Often on a Wednesday morning I take my mother-in-law shopping, just to the village shop for groceries. Often it’s quite an adventure as she is in her 90s, frail, almost blind, can’t hear very well and a bit of a “character” at times.
I am quite adept at this shopping lark these days. It involves getting her in and out of the car, into the shop, leading her by the hand around the shop while trying to control a little trolley.
Helpfully she always has a shopping list prepared. I’m well used to making sense of her scrawling handwriting and while it is mostly predictable, occasionally something new crops up.
”I see you’ve added greengages to the list” I remarked
”Yes I fancied having some more”
”I’m not sure you have had them before” I said thinking they were a kind of plum
”Yes I have, you know I have”
”Can you give me a clue, is it a kind of fruit?”
By now we were in the middle of the shop having a fairly loud conversation with other customers weaving their way around us. A member of staff was nearby stacking a shelf and trying to keep a straight face.
”Can you give me a clue?” I enquired
”What colour are they and what do they look like?”
”Well they’re green, everyone knows greengages are green”
That narrowed it down a bit. “do you mean avocados? They’re green and you sometimes have one of those”.
”No, but I might have an avocado anyway. No I want some greengages!”
”Any other clues? Do you peel them, large, small….?”
”They are round, like an egg” she said followed “they’re furry, yes they are furry” she says, quite excitedly
“Ah you mean kiwi fruits!”
“Yes, kiwi fruits, that’s what I’ve been talking about all this time. Why didn’t you say? Do they have any?”
”They do, I’ll pop some in with your shopping”.
My mother-in-law then realised the funny side of the conversation and we stood together in the middle of the shop having a chuckle together. She knew she had become muddled and yet thankfully she’s still got her marbles sufficiently well to have a laugh at herself.
That’s nice. I can’t imagine what I’ll be like when I’m in my 90s. I’ve warned my daughters that I’m probably going to be very demanding. Demanding I’m taken here and there in a [battery powered] Porsche, taken on holiday to far flung places and I’ll probably want to buy a new stereo to listen to some VERY loud music.
Becky, Hannah, you have been warned!