Copyright Fatima Fakier Deria
Beneath the oak tree’s dappled shade, Oliver sips his coffee and remembers the car needs servicing.
Today is a good day, then; any cogent thought processes are a blessing these days.
Louisa waves from the kitchen window. Sometimes he’s not sure who she is, but he’s happy to accept she’s his wife because she’s kind, gentle and easily moved to tears.
A cloud momentarily eclipses the sun.
Oliver shivers; where’s his jacket?
There is much Oliver doesn’t understand these days, things that worry him.
Like whose car that is, parked on his drive…
That woman in the kitchen will know.
Friday Fictioneers, led by the admirable Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, invites 100 word stories in response to a photo prompt submitted by members of the group. Why not join us? 100 words though, or else…
castelsarrasin 
Oh the onset of Alzheimer’s. Very moving story, Sandra.
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Thanks Neel.
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Good grief, Sandra, I am reduced almost to tears.
In 100 words, what you do approaches genius.
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Aww thanks CE. 🙂
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Gentle and terrible, Sandra
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Thanks, Neil.
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There but for the grace of God… Beautifully written Sandra.
Click to read my 99 words!
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There seem to be so many suffering in this way. Thanks for reading.
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Dear Sandra,
In few words you’ve touched me to the core. Beautifully written.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you Rochelle. Glad you liked it.
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So sad, Sandra. The final line is heartbreaking. So well written.
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Thanks Jilly, glad you liked it.
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It is reassuring to know he can still have a nice moment, for however long it may last. Touching vignette Sandra.
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The moments of lucidity might be great for the sufferer, but torment, I should imagine, for those close.
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Having never been through anything like it I wonder if the moment of lucidity would be enough to remind the carer of the person who still exists somewhere inside, while of course reminding them of all they had lost too.
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Moving story. Alzheimer’s is painful. Can feel the helplessness and the dependence…
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It’s a horrible affliction. Thanks for reading.
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Stories like this always make me think of Mom whose memory is not doing so well. Unfortunately, Dad is no longer here to take care of her.
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I’m so sorry to hear this, James. Thank you for reading.
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Beautifully, sensitively written, Sandra
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Thanks, Sue.
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Beautiful and tragic story, superbly told. The character Oliver put me in mind of the brilliant Oliver Sacks, the man who mistook his wife for a hat.
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“If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it.” (Oliver Sacks). One can only hope that dementia sufferers enjoy similar reprieve. Thanks for reading.
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Oh! This is beautiful, touchingly tragic. I hate Alzheimers. Two of my grandparents had it and it didn’t just steal away their memories, it also changed their personalities and there were times of aggression, fear…pure hell you wouldn’t wish on anyone or their loved ones. You captured the subtlety of those early days exceptionally well.
xx Rowena
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It must be difficult watching that relentless deterioration. thanks for reading, Rowena.
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The other trouble we found was the they varied quite a lot when different family members visited so there was quite a difference of opinion when it came to organizing her care, which fractured the family until a time after her death. Like young children, they also have a witching hour at the end of the day, and my Dad being a stickler for routine and also working, always went at that time, while others saw her when she was fresh in the morning. She was like Jeckyl and Hyde.
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Sad for Oliver. Atleast, he has Louisa to remind him of things, when his memory plays hide-and-seek.
Beautifully written, as always..,
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Thank you, Moon.
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Authentically captures his lapses in a way that perfectly captures his befuddlement.
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Thanks for reading, Karen. 🙂
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Brilliantly done, Sandra. Can’t help but wonder which stage my mother-in-law is in. For now, I just get phonecalls giving me shit for locking her up and never visiting her (was there 3 days ago)…
Such a sad and terrible disease.
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That must be so difficult for you, Dale. Thank you for reading.
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It’s no fun, that’s for sure…
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Absolutely heartbreaking, Sandra. I have to agree with CE – such a brilliant use of so few words. Perfect
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Thanks Lynn. 🙂
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My pleasure Sandra
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Wonderfully written, Sandra. This is an absolute gem.
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Thank you so much!
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‘A cloud momentarily eclipses the sun,’ brilliantly frames what is happening internally. Great writing.
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Thanks Martin. I’m glad you picked up on that.
