“No chores? No bills? A bunch of friends and games?” Ashley shook her head in amazement. “Sounds like these people are more like kids than grown-ups!”
Mom laughed. “I guess you’re right.”
When they walked inside, the woman who worked at Sunset Hills showed them around. Six elderly people lived here, she told them. The tour ended in the dining room, where Mom sat with three women at the table.
Ashley moved to the living room and played Connect Four with a man named Carlos. Next she found a cozy chair by the fireplace. A woman in a wheelchair sat there, rubbing her hands together. “It’s always cold,” she said. “But today things feel a little warmer.”
The woman looked friendly She had silver hair and dark brown eyes. “Hi.” Ashley kicked her legs. Her feet didn’t quite touch the ground. “I’m Ashley Baxter.”
The woman turned to Ashley. “I’m Dot.” She smiled.
“That’s a nice name.” Ashley nodded. “Short. Simple.” She shrugged one shoulder. “Wanna be friends? I’m pretty good at it.”
“At being friends?” Dot sounded surprised. She leaned back a bit in her wheelchair.
Ashley nodded. “Yep. I made a lot of new friends this year. ’Cause we moved. So apparently I’m good at it.”
“How do you make a new friend?” Dot crossed her wrists on her lap. Her hands were wrinkled with brown spots. On one wrist was a pretty pearl bracelet. It matched the pearl earrings she wore.
Ashley studied Miss Dot. She was… kind of glamorous. Ashley took a deep breath. “Well… you have to ask questions. Like… ‘Miss Dot? Do you like gymnastics?’ for example.” Ashley blinked a few times, waiting for a reaction. “So do you?”
“Are you asking or is it an example?” Dot looked at Ashley over the eyeglasses resting on her nose.
“Both.” Ashley paused. “Do you?”
Dot laughed. “I did cheerleading in school. We had to do some tumbling work. But I never did much gymnastics. I was a singer.” Her eyes twinkled. She looked like she had the most exciting secrets.
Ashley couldn’t wait to hear them! “A singer!” She jumped out of her chair, scooted it closer to Dot and shifted it so it faced her. Then she plopped back down. “Tell me everything.”
Dot took a deep breath. “Well… it was a long time ago.” She paused. Like she was seeing those days all over again. Finally Dot began her story. “I used to live in New York City. And I would sing in the jazz clubs. Billie Holiday songs. Oh… I wanted to be her when I grew up.” Dot shook her head.
“I’ve heard of Billie Holiday!”
“You have?” Dot sounded very surprised.
“Mhmmm. Our music teacher, Miss Patty, talked about her in choir.” Ashley pulled a stray hair behind her ear.
Miss Dot kept remembering. “Billie was a legend. They called her Lady Day.” Then Dot looked into the fire and smiled for a while. Eventually she looked back at Ashley. “Anyway. I would sometimes sing Billie Holiday songs. At parties and restaurants and jazz clubs…” Her voice trailed off.
Miss Dot had mentioned that Billie Holiday detail two times. Ashley wasn’t sure if Miss Dot remembered that. Best not to say anything, she thought.
Ashley wanted to know more. “Did you ever travel? As a singer?”
“Yes. I was a professional singer for over a decade. From the East Coast to the West Coast and all the way to Ireland and India. I sang jazz for the troops.” Dot held a finger in the air. “I even got to do a performance for the Queen of England.”
“Wow! The queen?” Ashley stood. “Did you have to curtsy, like this?” She threw her hands in the air and bent at the waist. Her nose nearly hit the floor.
“That’s not a curtsy, little miss!” Dot laughed out loud.
“Oh.” How many times had Ashley done a curtsy wrong?
“I’ll teach you.” Miss Dot pointed. “Tuck your left leg behind you, grab your skirt and do a little bow of the head.”
Ashley looked at her jeans. “I don’t have a skirt.”
“That’s okay.” Dot smiled. “You can pretend.”
Ashley did her best curtsy. “Thank you, madam. I won’t forget that.”
“Curtsies have gone out of style, I’m afraid.” Miss Dot rubbed her hands together again.
Ashley wanted more of Dot’s story. “So… what else did you do? After all your touring?”
Dot thought about this. “I studied music. After that, I continued singing. But in the church.” She shrugged. “To be honest… I enjoyed settling down and singing in the choir after all those years on the road.”
“What was your favorite song?” Ashley sat on the floor at Miss Dot’s feet. She studied everything about that beautiful and kind old woman.
Miss Dot didn’t hesitate. “ ‘Blue Moon.’ It was a Billie Holiday song.”
“What?” Ashley squealed. “I know that song! We learned it in choir!”
And then Dot started to sing the song. Her sweet voice still sounded clear as a bell. Ashley could picture herself in New York City listening to Dot sing on a stage.
Ashley joined in with Dot. They were a couple of stars. They reached the end of the song and the two of them applauded themselves.
It was a special moment.
“Very good voice, dear.” Dot patted Ashley’s shoulder. “Thanks for singing with me. I liked that very much.”
“Thanks for letting me! I’m honored to share this moment with a famous star!” Ashley stood. “Why don’t you sing more! You’re so good.” She took gentle hold of Dot’s hand.
“Oh, Ashley. No one cares to hear a ninety-year-old woman croak old jazz standards.” Dot shook her head. “I don’t know how getting this age happened. One day I was selling out shows and the next day… I was married. We raised two children.” Her smile faded. “Then they were grown up and moved away. My husband died ten years ago.” Her eyes looked sad. “You wake up one morning and you’re an old woman.” She gave Ashley’s hand a slight squeeze. “Life moves very fast.”
“Tell me about
