FirstLineFiction beta

from Contest #2

All the trouble began when my grandfather died and my grandmother - my father's mother - came to live with us.

 You see officer, Margaret, is a woman of 83 years old, but in her mind because of Alzheimer’s believes she is 19 and training for the 1946 Olympics. I know this sounds far fetched, but honestly, if you will only listen I can assure you that the dent in the wall, was not caused by me. The bruising on her head is serious, but it is a self-inflicted injury. I did not nor would I ever hurt my dear grandmother.

 Six months ago, my husband and I decided to take her in. My grandfather took care of Margaret, but after his heart attack, she had nowhere to go. The doctors haven’t clinically diagnosed her with Alzheimer’s, only slight dementia, but off the record have told me this is what she has.

 Please sit down; this is going to be a while. I’ll write out my side of the story sure, in detail of what has happened here tonight? Certainly, but I didn’t see what happened. I heard the noise and came as fast as I could. I found my grandmother on the floor holding her head.

 Margaret had her first accident on our trampoline. No, I did not convince her in her frail age to try. I am not sure how she managed to climb on, but I was called to come outside and watch her do a back flip by my 10-year-old daughter, Ashley. When I came out, I saw Margaret getting ready to do just that, and I had to climb on and stop her. I mean climb onto the trampoline. It took me 15 minutes to coax her off the trampoline and away from it. When we entered the house, the fire alarm was bleeping and the smoke spewed out the door and the next thing I knew I had the fire department racing up the road ready to knock out windows thinking my house was on fire.

 I had to convince them, like I am you, and I am not sure I was believed then, but I was given a warning because they take false alarms just as seriously. We since then have put the trampoline away, and if I could bar dear grandma from the back yard, I would. The second incident didn’t come long after. Margaret almost broke her ankle from showing Ashley a cartwheel. I know this all sounds a bit unreal, but the truth of the matter is that I can’t watch her every minute of the day. Margaret is a pleasure to have around, but in the moments of lapses in memory, it can be quite difficult, and we try to put life on hold, but it is easier said than done.

 I was only gone a few minutes, when I heard a blood curdling scream and I raced from the kitchen to the back door. Ashley was already there with tears in her eyes. “Something had happened to Gramma!” and she led me to where Margaret was laying on the ground in unbearable pain. We drove her to the doctor’s and quite honestly, I don’t think he believed us either. I even tried to get Ashley to tell him her side of the story, but he just kept making notes, not looking at me and making a sound of disgust with is tongue and teeth. He put a bandage around her ankle, and that seemed to stop her from roaming until her ankle got better. It was about six months after that accident, did we find ourselves back in the thick of gymnastics training once again.

 According to Margaret, the training for gymnastics competition was any spare moment she had. She showed us pictures of her competing on the balance beam, but her favorite was the floor routine. That’s apparently what she is training for now. Oh now see, I’m thinking the way she does, like she, an 83 year old is training for competition! I know this is absurd, and excuse me for breaking down and getting teary eyed. I really did not harm my grandmother and I would like for you to believe me.

 It has been an effort, and in fact takes almost round the clock care and dedication to see to it that she doesn’t end up in injury again. On several occasions, I caught Margaret just before she tried to leap backwards from standing position on a chair, or jump wildly on her bed and attempt to do a front Arial from it. For these reasons, it was decided that her bed should be off the frame and the box spring and mattress would sit on the floor, and no sooner had my husband and I made this decision that this accident happened.

 Y-ou are taking me in for questioning? Who’s going to look after Margaret? Oh, she’s coming too. Good. She shouldn’t be left alone. Please do not turn your back on her. She is going to be so scared. Can we drive together? No? You are blaming me aren’t you?

 Now that we are at the station, may I continue? Please don't leave Margaret alone. Have the doctor or nurse stay with her. Please tell her that I will be with her soon. Her Alzheimer’s causes her to become scared in unfamiliar territory. The last time we were in the doctor's office she tried balancing her body on her forearms on the examining table. Honestly. She is strong and can hold her body up. She has such core strength. Oh yes, back to my story.