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A beautifully written story. I was so moved by the words “she’s kind, gentle and easily moved to tears”. They sum up Oliver’s observation of Louisa at that ‘one moment in time’ and reveal the enduring love that she has for her husband as he changes from the man she married to someone altogether different. Wonderful!
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Thank you, Edith. So glad you liked it.
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Breaks my heart. So real, the way he shifts from cogent to confused. So incredibly sad.
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Those moments of lucidity must be tantalising and cruel. Thanks for reading.
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A heartbreaking turn at the end, eliminating his brief moment of lucidity. A hateful disease, that. Kudos, Sandra.
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Those moments must be tantalisingly cruel, or cruelly tantalising to all concerned, I guess.
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Beautiful take on the prompt. Very touching and filled with emotion.
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Thank you, Lisa.
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Beautifully written. The last line gave me chills. A terrible condition, Alzheimer’s.
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And so prevalent these days. Thanks for reading. 🙂
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I’m watching the very early stages of this with friends that I love dearly. It always makes me wonder, “Who’s next?”
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I know what you mean, Tracey. It’s so sad, watching their eventual demise.
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very touching story. hopefully, somebody will come up with the cure in the near future.
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Hopefully so. Thanks for reading.
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So sad. The stage of dementia where there are moments of lucidity and just as quickly they are gone. Beautiuflly written Sandra.
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Thank you, Irene.
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Quite heartbreaking, as we see it happen in only a few words.
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Thanks for reading. 🙂
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I feel so sorry for him. The mind is fascinating, especially memory issues. I love that the ‘woman in the kitchen’ is standing by him.
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I hope he doesn’t become ‘the man out in the garden’ for both their sakes. Thanks for reading.
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I get the feeling she cries a lot. Poor thing.
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It’s difficult to imagine yourself in the carer’s shoes, isn’t it?
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You’ve constructed that story beautifully, around the pivotal line “A cloud momentarily eclipses the sun.” The descriptions are very moving, too.
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Thanks Penny, you always manage to find the nub of the piece. 🙂
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Great story, Sandra. It reminds me of my Dad’s last few years.
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I’m sorry if it darkened your mood today, Russell.
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Oliver fading… poor him, poor wife… the moving from lucid to confused, I have seen that, and it never improves and only gets worse.
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The sad thing is when loved ones see those moments of lucidity as a sign that things are improving. Cruel, really.
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Oh gods! That’s so sad. Unfortunately I have two people in my life heading that way, and one who has already lost it.
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How awful for you Liz. Courage!
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Wow. Very well written.
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Thank you!
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Oh gosh. Fleeting memories. Such a gutwrenching disease. You told this so perfectly from the POV of the one suffering.
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Thanks for reading, Laurie.
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You gave this story such a palpable sense of sadness, well done.
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Thanks, Michael. 🙂
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Sandra, your stories flow with ease and truth. Our day’s are numbered. My plan is to do this thing with no fear. Thanks for the reality check.
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Yes, it certainly isn’t a dress rehearsal. Go for it, Dan. 🙂
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My God, that was such a powerful and moving story Sandra. Very well written.
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Thank you!
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This story captures the situation very well, sad, but nevertheless a very well written story. Reminds me of the times I go upstairs in my house, and don’t remember why!
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This is heart-breaking and so beautifully told. And it is also a reminder, hard as it is for the loved ones who are forced to watch, that not all moments are bad when there is loving care. It keeps the fear at bay and helps with the confusion. At least for a while.
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Sandra, this is pretty much amazing. All of the lines and phrasings just work to convey the ups and downs.
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A very poignant yet beautiful story. He has his loving wife who watches over and cares for him, even though he doesn’t always remember, she’s there.
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Heartbreaking but beautifully penned.
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So gently done in capturing the perspective of someone suffering from Alzheimers. I do think his easy going personality helps, if he was more skittish he’d be afraid of this strange woman and all the things he doesn’t recognise anymore. I loved the dappled shade in the beginning!
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Such a poignant and sad tale. This turned out to be many fleeting moments, not just the one. So well done, and frightening.
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Oh my…this one gets you right in the heart!
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Heartbreaking and sensitively written.
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