A Hard Time indeed with Alzheimer’s Dementia

Inspired by dementia poster on hard time with Alzheimer’s Dementia

He Said, She Said — 5

She was wanting something
He was having a hard time translating

She said The mmm thingies…
He said You mean the slats (in the Venetian blinds) are crooked
She said Yes!
He said Well, yes, I told you, half of them are broken
She said Yes. I want mmm…c-c…
He said Curtains?
She said Yes
He said I know. You’ve told me thirty thousand times
She said Don’t be rude

He said Well don’t give me such a hard time about it
She said You said…
He said Yes, yes
She said Oh You!
She storms off.

He said Damn me! It’s like she has Alzheimer’s or…or Dementia or something. But why does she have to  give me such a hard time about it? Over and over

Another day
He’s doing the dishes. She’s wandering about looking lost.

He said Why don’t you come and help me? You can dry the dishes
She said What’s that?

He said Here, I’ll show you
She said Okay

She takes the tea towel he offers, and just stands there
He grabs a tea towel and a plate and demonstrates

She said Oh. Okay.
He said Okay, here, you dry one

She looks at the pile of washed dishes

He said Here, dry this one
She said Okay

She places the dish upside down on the counter
and wipes at the bottom.

He said No, no. Like this.

He tries to manoeuvre her hands to take the plate

He said Like this
She said I don’t want to
He said Well hell. Ya gotta give me a hard time, don’t ya?
She looks like she’s gonna cry
He said Okay, okay. It’s all right. Here, do the cutlery.
He demonstrates.
She takes a fork and wipes at it, perfunctorily,
Then she just stands there
He said Now you file it away.
She places the fork in with the teaspoons.
He said No, no, dear. With the forks. With the forks. Here, see?

She puts the fork in with the knives.
He plucks it out again

He said Here, try again
She just stands there, staring at the fork

He sighs He takes a deep breath, ready to explode

He said Why do you have to give me such a hard time?
She looks at him, pale and quivering

She said I don’t know what to do

He said Omigod!

She went to bed
He went to his computer
This is what he found:

SOUTH  AFRICA

He said OH! So who is having the hard time now?

He went to apologize.

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