In the Words of Angels by Martha Williamson

Author:Martha Williamson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2002-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

It was late when Dorrie drove up to her mother’s house, and once again the old familiar windows were darkened. With Tess’s words still echoing in her mind, she slipped in the front door and headed directly for the kitchen. Checking to see that all the gas knobs on the stove were off, she next opened the refrigerator and, taking out a carton of milk, sniffed it, recoiling at the sour odor. Emptying it into the sink, Dorrie moved to the study and there, as she had done so long ago, she used a letter opener to pry loose the lock from the old roll top desk. She drew a sharp, shocked breath at what she found inside: piles of overdue bills, late notices and bank notices for an overdrawn and under-funded account. One envelope especially caught her attention and, picking it up, she next moved to the bathroom where she found bottle after bottle of prescription medication, some half empty, others never opened.

“What are you doing here at this hour?” came a sharp voice behind her, and a startled Dorrie spun around to see her mother angrily confronting her. Wrapped in an old housecoat, her hair thin and gray in the harsh light of the bathroom, Dorrie’s mother looked older and more frail than she had ever seen her. But there was no mistaking her irate tone of voice. “This is my house! How dare you go through my things. You have no right to invade my privacy!”

“It’s a good thing I did,” Dorrie replied defensively. “They’re going to turn off your electricity next Thursday. The phone bill is five weeks late. And you’ve paid the magazine subscription three times.” She stepped forward. “It’s a mess, Mom.”

“Well, it’s my mess!” Emma insisted petulantly.

“It’s mine, too,” was Dorrie’s grim reply and she held up the envelope from the desk. “You didn’t mail my insurance, Mom. I’ve been driving around with no coverage.”

A horrified look came over Emma at the news. “Oh, no . ” she murmured. “I must have forgotten. I’m so sorry . ” She stopped, straightened her shoulders and looked her daughter square in the eye. “Dorrie,” she said, “there’s something you have to face . something we both have to face. I’m getting old. I want to help you as much as I can, but I can’t keep up like I used to.”

It was Dorrie whose face now had a look of horror . and fear. “That’s ridiculous,” she said, her voice trembling. “You’re not getting old. You’re just—”

“Dorrie, please,” Emma snapped, cutting her off. “I’m slowing down. I’m not senile and I don’t have Alzheimer’s but it takes twice as much energy for me to do half as much.”

“We’ve got to fight this, Mother,” Dorrie responded in a pleading tone.

“Now, sweetheart,” her mother answered firmly. “We’ve got to accept this.”

Her daughter glared at her. “You’re not getting old,” she told her. “You’re just giving up.” She turned to leave. “And I’m ashamed of you.”

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