Friday, July 31, 2009

The old and the new

“Television is the saviour of the deaf.”
from Deaf Sentence by David Lodge


I find it hard to keep up:- peanut shells on the floor, strawberry hulls in the plant pots and peach stones scattered around the garden. Nonna’s healthy diet and life style is evidenced everywhere. Small trails of detritus follow in her wake. It’s not just the small things that always irritate, it’s also the fact that it is always these things that the children choose to copy. The fall out is so much greater and long lasting. It’s not as if this is anything new. It has always been like this, a combination of absent mindedness and a total disregard for anything that might vaguely be categorized as domestic duties. Before she was widowed she had a husband who attended to such duties. Without him she is literally quite lost. In many ways this also means that so much of it is a lost cause, as it impossible if not pointless to try to curb the habits of 80 plus year’s practice. But the little annoyances can be swiftly wiped out by bigger issues:-

“Well Maddy.”
“Hmm?”
“I tink maybe I should go ome now.”
“Go home? Why go back to England when you’re perfectly happy here?”
“I need to check dah house.”
“House sitter, remember?”
“And dere are my friends.”
“Which friends?”
“Oh I don’t know…….most of dem are dead anyway.”
“Um….so there’s nothing to rush back for is there?”
“But I need to get tings done.”
“What things?”
“Oh I don’t know…….it’s so difficult to do tings here.”
“Such as?”
“When I am ome, in Poole, everyting is near.”
“What’s near?”
“Dah theatre, dah cinema, dah museums, dah library, dah art gallery……everyting.”
“When did you last go and see a film?”
“Oooooo well dat was ere, with dah children…..Ice Age 3.”
“Well then. When did you last go to the museum…….or any of those things?”
“I don’t know really……but……I could if I wanted to.”
“Ah…..I see what you mean. It’s a pain not being able to drive yourself, but I’ll drive you. Where would you like to go?” I back pedal fast as I realize the complications that will ensue. “We’ll make a plan if you like?”
“No …..it’s just if I were at ome……I can get all doz tings from dah television.”
“It’s going to be hooked up at the weekend.”
“Wot iz?”
“The new television, in your room.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You know, the black flat thing on the wall.”
“It’s a television?”
“Yes.”
“Very strange.”
“We’re just waiting for the guy to come around and connect us up.”
“Really?”
“Really. Then we’ll all have to have a crash course on how to use the remote control.”
“I’ll be able to watch my programmes?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t you? Animal Planet round the clock if you like?”
“Oh good………I thought you would make me wait.”
“Wait? Why would I make you wait?”
“5:30 is electronics time.”
“!”

24 comments:

farmwifetwo said...

“5:30 is electronics time.”

Is she serious or needling you? One of the pros is my MIL lives next door... one of the cons is my FIL passed away a few mths ago and my MIL lives next door and she's never done anything without his permission in 45yrs... She's been good the last week and going out again... she had a rough weekend last weekend and we took her with us and I & little boy went with her.

Wish she'd stop griping about not sleeping and take some melatonin...

UGH!!! I'm not ready to become the parent.

Niksmom said...

Ah, Maddy, the grace with which you care for Nonna and put up with her foibles is heartwarming. Would that we all had such compassion and patience. :-)

Patois42 said...

Perhaps you can let any person over the age of 75 set her own electronics time.

Tanya @ TeenAutism said...

Oh, I love this! Since you were away and then I was away, I've missed reading about Nonna! Hope she enjoys her new TV!

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