She Laughed
Later, on Tuesday I left work to go to the nursing home, but, I must have over swiped my Metrocard (New Yorkers know all to well the mysteries attendant to properly swiping the electronic tape on the back of this card) which meant that I had to wait a minimum of 12 minutes before it no longer looked as though I had just paid a fare. But, instead of waiting the full 12 minutes I played alittle bit of cloak and dagger and waited until the security door was opened for a baby carraige and followed it in. It was a stupid thing to do and would have delayed me even more had a cop stopped me. The upshot was that I was able to get to the nursinng home by about 5:45, just about 12 minutes later than usual.
The male PA hadn't arrived yet to change Mom's food tube, so there was a little bit of stress around whether or when he would interrupt us. But, Mom did seem in an alert and talkative mood. When I asked if I could "turn on the television", my segue to downloading a Youtube video, she answered, "Go ahead. It's usually on anyway."
I chose excerpts from "Perter Pan" both because I hadn't played it for her in while and because it has been paart of the background music of these past seven months of mania.
For her part, Mom was in the best of both worlds. She was alert and yet not totally aware that she was in a nursing home. She would periodically ask me to bring back some coffee. And she could be very specific about it. It should be Maxwell House brand coffee. And, each time she asked, I answered, that I would.
At some point, I was tempted to talk to her about her birthday. To my surprise, she had no trouble hearing and understanding me when I told her she would be celebrating a birthday in two weeks.
"Who's coming?", she asked.
"Your children.", I answered.
"Oh."
Following up on my advance, I asked whether she knew how old she would be.
"You're 96", I said carefully into her good ear.
That was when she laughed. I first, I did not trust myself to admit it. But, it was true. her face was suddenly without lines and the ends of her mouth were definitely stretched across her teeth as short bursts of air escaped from her chest.
"How do you know how old I am?", she chortled.
The male PA hadn't arrived yet to change Mom's food tube, so there was a little bit of stress around whether or when he would interrupt us. But, Mom did seem in an alert and talkative mood. When I asked if I could "turn on the television", my segue to downloading a Youtube video, she answered, "Go ahead. It's usually on anyway."
I chose excerpts from "Perter Pan" both because I hadn't played it for her in while and because it has been paart of the background music of these past seven months of mania.
For her part, Mom was in the best of both worlds. She was alert and yet not totally aware that she was in a nursing home. She would periodically ask me to bring back some coffee. And she could be very specific about it. It should be Maxwell House brand coffee. And, each time she asked, I answered, that I would.
At some point, I was tempted to talk to her about her birthday. To my surprise, she had no trouble hearing and understanding me when I told her she would be celebrating a birthday in two weeks.
"Who's coming?", she asked.
"Your children.", I answered.
"Oh."
Following up on my advance, I asked whether she knew how old she would be.
"You're 96", I said carefully into her good ear.
That was when she laughed. I first, I did not trust myself to admit it. But, it was true. her face was suddenly without lines and the ends of her mouth were definitely stretched across her teeth as short bursts of air escaped from her chest.
"How do you know how old I am?", she chortled.