 Tonight was another of many mishaps with Margaret. It's hard to control her, and we've tried talking to her, but she can't remember our conversation we have had, so we have tried to make her as comfortable and as safe as we can to allow this illness to run its course. It's tragic and it's not very funny. Please don't smirk. I am serious! If you had any sense of- Is there anyone else I can speak to?  Where is Margaret, please make sure she is safe. Are you sure she is fine? Well I beg to differ.

 I made the mistake of leaving her on her own once. It was a few weeks after she had come to live with us. Living out in the country I had thought what harm could she do? I was gone exactly 35 minutes. I had to drive down to the neighbors to pick up some formula for calves. It's supplement milk for a calf who refuses to drink from its mother. That was enough time for Margaret to find the lasso from the barn and stand in the middle of the bullpen to try her hand at lassoing one of them.

 I wasn't told then that she was living the mind of a 19 year old! I came up the drive and saw her standing with the rope twirling over her head and she was standing still, hollering at the bull for it to make a move. I ran as fast as I could and pulled her out of there.  Just in time in fact, because a bull began to charge us. when we were on the safe side of the fence, she had vocalized her adrenaline rush to me, the cows and all of our distant neighbors. She's reckless! A wreck! She's wreaked havoc on our lives, and she's a menace! But would I ever-?  Never!

 What does this other officer want? You say that he has just come from questioning Margaret. Oh, you didn’t leave her alone did you? Of course, she can’t corroborate anything that I have told you. She has a mental illness that prevents her from remembering what she has done in the past hour. It’s really progressing at an alarming rate, and some days are better than others. We find that when Margaret is under stress she forgets things more easily.

 No, she has never been in trouble with the law, and she is not a troublemaker by any sort of means, not intentionally anyway. She’s a really gentle person with a big heart and we love her. We are going to have to find a way to help her through this better. I am not sure how but another visit to the police station is unacceptable. Is someone watching Margaret? Please say there is. I don’t mean to repeat myself but this is extremely important.

 I have made a light exercise routine that we do together every day. I hoped it would help maintain her strength and help release some of the competitive energy in her. Her muscles are in better shape than mine are and if it wasn’t for her age, she probably could to a handspring. Officers this is one huge mistake, can we go home now?

 I have been told by a nurse that these symptoms won’t always be like this. In time she’ll settle down and will loose her memory altogether. Perhaps in a short year or two, she won’t recognize us and we were hoping to wait until then to consider alternative care. In times like these, loved ones should be surrounded by their family and supported with love and due care and attention. We have tried our best to provide that for her. Honestly we have.

 How did she get the bruise on her arm? I am not sure. I know the other day Ashley was watching t.v with Margaret and some sort of commercial with familiar music came on and I found both of them dancing and giggling, having a good time. It was after that the two of them were doing light tumbling on the floor. Ashley showed her a backwards summersault, and I was called to come into the room because gramma was stuck and she couldn't figure out how to roll herself backwards out of the contortion, and she couldn't figure herself to get back out of it. Her tiny feet were pressed up against the rug, holding her body in place. Her neck squished into her chest, and her bottom loomed straight into the air. Oh, I dare not laugh, but it was a perfect Kodac moment. Not that I would take any pleasure in making fun- it was just one of those moments where you wish you could remember for all time. It was priceless, and hilarious. I'm sorry for laughing, really, you had to be there.

 I had a hard time getting her out of her state because she was scared she was going to break something. She honestly thought she was stuck in that position. Oh it was a sight! She thought her joints had gone rigid on her and she began to cry and get upset that that was the way she was going to have to spend out her days. She thought we would have to feed her like that, and mush up food so she could sip it through a straw! Oh my sides hurt. May I have a drink of water please? I suppose I could have bruised her arm, but by accident when I tried desperately to work against her to get her out of what she had gotten herself into.

