Friday

We’d known this was going to be a strange day before it had even started. The carer scheduled to visit Lesley’s dad had messaged us yesterday evening to say that his youngest kid was ill and that they were taking him to hospital. Dad would have to get himself ready to go to the day centre and we’d have to try and let him know that the help he was expecting wouldn’t be coming. Then we woke to a message from next door. They were both going to be in London again today and the husband was supposed to have taken their dog into the office with him. He’d forgotten. Understandably, in my humble opinion. He’s out of bed at five and out of the house by ten past.

“Could you take the little sprout with you on your walks today please?”

“Absolutely. No problem at all.”

Fortunately, Lesley’s dad managed to answer the phone and seemed to understand that plans had changed. He didn’t sound at all fazed by the news. In fact he sounded quite chipper. All good.

A couple of hours later, we learned that he’d turned down the lift to the day centre saying he wasn’t well. What!?

Lesley phoned him. He gave a different account. The volunteer driver had rung the doorbell when he was in the middle of washing up his breakfast. He wasn’t quite ready to leave the house and knowing that this driver wouldn’t wait had sent them on their way.

We got a different account of events again some time later when the afternoon carer had spoken to him. She said he’d told her that he was on his way to the bathroom when the driver had arrived and he’d got rid of them so he could go upstairs. She said he’d had a bad stomach upset the day before and that he was still suffering a bit today.

“Three different versions of the story but we still don’t know what really happened.” Lesley said.

“Well, the last version sounded most plausible but then he’s had all day to think of an excuse that you’d accept.”

Both dogs got walked. Twice. It’s an interesting dynamic seeing them together. The Dog is still very intolerant of other dogs getting close. The Little Sprout is the only one allowed anywhere near her and they will walk shoulder to shoulder. Well, shoulder to elbow.

It’s beneficial all round.

Dogs are extremely sensitive to human emotions. When people who knew what The Dog used to be like see her with another dog you can see them thinking “Oh! Maybe she’s not as much of a menace as I thought.” and they relax. When they relax, so does The Dog.

When The Little Sprout meets other dogs she’s extremely submissive. Less so when she’s with The Dog. She spends the entire walk strutting around confidently. Her body language shouts “Look at ME MoFos! Look who I’m with!! She hates you but she likes ME!!”. The dynamic changed again on the afternoon walk. Lesley had The Little Sprout on one of The Dog’s long lines. The strut got a little prouder, the trot a little higher. The body language now said “Look at ME!! I’m on a Big Girl’s lead!!”. Lovely.

And so to Mum. She was talking to her Other People already when I went into her room. She continued to do that for an hour and I couldn’t understand a single word. The nurse in charge said she’d been like that all day. She said the only words she’d understood came when she was trying to get Mum to drink a milkshake. Mum wanted to make sure the Other People got some too.

“Give some to him… And him… And him… And him…”

I went back to listen to Mum talking to her Other People. And then, quite suddenly, she turned and looked at me intently and then lay back on her pillow.

“I feel…”

I leant in closer. I was sure this was going to be something profound, significant. I wanted to make sure I heard it.

“I feel…”

“Yes Mum…”

“Ooh look! She’s gone to sleep!”

After that, the only words I could make out were “Don’t go yet.” and “Stay a few more minutes.”.

One by one, her Other People were going to sleep. And eventually, so did she.

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