Rae
pokes me with the aerial of her radio.
‘He’s
ninety-four. I bet it’s one-nine-one-eight.’
I
try it. The safe falls open.
‘Genius.’
She
shrugs.
I
unlock the door.
‘Ambulance!’
The
cottage must be two hundred years old, one of a line of half a dozen, set back
from the alley behind a crumbling red-bricked wall. The city has grown up
around them; I expect when the cottages were built you could cartwheel over a
grassy hill straight onto the beach. But the city has closed in on them with its
tall, dark lines, its office blocks and flats, and now instead of the sea the
constant murmur of traffic.
‘Ambulance!’
The
place is as still as a photograph, quiet and dim, with a settled quality about everything,
the single armchair, the writing desk, the pictures and paintings distributed
across every wall space, the palm in its ceramic planter.
A
feeble halloo from upstairs. We head
up a steep staircase, up to a plaited silk rope hooked across the top like a
barrier in a plush Twenties cinema.
In here!
Mr
Robertson is lying half out of the bed. He is wearing a string vest and a pair
of gauze incontinence pants. His back is towards us, nubbed and liver-spotted.
‘Hello
Mr Robertson. I’m Spence, this is Rae. What’s been going on then?’
‘Well
as you can see I’ve become rather stuck. I was just coming back from the
bathroom and got myself into a bit of a jam.’
‘Have
you hurt yourself?’
‘No,
no. I just can’t seem to manage this last little bit. Dreadful, really. I’m so sorry
to be a nuisance.’
‘Let’s
set you right, then. Here we go.’
Between
us we settle him back into bed, draw the covers over and make him comfortable.
‘Thank
you. Oh – that’s better.’
‘We’ll
just check you over to see everything’s all right, then we’ll leave you to it.’
‘Righto.’
Rae
canters through his observations whilst I write out the form, checking his
yellow folder for care arrangements and so on.
‘Who’d
have thought I’d have gone on so long,’ he says, taking a sip of water from his
beaker. ‘I really should’ve popped off when my wife did, at ninety. I don’t see
there’s much point to all of this now.’
Just
to the side of the bed is a three-quarter black and white studio portrait of a
woman in a wide-brimmed hat.
‘Is
that your wife?’
‘Yes.
We were married sixty years. All of them happy – start to finish.’
‘She
looks like a film star. Like Margaret Leighton or someone.’
‘She
was beautiful. I particularly loved that photo. She always did look good in a
hat.’
All
his observations are fine, and a carer is due in an hour. Just before we go Mr
Robertson asks us to fetch out a pair of pyjama bottoms so he can feel more
presentable.
The fitted wardrobe
extends across the whole of the far end of the bedroom, as meticulously organised
as a display cabinet in an Edwardian department store. The brass fittings slide
quietly aside, revealing rows of drawers perfectly arranged one above the other,
each with a brass plate: Undergarments, Stockings,
Handkerchiefs, Hair. And sitting above them all, placed just-so in the
middle of its own shelf, a large, dusty, black lacquered hat box.
15 comments:
all I can think of to say is "awwww, poor old boy". Not very original
That's what I thought, too, Deborah. It was a poignant scene, and not at all easy for him. But it looked like he'd had a good, long life, a strong marriage and was ending his time in a lovely home, so as things go that's not too bad. I think the transient nature of life is one of the hardest things to come to terms with.
this one made me tear up - sixty years! And he still kept her hat box...absolutely precious.
I guess when you've known true love and had many years to enjoy it, it's a blessing. On the other hand, when you've known true love, no matter how many years you've shared together, it always seems too short for the one left behind.
BB - It looked like he'd kept most of her stuff. In fact, it was just as if she hadn't died at all but had stepped out of the room temporarily! It was certainly a cosy home they'd made there together.
Nari - So difficult for him to be the one left alone. I imagine he sees a lot of his family - there were lots of photos around and about, so I got the feeling he wasn't short of a visit or two. A lovely guy. Despite his failing health, he was still able to look beyond his own situation and ask us questions about our work & day.
Thanks for the comments!
Seems a gent Spence.I bet he and Mrs Robertson were putting on the Ritz during their time together.
Definitely. I bet he looked good in spats. Not that I've ever seen anyone in spats. I'm not even sure I know what spats are. Spats!!
(Sorry - can I get you a towel?)
aw Spence thank you for painting such a picture, what a lovely gent.
Spats I think were those funny white bit at the bottom trousers that look like shoes (trying to remember bugsy malone)
lollipop
xx
No probs, LP.
Bugsy Malone.. Fat Sam's Grand Slam Speakeeeeeasy... (now I've got that going round in my head... argh!)
I love it when your words create a perfect picture in my head, reading thins one finally made me decide to buy the book.
Thanks v much, Isla. Appreciate the download, too - hope you like it!
Such fabulous images. You captured him so well, I want to pop around to visit him! Thank you. Great post.
Thx v much Lizzie (and sorry for the delay replying - on holiday!) I know what you mean about wanting to visit - I bet he'd be entertaining company!
I LOVED THIS, SO SAD AND SOOO SWEET. CAN I KEEP HIM?!
Probably! It wouldn't surprise me if he considered it at least...
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