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Blog #9- The Beginning

The day started with, surprisingly not hand sanitizer. Today started with a black suit, the same black suit wore by Mr. Richards about 5 years ago. It was the suit he wore to Vivian's funeral, and it is five years to the date, April 17, 2014. Daniel put on the suit and made his way to the kitchen to make oatmeal, Viv had always loved waking up to the smell of his oatmeal. While eating he peered out the window, watching everyone interact. Somehow on such a lonesome sad day, Mr. Richard felt at peace. 

 After cleaning up the remnants of his breakfast Daniel headed for the door. He hesitated for a brief minute reaching for the doorknob. closing his eyes he opened the door and walked through. Mr. Richards had a plan before he was finished with the day. He found himself at the bookstore, Daniel went straight for children's books. He found a good stop to park and just sat, waiting, and watching young girls and boys enjoying his work. Daniel ended up staying there for 3 hours before getting hungry. Then, he went to lunch at the diner and played "This Magic Moment," on repeat for ten minutes before the manager kicked him out. That was Vivian's favorite song, it was the only thing that would cheer her up after a bad day. 

 The flowers Daniel got from the grocery store were simple and elegant, just the way she liked them. they were daisies and lavender tied with brown straw string. He paid and then walked a block to a place he been afraid of for so many years. Daniel took his time searching the cemetery before coming across her grave. Tears started to well up in his eyes as he thought of her and them together, though he brushed them away before they could run down his face. he delicately places the flowers in front of her gravestone right under her date of birth and death. 

 As Mr. Richards thought about his late wife, he also thought about what she would have wanted out of life. Vivian was a firecracker always getting excited over the smallest of things. Suddenly all the pieces fit in Daniels mind, like pushing the final piece of a puzzle in its rightful place. Vivian wouldn't have wanted Daniel to wallow in self-pity and sorrow, she would have wanted him to live out his dreams and life to the fullest. He realized he couldn't do this in the Maitland. so he rushed home as quickly as possible, only packing the essentials, even leaving out the hand sanitizer. Mr. Richards left the Maitland and never looked back. For most of the time Daniel spent in the Maitland, he thought it was the end of his life, and it was. But now he was beginning a new life 

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