Imelda Retains His Teeth - Surprisingly!

Friday 13th September 2013

Imelda has a lucky escape

Today I went to the mountain at 10.45am I wanted to give Imelda time to reflect and settle and I wanted to see what he thought about all my effort (average six hours a day for the past four weeks or more).

I took with me a few boxes of bits which I had sorted from the house and decided should be kept and returned there.  I returned all his books, a set of silver egg cups which I had polished, a few bits and pieces and all his cash which I had found over the weeks I was clearing. (£335 approx plus coins).  I also had some of his pies which he had persuaded some of the neighbours to bake for him.  He supplied the fruit for two pies, theneighbours cooked the pies and gave him one.  He had six stacked up when he fell, which I put in my freezer for when he came out.  I took three round today.

When I got there Imelda was eating breakfast - yes, it was 10.45am.  I gave him the money and the pies and went upstairs to put the books away.  Imelda followed me up. 'Did you find a bed in here?' he asked.  An odd question in a normal household, but not in this one.

'Yes', I said 'we did'

'You haven't thrown that out have you?'

'Yes we did. The bed was rotten, 40 years old, it had collapsed in the middle and was full of moths.  It also added too much bulk to an unused bedroom.'

He looked disappointed 'But I was thinking I could sleep on it if I needed to.'

'Dad, as I have just said it was totally rotten, full of moths and dust and with your lungs you would not have been healthy after sleeping on it.  I have spent four whole days clearing a space around your bed so that you can sleep in it!'

'But there was a spare mattress as well!'

'Yes, and that too was rotten, it was in even worse shape than the first one.  There was a huge hole in it, it was full of horsehair and when we folded it in half it stayed folded.  It was the one I had when I was a kid. (No wonder with my animal allergies I spent most of my childhood fighting for breath and I can't remember how many times I swamped the bed eeewww). It was totally useless.  There would have been no support for your back'.

He looked at me as if I had just insulted his mother. 'Well if someone had come to look after me they could have slept on it.'

I do not know what planet he is living on but it sure is not the same one as everyone else.  I would not have let my worst enemy sleep on that wildlife reserve of a mattress certainly not someone who was supposed to be looking after me.  I pointed out the space there now was in the bedroom.  He seemed to accept this and moved back downstairs to finish his breakfast.

I went down.  He asked me if I had thrown out the old ballcock from the toilet.  I said I had - it was old and rusty and the ball had a hole in it.  I could imagine no use at all for it so it went out.
'We needed that in case we needed to measure up for the new one!'

There really is no pleasing some people.  It appears he is now going to spend the next few years badgering me to see what I threw out.

He told me the council had been to collect the armchairs (which had been outside the patio doors for 13 years).  I told him yes, I knew that as it was me who organised man power to put them outside the front of the house and rang the council to organise collection.  I told him they would be coming for the washing machine on Monday as they were separate collection types. I had already told him this at least twice over the past two weeks.
He said 'They will need to come separately for the washing machine as apparently they are different collections'.
'I know that dad I booked them two weeks ago.  I told you they were separate'
'Alright. Alright' he said 'I am just telling you.  Why won't you listen?'

I told him I was not staying long as I had things to do.  He told me to wait as he didn't want to rush his breakfast.  I waited, and I waited while he poured himself another cup of tea.  I tried to make conversation and asked if he wanted a box full of tools to be moved from the kitchen worktop.

He said 'I can't hear you with that stupid thing on your face'. 

I pointed out 'that stupid thing' was what I needed to be able to maintain an open airway in his house.  He pretended not to hear. 

Finally I was sick of just waiting for him to finish breakfast.  I have so much work to do at home.  My house has become somewhat neglected over the past few weeks as I have been at his.  I have so much at home to catch up on. 'I'll be off then.' I said

'I thought you wanted me to find you something to do!' he said

How I managed to prevent his teeth being dislodged by my fist I have yet to discover.

I left, fast.  I was not happy.  The bloke had to take me to the pub for lunch and a few beers as I was so wound up.

As I left I had noticed the lead and plug for the washing machine had been cut off.