Cops
Guess who just got here? Grandma. Madame d'Alzheimer's herself. She super-freaked when she didn't see Mom after she found her way out of the bathroom, like a two-year old when Mommy disappears.
"Where is she? Where is she? Did you find her?"
I turned and pointed to the dining room, where Mom was sorting through Grandma's luggage, trying to find Grandma's hearing aids. "She's in there, Grandma."
Mom, not being deaf, immediately came to where we were.
"No, not her," Grandma said, waving her hands vaguely. "Not her."
"It's me, Mom. It's J---."
Grandma blinked and said, "Oh, yes. Your glasses. You were wearing your glasses."
"My sunglasses, Mom. I took off my sunglasses. It's me."
"Yes, yes," and Grandma laughed her fake laugh, "ho ho ho," which she does now whenever she's trying to cover for one of her lost moments.
Why is Grandma here, you ask, after Mom told her sister that she wasn't going to be involved anymore? Oh, the answer to that is soooo special!
Grandma walked out of my aunt's house, wandered around the neighborhood, through the trees, then went into a neighbor's house. The neighbor wasn't home. My cousin, S., was supposed to be watching her, as my aunt has disappeared to Australia again to meet with her billionaire boyfriend. My cousin, eventhough he knows my grandmother is in a bad state and should never be left alone, left her alone in the house for hours. This is the equivalent of leaving a very young child, a three-year old, alone. It's unbelieveable that he would do that. When he returned, Grandma was not to be found. Eventually, the police were called. They found Grandma in the neighbor's house. They then told my slacker cousin that he was no longer allowed to watch after Grandma, as he obviously, in abandoning her, is neglecting his caretaking duties. They demanded to speak with my aunt. Call to her cell in Australia. She was told that if there is not a caretaker with Grandma 25-7, Grandma will be taken away by Social Services and cared for by the state.
So, Mom gets a panicked call from her sister last night. She needs Mom to take care of Grandma until she gets back. Whenever that will be. Except, we have doctor's appointments in the City next Friday and tickets to see A Little Night Music at the City Opera next Saturday. We have to return her next Thursday, my mother tells my aunt. My cousin S., who is on spring break at the moment, so I've no freakin' idea where the hell he disappeared for so long, was told he has to find someone to take care of Grandma from next Thursday until my aunt returns.
Fortunately, my mom's baby brother, who's only about ten years older than my eldest sister, decides he's had enough. He finds, after two phone calls, someone to take care of Grandma next week. He also has his friend at the bank my grandma uses stop my aunt from taking money out of my grandmother's account. He's also looking to take over Power of Attorney from my aunt. Thank God. But for now, we have Grandma here. I am a complete stranger to her. I stand there and smile and if Mom's not there, Grandma freaks out. So I can't watch over her while Mom runs errands anymore. Mom has to be with Grandma, always. I don't know how Mom's going to take this. She's not exactly young and sprightly, and this is a very exhausting job, physically but especially emotionally.
It's so weird to look at my mother's mother and have her look back at a stranger's face.
"Where is she? Where is she? Did you find her?"
I turned and pointed to the dining room, where Mom was sorting through Grandma's luggage, trying to find Grandma's hearing aids. "She's in there, Grandma."
Mom, not being deaf, immediately came to where we were.
"No, not her," Grandma said, waving her hands vaguely. "Not her."
"It's me, Mom. It's J---."
Grandma blinked and said, "Oh, yes. Your glasses. You were wearing your glasses."
"My sunglasses, Mom. I took off my sunglasses. It's me."
"Yes, yes," and Grandma laughed her fake laugh, "ho ho ho," which she does now whenever she's trying to cover for one of her lost moments.
Why is Grandma here, you ask, after Mom told her sister that she wasn't going to be involved anymore? Oh, the answer to that is soooo special!
Grandma walked out of my aunt's house, wandered around the neighborhood, through the trees, then went into a neighbor's house. The neighbor wasn't home. My cousin, S., was supposed to be watching her, as my aunt has disappeared to Australia again to meet with her billionaire boyfriend. My cousin, eventhough he knows my grandmother is in a bad state and should never be left alone, left her alone in the house for hours. This is the equivalent of leaving a very young child, a three-year old, alone. It's unbelieveable that he would do that. When he returned, Grandma was not to be found. Eventually, the police were called. They found Grandma in the neighbor's house. They then told my slacker cousin that he was no longer allowed to watch after Grandma, as he obviously, in abandoning her, is neglecting his caretaking duties. They demanded to speak with my aunt. Call to her cell in Australia. She was told that if there is not a caretaker with Grandma 25-7, Grandma will be taken away by Social Services and cared for by the state.
So, Mom gets a panicked call from her sister last night. She needs Mom to take care of Grandma until she gets back. Whenever that will be. Except, we have doctor's appointments in the City next Friday and tickets to see A Little Night Music at the City Opera next Saturday. We have to return her next Thursday, my mother tells my aunt. My cousin S., who is on spring break at the moment, so I've no freakin' idea where the hell he disappeared for so long, was told he has to find someone to take care of Grandma from next Thursday until my aunt returns.
Fortunately, my mom's baby brother, who's only about ten years older than my eldest sister, decides he's had enough. He finds, after two phone calls, someone to take care of Grandma next week. He also has his friend at the bank my grandma uses stop my aunt from taking money out of my grandmother's account. He's also looking to take over Power of Attorney from my aunt. Thank God. But for now, we have Grandma here. I am a complete stranger to her. I stand there and smile and if Mom's not there, Grandma freaks out. So I can't watch over her while Mom runs errands anymore. Mom has to be with Grandma, always. I don't know how Mom's going to take this. She's not exactly young and sprightly, and this is a very exhausting job, physically but especially emotionally.
It's so weird to look at my mother's mother and have her look back at a stranger's face.
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