Cliffarella
We had a strange moment as the nurse gave Kathy her discharge instructions.
“You probably shouldn’t try and do any laundry for awhile,” the nurse said.
“Like 23 years?” I asked.
“You shouldn’t be thinking about grocery shopping or doing the dishes or cooking for some time.”
“She won’t,” I said.
Now they both looked at me.
“He does that stuff,” Kathy said.
Yet, the first couple of days here has been a tad rough. Take Friday morning for instance.
I was on the way to the hospital with the idea that there’d be a quick conversation and we’d be on the way back home.
The phone buzzed.
“Can you bring me some scrambled eggs?”
Scrambled eggs???
They don’t just have a scrambled egg store.
“Does McDonalds have them?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but find me some because they brought me some and they’re disgusting. They’re all runny. I haven’t eaten in two days!”
I had to change directions completely. There aren’t a whole lot of McDonalds near the hospital.
Found a Mickey D’s and was looking at their menu. The phone buzzed again:
KATHY
“Yeah?”
“How about oatmeal? Do they have oatmeal?”
I don’t do fast food very often and I haven’t eaten oatmeal in about 48 years.
“I have no idea,” I said.
As I said it, I spotted oatmeal on the menu.
“Oatmeal it is,” I said.
“Hurry back,” she said. “They’re gonna’ let me out soon.”
Soon turned out to be 3 and a half hours later.
I sat there quietly.
At home, I made chicken noodle soup.
“This isn’t good. Where’d it come from?”
“Tops,” I said.
“It ain’t good. How about tomato soup?”
“Coming right up!”
And I thought of a nickname one of Kathy’s friends gave me years ago.
“Cliffarella!”
I cleaned up the dinner dishes, grabbed some soft foods from the grocery store, filled the water bowl for the dogs and threw a load of laundry in.
Made it back to the living room.
“Before you sit down can you do me a favor?” Kathy asked.
“I was hoping you had more for me to do,” I said.
“Cliffarella, Cliffarella, Cliffarella!”
Gonna’ be a long rehab!
“You probably shouldn’t try and do any laundry for awhile,” the nurse said.
“Like 23 years?” I asked.
“You shouldn’t be thinking about grocery shopping or doing the dishes or cooking for some time.”
“She won’t,” I said.
Now they both looked at me.
“He does that stuff,” Kathy said.
Yet, the first couple of days here has been a tad rough. Take Friday morning for instance.
I was on the way to the hospital with the idea that there’d be a quick conversation and we’d be on the way back home.
The phone buzzed.
“Can you bring me some scrambled eggs?”
Scrambled eggs???
They don’t just have a scrambled egg store.
“Does McDonalds have them?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but find me some because they brought me some and they’re disgusting. They’re all runny. I haven’t eaten in two days!”
I had to change directions completely. There aren’t a whole lot of McDonalds near the hospital.
Found a Mickey D’s and was looking at their menu. The phone buzzed again:
KATHY
“Yeah?”
“How about oatmeal? Do they have oatmeal?”
I don’t do fast food very often and I haven’t eaten oatmeal in about 48 years.
“I have no idea,” I said.
As I said it, I spotted oatmeal on the menu.
“Oatmeal it is,” I said.
“Hurry back,” she said. “They’re gonna’ let me out soon.”
Soon turned out to be 3 and a half hours later.
I sat there quietly.
At home, I made chicken noodle soup.
“This isn’t good. Where’d it come from?”
“Tops,” I said.
“It ain’t good. How about tomato soup?”
“Coming right up!”
And I thought of a nickname one of Kathy’s friends gave me years ago.
“Cliffarella!”
I cleaned up the dinner dishes, grabbed some soft foods from the grocery store, filled the water bowl for the dogs and threw a load of laundry in.
Made it back to the living room.
“Before you sit down can you do me a favor?” Kathy asked.
“I was hoping you had more for me to do,” I said.
“Cliffarella, Cliffarella, Cliffarella!”
Gonna’ be a long rehab!
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