A typical conversation in our Senior Home:

Eunice: (rushing back into living room from the garage) “I came back because I forgot -- (sound: cat jumping on newspapers).

Me:  “You say you’ll-- (sound: dishwasher lurching)-- but you never do.”

Eunice:  “Well, I would if you would just-- (sound: dramatic music on TV swelling up)-- down.”

Me: (muting TV)  “What did you forget?  You came back for -- (phone rings).

We both wait; it doesn’t ring a second time.

Me:  What were we talking about?

Eunice:  I thought you were coming with me.

Me:  Where are you going?

Eunice: Your doctor appointment.

Example 2.  Adding a degree of coherence.

The other day, Eunice asked me if we have an emergency brake.  Now my first thought was, you’re the one who’s always putting stuff away, but that seemed an excessively foolhardy response, so I said, “Have you looked in the car?”  Since I couldn’t remember ever using an emergency brake in the new car, or the old one, or any car since high school, I was a bit curious, myself.  Minute by minute, Eunice seemed to have stumbled onto a good question.  So, later, we’re in the car and by God, I don’t see an emergency brake.  Not a hand grip or a kick pedal, nothing.  What if we had an emergency?  You can imagine, I was somewhat dismayed, and a little fearful.  Time to consult the manual.  As I’m about to ask the master putter-awayer where it is when she gestures and says, “In the glove box.” 

“Remember when we used to call it the glove compartment?”

“ No”, she says,” pointedly.  “I don’t.”

“Never mind”, I say as I pull out the thick envelope of stuff from the ‘glove box’. 

“Don’t damage anything.  Remember we’re returning the car in a few months.  You can write to Ford when we get home—if you think we can stop.”

#     #     #