Mother, Can You Hear Me? by Joy Ross Davis

Author:Joy Ross Davis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: memoir, biography, dementia, caregiver, caring for a loved one, inspirational, heartfelt stories, true stories
Publisher: BHC Press
Published: 2018-04-11T04:00:00+00:00

My mother was in the hospital for two weeks, and in that time, she lived simultaneously in two different worlds: the world of the present and the world I call her “reader” world, where she appears to have been transported into the time and place of a very good book.

Yes, she has dementia. Yet, her behaviour convinces me that although this can be a harrowing disease, my mother is truly absorbed in her world, enjoying it most of the time, just the way we all do when we stumble upon a wonderful book. The story, the characters, the setting all become real to us, as real as if we were actually there as each drama unfolds.

Each day when the doctor visited, he directed the same question to me. “How’s her state of mind? Is she still confused?”

My mother smiled sweetly at him. “How are you?” she asked and nodded politely, as if he were someone she knew but couldn’t quite place. “Good,” she said. “Thanks for dropping by. And tell that dumb bunny at the desk that I don’t appreciate this parking space. I want to be up front where I can see the play.”

The doctor jotted something on the chart and cut his eyes toward me. My mother, watching him like a hawk, said, “Did you hear me? When those boys told us to pull over and took Daddy’s car, they left me. How do they expect me to see the story from way back here?”

“Mrs. Frawley, are you having any pain?” the doctor asked.

My mother glanced at me. A wicked grin spread across her face.

Oh, no, here it comes.

“Well, just the pain in my hind end.”

“Mother,” I interrupted. “Be nice.”

“Just the pain in my rear from being stuck back here so I can’t see a thing that’s going on,” she said. “I’d like to find out what happened to that handsome man. Did you see those roses in his hand? My Lord, I’ll bet there were two dozen. Who’s he going to give them to? And did you see that suit? I’ll bet he’s a real charmer!”

The doctor patted her on the leg. “Okay,” he said, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Tell the nurses if you need anything.”

“Hey!” my mother called to him.

He turned.

“There’s no nurses around here,” she declared. “What do you think this is, a hospital?”

“Yes,” the doc responded. “This is a hospital.”

My mother cut her eyes toward me then cupped her hand over her mouth and whispered, “Crazy as a betsy bug, ain’t he?”

The good doctor waved on his way out.

Just then, one of the nurses walked in and took my mother’s hand.

“Hey, darlin’,” the nurse said. “How are you this morning?”

“Who was that kook who just left here?” my mother asked. “That idiot thinks he’s in the hospital. He didn’t even see the man with your roses. And he didn’t say one word about my new dress.”

“Well, now isn’t that just like a man?” the nurse replied.

The two of them laughed together as if they knew a special secret.

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