NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN.

NOTHING

         NEW UNDER  THE SUN.

                    By Dawn M. 2004.

The road was unfamiliar as they reached the crest of the hill. Before them laid out in panoramic splendour was a scene of rich green pasture and rolling hills. In the gully a small creek babbled along like  tinkling bells. All along it�s banks, majestic old willow trees and hawthorn bushes grew, the hawthorn bushes looked like beautiful brides all dressed in white blossoms, swaying in the gentle spring breezes.The far off snow-capped mountains provided an awe-inspiring beauty. Emma and Harriet descended on down the hill, all agape at the scenery and tranquillity surrounding this special place that seemed so unfamiliar. The skeleton of an old bridge could be seen and the only way to cross the creek was to paddle across. Over yonder, through a swamp, was an old slab cottage with a mud brick-chimney that had seen better days, surrounded by old fruit trees of many varieties all a-bloom: in a profusion of colourful blossoms bees were humming happily as they flitted from one blossom to the next. Near the cottage door the scent of lilacs floated on the spring air. Although they were neglected and very old the bushes still had their beauty of yesteryear; their lovely blooms of purples, whites and mauves displaying it proudly on their gnarled old branches.The old lady was stooped and leant on her walking stick as her niece guided her through the old orchard. They sat down on a rotting log and rested for a short while in the sun. Emma said to her beloved Auntie,

"This place seems very right, familiar in-fact."

Knowing full well it did to her at least. Harriet suffered from Alzheimer�s disease and Emma thought if she could guide her back to her youth, she could have a fleeting moment of normality on this sunny spring afternoon making her Auntie Harriet happy for a few hours even though she wouldn�t remember the next day.

        Suddenly there was a flicker in her old eyes, as the surroundings registered; her face lit up and a glimmer of a smile creased her lips. Then she said,

"I know this old cottage, dear old Granny used to live here,"

and she added,

"My sister and I used to sleep with our Granny in what used to be the front room over there."

With that she was off hobbling on her stick gesticulating wildly and pointing to the old stumps that were the last remnants of the main part of the cottage.Then with quiet resolution she slowly went and sat on the old log again. Waving her stick and pointing at this and that, she talked non-stop all afternoon, about her life here on this little dairy farm. Emma never got a word in edge ways at any time but this didn�t concern her one iota, because she wasjust so happy to hear dear Auntie talk rationally again if only for a short while on this sunny spring afternoon, about...

"Nothing new under the sun."

17:13 - Monday, November 14, 2005 - post comment

Untitled Comment

My Mother has dementia or Alzheimers and it is painful to see

how one loses ones self somewhere in the unknown.

I liked your story, you captured the nature of this illness with

understanding.

Anonymous - 15:23 - Thursday, September 29, 2005