Speedy Feet

Sometimes we just have a really great time with Susan. After an entire week spent aching to go out, last night, finally Susan was getting what she wanted: a night out with her son, her granddaughter and myself! Freshly showered with the help of her aid and a matching outfit chosen for her to wear, we rolled her hair and she did her own makeup (thank God she can still do that!) Jeff was home and it was time to go. Because of a little struggle getting her black go-go boots on, we opted instead for her black slip Aerosols’ that wedge a slightly elevated heel. (She would wear them everywhere if I let her.)

At first I wasn’t sure what her hurry was- why she almost ran everywhere we went. Her hurry worried me since it was an off balanced sort of a hurry. Kiara noticed it when she escorted Susan to the restaurant bathroom. “Kiara, I tell you, these damn people make it too dark.”she whined. Not stopping there, “IT’S TOO DARK!” she shouted at a woman in the bathroom as she flailed her arms about and raised her sunglasses clad head in an attempt to see better. “Well Grandma, maybe you should take those Hollywood glasses off,” Kiara replied ruefully. Susan ‘took care of her business’ for a long 10 minutes, and when she finally emerged from her stall (sunglasses still in tact), she stumbled halfway across the bathroom in less then half a second like a wobbly drunk and exclaimed, “Damn speedy feet! I tell you what!”

We honestly had a great time, and for a change, so did Susan! We had eaten till we were full, laughed till we cried and shopped…no, not till we dropped. Had we? The early sunset must have been what made it seem so late when we arrived home. It was apparent that Susan was getting confused as she searched for bags of things she felt certain she had purchased, like rolls of tape. When we pulled in the driveway she asked if this was where she lived. She needed extra care exiting the car and I remember worrying that she might stumble with her ‘speedy feet’ down the driveway. She didn’t, but those very same ‘speedy feet’ got her up to the house, across the long porch and to the front door in a real hurry. She floated as I shouted warnings like an overprotective mom. We half-laughed together as I shouted, “Slow down, Susan, you’re going too fast! Be careful! Hold on! Watch it; you might fall!” What am I complaining about, I wondered, usually she has to be poked and prodded just to keep her in step. This isn’t so bad.

We entered the house as though we were scurrying out of a rainstorm, only we weren’t. I still don’t know what we were hurrying for, except that her feet were in charge and the rest of us seemed to be walking to their beat as they scurried on their merry little way. Jeff entered first and headed toward the back of the house. Susan and I entered together, but she overtook me in the entry as we discussed going straight to bed. I cut our conversation short with more motherly warnings, “Slow down, Susan, what’s the hurry?” and “You might…!” BOOM!!- She went down! I don’t even know what happened exactly but she was suddenly face down on the floor with her head tucked under a metal tea table sitting between my living room and dining room. She didn’t move! “Mom!” was my immediate response, as I ran toward her. No reply. “Jeff!” my screech echoed down the hall, “Get in here!” I knelt next to Susan, asking, “Are you okay?” She didn’t know. She didn’t feel anything. She wasn’t sure. Finally she mumbled, “I hope so.” I hoped so too.

I checked her over, questioned her, and watched for signs of injury. A worrisome egg sized bump appeared on her temple. But she was more concerned about eating again! A good sign- I deduced. Still, all the while she ate, I sat examining her with my eyeballs. I saw a chatty Susan whose incessant stories made me laugh some more. As an answer to my question about what her hurry had been in getting into the house, she explained, “Well, I just wanted to hurry up and get over with whatever I was doing! And this damn bump is what I get for my reward! I hope it didn’t shake the brain! But if it did shake the brain- Lord, make me a smarty!”

Before bed she asked for aspirin for her headache; otherwise there seemed to be no signs of a serious head injury- only Speedy Feet Syndrome. And next time, we’ll remember that shopping till we drop can really happen around here.