Home Alone?????

Today was the first time, in a couple of years, Ram was alone at home the whole day. I have not left her alone for more than a couple of hours at a time, and during the day hours only, this same period but today I did. I was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the new mosque of University Technology Petronas by the Sultan of Perak. Together with other committee members of our retirees fraternity (we were invited in our capacity as the fraternity's committee members) we left KL at about 8.00am and arrived back in KL at 6.15pm. I left home at about 7.00 am and arrived home at just after 7.00pm.

I was initially quite apprehensive having to leave her alone for an extended period, with her vision and personal health condition not up to par, but she assured me that she will be ok. "Afterall it will only be the day hours" she said. For meals she said bread will do. So I baked a loaf of bread last night, a part of which we had for dinner and she said she can have the rest for lunch today (we love eating bread and instead of buying bread we make them according to our liking ingredient-wise). Ram also said that she planned to visit the wife of our Imam who is not well together with a neighbour who lives not far away from our house and on the same street. So I left her alone at home.

That was a mistake!!!!!!!! The visit to see the Imam's wife did not happen for some reason or other. So, she instead mopped the floors and did other household chores (these we normally do together). Then she decided to cook...... She had bread for lunch though. We have a variety of fish in the freezer, some of which already cut into small pieces. She chose to cook one that was still whole, and she used the chopper to cut it into small pieces. She could have cooked, and it would be easier for her if she had, the ones that were already cut into small pieces. But no no no!!, she wanted to cook the whole fish, and to do that she had to cut the fish into small pieces first. Yessss... you guessed it... she hurt herself doing it. She cut her right forefinger!!!

When I arrived home at dusk, I noticed that all were closed. No lights in the hall but the bedroom light was on. I came in and found her sleeping. She heard me moving about and woke up. She had apparently slept soon after her mid afternoon prayers. She must have tired herself doing all the household cleaning and other chores alone I thought. Then I noticed the bandage on her finger. Only then she told me what happened. There was alot of blood she said.... I don't know what happened she said.... My hand slipped when trying to cut the fish she said.... I just nodded and nodded and nodded. I did not say anything then and just put a straight face. When she's done talking I asked whether the finger still hurts. She said it does not, and I left it at that.

During dinner I told her of my trip to the University, how the ceremony was, who was there and who I met. (Tessa was also there, as she was in the ceremony organising team and I suspect she had a hand at arranging our "better" seats at the ceremony and also our table at lunch). Ram told me then of what she had been doing the whole day. She was cooking in the afternoon and that was when she hurt herself. She must have tired herself in the morning and thus when she was cooking she was not concentrating!!

Previously she had inadvertently scooped stuff and missed the intended containers, like scooping milo or sugar from its container but missing the cup and spreading the stuff on the table. Once she had missed pouring hot water from a hot water flask into a mug and poured it onto her leg instead. Now this.... I will now think twice before leaving her 'home alone' for long periods......

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya