Last Discussion about Deafness - Fiction - Come Play With Me

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I think it’s time I got off the subject of my encroaching deafness but here is a last (for the moment) fictional duologue between two old ladies in a nursing home. The characters are modelled on my mother who was still very rational, but quite deaf, at 102. I’ve called her Sylvia here. The other lady, Betty, had dementia but was a lovely gentle soul always searching for her parents. COME PLAY WITH ME An elderly lady is sitting at a table playing Jenga. Jenga consists of a tower of wooden blocks arranged in layers of three. Players take it in turns to remove a block and place it on top of the tower without disturbing the others. Another nursing home resident approaches and is persuaded to play. Sylvia: Come and sit here, Betty. I need a partner. Betty: Oh, I’m looking for Mother. I can’t seem to find her anywhere. Sylvia: Well, if you sit here she might find you. You might be chasing each other all over the place. Betty: Yes, I suppose we could be. What are you doing? Sylvia: I was going to have a game of Jenga with Margaret but they came and took her off for a shower. Would you like to have a game? Betty: Oh, I don’t know. I don’t know how to play. No, I don’t think that would be very wise. Sylvia: I'll be your eyes. I’ll help you. It’s just a bit of fun. Betty: Yes, it's nice in the sun. (Coughs) Sylvia: You just have to pull one of these rods out without upsetting the whole apple cart. I’ll start you off. Betty: Yes, I’ve had a dreadful cough. Sylvia: Can you see that rod? Give me your hand. Can you feel that? Just pull it out slowly – just straight towards you. Go slowly now. Gently does it. Betty: Oh, look - I did it! I pulled it out. Sylvia: You’re really good at this. Now it’s my turn. Betty: What do you call this? Sylvia: I don’t know. I can never remember. Betty: Oh, I don’t think it’s September. My birthday’s in September. I wonder how old I’ll be? Sylvia: I’m 102. If I live to 103 Daniel’s coming out from Ireland to see me again. Betty: Oh no, dear, I’m not in any pain. What do we do next? Sylvia: It’s my turn. I have to find a loose one. Ah, here’s one. We got this up really high once. Betty: I don’t think I’d like that. I don’t like heights. Sylvia: You don’t look a sight. Who ever told you that? People can be so rude sometimes. You should tell them to go away if they can’t be kind. Betty: Oh, I’m not blind. Although I must admit I do have a bit of trouble seeing. Sylvia: Yes, my waterworks aren’t the best either. You can ring thet bell till you’re blue in the face and they won’t hurry. No wonder we wet our pants. Betty: Are they going to have a dance? Oh, I’d like that. I used to go to all the country dances. Sylvia: No, I wasn’t.... Oh, never mind. It’s my turn now. Ah, there we go. Now I’ll find one for you. Betty: But I haven’t lost anything. What are you looking for for me? Sylvia: I’m looking for a loose rod. Here’s one. Give me your hand. Can you feel that? Take hold of it. Now just pull it out gently. Gently! Look at that. Put in his thumb and pulled out a plum. Just like little Jack Horner. Betty: Do I have to go round the corner? Sylvia: If I knew what was round the corner I wouldn’t have gone there. Betty: Gone where? Sylvia: Round the corner. Betty: What corner? Sylvia: Oh, never mind. Here – it’s your turn. Try this one. Betty: Oh, no. They’ve all fallen down. Sylvia: So they have. You lose. Never mind – it’s just a game – but I I won. Betty: I need to find mother. She'll be worried. Sylvia: What if we go and see if there’s a cup of tea going? It must be ten o’clock by now. Photo of my mother and sister