Well, here it is.......I hope you won't be disappointed. I worked hard on this yesterday.
That was How Edie came to be at the Briar Grove Nursing Home.
Edie was moved in on a lovely bright Monday morning.
George had been up to the home and put her clothes into the wardrobe, her blouses and cardigans were put in the little chest of drawers with two little Lavender bags.
Edie loved the smell of Lavender.
She seemed to settle in well, or at least there seemed to be little disruption to trouble her. George felt sure that he had made the right choice. He visited every day. Well, almost every day. There was one day when he got himself into a state. He had been washing up the breakfast things, he was suddenly struck by a thought. What would happen to Edie if he died suddenly? What if Edie died? What would he do? So much of his life revolved around visits to the home.
The more he thought about these things, the more upset he became.
George set off to visit, but turned back because he felt so distressed by these thoughts.
He couldn't let anyone see him is such a state. Once he arrived back home he telephoned the home to say that he would not be visiting that day as he had a 'bit of a cold.'
It was Brenda who took his call, she told him to wrap up warm, and if he was no better by the morning he should phone the Doctor.
George was touched to think that these girls who cared for his wife, also thought about him too.
He got to know the carers very well. He would take them sweets, tea and coffee. He liked to hear what was going on in their lives. They made a fuss of him and it made him feel special.
Jess once asked him why he spent so much time at the nursing home... she said 'Edie doesn't know who you are.'
George said to Jess 'But, I know who Edie is...and I love her.'
Jess smiled and said she hoped that one day she would find someone who would love her in the way that George loved Edie.
George was amazed at how these young girls cared for their elderly charges.
He asked Jess why she liked looking after 'the old fogy's'.
'Well, I helped my Mum look after Gran when she had a stroke.
If I'm not sure about what I am doing I ask myself if Gran would like to be looked after in that way...that really helps. Anyway, I love Edie. She reminds me of my Gran.'
George noticed that Jess had tears in her eyes, then she said 'We lost Gran last Winter. I really miss her'
George drained his teacup and finished off the last slice of toast.
He looked at Edie. She was snoring gently. He felt he could just close his eyes for a minute or two, then he would take the tray back to the kitchen and get his hat and coat. He did not relish the thought of going back to his empty flat.
What he would really like to do was lie down and cuddle up to Edie. He chuckled to himself... Brenda would have a fit if she came in for the tray and he was cuddled up to Edie.
George closed his eyes. Suddenly everything was bright.
He was in a place he couldn't recognise. He didn't know where he was. The cigarette smoke drifted into his eyes. How could he be smoking? He gave up smoking years ago, when Robbie was a baby.
He was leaning on a rail, looking out over a beach. The sun was warm on his face. there was a gentle breeze, he licked his lips but he couldn't taste the salt.
The sea sparkled with shattered rays of sunshine.
The beach was empty. How strange, a lovely sunny day and there was not another person in sight. He thought to himself 'You would think there would be more people out on such a lovely day'...he tried to think what day it was. He couldn't think. His mind felt 'fuzzy'...just like when you wake up and can't think what day it is.
George looked down at his clothes. He was wearing uniform.
It was his R.A.F. uniform. He noticed how shiny his shoes were.
They would certainly pass muster.
He heard a bus on the road behind him, he half turned and saw it stop. A group of young men in flying gear got off the bus. They were laughing and larking about. He recognised Reg Farley, Roger West, Chalky White and Bill Morriss...They waved to him and shouted something, but he couldn't quite hear what they said.
He knew all of those young men: it dawned on him that they had all been killed flying back from a mission over Dresden.
What were they doing here?
This was a strange kind of dream.
George looked down the coast road to his right. He could see a young woman approaching him. She had a toddler with her. She looked beautiful in her flowery summer dress and her straw hat.
He knew that jaunty walk... he would know it anywhere, and those curls... the colour of shiny conkers...and the little boy. The little boy was Robbie. Robbie? Robbie was the baby son that they had lost to diphtheria. The young woman was Edie!
He looked at her face and she waved at him. He started to run towards her... except it wasn't running, it was more like floating.
