asked confused.
“He’s not here , Biddy. Never mind. Let’s get some food,” her daughter replied.
“But he needs food!”
“Don’t you worry about him. He has got everything that he needs.”
“Everyone needs food,” Biddy insisted.
“Exactly, that is why we are going to buy some now.”
“Let’s get some fo r him. We can’t have him hungry.”
“You are right. We are going to buy him some f ood too then, just to be sure.”
In the supermarket Hanna easily filled a large trolley. Twice she lost Biddy in the grid of aisles and shelves, but luckily she found her again before her mother could leave the place or panic. Walter would never forgiv e his daughter if he could see the two of them, and witnessed how little Hanna controlled her mother. It was meant to be a purely liberal and humanitarian approach that aimed not to patronize and imprison Biddy, but to Walter – who would claim to subscribe to the same principles – this was probably already shameful and criminal neglect of Hanna’s duty as a guardian. What means would be reasonable to protect someone from themselves? A leash? A chain? Handcuffs?
At the check-out a handsome young boy, who looked to Hanna no older than fourteen, helped them pack their goods. Her card was declined at first but it worked when they tried again. Hanna remembered she had to check her bank account on the Internet tonight. She had not done that in weeks and she could not be sure how much money she currently had left in there. She hated mundane things like that, especially since she too often got it all wrong.
“I did not think this through, ” Hanna said to her mother as she tried to lift all the shopping bags. “I bought more than we two can carry,” she said with a laugh.
“Shall we order you a taxi?” offered the young boy.
“Yes. I am afraid you will have to.”
“Where shall I tell the taxi company you are going?”
“Tell them I am really sorry, but I only need a lift to the private car park. Tell the driver I will tip him well for the inconvenience of such a short trip. I know it will hardly be worth his while getting in to the car for it,” she said apologetically.
“Save yourself the money for a taxi. I can carry the bags for you,” the boy offered. “I just need to tell my manager that I am taking a five minute break.”
“Are you sure you won’t get into trouble for that?”
“Positive. Just wait a minute.”
He ran down the cereal aisle and disappeared behind the ‘Staff Only’ door but was back shortly afterwards wearing a jacket over his uniform. The three of them divided up the bags between them and made their way towards the car park. Biddy seemed happy that she was doing something helpful and followed her daughter with an air of purpose.
“Thank you very much; you are really helping me out,” Hanna said to the young man.
“Don’t worry about it. I am not really needed in there anyway. Most people don’t even wa nt me to help them packing; they are too polite to say no but I can see that they are itching to push me away and not mess up their own system. You would be amazed how organised some people are with that.”
“Organised or neurotic?”
“Oh I couldn’t possibly comment,” he laughed. “Some people see it as an insult if I offer them my help. It can be quite frustrating sometimes but I am only doing it so I can get a more responsible job there eventually. It is like I am serving my time.”
“Well right now you are doing us a great service. What do you think Biddy? Do you need someone as helpful as this young man at home?”
“Is he coming home with us? But we don’t have enough space,” she said with concern.
“No he won’t stay, don’t worry,” she reassured her mother.
“Sorry,” Biddy said sheepishly and fell silent.
“I am sorry, ” Hanna apologised to the young man. “Mother can get very confused.”
“Is it Alzheimer ’s?” he asked.
“Yes, unfortunately .”
“I think I
“He’s not here , Biddy. Never mind. Let’s get some food,” her daughter replied.
“But he needs food!”
“Don’t you worry about him. He has got everything that he needs.”
“Everyone needs food,” Biddy insisted.
“Exactly, that is why we are going to buy some now.”
“Let’s get some fo r him. We can’t have him hungry.”
“You are right. We are going to buy him some f ood too then, just to be sure.”
In the supermarket Hanna easily filled a large trolley. Twice she lost Biddy in the grid of aisles and shelves, but luckily she found her again before her mother could leave the place or panic. Walter would never forgiv e his daughter if he could see the two of them, and witnessed how little Hanna controlled her mother. It was meant to be a purely liberal and humanitarian approach that aimed not to patronize and imprison Biddy, but to Walter – who would claim to subscribe to the same principles – this was probably already shameful and criminal neglect of Hanna’s duty as a guardian. What means would be reasonable to protect someone from themselves? A leash? A chain? Handcuffs?
At the check-out a handsome young boy, who looked to Hanna no older than fourteen, helped them pack their goods. Her card was declined at first but it worked when they tried again. Hanna remembered she had to check her bank account on the Internet tonight. She had not done that in weeks and she could not be sure how much money she currently had left in there. She hated mundane things like that, especially since she too often got it all wrong.
“I did not think this through, ” Hanna said to her mother as she tried to lift all the shopping bags. “I bought more than we two can carry,” she said with a laugh.
“Shall we order you a taxi?” offered the young boy.
“Yes. I am afraid you will have to.”
“Where shall I tell the taxi company you are going?”
“Tell them I am really sorry, but I only need a lift to the private car park. Tell the driver I will tip him well for the inconvenience of such a short trip. I know it will hardly be worth his while getting in to the car for it,” she said apologetically.
“Save yourself the money for a taxi. I can carry the bags for you,” the boy offered. “I just need to tell my manager that I am taking a five minute break.”
“Are you sure you won’t get into trouble for that?”
“Positive. Just wait a minute.”
He ran down the cereal aisle and disappeared behind the ‘Staff Only’ door but was back shortly afterwards wearing a jacket over his uniform. The three of them divided up the bags between them and made their way towards the car park. Biddy seemed happy that she was doing something helpful and followed her daughter with an air of purpose.
“Thank you very much; you are really helping me out,” Hanna said to the young man.
“Don’t worry about it. I am not really needed in there anyway. Most people don’t even wa nt me to help them packing; they are too polite to say no but I can see that they are itching to push me away and not mess up their own system. You would be amazed how organised some people are with that.”
“Organised or neurotic?”
“Oh I couldn’t possibly comment,” he laughed. “Some people see it as an insult if I offer them my help. It can be quite frustrating sometimes but I am only doing it so I can get a more responsible job there eventually. It is like I am serving my time.”
“Well right now you are doing us a great service. What do you think Biddy? Do you need someone as helpful as this young man at home?”
“Is he coming home with us? But we don’t have enough space,” she said with concern.
“No he won’t stay, don’t worry,” she reassured her mother.
“Sorry,” Biddy said sheepishly and fell silent.
“I am sorry, ” Hanna apologised to the young man. “Mother can get very confused.”
“Is it Alzheimer ’s?” he asked.
“Yes, unfortunately .”
“I think I
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