I went to the Hospital this afternoon to visit Aileen who is pictured above with me almost a year ago on our way to her 96th Birthday Treat to see 'Chicago'. I loathed it. 'Chicago', not The Hospital.
Aileen was making her bed the other morning when she fell over it & hurt her face & shoulder.
When I arrived at the Geriatric Ward she was sitting up next to her bed. Most of one side of her face was coloured a most disturbing shade of Aubergine.
But In spite of it all, she was kind of chipper even though she couldn't remember if she'd seen a doctor.
Seated right next to her was Dorothy, aged 95. She was also kind of chipper. Even though a whole heap of Dorothy's family were gathered around being chirpy , it appeared that Dorothy thought that I was visiting her too. She ignored them & told me that she was born in 1915, had 11 grandchildren & over 200 great-grandchildren whose names she couldn't remember. I unsuccessfully tried to do the Maths.
Dorothy's family (mercifully minus the Great-grandchildren) must have had a gutload of being ignored, so they left. As soon as they were out of sight, she asked me to pass her the box of Cadbury's 'Roses' chocolates that were perched on Aileen's bed.
Aileen immediately said that was out of the question as Dorothy was a diabetic.
'What difference does it make?' I asked.
'It'll make her sick.'
I tactfully decided to change the subject.
'Haven't you just eaten a really large rock cake?' I asked.
'It was stale'.
I wasn't prepared to risk Aileen's ire so I sensibly hid the chocolate in the sheets.
Then the woman whose husband was in the opposite bed & who looked like he was in the next best thing to a coma, came over for a chat.
'We've been married for 55 years' she announced.
OMG, I was two. Fancy being married to the one person for nearly the whole of my life.
'I've been watching him the whole time you've been here, & he looks at you with such love' said Dorothy. I thought he was in a coma.
It was kind of fun being there. Everyone was chipper.
5 comments:
I pray to be chippier! I've seen a doctor or two that I'd like to forget seeing.
My husband and I tried to check out "Chicago" just last night, but the librarian said it looked damaged and wouldn't let us have it. So we watched "Julia" instead (Jane Fonda & Vanessa Redgrave & Jason Robards). It wasn't too bad.
I thought I would have liked Chicago, but you say "not"????
By the way - we were in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park area. Also Charleston, South Carolina (and my husband to a practice round of Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta Georgia.) Very beautiful country - but quite a ways from California!
Rebecca - I keep hearing about South Carolina for some reason - anyway, I would love to go sometime. I'm going to California next hols, & hoping for a little jaunt away somewhere.
I saw the stage musical of 'Chicago' but the film I thought was quite good. Give it a try!
You make a really stunning Morticia. That store in Berkeley is called "Buffalo Exchange". I know they have lots of stuff but I never go there for some reason.
Darla
Darla - thanx for reminding me of the name of the store. Another Senior Moment on my part! Most of the stuff wasn't that good or that cheap, but there were a few marked down items that I quite liked. And for some reason I've worn this skirt alot. It was only three bucks.
Have a great day. So keen to go back to Berkeley.
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