It dawned on George... now he knew where he was.
They were going to be together forever.
Brenda was in the kitchen. She still had loads of things to do.
The dishwasher needed to be emptied and the crockery put out in the dining room, ready for breakfast in the morning.
The washer needed to be loaded and the laundry taken out of the dryer. The sheets had to be folded and put tidily into the laundry cupboard.
Brenda looked at her watch. It was a quarter to eight, just fifteen minutes to the end of her shift.
There was no way she was going to get everything done in fifteen minutes.
She was going to have to grovel to the night carer and ask her to set out the breakfast things. It was Linzi on duty tonight. She felt sure she would help her out.
Brenda went through to the laundry room. she noticed that George's hat and coat were still hung up. He must still be with Edie. That was strange, he didn't usually stay this long if he visited in the evening.
Brenda dealt with the laundry and then thought she would take George his hat and coat.
She would offer him a lift home. It would save him having to wait in the cold for the bus. It was out of her way, but she didn't mind.
Brenda walked down the corridor and tapped gently on Edie's door. She went into the room. It looked like George had nodded
off....she shook him gently and said his name 'Mr. Briggs?'....his head lolled forward. No, he wasn't asleep. Brenda glanced over at Edie. She wasn't snoring. She was a waxy colour. How strange that they should die together. It seemed the right thing to have happened somehow. Brenda pulled the sheet up over Edie's face
'Goodnight, God Bless.'
She removed the tea tray and went to find Susie.
Susie was in the office finishing off the day reports.
'Susie, I think you had better come to Edie's room'
'What's the matter Brenda?' she sounded exasperated.
Something always seemed to happen at the dog end of the shift.
Susie felt that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach: she knew she was going to be off duty late again.
It must be something serious if Brenda wanted her to check things out....Brenda was a good carer and very capable.
'I think Mr. Briggs has died.'
'Oh No!' said Susie... that would be the perfect end to the day.
'And I think Edie has gone with him too.'
OK folks that's it. Is it worth the £5 entry fee....or should I save the money and buy myself a bottle of plonk to get over it?
That was How Edie came to be at the Briar Grove Nursing Home.
Edie was moved in on a lovely bright Monday morning.
George had been up to the home and put her clothes into the wardrobe, her blouses and cardigans were put in the little chest of drawers with two little Lavender bags.
Edie loved the smell of Lavender.
She seemed to settle in well, or at least there seemed to be little disruption to trouble her. George felt sure that he had made the right choice. He visited every day. Well, almost every day. There was one day when he got himself into a state. He had been washing up the breakfast things, he was suddenly struck by a thought. What would happen to Edie if he died suddenly? What if Edie died? What would he do? So much of his life revolved around visits to the home.
The more he thought about these things, the more upset he became.
George set off to visit, but turned back because he felt so distressed by these thoughts.
He couldn't let anyone see him is such a state. Once he arrived back home he telephoned the home to say that he would not be visiting that day as he had a 'bit of a cold.'
It was Brenda who took his call, she told him to wrap up warm, and if he was no better by the morning he should phone the Doctor.
George was touched to think that these girls who cared for his wife, also thought about him too.
He got to know the carers very well. He would take them sweets, tea and coffee. He liked to hear what was going on in their lives. They made a fuss of him and it made him feel special.
Jess once asked him why he spent so much time at the nursing home... she said 'Edie doesn't know who you are.'
George said to Jess 'But, I know who Edie is...and I love her.'
Jess smiled and said she hoped that one day she would find someone who would love her in the way that George loved Edie.
George was amazed at how these young girls cared for their elderly charges.
He asked Jess why she liked looking after 'the old fogy's'.
'Well, I helped my Mum look after Gran when she had a stroke.
If I'm not sure about what I am doing I ask myself if Gran would like to be looked after in that way...that really helps. Anyway, I love Edie. She reminds me of my Gran.'
George noticed that Jess had tears in her eyes, then she said 'We lost Gran last Winter. I really miss her'
George drained his teacup and finished off the last slice of toast.
