Disembodied Talking Head

It’s like that is what she has turned into. Usually when we visit, she is in bed, under the covers with God knows what going on under there. Sometimes I help her rearrange her legs, but I really don’t want to go there.

Yesterday, she was dead asleep when I got there, so I did the usual. Straightened up the room, checked for the Teddy Bear and EMC pillows, watered the poinsettia I took her last week. When I finally woke her up, we had a very interesting conversation.

Mom: Did the boys come home yet? (This seems to be a recurring theme…)

Me: What boys? Where did they go?

Mom: With Linc, out to the country.

Me: Oh. How many of them?

Mom: About 15 or 20.

Me: Wow! Are they hunting or what?

Mom: I’m never taking this kind of vacation again. I need you to find out if they are coming back soon. I’m worried.

So I excused myself to see if there was a message and got myself a glass of wine at the same time. Unfortunately there wasn’t any food and I was starving, having eaten only a grapefruit so far. Upon my return:

Me: The guys left a message and they said they will be back later today. They will come and see you when they get back.

Mom: Oh good.

I told her Olive had had a heart attack and she was very interested in that. Of course, she didn’t die. FAIL. Then later Mom mentioned to me that Olive had had a heart attack and said, “My mother is up there with her now.” Her mother has been pretty busy for a dead person, visiting here recently as well.

She mentioned for the 4000th time that she feels like an orphan there. I remember her saying that at her house too, and I reminded her of that. I told her we did what we could and she was very grateful, as always. She asked me if when she was ready to “go home” if I would take her there. Then she said, Of course, I don’t have a house anymore.

I told her that if she made the arrangements, I would provide the transportation. She mentioned that all her friends there at Sunrise have died (true) and it’s really hard to have a conversation with the ones who are left. Yeah, because they’re simultaneously sleeping, drooling and pooping in their pants. Talk about multi-tasking.

We talked about dying, and for the first time, she actually seemed to think it was going to happen. Usually she says, “Well, I’m not dying anytime soon!” We talked about Oohna, who just turned 101. I told Mom I had absolutely no interest in getting that old. Then she said, well if you can get around, there’s nothing wrong with being old. Yeah IF ONLY. I mentioned the night Fred died and the conversation I had with him. He said he wasn’t scared and was ready to go. Mom said she wasn’t afraid and added

“I want to see my husband.”

 

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