IDA
It had been such a lonesome fall, oh so lonesome. The summer had been okay, but when the weather cooled down it became bad because no one was outside. And Ida, a very outgoing and gregarious woman, had no one to talk with, no one to chat with, no one with whom to just talk about the news. She had survived Thanksgiving by volunteering down at the Salvation Army but when that was finished she was just tired and really down. Seeing all of those homeless, down-and-out people, most of whom were about her age, was a real downer.
She had made some costumes for the church Christmas pageant, but heck they had just grabbed them and then griped because they were not as they should be. It used to be the older generation was in charge of things like that at church. Now the young ones were in charge of anything and everything...they, the new leaders, who had no idea what tradition and the church pageant meant. Push the old fogies aside, some of whom had been members here since they were knee high shavers, all of their lives.
Ida found that she took part in church activities less and less because the young folks pushed the old folks out and away. It made them feel as if the church they had been very instrumental in building was no longer theirs. Now they did not even feel welcome in their own church. Sometimes Ida found herself....forgive me lord....wishing those young know it all's would fall flat on their face.
Her arthritis had made it near impossible to make Afghans, and her eyes just would not let her sit and read or work puzzles as she wished to.
One day Ira, Ida's youngest son came by and found his mother sitting at the kitchen table with tears in her eyes. "Mom, I know what will make you chipper, get your check book and let's go someplace." Ida did, and when they returned she had spent nearly a thousand dollars on a computer her son had selected.
"Oh Mom, it will make all the difference in the world, you will be able to surf the web."
Soon the new computer was all hooked up and Ira left. Ida just shook her head, for with that thousand dollars she had planned to get the house painted and the front room re-papered.
Ida did not turn her new computer on, she just let it set there gathering dust. But Ira and his wife did manage to use it five or six times a week. That of course was after Ira convinced his mother she needed an Internet hookup.
So with mom needing this and that, within a week Ida was out another thousand dollars. She got mad, unhooked the computer, and covered it with a sheet.
Ira's wife came in to use the computer. "What do you mean it is unplugged and covered? I have copies to make and I promised Mary Lou I would send an e-mail to her daughter so I can fill her in about her mother's illness."
"I am sorry, but I do not feel like company. Go to the library or have Ira buy you one," Ida said as she escorted the daughter-in-law to the door.
Later that day Ida was at the grocery store where she saw Maybelle Pink. "Maybelle where have you been, haven't see you in quite a while." They bought a latte and sat down to drink it.
"Oh Ida, I have been on the Internet and have met so many wonderful people. You just would not believe it." Ida looked at the normally quiet and somewhat shy Maybelle. "What have you been doing Ida, I heard you got a computer."
Ida sipped her Latte without saying a word. Finally, she replied, "Maybelle, I was duped into buying a computer and getting an Internet carrier plus buying a scanner, printer and little camera."
"Oh great," Maybelle replied. "Don't you enjoy it, isn't it fun?"
"Maybelle, I do not even know how to turn it on much less net the scan or what ever you call it."
Maybelle could tell Ida was in the dumps, so they had two more Lattes while Ida related what had transpired.
"Ida, I will teach you what little I know and then we will put a password in the computer so your son and no one else can use it, that is, unless you give them the password."
"Maybelle, you come over after supper and lets do it, for I am so alone, so lonely. Anything to beat that and since I have the machine and how my son duped me. If I can't use it, I will give it to the old folks home." Then Ida bought two five-liter jugs of wine and a half-gallon of London Dry gin and went home.
"What do I need a password for Maybelle? It is my computer," Ida said.
Maybelle shaking her head said, "If you put in a password then no one can use the computer except you." She took a sip of wine. "Ira, nor his wife, can use it."
"And you mean Ira got me this screen name, "mizoldlady" and that's what I use to talk to other people?" Ida took a big sip of her wine. "I don't like that, don't like it at all."
