(To be determined)

"January 5th, 1925. That was the day I was born."

Marilyn pulled back the curtains of her nursing home window and looked out over the parking lot. "I live at 211 Townline Road in Barry, Oklahoma."

"Not anymore you don't," barked the old woman at the other side of the room. "Get used to it."

Marilyn looked at the woman, at the orderly attempting to quiet her and then back out the window. "I could have sworn I was still on Townline Road," she muttered to herself.

Always, it had seemed, Marilyn was in a place she hardly knew. First it was Wichita, where she and her husband had moved just after he had married her, at all of seventeen. Then Great Forks, out on the vast North Dakota plains with enough space for her husband to roam, selling insurance door to door. Finally she had settled in St. Louis to live with her son after she was widowed. Within a year she was in a nursing home, and less than a year after that her son had moved to Chicago. Always, it seemed, Marilyn was following others around and being left behind.
81 years old and I’ve never taken initiative, never taken the reins of my own life. I need to find a way to get out of here and be somewhere of my choosing for a change!
She didn’t know where she wanted to go or how she was going to survive there, but she was sure of one thing; she wasn’t going to live her last years in this nursery.
As soon as the orderly left the room Marilyn whispered to Margaret, the old lady across room.

“I’m getting out of here soon… just you watch!”

“Oh Marilyn… Don’t be silly. Where are you going to go? Who is going to take care of you? You think you can survive out there? You can barely walk!”

“Well… I have a plan, mind you. You think I don’t know my chances? Well I do, and… and I’m willing to take them, as small as they may be.”

“That’s just your medications talking. We are both stuck here and the sooner you come to terms with that, the better it will be for you, darling”

“Fine, don’t take me seriously. But when you wake up tomorrow and I am no longer in this room, then you will believe me.”

“Oh so you think you are leaving this place tonight!?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact I do and I will.”

“And how are you planning to do that, if you don’t mind me asking? There are nurses and security guards everywhere and even if there weren’t you wouldn’t be…”

“Shhhh…!” Marilyn interrupted, “the orderly is back, please be discrete about this” she squeezed in hastily as the orderly was entering the room

Susan, the orderly, stepped in with a pen, a small notebook and one clean pillow which she promptly laid under Marilyn head.

“Here is the extra pillow you wanted Marilyn, I’ll put the pen and paper you requested earlier on the night table for you” she said. “May I ask what you are writing?” she added with a tone of interest

“Just thought I would start a diary to pass time with every now and then” Marilyn replied sounding ostensibly innocent.

“I hope you’ll have some nice things about me in there” Susan said half jokingly.

“You know I will Susan, you have always been the sweetest young lady to me”

“Well thank you, I’m glad you feel that way”

“Before you leave could you please open the window for me? It gets mighty hot in here and I can’t manage to sleep at night sometimes”

“Hmm… actually I am not allowed to unlock the windows but… I guess I could for my favorite patient” Susan amicably replied. After which, she proceeded to open the windows, turned off the lights, turned on the night light, and wished both patients a goodnight then left the room.

The next morning Margaret stretched out to reach towards her night table for her glasses. “Marilyn, could you pass me my…” she started. But Marilyn was not in her bed. Where could she be? Margaret looked towards the window and it suddenly occurred to her; Marilyn had gone through with her plan to escape the nursing home. “Susan! She yelled out with all the strength her old lungs could manage.
Susan came rushing into the room accompanied by a nurse. “What is wrong Maggy? Are you alright?” the nurse asked. Susan immediately noticed that Marilyn was missing. Soon after, a note laying on the patients bed caught her eye. The note said:

Dear. Susan,

All my life I’ve been walking behind someone else’s shadow, letting them tell me what to do, how to live and where to live. For once in my poor life I want to do something on my own. Today is the day that I do just that. I hope you know that you have always been wonderfully kind to me and I will miss you. Also, I would like you to let Margaret know that I will miss her too and even though she can be a little rough on the edges she is still a lovely person deep inside.
Anyhow, I hope you know that I will be okay on my own. I planned this out very carefully, you know? I wrapped both of my pillows in a sheet and let it drop on the ground outside, see this way it will break my fall when I escape through the window. I even sneaked a few rations of bread and beans from my past three suppers to carry me through half of the week. As you can see I have everything planned out and no one needs to worry about me. By the time you get this letter I will be way down on Townline rd. Give my best to all my friends in St Louis Chateau Nursing.

Sincerely, Marilyn Sanders.

Upon reading the last line of the letter, Susan bolted towards the window and stared down to the streets. On the ground laid Marilyn’s lifeless body. Paradoxically, Marilyn finally did take the reins of her own life.