Locked in the corridor

05/09/2009
1 I left East Grinstead at 0915; I arrived at Castlehill at 1330. A long journey. Yet the Lady was not put out. She greeted me with her customary reserve. And she entertained me in the Garden room, where she sat in her wheeled chair and I sat more-or-less opposite her. We were in each other's company for an hour or more.

2 There was the occasional sign of recogntion, the occasional one; for the most part, she dozed; she said nothing. Did she recognise me? I can't tell. Her hair was still fresh; the skin on her face was still smooth. Her stockinged legs though were like sticks: they were straight at the sides, no roundnesses.

2 When the time came for me to leave, I wheeled her through the doorway into the corridor and then through a second door; ahead was a third. Ah. That door, locked, required a numerical code to open it; ah, I discovered that the door behind me, through which I had passed, also required a numeric code. Ah, there was no signal on my mobile telephone. The door to one of the resident's room was open; Elsie was in her room. Ah, she was amiable but was of little help.

3 I pulled the red-knobbed (rope) in her bathroom and waited for a response. Whilst waiting, a lively (late) middle-aged woman opened the door from the other side. I began to explain. She wanted to know whether I was a resident. Whilst we were talking, one of the staff arrived. Escape.

4 The member of staff, Sheila, and one who followed her, Helen, had known Lilian when she was living alone in Ashmore and they were carers. Lilian entered Castlehill in November 2002.

5 A good visit.