I'm sick. I thought it was the Back to School plague that I somehow pick up from whatever bugs the kids bring home when school starts back up. Then I remembered the woman hacking up a lung or two in Walgreen's entry while I was paying for two boxes of 4x4 gauze for Dave's dressing changes. She was so loud, even behind the inner doors, that I was startled. But then I wasn't even thinking of her sitting on the bench out there as I went out to my car, passing through the sealed space of death. Woke up two days ago coughing, wheezing, hurt all over.
So. I'm the only one who knows how to do Dave's dressing changes. We never factored in sick days. I'm showering before I go over, wearing a mask (that I can't breathe through) and scrubbing up repeatedly once I'm there. Cut off the old dressing, send him to the shower and then I hang out on his front porch until he calls me to wash the parts he can't reach. Usually I pretend to read, my head's too clogged up to actually read. Today, I took my spindle.
I started out sitting down but his porch is raised up and the height tempted me. I realized I could stand next to the railing and spin off the side as long as I leaned against the railing. I got into a groove--good strong snap, draft, draft, draft a few yards, butterfly wind on my hand, wind on, repeat. I saw the young, tough-looking man walking down the sidewalk the first time. Our eyes met.
"Hi, howyadoin'?"
"Good," I croaked. Still spinning. I must have totally zoned out and didn't see him come back down the sidewalk from the opposite direction.
"Hey, are you making yarn?"
I jumped. He apologized. I smiled.
So. I'm the only one who knows how to do Dave's dressing changes. We never factored in sick days. I'm showering before I go over, wearing a mask (that I can't breathe through) and scrubbing up repeatedly once I'm there. Cut off the old dressing, send him to the shower and then I hang out on his front porch until he calls me to wash the parts he can't reach. Usually I pretend to read, my head's too clogged up to actually read. Today, I took my spindle.
I started out sitting down but his porch is raised up and the height tempted me. I realized I could stand next to the railing and spin off the side as long as I leaned against the railing. I got into a groove--good strong snap, draft, draft, draft a few yards, butterfly wind on my hand, wind on, repeat. I saw the young, tough-looking man walking down the sidewalk the first time. Our eyes met.
"Hi, howyadoin'?"
"Good," I croaked. Still spinning. I must have totally zoned out and didn't see him come back down the sidewalk from the opposite direction.
"Hey, are you making yarn?"
I jumped. He apologized. I smiled.
2 comments:
I'm sorry you're not feeling well. I suppose that woman really needed to si down and the sealed air space of death was the only place.
Two points for Thug Man! He knew what you were doing!
And how did you get to be designated bandage changer?
You are changing bandages and the world!
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