I don't want to do another one.
And I don't want to talk about the one I had today.
OK?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Just put me to bed," he says, with his eyes half closed.
He didn't say one single word during supper, nor did he (dad) talk when we walked around the building. (Other than that he was cold. "Freeeeezing cold..")
So we went back to his room.
And as soon as I set up a video for us to watch, he told me he wanted to lie down.
"I'll go let Jen know," I told him.
When I came back into his room, he tugged on his seatbelt.
"Can you take this off?"
"No, I can't. But Jen will when she puts you to bed in a few minutes."
He looks at his bed.
"I don't sleep here. I have to go upstairs to bed."
"This is your bed, dad."
He gets agitated with me, "NO, I sleep upstairs."
(At his home with my mom, he used to say, "I'm going up to bed now," and head upstairs. I think he's remembering that now.)
"OK," I say. "Let's go upstairs."
I push him out of his room and say, "Which way dad? Left or right?"
He points to the left.
"Okee dokee."
We get to the nurse's station. "Which way dad? Left or right?"
He points to the right.
"OK."
We get to the back hallway.
"Which way? Left or right?"
He points to the right.
We go down the back hallway.
"This isn't the right way," dad exclaims.
"OK. When we get to the end of the hall, you can tell me which way to go."
We get to the end, which is the windowed seating area that he and my mom often visit at. "Which way dad?"
He points to the right. Which brings us right back to his room. We've just done a big circle.
As we near his room, he is relieved. "There it is! This is where I sleep,"
"Good. Jen should be here in a minute. Is this the bed you want to sleep in?"
"Yes. But I want to wear my clothes."
"OK"
"But my shoes have to come off."
"OK."
"But I like to have my socks on."
"Sounds good."
"These socks. My black ones."
"Yup. OK."
"And I want my teeth in."
"OK. We'll tell her."
"And I want the light on."
"OK."
Jen and Revita get him sorted out and respect all his requests.
He calls for me once he's settled so I sit beside him for a few hours. He is in the mood for talking, and I have nothing planned for the evening, so I mostly just listen.
"My brother is bald. His wife, is Mary. She has two dresses. She doesn't wear pants. I am a twin. My sister lives in Manitoba. Her daughter had twins. My cousin Nettie lives there too. My cousin Pete and all his children are dead. They are buried in White Rock. You are my oldest. You were married to Mark. You are divorced. Mark married his secretary. You have three boys. Mandi is going to visit me and she's going to say, "hi Bups!". Herb Brant was the pastor at Killarney. I didn't care for Roxburough. I liked Diet Neufeld. We had a farm. Bert and Hank rode their motorcycles in the back field. MaryAnn was there too. I used to drive the Case tractor. I am still married to my wife. Hildegarde is coming to visit. Johnny and Cass were still alive when Brandt was the pastor. Is Drew your son? Does he still have that pretty girlfriend? Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor are dead. Mark is rich. He makes concrete pipe. Mandi is going to say, "Hi Bups!". I can't wear my shoes to bed."
One of the residents has pressed their buzzer, so the phone at the nurses's station is ringing.
"Feldman was the policeman in Winkler. He told me to drive through the intersection again. I was 15 years old. The phone is ringing."
He looks at me.
"The nurse will answer it. I'm going to stay here with you."
"You are our oldest. You have three boys. My red truck is parked. I can't drive it anymore. Mandi is going to come home from Bible School and visit me and she's going to say, "hi Bups!". The phone is still ringing. I guess no one's home."
"I guess."
"My wife and I go to church on Saturday night to Northview. And afterwards, we have supper at the ABC restaurant. I am still married to my wife. I love her."
He pauses for a few minutes.
"Dad? It's getting late. See? It's dark outside. I have to get going..."
"Where?"
"Well, I'm going to have some supper and go back to Langley. I'll see you again tomorrow."
"OK. I should go upstairs to bed." He pulls back his covers and starts to swing his legs over the side.
"Dad? This is upstairs, you're on the third floor, and this is your bed, see?"
His eyes open wide in amazement. "Really?"
"Yeah, see? Here's all your stuff. Your blanket. Your shoes. Your pictures. You're all set. You can just relax."
"OK."
"OK. I love you."
He looks me in the eyes, "I love you too."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three things I'm thankful for:
1. My dad loves my mom.
2. And he loves me.
3. God is going to make sure I get a job, even if I blow the interviews.
Shalom,
No comments:
Post a Comment