Our fabulous group achieved recognition by WordPress – the comment I liked best- ‘We love Friday Fictioneers as much for the blogging bonds it cultivates as for the range and power of the stories it inspires.’
If you missed the post you can read it here. So pleased for Rochelle and for the whole group too, as it is always a good feeling when your work is admired.
Back down to earth now, my story this week follows the lovely photo by Erin Leary.
Copyright Erin Leary
Genre: Fiction
Word Count: 100
An Uncertain Future
She waits outside the door, listening to the conversation between the doctor and her husband. Her nails dig into her palm, the discomfort a distraction.
‘Last question, do you know what day it is today Daniel?’
‘Yes, of course I do.’
‘Can you tell me?’
A slight pause, ‘you know it as well as I.’
‘I’m not sure, will you tell me?’
Silence
Sadness envelops her; her worst fears confirmed.
Later when they leave he holds her arm. Safe again, he looks at her with shining eyes, and wide smile.
She smiles back at him, immediately recognising her new role.
Dementia is a cruel and unforgiving thing. This story came to mind as soon as I saw Erin’s photo. It is based on a close friend and her husband – a former accountant with a brilliant mathematical mind. She always described his illness like ‘a mist that slowly descends until the way becomes totally obscured.’
40again's Blog 
Beautiful, Dee. Simply beautiful.
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Dear Erin
Your comment means a great deal to me, thank you as always.
Dee
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That was lovely Dee; and so very very sad. Well done, just the right note with this one.
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Thank you Sandra.
I know this affects many couples, but this was just so sad.
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Great, Dee! The feelings on her part are SO real because a lot of us are touched by this either directly or indirectly. You nailed it. Bravo!
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Thank you Kent. It’s an awful thing isn’t it and affects so many families.
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This is so touching and sad. I think having her hear through the door made it more so. I have experience of something similar in my family and know the pleading looks that carers receive from the cared-for whenever questions are asked. I’m glad too she was able to smile back when recognising her new role. Moving from lover to carer is hard and some can’t manage the transition.
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It is dreadful to watch the sad decline of someone you know and respect, knowing there is nothing you can do. What it must be like watching a loved one go through this must be utterly devastating.
Thank you for reading and for taking the time to comment, it is good to hear from you.
Dee
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Dee wonderful story. My grandmother faded into the fog of Alzheimer’s and you capture its grip and the fallout very well.
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Thank you Dana, sad to hear about your grandmother, the illness is just so cruel.
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Very powerful story, Dee. My mother, grandmother and aunt all died of Huntington’s. My brother and sister have it now… the fog that descends is one of the hardest parts, for sure! Watching those you love disappear is truly horrific. That skulking outside the door, trying to find your bearings, the realization that you are now in a new role… you nailed the whole, sad situation.
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So sorry to hear about your family suffering this way, watching them slowly disappear must be as you say, truly horrific.
Thanks for reading, it’s always nice to hear from you.
Enjoy your weekend
Dee
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Thanks Dee. It is, but it’s something I’ve spent a lot of time with… Your story really captured it.
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Be thinking of you 🙂
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Had to read it twice. Absolutely wonderful job of portraying dementia.
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Thank you so much, a difficult subject.
Dee
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Dear Dee, The whole subject is so sad – but unfortunately happens each day too many people. You really wrote a moving story here. Perhaps some day, a brilliant chemist will figure out a cure got this hideous condition. Thanks for writing about it – Nan 🙂
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Dear Nan
That would be a wonderful thing and would bring hope to sufferers and carers alike.
Thank you for reading.
Take care
Dee
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That was a heartbreaking story. Amazing how that mist triggered so many different reactions. Beautifully done.
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Dear Linda
It’s good to hear from you again, you’ve been missed.
Pleased you liked it and thank you for taking the time to read it.
Dee
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Sad. We’ll all be carer or patient at some point probably. Not what we signed up for.
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Certainly isn’t, but think you’re spot on with that comment.
Thank for reading
Dee
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Indeed the dementia is so cruel.. And often you don’t know what the doctor said until it’s too late.. That confirmation, when you see the fog for the first time.. And from wife to caretaker.. Very painful.
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Yes it is so cruel and just be so sad for the families of those affected.
Thank you for reading Bjorn
Dee
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Very well portrayed and layered. The husband’s smile in the end is what will stay with me…
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Thank you for reading, pleased you liked the story.
Dee
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Deftly portrayed, Dee, and so sad. Taking on a new role would be very difficult but might ultimately be “easier” than unrealistically expecting to stay the same while the other person is changing so. (I hope that makes sense.) A very powerful and love-filled story.
janet
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Makes perfect sense Janet and thanks for reading. Hopefully something will be done one day – if only to help make diagnosis easier and earlier,
Dee
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Thank you Janet. I think a new role such as this one, would be incredibly difficult, from lover to carer. But as you say, ultimately easier.
Dee
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A close friend of mine, her sister suffers, you have described it well.
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Thank Dawn, a very distressing illness.
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Yes, it’s so hard to watch just me watching my friend describe her sister.
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Dear Dee,
When we first found out about my mother in law’s Alzheimer’s was a couple of years ago. The most startling and telling part of the questions the doctor asked was, “What year is it?” Her answer, “1958.”
Each step leads farther away from the person we all knew. Cruel and hard to watch my husband lose his mom while she breathes.
Good story. Well told.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle
It is heartbreaking to watch a loved one deteriorate with Alzheimer’s, made worse by knowing there is nothing we can do.
With an ageing population there’s more needed to be done to help early diagnosis of this cruel illness.
Take care
Dee
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Dear Dee,
A very good story that softly, clearly highlights a problem that I believe we are all going to experience in some way, shape or form, as we grow older. Well done.
Aloha,
Doug
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Dear Doug
Thank you.
With our ageing population, I think we will have many problems to face and how we deal with Alzheimer’s is probably one of the most urgent issues.
Good to hear from you, as always.
Take care
Dee
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Beautifully written.
(Brings to mind the movie I watched just last night: “Still Mine” with James Cromwell.)
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Thank you so much, good to hear from you
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Thank you for reading, good to hear from you
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Later when they leave he holds her arm. Safe again, he looks at her with shining eyes, and wide smile.
Oh! Ouch. I can feel his comfort and can almost imagine her combined reactions: glad he recognizes her, happy she can give him comfort and fear of the days to come. So well done.
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Thank you, so pleased you liked it
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Dee, Such a good story about dementia. When my mother started showing signs of Alzheimer’s not that many people were familiar with the condition. It wasn’t until years later that I took her and got the diagnosis. We finally had to put her in a good nursing home as we couldn’t handle it at home any longer. She was lost in time and space. She even forgot my dad had died so I told her he was on a trip. In a way I felt that was true. She lived to be almost 93. Well done. —Susan
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Thank you Susan. Sorry to hear about your mother, that she lived to 93 is no doubt a tribute to the care she received.
Dee
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