Unforgettable - Story by an Alzheimer Patient
Unforgettable
I suggest you to read part 1 before reading Unforgettable (Part 2), although both are complete in themselves, but reading this way would generate more interest. Or else go ahead with this one, and then read that if you want to find more.
76 years old, Mr Ajit R., has Alzheimer for the last few years. He has been living in his own world with her wife, living in the past of his adulthood, sometimes even childhood.
He spends his time reading a book called "Meri Neelam", which he himself has written during his lifetime. He keeps the book like his treasure, hides it after reading. In an Alzheimer patient, there is forgetfulness. More obvious is of short term memories, amongst short and long term memory loss. But he never forgets to take his book, to keep it back to a secret place, that no one else can tell in the house. He lives with his son, daughter in law and granddaughter. His son says it can't be told in which age of his life he's living now, it's always unpredictable. Though it's very clear his book has been with him all the time. Sometimes he adds some pages also and writes some more words to it.
The book "Meri Neelam" was once found left on the Verandah (balcony), when he was playing with his granddaughter. He either might be in his childhood playing with young Neelam, or in his 60s, playing with granddaughter only, and Neelam watching both playing. Neelam who's watching them playing could be I, his daughter in law.
I m not a doctor but I take consult of doctors and many courses to know how should I be treating an Alzheimer patient at home. My father had died of negligence by us, he was also an Alzheimer sufferer. I see my father in law as my Father, I don't wanna lose him too.
So there’s the Book “Meri Neelam” on the floor of Verandah, where I was sitting. With-in that there’s a Bookmark like thing kept in between two pages. It was actually a folded paper multiple times. On that bookmark “To Neelam” was written.
I turned more pages, there were many pages added, some were folded. All added pages were specific to certain page numbers, between which it was kept.
I took out the bookmark which had “To Mr Mehta” written over it. Mr Mehta was my Mother in law’s Father ( Father of Neelam).
Mr Mehta,
I didn’t mean to reach you like this, but I had no option. Then, I was obliged to not tell you where I had taken your daughter to. Now, I hope time has changed many things. We are doing great and she is safe and happy with me, finished her 1st year of subject she wished to study- literature. I wish you had agreed to our marriage, and not forced her to marry someone else.
Marrying her to me will not change her relationship with you. She misses you and says it was your helplessness to withdraw her studies, to force her to marry someone she didn’t t know at all. None of us wants to remember something which was not in our hand and where had to take certain steps. I really wish you write us back soon and accept us to make it a family again.
Your Son in law
All the pages in the book has a part of his story, with pages added and folded to keep in between pages, like a bookmark of his story. Each bookmark is a letter to someone he had wished to write. He lives in those moments and writes letters to communicate with them.
A similar part of this was written by me in my previous post, which is actually part 1, but can be read anytime. Understanding the story better requires reading both.
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