Time

She sat patiently, waiting as usual for him to reach for the woman's hand.
The agony of it all was painstaking and utterly slow.
Inch by inch and word by mesmerizing word he made his way into her mind and toward her precious space.
She has watched this so many times there seems to be no end to the madness of this routine.
How long can this go on...how many more moments like this will ensue before it ends.
And then suddenly, as if he can no longer wait on her, as if all the fibers that make him whole are going to unwind, he touches her.
She looks at him, with loving eyes, the ones that remember every word of the last time they spoke to each other so many years before.
She was here, back in his warm embrace, and out of that empty space her aging mind has dwelt in since he was here, yesterday.

Reviews

[alifeacoustic]

Both beautiful and tragically sad and poignant. You have done a great job here in describing what dementia feels like and how it affects all those around the sufferer too. My mum has had dementia for eight years, but is only in the past year or two more aware of it, and this is exactly how she explains visits and the time that passes in between. Sometimes she can remember what I forgot to get her at the shops and some times it's the 1940's and she is being packed off to Ireland because of the blitz. A heart breaking condition, painted perfectly with your words. Superb job.

[Faith]

Ah, I am sorry to hear that for you both. Yes it is such a hard thing to process for everyone involved. The best we can do is cherish our time and enjoy the happy moments. Thank you for sharing yourself with me and for the kind words on the writing.