing out, but evidently Mr. Tweeble was just behind the large bush in her front yard. Thank goodness her husband had seen him coming.
She looked at Jim. He shrugged his shoulders and waved at her to go on. She shook her head and cautiously backed out of her driveway.
What a gorgeous morning, she thought as she drove toward the Community Center for her exercise class. This was the kind of day that made her glad that she and her husband were snowbirds. They spent the summers in Michigan and the winters in Florida. And everyday she thanked God that she was so blessed to be able to do it. There were days when she missed her kids up north. And everytime she saw a little boy or girl at church or in a restaurant, her heart ached to be with her grandchildren. But she called the families every Sunday night to keep in touch, and that helped a little bit. It was great fun to drive back home to be greeted by family members who hugged and kissed her upon arrival. But for now, for today, she was satisfied to be enjoying the Florida Chamber of Commerce weather day while the family up north dug out of the latest snowstorm.
Gloria turned on to Sunshine Blvd. and waved at Mrs. Watley who was sweeping her driveway again. She continued on toward the Community Center focusing on the route. In this community’s layout, as in most planned communities, the roads were circles and they would intersect each other many times. So if you planned to meet someone at Sunshine Blvd and Orange Ave, you had to specify which intersection it could be….east side, west side, north side. It was very confusing to drive because the roads did not run north and south, east and west. They were always curving, so trying to drive from one side of the community to the other was difficult if the driver didn’t concentrate on the route. Gloria, although a resident of Citrus Ridge for more than 3 years, still kept a map in her glove compartment at all times. Her landmarks, the woods on the north side, the guard shack on the east side, and the hospital on the west helped her know where she was in the 1200 double-wide homes that made up Citrus Ridge.
She pulled her Buick into the spacious parking lot in front of the Spanish-style mission center. The peach and aqua painted building was perfect surrounded by stately palms in the Florida sunshine. The tennis courts, swimming pool, horseshoes, bocci ball, and shuffleboard courts were all filled with active seniors. She looked for a parking space and found one near the golf cart parking. It was men’s golf league this morning, so the lot was almost full. She noticed a group of golfers teeing off to begin their game on the manicured and landscaped course which wound through the center of the community.
Although there was very little crime in the area, Gloria locked her car after retrieving her exercise mat, water bottle, and dumbbells.
Hmmm, I wonder if I should have taken some Aleve before exercising, she thought. Her friend, Sandy, had heard it helped to cut down on the soreness. And oh yes, this little workout with the seniors definitely left Gloria with sore muscles and neck. She had all she could do to keep her 60 year old body exercising as well as some of those 75 year old bodies. Gloria was at first embarrassed to admit that she was doing some exercises sitting on a chair like she had seen patients at nursing homes do. But, it did help to build the strength. Now, if only, she could keep up with Sylvia, the 70 year old who could exercise rings around her and not even breathe heavily.
“Hi, Gloria,” Pamela yelled to her from across the large multi-purpose room. As usual, Pamela’s make-up was perfect and she was dressed in a matching work-out outfit with matching tennis shoes and socks. She would take off the jacket to reveal a slim, tanned figure.
Pamela gave Gloria a big hug as if she hadn’t seen her all season when she actually had been together two nights before at game night. She smiled her big smile with her perfect teeth…all her own…and turned to include Gloria in the conversation with the other four women in Gloria’s group.
At 60 years old, Gloria thought she was done with looking up to a role model, but Gloria admired Pamela as if she were the head of her high school clique. Not only was Pamela beautiful, but she was gracious and self-confident, friendly and kind. Gloria wanted to be just like Pamela.
“Did you hear about George McDonnell? Did Jim hear anything yet?” Pamela’s best friend, Rosemary, asked Gloria. Oh yes, it did take Gloria back to eighth grade memories of best friends and popularity contests.
“No. Is he sick?”
“No, he’s dead. I thought with Jim being one of the First Responders for the park that he may have been called in to the scene.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. He has been ill for some time. I know that after his wife passed, he just couldn’t get over it and didn’t want to live any longer.”
“Oh, no, it wasn’t his heart that killed him, Gloria,” Bonnie said.
Gloria looked puzzled as she saw the looks exchanged on her friend’s faces.
“What happened?” Gloria’s eyes widened with alarm.
Bonnie puffed up with satisfaction and importance knowing that she was the one that would deliver the big news. “His neighbor, Lottie Carpenter found him. She SMELLED him rotting in his house.”
“Oh, my Lord.” Gloria’s hand covered her mouth as she gasped. “That poor man. I cannot imagine….”
“Okay, Ladies, are we ready to begin this morning?” Bridgett clapped her hands to begin the exercise session. Gloria quickly unrolled her exercise mat, then focused on the exercises not allowing herself to think of poor George dying alone in his house, then rotting while noone cared about him. She thought there had to be a better way to care for these sick and dying lonely people.