At 7:45pm last night, our elderly next door neighbor knocked on our door. I was home with DD#3; DH had taken the rest of the tribe to the Library to appease the overdue book monster, who keeps calling, irritating us with his/her automated, monotone voice....
Miss Ginny must be about 80-something years old. She has lived in the house next door, since it was first built....since there was nothing north of the major intersection north of us (now it's an urban sprawl, teeming with yuppie-ville condos and apartments)....she bought her house sight-unseen, moving down from the northeast to a warmer climate.
I know all of this because she told me, numerous times...in fact, she re-told it to me many times last night.
I think she has Alzheimers.
Which is scary enough for any older person. But for Miss Ginny, it is very scary, since she lives alone. And she may be prone to do things that are not very safe, or rational....like calling up her electric company, enraged at the hike in prices, and cancelling her service.....the day before our first freeze is expected.
So, she came over, huddled in her fur coat, explaining what she had done....not realizing (but now knowing) that by cancelling her service, she had disabled her fridge, tv, phone, and furnace.
I tried to figure out what company she had had, but couldn't. So, we waited for DH and the kids, chatting amicably.
When DH came home, we explained the sitaution to him, and he hit the phone lines, trying to figure out who she had her electric service with. Miss Ginny sat there, wrapped in her coat, reading to the children, or petting the cat (he's always up for a good patting session...especially if soemone sits down with 'nothing' to do....a rare occurrence), completely oblivious to Andrew's frusterated attempts to track down her electricity provider. At one point, he sat down by her and asked if she had a recent bill, so we could find out who to call. She said she had one somewhere...and when DH asked if they could go look for it, she replied, 'not right now'... He was sooo patient. He sat there for a few more minutes, chatting with her, and then eventually asked if he could go look by himself. She said sure, and so he went, and came back empty-handed. After a few more phone calls, he found out who her provider was, and called them. They said she hadn't been with them since 2004. So, he persuaded Miss Ginny to come with him back to her house to find the bill. They found it and he called them.
It turns out she hadn't paid her bill since June...
So, DH paid it and tried to expedite the re-connect, but to no avail. Miss Ginny would have to wait until morning. DH called the contractors, pleading our elderly neighbor's case. No dice. So, we asked Miss Ginny if we could call her daughter and son-in-law who live in the city. She said, 'nah'....
DH went back over to her house and tried the furnace...nope. So, he rummaged around and found a home phone and a cell phone # for her relatives, and left messages.
Meanwhile, I was trying to get the kiddos their dessert, read their stories, wrestle them into pj's, and get them into bed. They were excited at the unexpected company, constantly relating stories to her, asking her to read to them, and showing her their various treasures. It was good for both her and them!
Miss Ginny sat, unaware of the worry that surrounded her...where is she going to sleep tonight? Here? Will she stay, or wander off?
Eventually, her son-in-law calls and says that he is on his way. She is not happy about that, but it can't be helped. We just aren't equipped to make sure she is safe, although I'm sure we would have made do if we had to.
After she left, I pondered her situation. She was very child-like sitting there, petting the cat and watching the children. And it struck me that she has the 'right' to expect others to care for her. She has 'done her time', and now old-age and a disease are taking over. She is now society's responsibility. And if family bonds were as strong as they should be, then her family should take over. I'm sure her daughter has tried...Miss Ginny is a stubborn woman!
I'm glad we are here for her, and that she knows that.
Here is a bit of a poem I composed last night, trying to capture my thoughts:
You have fought your fight,
You have won your place,
In the hearts and minds
of the whole Human Race.
You have won your land,
You have worked the plow.
Now sit and rest
It's our turn now.
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