He has drifted back to sleep after reading the latest police procedural we purchased together. 3 minutes of tapping and it was sitting on his iPad. After years of resistance to getting an e-reader, because he much prefers to go to the library and select his books, he relented. The act of walking through the library, browsing, observing others looking for books and maybe even smelling the library interiors has been his only life ritual. Every fiber and morsel of his being is atheistic, I think the library jaunts were the most sacred part of his life, besides my mother.
The volume and power of his voice is nowhere near what it used to be when he stormed around at 185 lbs and 5 feet 9. Almost all of his muscle mass has melted away and he now weighs 130 pounds and looks like he is 5 feet 5, or 5 feet 6 inches, at most. His dragon veneer has disappeared piece by piece. He no longer breathes fire only transparent oxygen through his nares. A tame lamb has landed in his bed and climbed inside his body.
He begs out of a shower everyday and opts for every other day but he still takes it independently—at least this week. He has delegated watering the huge palm tree and peace lily’s he has nourished for decades. If human and plant communications exists, then his plants are waiting for him and his water laced chatter to return. I have seen the palm strain to catch a glimpse of him entering the kitchen. I know their missing him will soon be mine to bear.