Saturday, May 09, 2015

Don't panic, Captain Mainwaring!

My great-aunt phoned me today. I said I'd call her back when I'd spoken to my uncle. Minutes later I phoned her and there was no reply.

I decided she must have gone to the toilet and hung up.

A little later I call again: no reply. Maybe she is in the kitchen. She is nearly 95 after all and can't move very fast.

Later on I call and still no reply. I am beginning to worry now but I am in the middle of making a cake so decide to give it one more go a bit later.

When she still doesn't answer I give Husband instructions as to what to do with the cake when the pinger goes and drive down to Mumbles to check up on her. After the week I've had I fully anticipate another hospital trip. Maybe Fate felt I was suffering from hospital deprivation not having been in one for more than 24 hours.

Great-aunt is fine. The phone hasn't rung all afternoon she says. It isn't off the hook and is making the right noise when she picks it up to check. I tell her I'd imagined her lying on the floor unable to move. She shows me the emergency button she always carries with her so she can call help.

I should have realised. She has a daughter-in-law and grandchildren living close by; they would have made sure she could get help in an emergency. 

Must switch off 'whatever-can-go-wrong-is-going-to-go-wrong' button in head and ... breathe.

1 comment:

nick said...

I have the same sort of scare at regular intervals. I phone my mum several times and get no reply. So of course my imagination goes into overdrive conjuring up all sorts of emergencies and disasters. Then I ring again and she's fine. She didn't hear the phone or she was out shopping etc. Huge sigh of relief, wave of embarrassment etc.