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Seated on the couch sipping on my hot coffee tucked inside a heavy brown duvet I got as a gift from my grandma last Christmas. It was winter and the fireplace had some coal in it to keep the room warm. The presenter on the TV told tales of the old days. I was stuck between drifting off to sleep and staying awake. But the urge to sleep seemed stronger as I quickly dozed off in my seated position.
Few minutes later I was jerked back to life by a loud bang on the door. I was sure I wasn't expecting anyone. The girls had all gone out to my sister's house and my husband, who was supposed to spend some quality time with me, had run off on some important business.
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I gently stood up and walked up to the door and looked through the keyhole but no one was at the other end of the door. I shrugged my shoulders and walked back to the couch but the knock came again. This time I walked back to the door but didn't look through the keyhole. I quickly flung the door open expecting to see the kid playing the prank on me but instead was met with an old woman of about sixty years in her nighties with tear stains in her face.
"Help me," she pleaded. " They're trying to catch me"
" Hey hey, calm down ma'am. Who's trying to catch you" I asked, confused.
"I don't know them. But they're coming. Please help me" she continued, this time clinging to my body tightly.
I looked out into the field but no one was coming. Out of fear and confusion. I quickly dragged her inside and locked the doors at the same time thinking of what to do. I carefully led her to the couch where I was seated and sat her down. Then I got out my phone and called Jay (my husband). At that moment that was the only thing that came to my mind and besides Jay always has a solution to every problem.
Jay suggested I call the police and fill them in on what was happening but at the same time I shouldn't let anyone into the house until he or the cops came over as he was already on his way home.
I sat there with the woman in fear.
"You want some tea?" I asked, trying to make her feel comfortable and safe.
"Yes please" she answered.
I made her some tea and when she was alreàady sipping I asked again.
"What's your name?"
" Joanne"
" Joanne, what of your husband?"
" I don't know"
"Siblings and relatives?"
This time she kept staring at me with a blank expression on her face. I decided not to ask again because from her looks she equally didn't know. Immediately a knock came in the door, I checked it was the cops led by the county sheriff. I opened and let them in.
Immediately Joanne saw them she ran to a corner and hid. Clearly she was afraid. I gently walked up to her and made her understand that the cops were only there to help her. After much persuasion she gently followed me out of her hiding place.
"Mrs Lizzy, how are you? The sheriff asked as we emerge from the back door "You're safe now, come, let's take you home," he added.
I wondered how the sheriff got to know her down to the name he called her.
"Who's Lizzy?" I asked
"She's Lizzy"
" You know her," I asked?"
"Yes, and her husband too. She's always running away from home because she wakes up without knowledge anything or what happened the previous days."
"What do you mean?" I asked, being careful as I handed her back to the sheriff.
"She has Alzheimer, but she's a strong woman she'll be fine" the sheriff answered now smiling at Joanne and asked her" won't you Lizzy" clearly her name was Lizzy not Joanne as the woman smiled back at the sheriff
I stood there in a sad mood as the sheriff took her away. Such an innocent woman I wondered what the sheriff meant by Alzheimer and I hoped she gets better of it. What an innocent woman in an unfair world.
Just then I ran into the study and googled Alzheimer.
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Turns out Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.
Jay came home minutes after the cops had left with the old woman. And I explained all that happened to him.
We prayed for her and hopes she gets better.