The Door

Sr. Retirement home/ dementia / art

The door to her room is ajar, so I peek in asking if she remembers me. Lynn blinks, smiles charmingly and says yes but her eyes say no. Refreshing her memory about our first interview, I explain I have some follow up questions for her.

 

Reminding Lynn that we are to meet Dorothy and complete the interviews, we walk slowy to join Dorothy who waits with her dog, Bailey. Bailey is the only reason Dorothy has moved here because she was not giving up her dog.

I am mentally kickng myself for agreeing to the interviews when I am suppose to be working on my novel. The local historical society begged for help having too many willing patiipants and not enough interviewers. I stupidly agreed. Sucker should be embalzoned on my forehead and I am ticked off that I get not one but two ladies at the same time. What does this rest home not undersand about interviews? The answer everything.

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The truth is there are no follow up questions because the assignment to write about experiences of the 1940's went no where at the first meeting. Years are blurring for Lynn as she confuses Kennedy with Truman. Grateful for my history reading, I attempt3e to steer her back to the 1940's. Today is different, I hope,deciding to draw on the times spent listening to my  Grandparents and Aunt but still this is a struggle.

 

Lynn is 90, Dorothy a mere 79, which she reminds Lynn of, least she be mistaken for someone older, causing me to smile. The interviews are interesting, to say the least, hopefully, Dorothy will be more cognitive than Lynn. It is when neither widow remembers her wedding that I realize Dorothy, too, is suffering from memory loss and my interview is in trouble, big trouble.

 

I am not a journalist, I remind myself, easing my conscience.

 

Abruptly, Lynn starts to sing, "Let Me Call You Sweetheart", as Dorothy is speaking. Dorothy smiles and suddenly sings along, finally I give up and join them for the chorus. The other interviewers leave through the main door, but still I sit; learning the stanzas of "Let Me Call You Sweetheart", as I pet Bailey.

 

Then I remember the big band sounds of the 1940's and the waltz. I ask Lynn if she liked Wayne King the Waltz King. She smiles and laughs telling me about her love for the waltz while Dorothy jumps in and shares about dancing the jitterbug.

 

I research and learned that Bing Crosby brought back "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" originally written in the 1920's and I use this to fulfill my assignment. I want to go back to visit the ladies, not for an interview, but to sing all of "Let Me Call You Sweetheart." 

 

These ladies taught me something that will stay with me forever, which is music and song opens a door to both heart and mind.

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This piece is a rough first draft. I rewrote it and titled it Melodies.
Putting this out there to help others understand that we need to edit, edit, edit.