One hour, and a near-empty jug of wine later, Ida had a new screen name. She would be " SweetisIda." And then Maybelle showed her how to get in the chat room, which Ida thought was a blast. When they finally turned off the computer, Maybelle was in no shape to drive home, so she stayed Ida's spare bedroom.
The next morning two seniors did have slight hangovers but the evening had been so much fun. Maybelle and Ida yakked over breakfast and as they were reading the paper, Ida spotted an ad. "Learn to use your computer, learn to surf the web, classes start soon. Lets take it she said. Let's take it."
Ida went down to the community college to sign up for the class and gosh she saw four women from the church with whom she used to be friends. "Gosh Sylvia, where have you been?" she asked.
"Oh Ida, after I got a computer and learned to use it, instead of going and doing, I spend a lot of time on it, chatting with the friends I have made."
Sylvia got a sheepish look, then continued. "Gosh I used to knit and read, sew and bake, but now a whole new world has opened for me. Are you going to take the computer class?"
Ida grinned and nodded yes.
"Who is the instructor?" Maureen, another lady asked. "I heard that there is a young whippersnapper who doesn't like seniors, and he is horrible."
Mrs. Ebart who was sitting close by spoke up. "Oh no, it is Doc Banger. You know old doc who ran the Corner Pharmacy for so long?"
"Why, Hi Ethel! Doc? Really?" Ida said, for she had known Doc Banger for years.
"Oh really," Sylvia chimed in. "I hear Doc is really good and will only teach a class filled with we gray-hairs." The women began to chat and all were anxious for the classes to start.
Sure enough, Doc Banger taught the class and since it was at one each afternoon for two weeks, the ladies including Doc would go by the Café for a cup and some chat afterwards.
"Gosh, I have enjoyed this class Doc, what is the next one?" Ida asked.
Doc grinned. "This is it, there are no more," he said in a dejected voice. "Mister Bowman says they cannot afford another class because they cost too much."
Ida jumped in. "They cost too much? Hmm, let me see. Twenty students at 30 dollars each?" She looked at Doc, "What about it Doc?"
"Since it is a senior class, I teach it for free. It gives me something to do and the overhead is use of the room and the computers which are vacant during that time."
The next morning at nine, a contingent of gray-haired ladies, plus some husbands and friends, descended upon the college president. "We want more computer classes," they said.
The college president, Doctor Bowlegs...a weasely little man, raised his hands. "Ladies and gentlemen. These course are expensive. We have a big overhead and students are waiting in line to take computer classes. It...it is just not feasible." He turned to dismiss them.
"Just a minute Clarence, just one minute," A blue haired lady said as she stood and looked at him.
"Yes, Mrs. Knows. I did not see you, you worked here you know." Bowlegs replied.
"Clarence, Doc here teaches for free. The computer classes have only been 36% filled for the last three years. This seniors class was the first full class we have ever had."
"Yes, but the computer lab is overloaded and scheduling is very tenuous. It's the new student's course, there are five sections of it, and it is required.
"Clarence, sit down before you make a bigger ass of yourself than you already have," Mrs. Knows. She unrolled some papers and walked to the front of the room. "Clarence, you know I retired, well retired and was called back....and you also know that I know more about this school than anyone else." The stare of the little blue haired ladies made the good doctor sit back and take notice. A very detailed presentation was made and in the end, the good college President found he did not know what was going on.
Four days later Doctor Bowlegs announced to the media that after serious study there would be continual continuing education classes for teaching seniors, as long as the classes were filled. Ida and her friends would make sure of that.
When Mable Poorfolk, a computer student died, her will revealed a three hundred thousand grant to the college to be used for senior citizen classes.
Ida got into the computer thing and she had a ball, chatting with her grandson in Texas, her daughter in Maine, plus her brother Jed in Alaska. Then she met "Crankyolecuss" Bud, and they did hit it off. Bud was a retired mail carrier whose wife had passed away and he loved to garden as Ida did.
Well, you just figure out who visited whom for Christmas?