He looked at Edie. She was snoring gently. He felt he could just close his eyes for a minute or two, then he would take the tray back to the kitchen and get his hat and coat. He did not relish the thought of going back to his empty flat.
What he would really like to do was lie down and cuddle up to Edie. He chuckled to himself... Brenda would have a fit if she came in for the tray and he was cuddled up to Edie.
George closed his eyes. Suddenly everything was bright.
He was in a place he couldn't recognise. He didn't know where he was. The cigarette smoke drifted into his eyes. How could he be smoking? He gave up smoking years ago, when Robbie was a baby.
He was leaning on a rail, looking out over a beach. The sun was warm on his face. there was a gentle breeze, he licked his lips but he couldn't taste the salt.
The sea sparkled with shattered rays of sunshine.
The beach was empty. How strange, a lovely sunny day and there was not another person in sight. He thought to himself 'You would think there would be more people out on such a lovely day'...he tried to think what day it was. He couldn't think. His mind felt 'fuzzy'...just like when you wake up and can't think what day it is.
George looked down at his clothes. He was wearing uniform.
It was his R.A.F. uniform. He noticed how shiny his shoes were.
They would certainly pass muster.
He heard a bus on the road behind him, he half turned and saw it stop. A group of young men in flying gear got off the bus. They were laughing and larking about. He recognised Reg Farley, Roger West, Chalky White and Bill Morriss...They waved to him and shouted something, but he couldn't quite hear what they said.
He knew all of those young men: it dawned on him that they had all been killed flying back from a mission over Dresden.
What were they doing here?
This was a strange kind of dream.
George looked down the coast road to his right. He could see a young woman approaching him. She had a toddler with her. She looked beautiful in her flowery summer dress and her straw hat.
He knew that jaunty walk... he would know it anywhere, and those curls... the colour of shiny conkers...and the little boy. The little boy was Robbie. Robbie? Robbie was the baby son that they had lost to diphtheria. The young woman was Edie!
He looked at her face and she waved at him. He started to run towards her... except it wasn't running, it was more like floating.
It dawned on George... now he knew where he was.
They were going to be together forever.
Brenda was in the kitchen. She still had loads of things to do.
The dishwasher needed to be emptied and the crockery put out in the dining room, ready for breakfast in the morning.
The washer needed to be loaded and the laundry taken out of the dryer. The sheets had to be folded and put tidily into the laundry cupboard.
Brenda looked at her watch. It was a quarter to eight, just fifteen minutes to the end of her shift.
There was no way she was going to get everything done in fifteen minutes.
She was going to have to grovel to the night carer and ask her to set out the breakfast things. It was Linzi on duty tonight. She felt sure she would help her out.
Brenda went through to the laundry room. she noticed that George's hat and coat were still hung up. He must still be with Edie. That was strange, he didn't usually stay this long if he visited in the evening.
Brenda dealt with the laundry and then thought she would take George his hat and coat.
She would offer him a lift home. It would save him having to wait in the cold for the bus. It was out of her way, but she didn't mind.
Brenda walked down the corridor and tapped gently on Edie's door. She went into the room. It looked like George had nodded
off....she shook him gently and said his name 'Mr. Briggs?'....his head lolled forward. No, he wasn't asleep. Brenda glanced over at Edie. She wasn't snoring. She was a waxy colour. How strange that they should die together. It seemed the right thing to have happened somehow. Brenda pulled the sheet up over Edie's face
'Goodnight, God Bless.'
She removed the tea tray and went to find Susie.
Susie was in the office finishing off the day reports.
'Susie, I think you had better come to Edie's room'
'What's the matter Brenda?' she sounded exasperated.
Something always seemed to happen at the dog end of the shift.
Susie felt that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach: she knew she was going to be off duty late again.
It must be something serious if Brenda wanted her to check things out....Brenda was a good carer and very capable.
'I think Mr. Briggs has died.'
'Oh No!' said Susie... that would be the perfect end to the day.
'And I think Edie has gone with him too.'
OK folks that's it. Is it worth the £5 entry fee....or should I save the money and buy myself a bottle of plonk to get over it?
