Golden Afternoon

I’m not quite sure where I am this morning. I look around the room and nothing looks familiar. I sit up and notice a pair of slippers on the floor beside my bed. My feet fit perfectly into the soft cloth. It is as if they were made for me. There is a robe hanging on the back of the door and I slip it on to explore my surroundings.

I carefully make my way down the hallway and into the kitchen where I can smell toast. The slight burning of the bread makes my stomach rumble a bit. A woman in white is putting butter on the slices as I enter. She carefully pours a mug of the percolating coffee as I sit down at the table. She gently smiles as she sets it down in front of me.

“Good morning Miss. Have we met before?” I ask.

“I’m a friend,” she replies with a sad look upon her face.

I finish my breakfast and walk into the living room. There is a comfortable overstuffed chair that I melt into. The television is playing some sort of cartoon. Singing flowers dance across the screen and I nod my head to the tune of the song. It sounds so familiar but I cannot place it.

The woman in white gently places something in my arms. I look down and see a tiny baby. Her little pink hat is a is a delicate crochet pattern made from soft yarn. I stroke the material. My fingers graze over the intricate details, again so familiar. The baby reminds me of my little girl. Ariel… Alice… yes! Baby Alice! I rock her but she feels very light. I stroke the skin of her cheek but it is cold and feels like plastic. Not like Baby Alice's soft pink cheeks. I try rocking the little baby but her eyes are doing something strange. When she is upright, they are open but when she is resting on her back, they flip closed. It makes me uncomfortable.

I try to play with her little hands. Maybe she will grip my finger like she used to do. I place my pointer finger in the palm of her hand and notice wrinkles all over my arm. There are a few age spots as well. Maybe I should get some cream. My hands look so old.

I lean back and rock the baby as I close my eyes, listening to the bouncing songs and singing characters.

You can learn a lot of things from the flowers

For especially in the month of June

There's a wealth of happiness and romance

All in the golden afternoon

I must have dozed off because the woman in white is gently shaking my shoulder.

“It’s time for lunch.”

She sets a warm bowl of soup on a little tray now in front of me. My baby Alice is gone. I pick up the spoon and blow on the steaming liquid. There are little peas and carrots in a delicious broth. I take a sip and slurp on the spoon. I giggle which makes the woman in white giggle too.

After I finish, she wipes my mouth and asks if I would like to go for a walk outside. Nodding in agreement, she takes off my slippers and slides a more durable pair of shoes onto my feet. She helps me out of my chair and guides me by my arm to the front door.

We walk out onto the porch into the shining golden sun. She carefully helps me down the few stairs and we walk on the little path around the house. I think I’ve been here before. The flowers are blooming all around us. Pink and red tulips are gently waving in the breeze. The yellow and peach roses are full of fragrance in their big blooms. The tiny golden marigolds are brightly lining the edges of the flower beds.

We walk to the little bench set up in the center of the garden and take a seat. I close my eyes, breathe in the perfumed air and smile. I love flowers.

Opening my eyes, I see a familiar face.

“Oh, Hello Alice! When did you get here?”

“I just arrived, mom. How was your day?”

We talk about how her children are growing and how her husband’s career was progressing. I love hearing all about the grand-kids. It makes me remember when Alice was younger. I loved holding her little body. She was always squirming in my arms and trying to rip off her little pink hat. I laughed with her about wanting to glue it to the top of her head so it would stay in place.

The afternoon sun was sinking into the evening. Its warmth was waning so Alice helps me stand and we walk inside. She sits me in my chair and I close my eyes for a bit while she makes dinner. I can smell the scent of roasting chicken waft in from other room as I doze off.

I open my eyes to a light touch on my shoulder.

“Mom, your dinner is ready.”

The lady in white placed a plate of food on the tray in front of me with a smile.

“Oh, thank you Miss. Have we met before?” I asked.

Her brilliant smile fades as she sits in the chair next to me. We eat in silence while we watch pretty flowers singing on the television. I nod my head to the tune of the song. It sounds so familiar but I cannot place it.

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For more information on Alzheimer's disease and dementia symptoms, diagnosis, stages, treatment, care and support resources, please visit the Alzheimer's Association national site at https://www.alz.org/

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read my short story!

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