I was given this brown felt “Sundance” sleeve containing a card reminding her of a skin care appointment and (I think) a brass plate that once was secured on a wooden dresser or table.
I don’t know because I can’t ask my friend who gave it to me what it is or why she wanted to give them to me. She is a childhood friend, 68 years old, living for the past year in a locked unit of an assisted living unit. Her elderly husband died last year living in another assisted living facility. Her only son lives 3000 miles away.
Visits last only 15 -20 minutes at most. She can’t sit down when a visitor (and she doesn’t have many) comes. She gets up and walks around the unit, seemingly on a mission of some sort, and we can go in and out of her room easily five or six times before starting the loop again. Her language impairment is severe and makes conversation impossible. On the final loop through her room last week, she gave me these items she had in her pocket. I thanked her and hugged her goodbye.
As I left the facility and opened up the sleeve, I saw the appointment card from a skin care facility she used to go to every week like clock work.
“Looking forward to seeing you”.
If I drank, I’d order a double.
