WHAT'S IT GONNA BE LIKE WHEN WE ARE OLD...

     What's new? Not so much. Although...
     I talked Mary into going to see a play at Hanah's theater in Santa Rosa. She, in turn, talked her sisters into coming with us. One of them lives in Santa Rosa. We made big plans, which I related to my family and Roberta...
     On the night before the trip she fell. Landed on her right side, bruising a cheekbone and her hip. 
She didn't look too bad, but the memory of my dad's final fall and fatal consequences of it were nagging in my mind. On Saturday there was no chance in my mind, I would go to Santa Rosa!
     We went to the ER instead. Five hours later it was determined that, Roberta didn't do to herself any life threatening damage, but that she, probably, fell down because she was dehydrated and had a urinary tract infection. They decided to keep her in the hospital for a few days.
     In the meanwhile, Mary and one of her sisters drove to Santa Rosa to meet with another one of their siblings. They didn't make it to the theater, but had a good time, nevertheless. 
     When I went to see Roberta the next day, I found her in the company of a nurse. It turned out, she became suspicious of all the fuss the staff was making over her and decided that she didn't have to take it anymore. She pulled out her IV and slapped the nurses' hands away, as they tried to take care of her!
I spent some time, trying to pacify her. The doctor was supposed to come in the morning, the next day, so I came back early and for four hours 
(f-o-u-r  h-o-u-r-s!) sat by Roberta's room, waiting for him. The nurses told me, he was on the floor, and even went to let him know, I was waiting. He never came. 
     Roberta's aggressive attitude changed into pleasant delirium. She pointed at some place in the room and said, there was something moving there. Then she discussed with me a picture, that hung in front of her on the wall. Apparently, amid the flower gardens depicted there, my friend saw a cat and a man in a black hat, standing behind the bushes. As the day progressed, I was regaled with more and more fantastic tales. The shoes were flying and someone was walking outside toward our window. The fact that, we were on the third floor, didn't seem to bother Roberta at all!
     Four hours later I've had my fill. I left the hospital, drove home and... got a phone call from the elusive doctor, saying, they were letting Roberta out that day! Ah, what's the use complaining about it!
     Once in her familiar environment, Roberta began

Chickie is making Roberta
feel better

to get her wits back. Oh, there was a moment when my knees almost gave out, as she handed me her TV remote control and irritably asked to change it back to speaking English. I heard it already speaking English, but she didn't! Fortunately, when I switched the channel to her favorite program, she discovered, she can understand "Chinese", afterwards!
     I am amazed, how easy it is to get confused! All it took is a little infection and the loss of the familiar circumstances, and Roberta lost her marbles. What'll it be like, when I am her age?