When Love Calls (8 page)

They both laughed as she went back to sweeping and Alyssa went inside. “Grandma,” she called out as soon as she closed the door. “Grandma, it’s me.”

There was no answer, so Alyssa went into the kitchen and placed the bag of Chinese food on the counter. She saw that the breakfast and/or lunch dishes hadn’t been washed, so she put the stopper in, turned on the water and added dishwashing liquid. When the sink filed with soapy water, she added the dishes and let them soak.

“Grandma,” she called out again, then went upstairs and peeked into her bedroom, expecting to see her grandmother lying across the bed taking a nap. She wasn’t. The television was on and the bed was still made. “Grandma,” she said, continuing to walk through the other three bedrooms on that floor.

Each was neatly preserved, dresser, desk, curtains, bed perfectly made, but still no Allie.

Alyssa started to panic.

“Grandma,” she yelled, now fearful that she’d fallen and hurt herself, and since Alyssa didn’t call her the night before, she could possibly have been lying on the floor passed out for over twenty-four hours. “Grandma Allie.”

She ran downstairs to the basement, swinging the door open, dreading the sight of her grandmother lying at the bottom of the steps with her laundry basket tumbled on top of her. “Grandma,” she yelled, rushing down the steps to see that everything was in its usual perfect place.

She hurried back upstairs to the front door. The small foyer had a large antique coatrack where Allie Wingate kept her purse on a hook and her door keys on another. Both were still in place. She went back upstairs to the master bedroom’s bathroom, then finally climbed the stairs to the attic.

As soon as she got to the top, she saw the door at the end of the short hall, wide-open. “Grandma, didn’t you hear me calling you? I was looking all over that house for—”

She stopped dead. Her grandmother was lying on the floor, sprawled out as if she’d collapsed. She screamed, then rushed over to her side. Her nurse’s training kicked in as she grabbed her grandmother’s frail wrist and felt for a pulse. Finding a pulse, she placed two fingers on her neck and felt a strong, steady rhythm. She was still alive, thank God. As relief washed over her, her instincts phased to the next step, the possibility that she was hurt or injured or had fallen or passed out.

“Grandma,” she said, quieter with less stress for fear of alarming her. “It’s Alyssa, can you hear me?”

A slow, sleepy moan escaped as Allie took a deep breath, then opened her eyes and jumped. “Lord, child, you nearly scared the life out of me.”

“Grandma, can you move, did you fall or pass out? Are you dizzy? How many fingers am I holding up? Can you tell me your name? My name?”

“Oh, stop all that silliness. I’m fine, except for seeing you here,” she said, placing her hand over her heart. “You like to given me a heart attack. Look at you, you’re as white as a ghost. What happened, is your father okay?”

“Grandma, you’re lying on the floor, you almost gave me a heart attack. Are you okay?”

Allie started laughing. “Wouldn’t that be a hoot, the two of us passed out with heart attacks ’cause we scared each other to death?”

“I seriously need to talk to you about your sense of humor,” Alyssa said as she always did with her grandmother’s warped sense of fun. “Grandma, what are you doing lying out like this on the attic floor?” Allie covered her mouth and yawned, then started to lean up. “No, wait, take it slowly, you might have broken a bone or something.”

“I’m fine, the only thing that’s broken is a dream I was having, but for the life of me, I don’t remember it right now. Here, give a hand.”

Alyssa braced back and helped her grandmother sit up. “Are you dizzy?”

“Child, if you don’t stop all that fussing, I’m gonna toss you out that stained-glass window. It’ll break my heart ’cause I love those windows, but I’ll still do it.”

“All right, all right I get it, I’ll chill out.”

“Thank you,” she said, looking around at the floor covered with boxes and papers.

Alyssa sat down and looked around, for the first time actually seeing the mess around her. There were several large trunks open and an overflow of books, ribbon-tied stacks of letters, small boxes and black-and-white photos. “What is all this?”

“Here, help me up to the sofa.”

Alyssa stepped behind her grandmother, placed her arms under hers and lifted her up slowly, then eased her back to the sofa behind them.

“Whew, it’s hot in here. How about opening one of those windows over there to get some air moving around?”