 Margaret had one passion in her life, other than her children of course, and she became pregnant with my husband at the age of 17. In the middle of her training. She had been a gymnast since the age of eight, and when this unexpected surprise came along, in those days she had no choice but to marry the father, my dad. They eventually grew to love eachother, but I think the marriage began in convenience at first. It was when he went off to war a short time after their marriage did she pour her heart and soul into her son, and retraining, determined to make the olympics. The only reason why she didn't qualify was because dad became very ill with scarlet fever and she chose to put her family first over her career.

 She never looked back nor had any regrets, and at times I think in her moments of memory she looks at my husband as if he were her son. Sometimes she will walk up to him when he's sleeping on the couch and tenderly caress his hair and feel his forehead as if she was standing vigil by her son's bedside. It's different than recalling a memory. The look in her eyes sometimes shows us that perhaps she really sees her world differently as it was, not as it truly is.

 Thank you for the water officer. Did you get a chance to look in on my grandmother? Please stop whispering between each other, if it's about Margaret, please tell me. She's missing? The person you left her with got called away and left her in a room unattended. Oh dear, where could she have gone? It is almost tea time for her. She will most likely ask where the tea room is. Can you tell me where that is and I'll go find her. Absolutely not! I am not staying here. She's probably scared out of her wits, and I will not have any more worry placed on her. Follow me if  you'd like, but I'm going to find her!

 I will not keep my voice down! "Margaret, Margaret honey where are you?" She may recognize my voice and if she's trapped behind one of these hall doors, she may answer. Maybe she's behind this door. This is the door to the cafeteria? Oh thank goodness!

 Margaret! NO! Honey it isn't safe for you to stand on the table and try to do a back flip off of it. There is not floor mat and the coach hasn't even arrived. There are no spotters around. You say now there is, the kind police officer can spot you? Margaret that would not be appropriate, we are in a police station. Please come down off of there. The table is wobbly. Wouldn't you be better of coming down and trying a different table? If you come down now, you'll loose your nerve? Oh Margaret, this is not the right time to be doing this. I am sure you are very confident and I do believe you. I trust you can do this and you don't need to prove to me, or try to convince me that you can do what you say you can do. Margaret, I believe you. You are a wonderful gymnast and your son needs you.

 Do you see now officers, she's living in a memory where she hasn't even had her son yet. She believes she is a young girl who is trying to make it to the Olympic trials. Do you understand now, that the incident tonight was not my fault? Do you see now that I am not abusive to her in anyway? Please help her down before she hurts herself, please!

 Margaret, honey, now- DON'T!

 I can't look! My dear grandmother has jumped to her death! I am flabbergasted! Her squeals of pain I cannot bear to hear any longer. I can't open my eyes, I won't ,I mustn't! Oh Grandma- I can open my eyes, she's fine? Seriously, I can't believe it! Thank you officer for stepping out and catching her when you did! You have allowed her to complete her jump with a dignified end!

 Are you hurt, is there a mark on you? Do you feel pain anywhere? Oh Margaret you had me so worried. I wish you understood how much we love you and care for you. I wish that this disease didn't cripple you so. Of course I'm going to hug you tight, and if I could I'd never let go. I love you grandma and I am glad you are safe! Safe from what? Honey don't you remember? Oh, it doesn't matter, these nice gentlemen are going to take us home now. No you were not mugged, or attacked. Margaret, these men in uniform are not war heroes.

Officers, can you please take us home now? I should hope that there will be a record of this and if there is a next time, matters won't come to this. You'll leave us in our comfortable home where I can help Margaret better tend to her needs. I realize that I may not have the qualifications, but I am her family and she is loved and I suppose the time has come that we have to hire round the clock care. It will be in home care mind you, she's not ready for any respite care yet. Yes, I too agree it is better to put this matter behind us, no hard feelings; all is well that ends well.

 

 

 

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