It had been six months since I'd moved in next door to an amazing lady. She was in her early to mid sixties, had a vibrant warm personality, and immediately befriended me showing genuine concern after my divorce. Madeline and I became good friends. I very often stopped by after work to check on her, see how she was doing, and generally on the weekends, did a few odd jobs for her. Having Madeline as a friend, someone to talk to, made the days easier to deal with and not quite so lonely.
She was also a very attractive woman too, and even though she was at least twenty years older than I was, I had in fact entertained fantasies about her, though I would never have acted on them.
It was in the middle of the week that I woke to the sound of sirens and emergency vehicles just outside my window. Throwing on my robe, I dashed outside and stood waiting out on the sidewalk as the paramedics soon brought her out on a stretcher, loading her into the ambulance.
I managed to catch the real true fear in her eyes as they carried her by, reaching out to touch her forehead only briefly. As I did, I saw the telltale signs of stroke, now just as fearful as she as they loaded her into the emergency vehicle for the trip to the hospital.
I called a bit later of course, but as I wasn't a family member, there was little information they were willing to give me, except for saying Mrs. Jones was stable and that was all. The next day however, Janice, the older of her two daughters came by the house. Janice was my age, though perhaps younger by one or two years. And though we had never met formally, I knew enough about her from Madeline that I felt I knew her.
Janice too, like me...had recently been divorced. Seeing her pull her car into the driveway, I immediately headed over, though hesitant to ask, too curious and worried about my dear friend not to.
I stood at the screened kitchen door and knocked, moments later Janice appeared, saw me, and smiled, though it was an acknowledged friendly smile that she in fact somehow knew who I was.
"Hi, I'm Mark Edwards," I said introducing myself. "I live next door to your mother."
"Yes, I know, mom's told me a little bit about you, thank you for helping her around the place," she added, though her look now took on a more somber serious note even before I asked the question.
"How is she anyway?"
"Not good, but at least she's alive. She had a stroke."
I had already guessed that, but hearing it confirmed still shocked and saddened me.
"The doctor's said it may be a while yet before we know the true extent of everything, but right now, she can't do much of anything. Can't speak, can't move her arms or legs..." She stood and began to cry. Though I didn't know her from Adam, I quickly gathered Janice in my arms as she sobbed uncontrollably. When she finally managed to compose herself, we sat down at the kitchen table together.
"With a great deal of physical therapy and time, mother might regain some of her normal functions, but until we know for sure, I've taken a leave of absence from work, and will be moving in to help take care of her when she's finally released to come home."
I of course offered whatever help or assistance that I could, which Janice seemed very grateful to hear, then returned home, saddened and once again feeling alone with the loss of my friend as I saw it, knowing that things would probably never be the same again.
Several weeks later, Madeline came home.
#
Out of respect, I gave Janice and her mother some privacy and a chance to settle in before sticking my nose in the screen door several days later. When I did, Janice smiled upon seeing me, surprising me with a warm friendly hug as I entered.
"How is she?"
"Ok I guess, but it is bad, she's pretty much paralyzed just as I told you before, though the doctors are still optimistic that in time, she'll regain some things; though she may never walk again, in time, they do think she'll be able to speak. But right now, not much of anything."
"Can I see her?"
"I'm sure she'd like that, but let me check first. Though she can't say anything, I can see some emotion in her eyes, so let me tell her you're here and how she responds to that. Right now, she's sitting in her favorite chair by the window, it's about the only exercise we're able to give her at the moment, just getting her to sit up for a short while. But at least that's something."
Janice came back down a few minutes later and told me to go ahead up to her room.
"I promise, I won't stay too long," I said taking Janice's hand for a moment, trying to give her some sort of reassurance that everything would turn out ok, though I didn't feel that myself. And I wasn't prepared for what I saw either, as vivacious and full of life as Madeline had been, she was hardly a shell of her former self as she sat looking at me with her face seemingly frozen in time. What Janice had told me however was true, even though she was unable to speak, or even really acknowledge my presence in any way, I saw a slight movement in her hand as it quivered in her lap, a look in her eyes that told me she was still fully aware of everything, and even brightened somewhat upon seeing me when I entered.
I kissed her forehead and sat down, taking her hand in my own and felt it as she stopped shaking. There seemed to be even a bit of a press from it as I did, though it was almost negligible. I told Madeline that I would continue to be around, help out Janice and herself however and whenever I could, and then holding to my word soon after left.