Alyssa did as instructed, opening a few windows, letting a warm breeze in. “You need an exhaust fan in here to help blow out some of this heat.”

“Always meant to get your father to put one in. Guess I just forgot to tell me to do it.”

Alyssa went back over and sat on the sofa next to her grandmother. “So, what is all this?”

“Memories, picture, letters, a lifetime of treasures,” she said.

“Were you looking for something in particular?”

“To tell you the truth, I have no idea. I came up here to…” She paused. “Isn’t that funny? I can’t remember now. Oh, well…” she said, then noticed Alyssa’s concerned expression. “Now, don’t you go looking at me all strange. Live long enough, it’ll happen to you, God willing. There’s nothing wrong with me, I’m just a bit absentminded at times, that’s all.”

“Okay, Grandma,” Alyssa said, avoiding the obvious. She started to neatly stack the photos, letters and other things back into the trunks. She reached over and picked up a very large storage box with a bright red ribbon. “What’s in here?”

“A wedding gown,” Allie answered.

“A wedding gown. Whose gown, Mom’s? I never saw it before,” she said. “I thought she eloped. Are there photos of her in it?”

“No, there are no photos and it’s not your mother’s, it’s mine. Henry bought it for me so long ago I almost forgot all about it. He told me that he saw it in a window one day and bought it just like that. Before he even asked me to marry him, he bought it.” She smiled at the memory. “He said that he saw it and just knew that it was for me, so he had to ask me to marry him.”

“Wow, that’s so romantic,” Alyssa said. “Do you have pictures of you in it?”

Allie smiled regretfully. “I never wore it.”

“What? Why not?”

“To tell you the truth, I don’t even remember. I just know that it’s never been worn. I’d hoped your mother would have worn it, but she didn’t. She eloped.”

“May I…”

“Of course, open it up.”

Alyssa opened the box and held up the most beautiful white-lace wedding gown she’d ever seen. “This is breathtaking. I can’t believe Grandpa bought this for you and you never even tried it on. It’s so beautiful.”

“Yes, it is.”

Alyssa carefully placed the gown back in the storage box and was just about to put it into the larger box when another large dress box below it caught her attention. “What’s in that one, another gown?”

Allie smiled again. “Open it.”

She did. Beneath several layers of white tissue she found a beautiful cream-colored silk strapless dress with beautiful embroidered flowers snaking from just below the bodice to the hip, to just below the knee where it ended in a soft flourish. There was a matching shawl with beaded fringe and a pair of silk high heels that looked as if they had never been worn. “Wow,” was all she could say.

Allie smiled, admiring it happily. “Lovely, isn’t it?”

“Grandma, it’s magnificent. I’ve never seen anything like it. Where did you get it?”

“It was a gift from a very long time ago.”

“From Granddad again?” she asked.

“No, not this time.”

Alyssa gently fingered the perfectly hand-stitched embroidery on the side of the dress, on the shawl and on the shoes. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“And you never will, I don’t suppose. It was especially made just for me, shoes and all, although I never wore it.”

“You never wore this, either? But why?”

“Circumstances never presented themselves.”

“But this is too beautiful to just sit here in a box all wrapped up.”

“I agree, that’s why you should have it.”

“Grandma, I couldn’t. This is yours, and besides, it wouldn’t even fit me, it’s too small.”

“Actually it would probably fit you even better. You have the added curves I never did. And I know the shoes are your size.”

“Thank you, but I can’t. But it’s lovely, just as you said,” Alyssa said, repacking it back in the box just as she found it.

“So, what are you doing here tonight? I thought you were busy.”

“That was last night. It’s Friday and I brought Chinese food.”

“So, what are we doing sitting up here in this dusty old attic?” She stood steady and ready. “Come on, let’s eat. All this talking has gotten me hungry.”

“Okay, you go ahead downstairs. I’ll finish with all this and close the windows, then meet you in the kitchen.”

“Sounds good. I need to make a quick stop and wash up a bit but I’ll be right down.”

Alyssa watched as her grandmother walked easily across the large attic floor, then headed down the hall. She could hear the slight creak of the steps as Allie went downstairs to the second floor. She sighed, relieved. Seeing her grandmother lying there like that had nearly scared her to death. Alyssa didn’t know what she’d do if she lost her.

