Escape! from the Nursing Home

My Great Aunt Evelyn is in her 80s and has to use a wheelchair. She was recently put in a nursing home because it was believed that she couldn't take care of herself. Evelyn is married but only has been for about a year. She decided to marry him because she figured God wouldn't like it if they just lived together. He's in his 80s as well and got to a point where he couldn't care for her either. So into a nursing home she went. Being a Vestal, which apparently means you're stubborn, hard-headed, and vehemently set in your ways, Evelyn was mad. Even though her health and state of mind improved after being in the nursing home, she wanted out. Evelyn had made a friend and together (though Evelyn was the mastermind, of course) they plotted their escape. They decided the time of day and the how. There was a whole town outside of the walls of the home to explore. Finally, the hour approached. Evelyn could see the way clear for their escape. She and her fellow escapee began to wheel towards the exit and FREEDOM! She was almost to the door when Evelyn looked around and noticed her friend had stopped and turned around. She headed back to see what was wrong. "She chickened out!" Evelyn cried as she related the story to five of her sisters. "And later she said she wanted to try again, but I said 'no'. I told her that next time I break out she couldn't come with me." Her sisters asked her where she would have gone, to which she replied "There's a whole town out there!!" She didn't take into account that the "whole town" was reached only by crossing a busy road, which she would have to do in a wheelchair. As far as I know, she hasn't attempted another escape. Evelyn isn't the first Vestal to try to escape from a nursing home. Her sister Geneva escaped from hers several years ago and was found a week later. She had rented an apartment and was living on her own. Unfortunately, her health was so that she needed assistance and she was taken back to the nursing home, kicking and screaming.

We Vestals are a fighting breed.

Vestal Family Reunion 2006