My call for my mom dozens of times every day. Some times it's a gasp, other times it's a moan or a plea.
...Yvon...Yvon...Yvon...Yvon...
This is the only word he can say now. He's bed bound, partially paralyzed, mostly blind. He needs some one to feed, bathe, clothe, and tend to his every need. And the only word he can still access is my mom's name.
...Yvon...
My Dad is trapped in a sinewy, emaciated body. His arms are stiff and the muscles have curled themselves into question marks. His thin legs are also stiff.
He calls out at 5 am, 7am, 7:30am...the calls go on throughout the day and into the night. He's calling out now. It's 1:30 am. I help when I can, but my mom is doing it mostly on her own. I'm just visiting for an extended stay due to the coronavirus quarantine.
My mom has gotten used to changing him a dozen times a day...even with nurses here intermittently. She's gotten used to sleeping only a few hours. For most of the year, it's just him and her in this big yellow house. There are pictures of me and my sister, our school awards, diplomas, and certificates. Several family portraits grace different rooms. The photos were taken when me and my sister were kids. Our family looked like a healthy, prosperous, black, loving foursome. I think about that now as my dad grasps the last word left in his mind and flings it out into the blind darkness.
...Yvon...Yvon....
...Yvon...Yvon...Yvon...Yvon...
This is the only word he can say now. He's bed bound, partially paralyzed, mostly blind. He needs some one to feed, bathe, clothe, and tend to his every need. And the only word he can still access is my mom's name.
...Yvon...
My Dad is trapped in a sinewy, emaciated body. His arms are stiff and the muscles have curled themselves into question marks. His thin legs are also stiff.
He calls out at 5 am, 7am, 7:30am...the calls go on throughout the day and into the night. He's calling out now. It's 1:30 am. I help when I can, but my mom is doing it mostly on her own. I'm just visiting for an extended stay due to the coronavirus quarantine.
My mom has gotten used to changing him a dozen times a day...even with nurses here intermittently. She's gotten used to sleeping only a few hours. For most of the year, it's just him and her in this big yellow house. There are pictures of me and my sister, our school awards, diplomas, and certificates. Several family portraits grace different rooms. The photos were taken when me and my sister were kids. Our family looked like a healthy, prosperous, black, loving foursome. I think about that now as my dad grasps the last word left in his mind and flings it out into the blind darkness.
...Yvon...Yvon....
1 comment:
You've ripped me apart with this one, Aurin. So, so sad. May all be gentle.
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