Sunday Scribbling - Compose

She laid there in that hospital bed knowing her time had finally come. As she came in and out of the morphine fog she always felt him by her side, holding her hand, willing her to stay with him. They had been together for some fifty odd years, had two children and three grandchildren, all moved away. They had not shared a bedroom in years and since his retirement they seldom did anything fun. She had such dreams for they're retirement but his heart surgery, years ago, had changed the man she once knew. Once strong, fearless and fun was now unmotivated, fearful and a homebody.


She had never been sick, except a rare cold, her whole life. It had always been about taking care of her family and once they were grown she had felt alone. He spent his time in his recliner as he bobbed in and out of sleep in front of the TV, while she sat alone in her room reading and watching her game shows. She wondered why she just sat there watching her life drift by in the fast current of her twilight years.


She could hear his soothing words that seemed to echo in the room. She felt paralyzed because she could not comfort him with her words or through her eye's. Who will take care of him? What had she done by keeping his secret? She tried to tell her family about him but all that came out was a single tear. She loved this man and cherished the memories of a shared lifetime. She never thought she would go so fast. They had no will, she paid the bills, yet his fear never allowed him to accept her cancer so he remained in denial. She had pleaded to let the family know and put their affairs in order but he refused.


She knew when it was her time but in her drug haze she could not say goodbye. Her one last gift to him was of pure love as she composed herself to wait until he had left the room. He was never the same after that day but convinced his family he would be OK. They did their best to check in but he was a proud man and grew combative. He convinced them all.


He called 911 a year later after feeling ill. The paramedics found him on the floor of his kitchen. He was living in his home, as if homeless, dying of dehydration. He was malnourished and his house was in a shambles. His dementia was finally discovered as he passed in the ER with the depth of his secret kept.

This is my first piece of fiction and even though it is a sad tale, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone. It's a baby step due to the fact it is loosely based on my grandparents.

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