Allie Granger was her maternal grandmother and the only mother figure in her life. Her own mother had died of leukemia when she was four years old and she barely remembered her, just dreamlike shadows and faint images. She was partly raised by her grandmother, and their relationship was beyond close. Alyssa was named after her and admired everything she did.

That’s why she was so horrified when she witnessed the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease and its ravaging effects. Her grandmother played it off and ignored it as just old-age forgetfulness, but there was more to it, and the more time went on, the easier it was to recognise and the harder it was to witness.

Alyssa finished cleaning up the attic, then closed the windows and turned the lights off. Going downstairs, she stopped and peeked into her grandmother’s bedroom. Hearing the water running in the bathroom, she kept going downstairs to prepare their dinner.

A few minutes later the table was set, the food was heated, the dishes were washed and set aside to dry and still no Allie. Alyssa climbed the stairs, hearing singing. She went to her grandmother’s bedroom and opened the door wide. Allie was sitting on the bed singing a song combing a doll’s hair on her lap. She remarked on how beautiful Katherine looked in her new dress and nice curls and then she looked up and smiled. “Hi, don’t you think Katherine looks adorable? I think she’s beautiful.”

Alyssa smiled and nodded as her heart filled. “Yes, Katherine looks very beautiful. But it’s time that we put Katherine down so we can go downstairs to get something to eat.”

“Can Katherine come, too?” she asked, as always, politely.

“Not this time. Let’s let Katherine rest while you and I get something to eat, okay?” Alyssa said, heartbroken by the sight of her grandmother. “I promise, we’ll eat and come right back, okay?”

Allie agreed. She set Katherine to the side and followed Alyssa downstairs. They sat and said a prayer then Alyssa fixed Allie’s plate. “May I have some water, please?” Allie asked.

“Sure, of course. I’ll get it,” Alyssa said.

By definition Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease characterized by senility, dementia and mental deterioration affecting people sixty-five and older. With her grandmother the first signs showed themselves as classic cognitive symptoms beginning with a mild impairment when she experienced the inability to remember instances of just moments earlier. This was followed by occasional loss of memory, disorientation, confusion and restlessness.

Now she lapsed into her past. It never lasted long, but it was long enough to break Alyssa’s heart.

Inhibitors and pills were wildly available, but admission was first and foremost. Allie refused to admit there was a problem. The disease always fatal, there was nothing she could do, just sit and watch as her grandmother slowly faded away.

Alyssa went to the refrigerator and poured two glasses of water, then brought them back to the table. “Here you go.”

“Alyssa, why on earth did I put this much food on my plate? Look at all this food. There’s enough here to feed a starving nation. I’m hungry, but not that hungry. So, how was your day, sweetheart, anything different or exciting?”

“No,” Alyssa said, smiling, happy to have her grandmother back with her again. “Same old, same old.”

“That’s good to hear. No surprises are good.”

“Yes, no surprises are good,” Alyssa repeated.

“I remember when I worked at the Senate Building years ago. Back then there were only a few of us, mostly in housekeeping and such. But when I got the job as file clerk, then as secretary, I was as proud as I could be.” She smiled happily. “Yes, those sure were the days.”

They ate awhile in silence, then went back to talking about some of the pictures up in the attic, then Mrs. Watts next door doing the electric slide. “Grandma, tell me why you were in the attic this afternoon. It’s so hot up there. If you needed to find something, I would have done it for you. You knew I was coming over today.”

“Your mother, she was beautiful. You look just like her, you know that. Of course you do, I’ve told you that a hundred times. I had so many dreams and hopes for her but…” She shook her head sorrowfully. “But that wasn’t meant to be. The moment she laid eyes on your father she was lost.”

“See, about that, I don’t get it. Why didn’t you and Dad ever get along? It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

“He wasn’t the one for her. He had no family, no money, no nothing. His father owned a bar, for goodness’ sake. What was that to offer my child? And look at him now, he’s still nothing, never was and never will be.”

“Grandma, please don’t talk about my dad like that. He’s a good man and he did the best for me under the circumstances.”

“Under the circumstances, he killed your mother.”

“Mom was sick, he didn’t kill her.”