dingthedayworsethanwhenitbegan.ourdayswerelostandsowasshe.
soichanged.ilearnedwhatisobvioustoachild.thatlifeissimplyacollectionoflittlelives,eachlivedonedayatatime.thateachdayshouldbespentfindingbeautyinflowersandpoetryandtalkingtoanimals.thatadayspentwithdreamingandsunsetsandrefreshingbreezescannotbebettered.butmostofall,ilearnedthatlifeisforsittingonbenchesnexttoancientcreekswithmyhandonherkneeandsometimes,ongooddays,forfallinginlove.
"whatareyouthinking?"sheasks.
itisnowdusk.wehaveleftourbenchandareshufflingalonglightedpathsthatwindtheirwayaroundthiscomplex.sheisholdingmyarmandiamherescort.itisherideatodothis.perhapssheischarmedbyme.perhapsshewantstokeepmefromfalling.eitherway,iamsmilingtomyself.
"i'mthinkingaboutyou."
shemakesnoresponsetothisexcepttosqueezemyarm,andicantellshelikeswhatisaid.ourlifetogetherhasenabledmetoseetheclues,evenifshedoesnotknowthemherself.igoon:"iknowyoucan'trememberwhoyouare,butican,andifindthatwhenilookatyouitmakesmefeelgood."
shetapsmyarmandsmiles."you'reakindmanwithalovingheart.ihopeienjoyedyouasmuchbeforeasidonow."
ithinkaboutthisaswewalkinsilence,holdingeachother,pasttherooms,pastthecourtyard.wecometothegarden,mainlywildflowers,andistopher.ipickabundle—red,pink,yellow,violet.igivethemtoher,andshebringsthemtohernose.shesmellsthemwitheyesclosedandshewhispers,"they'rebeautiful."weresumeourwalk,meinonehand,theflowersinanother.peoplewatchus,forweareawalkingmiracle,orsoiamtold.itistrueinaway.
bythetimewereachthedoorway,iamtired.sheknowsthis,soshestopsmewithherhandandmakesmefaceher.ido,andirealizehowhunchedoverihavebecome.sheandiarenowlevel.sometimesiamgladshedoesn'tknowhowmuchihavechanged.sheturnstomeandstaresforalongtime.
"whatareyoudoing?"iask.
"idon'twanttoforgetyouorthisday,andi'mtryingtokeepyourmemoryalive."
willitworkthistime?iwonder,thenknowitwillnot.itcan't.idonottellhermythoughts,though.ismileinsteadbecauseherwordsaresweet.
"thankyou,"isay.
"imeanit.idon'twanttoforgetyouagain.you'reveryspecialtome.idon'tknowwhatiwouldhavedonewithoutyoutoday."
mythroatclosesalittle.thereisemotionbehindherwords,theemotionsifeelwheneverithinkofher.iknowthisiswhyilive,andiloveherdearlyatthismoment.howiwishiwerestrongenoughtocarryherinmyarmstoparadise.
"don'ttrytosayanything,"shetellsme."let'sjustfeelthemoment."
andido,andifeelheaven.
herdiseaseisworsenowthanitwasinthebeginning,thoughallieisdifferentfrommost.therearethreeotherswiththediseasehere,andtheyarethesumofmypracticalexperienceofit.they,unlikeallie,areinthemostadvancedstagesofalzheimer'sandarealmostcompletelylost.theywakeuphallucinatingandconfused.theyrepeatthemselvesoverandover.seldomdotheyrecognizethepeoplewholovethem.itisatryingdisease,andthisiswhyitishardfortheirchildrenandminetovisit.
allie,ofcourse,hasherownproblems.sheisterriblyafraidinthemorningsandcriesinconsolably.sheseestinypeople,likegnomes,ithink,watchingher,andshescreamsatthemtogetaway.shebatheswillinglybutwillnoteatregularly.sheisthinnow,muchtoothininmyopinion,andongooddaysidomybesttofattenherup.
butthisiswherethesimilarityends.thisiswhyallieisconsideredamiracle,becausesometimes,justsometimes,afterireadtoher,herconditionisn'tsobad.thereisnoexplanationforthis."it'simpossible,"thedoctorssay,"shecannothavealzheimer's."butshedoes.onmostdaysandeverymorningtherecanbenodoubt.
butwhy,then,isherconditiondifferent?whydoesshesometimeschangeafteriread?itellthedoctorsthereason—iknowitinmyheart,butiamnotbelieved.fourtimesspecialistshavetravelledfromchapelhilltofindtheanswer.fourtimestheyhaveleftwithoutunderstanding.itellthem,"youcan'tpossiblyunderstanditifyouuseonlyyoursciencetrainingandyourbooks,"buttheyshaketheirheadsandanswer:"alzheimer'sdoesnotworklikethis.withhercondition,it'sjustnotpossibletohaveaconversationorimproveasthedaygoeson.ever."
butshedoes.noteveryday,notmostofthetime,anddefinitelylessthansheusedto.butsometimes.andallthatisgoneonthesedaysishermemory,asifshehasamnesia.heremotionsarenormal,herthoughtsarenormal.andthesearethedaysthatiknowiamdoingright.
dinneriswaitinginherroomwhenwereturn.ithasbeenarrangedforustoeathere,asitalwaysisondayslikethese,andonceagainicouldaskfornomore.thepeopleherearegoodtomeandiamthankful.
thelightsaredimmed,theroomislitbytwocandlesonthetablewherewewillsit,andmusicisplayingsoftlyinthebackground.thecupsandplatesareplasticandthecarafeisfilledwithapplejuice,butrulesarerulesandshedoesn'tseemtocare.
sheinhalesslightlyatthesight.hereyesarewide."didyoudothis?"
inodandshewalksintotheroom.
"itlooksbeautiful."
ioffermyarminescortandleadhertothewindow.shedoesn'treleaseitwhenwegetthere.hertouchisnice,andwestandcloseto << 上一页 [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] ... 下一页 >>
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