"Smiling is a skill."
That was the first life lesson Felix Crowe learnt.
As a twenty-eight-year-old orphan working as a male nurse in a nursing home, he has seen many different smiles. The polite ones for the visitors, the strained ones meant to end conversations, the brittle smiles that cracked when no one was looking.
And some of the residents would give him a genuine smile and every time it would make him glad to be a nurse.
"Thank you, Felix", said an old woman with a smile as Felix helped her adjust her pillows and sheets.
"Anytime, Mrs Dale", replied Felix with a warm feeling in his chest.
"So, how are you feeling today, Mr Drew?"
"Ah, same old, same old", said Mr Drew as he crackled with laughter at his own pun as Felix joined in.
"Why would you laugh at the same joke you heard a dozen times?", exclaimed Mrs Laethem.
"Because its funny", replied an amused Felix.
"You tell her son", asserted Mr Drew.
"Careful Drew you don't want to get on Mrs Laethem's bad side ", chuckled Mrs Dale as Felix moved to make tea for the residents.
Working in a nursing home make time go slowly and blurs the days together yet Felix never rushed the residents regardless of his schedules. He listened to the same stories more than once, adjusted blankets and the thermostat day and night and still remembered just how each resident likes their tea.
"Ah, how do you always manage to brew the prefect tea?"
"That's a secret", replied Felix mischievously.
"Speaking of secrets have you found yourself a girlfriend Felix?", Mr Williams asked as he entered the hall.
"Not yet, I haven't had much luck in that front"
"You should get around and about more kid, when I was your age, I had the skills to get any girl I wanted", boasted Mr Drew.
"Or maybe they are just intimidated by my dashing good looks"
"Glad to see your self-confidence hasn't taken a hit"
Everyone laughed, talked and bickered with each other, while time passed and Felix led everyone through the day's routine with steady hands and a smile on his face.
As evening settled in, Felix completed his final rounds, signed off his charts and bid goodbye to the residents as he prepared to go home.
As Felix began walking home, he began reminiscing his life about how his grandparents raised him from when he was young to how he was glad to be working as a nurse and couldn't wait to do it tomorrow all over again.
Smiling happily, he stepped on to the crosswalk.
Hooonk!
Felix turned just as the white headlights were a feet away from him.
Crash!
Just as everything went dark, Felix thought:
"Well, that was unexpected."