Flora

Today I went to visit Flora, one of the ladies from my congregation who has moved into nursing home care and doesn't get to church anymore, I intended to also visit her husband in the next room but that was not to be.
I find it hard to walk on a slope and the building is in a steep street so when I saw no nearby parking, I was a little anxious. Then I noticed it: visitor parking in the underground garage. Excellent! I pressed the button on the  intercom and stared at the speaker, waiting to announce who I wanted to see. There was no response so I tried again. It was after the third try that I saw the green light for garage entry at the end of the drive.
Parking done, I found my way to reception and signed in with about 40 minutes to spare before the 12 o'clock lunch.

Flora was happy to see me and immediately started one of her meandering one-sided conversations, complaining that she had breakfast at 7.30 and hadn't had another bite until 11 because of all the kerfuffle of voting in the local council elections. If she had left her seat to get food she would have lost her place in the voting queue!
I had been a little apprehensive about this visit given that Flora's only son had been found at the bottom of a stair well only last week, with nothing to be done for him. She eventually mentioned the funeral details (although she offered me two different locations) without a hint of sadness.

Around 11.40am Flora mentioned lunch at 12, by 11.45 she was visibly agitated and at 11.50 she announced no desire to kick me out but that was what she had to do if she was going to make it to lunch, three doors up the hallway.

Her hubby had not made it back to his next door room after voting so I looked briefly into the dining room to see him waiting patiently for lunch.

"Sometimes he forgets he has a wife" says Flora "and sometimes I wish I could forget him, too!"