Reality Check 7

There was growing concern in the retirement home when Amos, an elderly short, stout, former Spanish professor failed to show up at breakfast, and then again at lunch.

Normally, he would sit alone and read while he ate, or find refuge with a short, elderly, dark-haired lady named Yvette, who appeared to understood Spanish.

"Yvette has been senile for many years, or at least we thought she was," their table attendant had told Amos.

"She is just fine, Amos had replied. "The English language is confusing to her. I teach her a few words in English, every time I dine with her."

The table attendant reported his absence to the security guard who immediately checked his room.

"Thanks for letting me know, but normally we don't keep track of anyone coming or going, only outsiders," the matron of the retirement home told the security guard, in no uncertain terms. "Where they go and what they do is entirely up to our residents."

At dinner time, Amos was still missing.

The security guards began going over videos created by the monitors, but did not spot him in any of them.

"We will give him 48 hours, and then report him missing to the police," one said to the other.

Yvette sat alone throughout the day, acting quite normal. If she had missed him, she did show any signs of it. She did not mention him, or speak to anyone with respect to him. In fact, she did not speak to anyone. 

"I wonder how long it has been since someone did a reality check on Amos," the security guard commented to his young, female trainee.

"Reality check?"

""Oh. I am sorry. Of course, you would not understand that expression. It is the term we use it here to describe a non-professional or a professional mental health assessment. They are normally done routinely on seniors by everyone who works here. That way, we can report or investigate anything unusual. We need to know where their heads are at."

"I see."

Rumors quickly started around the retirement home, as everyone began wondering where he was. The security guards checked the grounds of the retirement home carefully, but found nothing. Gradually, they began to check the kitchen, laundry room, patio, pool area and anywhere else they he could be.

Even the residence doctor and nurse had no idea where he was, or where he might have gone. The matron checked her filing cabinet and discovered that he had retired from a local university, a number of years back. and suggested to her assistant that perhaps they might know where he was. She also discovered that he had a passport, but it was not in her filing cabinet.

"He has probably taken it out at one time or another. Remember that no one has to report where they go in this facility." She was getting quite miffed, as others kept on asking about his whereabouts.

The laundry room attendant reported that he had not sent any white shirts to the laundry, for quite a while. The police were notified of his absence at the end of forty eight hours. They began an investigation immediately.

Shortly thereafter, the young trainee reported what she thought might be a possible clue to his whereabouts, in a video tape.

"Who is this man?" she asked the security guard working with her. "I think that he is approximately the same size and build as Amos. I might be wrong. Here, I can see him leaving the building, but I don't see any footage that indicates he came in, either before or after that."

"This guy looks like a business man or even a a lawyer because of his bowler, suit and briefcase. He is wearing sunglasses which makes it difficult to be certain of his identity. I wonder why he would be dressed like that and where he was going. On the other hand, that might be a visitor. But, if that is true, then we should be able to find him coming in. Check that video tape again." 

Everyone agreed that it could be him, but no one knew for certain. Just in case it was, they e-mailed to the police and posted his picture in the lobby.

Yvette was heart broken when she spotted his picture, but no one could understand what she was saying.

"We had better get a translator for her," decided the doctor. "Now!"

The police spotted the same man boarding a plane destined for Europe in one of their videos.