Figure out what to post on Instagram
Ben and Tumbleweed were back to discussing Albuquerque real estate. Idly, Alexei flipped to the list he’d started a few pages behind “Alexei 2.0.”
City Ideas
Boston
Providence
Washington, DC
Ann Arbor
Pittsburgh
Ithaca
Chapel Hill
Madison
He’d been trying to think of a mix of larger cities, where he knew there’d be a variety of job options for a data analyst, and college towns, since he’d always kind of wanted to work at a university.
He dreamed, too, sometimes, of owning a small farm in the middle of Montana, Colorado, Vermont. Always having trees and bird calls close at hand.
But Alexei 2.0 was going to try not to isolate himself. Which he knew he would do if he wasn’t near some kind of city center. So for now, the list was cities and towns.
The only other requirement, really, was that it be far away from the place he had always loved most.
“Anyway,” Tumbleweed said loudly enough to snap Alexei’s focus back to the world around him. “You boys take care of each other, you hear? This desert is no joke.”
“We will; promise. Hope we run into you again sometime,” Ben said.
“Absolutely.” Tumbleweed tipped his hat. “You take care.”
Then he was gone, floating easily on down the trail.
Rather like…a tumbleweed.
Darn it.
“Nowthatright there…”Ben leaned back behind the not-quite-shade of the manzanita. “That’s why I want to go into geriatrics. Old people are the fucking best.”
“Geriatrics?”
“Oh. Guess I haven’t mentioned it.” Ben looked over at Alexei. “I just passed my nursing exam before I came here. Hoping to go into geriatric nursing when I get back.”
Alexei took this in. It made perfect sense. Ben as a nurse. Ben working with the elderly. But…
“Won’t that be sad?” he couldn’t help but ask.
“Because I’ll have to watch a lot of old people die?”
“Yes.”
Ben took a moment to answer.
“I know people think that. But it feels like an honor, really. To make their last days a little more comfortable if we can. To listen to their stories. And if they’re not physically able to tell their stories anymore, I can at leastbethere. Be a human presence for them, especially if they’re all alone. It took me a long time to figure out what I want to do with my life, but that seems like something I can do.” Ben shrugged.
