Thursday

I stopped off at The Home on my way home from the gym today. Bit of a roller-coaster visit.

Mum’s speech was still very indistinct for the most part but I was able to make out her telling me not to leave her on her own before she started crying. Then she told me not to leave without her.

Once again, I explain that we don’t have the special bed that stops her getting sore, we don’t have a nurse on hand 24/7 to sort out her meds or people at her beck and call to keep her fed and watered and comfortable and that once she’s strong enough to get out of bed and go to the toilet on her own we can begin to think about her coming home.

More crying.

“But most importantly Mum, and as much as I love you, I’m not prepared to wipe your arse for you”

At least she smiled at that.

She was a bit fidgety and wanted to know what was under her legs so I adjusted the mattress, her duvet and pillows.

“Are you comfortable now Mum?”

“I don’t know”

I did manage to get her to drink something and suggested a chocolate too. I gave her one of the Heroes that Eldest Sister brought at the weekend but she wasn’t strong enough to bite into it. She spat it back out into my hand and told me I could have it.

She asked me to read to her but most of the visit was spent sitting there holding her hand while we listened to the six o’clock news on her ‘radio’.

As i was getting ready to leave her I could hear Harry telling Shirley to go back to the lounge. We saw him on his way out to the laundry  and as I emerged from Mum’s room I bumped into Shirley pushing her frame down the corridor.

“Do you want any of these?”

She offered me a handful of tissues.

“No thanks Shirley. I’ve just had some”

“What should I do with them then?”

“I reckon they might need some in the lounge. Let’s go there”

“Where’s that then?”

“Turn your frame around and I’ll show you”

We got to the corner, about ten paces, and she was already confused. She told me she didn’t know what to do or where to go but I reassured her as best I could and we kept walking. But there was someone in her regular seat so we had to go hunting. Eve pulled out a chair at the table.

“I’d best put these here before I sit down then”

She arranged her tissues on the seat and went to sit down.

“You will stay here with me won’t you?”

“I’ve just told my wife I’m on my way home and she’s putting the rice on now”

She looked crushed.

Bloody hell.

Bibliography

Tales from the Parish: 31 humorous short stories about community, family and village life, set in the English countryside

Kindle Edition

by Stefania Hartley

Author’s Note

My Mum is in a nursing home in a small village in the Thames Valley. The photo is not of the home. I used an AI image generator to give the reader some idea of the home she’s in.

All, some or maybe even none (you’ll never know!) of the names have been changed to protect privacy and hide real identities. If you think you recognise someone then let me know and I’ll edit the post or remove it entirely