Where Has It Gone?

 

The blanks were becoming stronger. The lapses in speech were increasing. Choosing the correct word in any of the languages spoken mixed, were blurted out, but didn´t match at all. It didn´t matter if she were speaking in her native language, the words still slipped through the brain cells and played hide and seek. More and more, people were trying to fill in the blanks while they spoke to her in an attempt to help her. However, the feeling of incompetence only grew each and every time that happened. The feeling of stupidity took over and then all the words seemed to flee. There were times when none of the words from any language came to mind. If she were speaking face to face, gestures were possible to use, however, on the phone what was one to do?  

 

On a bright Saturday morning she had her breakfast and started preparing lunch just to have it ready for when her stomach growled. She decided to make her favorite vegetable in meat broth soup. When she started to add the ingredients, she couldn´t remember the seasoning. Lucky for her, she cooked very well and whatever she added tasted decent. The lid was put on and when it came to a boil, she lowered the flame and went upstairs to get ready to go out. Shower, makeup, clothes and shoes.

 

Out the door she went, it was around 11 am. Car out of the garage, she headed over to visit her grandchildren. Forgot the mask in the house, but she kept a box of disposable ones in the car, just in case. And this was the case as it had been every time she had to go out. A bottle of hand sanitizer and gloves also kept the masks company in the car as well as in the house. Funny how the products in the house never needed to be replaced.

 

She played all afternoon with the grandchildren and a big doubt suddenly hit her. Had she closed the garage gate? It was somewhat automatic, but you still had to press the button. Had she pressed the button? Not needing to cause an embarrassment, she got up and fled to her home without explaining herself “visit over” she let out waving her goodbyes.

 

On the drive to her home, she kept praying that she had remembered to close it. Turning the curb, a sense of relief came over her and she could see from afar that she had remembered to shut it. Celebrating within, she pressed the button to open the gate. Slowly it went up. She could smell smoke. Fear over took her. The pot of soup! She flew out of the car, opened the door, and noticed that she had forgotten the stove on in the kitchen. Luckily for her, the flame was low and the pot was full. She turned off the stove and opened all the windows to allow the smoke to clear. It was 3pm. She had been out of the house for 4 hours. How dangerous. How sad. How embarrassing. How worrisome. She picked up the burnt pot and place it in the box with all the other burnt pots she was going to dispose of.

 

Written: March 29, 2021

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