Red Rubber Ball

One day the sun was shining.
The sky was as blue as Grandad’s shiny Falcon.
We went to school.
Nana read the paper.
Mum went for a jog.
And Grandad went to work.
Brmmm…brmmm… blah… blah… blah.

When we got home.
We forgot to put our lunchboxes on the bench.
And didn’t hang our bags on the hooks.
Mum tripped over our shoes.
And moaned about our squashed, uneaten bananas.
We forgot about our homework.
But we remembered our red rubber ball.
We bounced it and threw it.
Aiming it through the hoop and at each other.
Bumped it against the wall.

Ring…ring… ring…
1-1-1
“Yes, of course, how? Ok… thank you.”

Grandad’s sick, lying out flat.
Mum told us.
We’ve never see him horizontal.
He’s cutting the hedge. Big and strong, clip-chop.
Or he’s puffing and jogging.
Mowing the lawn. Moving, moving, moving.
Clanking about in his garage.
Showing us pieces of history.
Or snoozing in his blue chair.

Grandad is very, very sick.
Today he recognised Nana.
She started crying.
Mum said Grandad’s had a stroke.
It’s like a big hand has slapped him down.
When will he come home?

Hospitals smell.
But the nurses are friendly.
Nurse Tina said we could come in.
She said not to worry about the beeps and blips.
Or the tubes.
They’re helping Grandad get well.
Last week Grandad didn’t need tubes or blips.

Nana looks like she’s been crying.
And Mum is rushing about.
Grandad is slow but smiles.
Grandad’s just sleeping, big heavy sighs.
Uncle Mike is very serious and not pulling our legs.
Grandad’s shrunk.
And he’s as pale as the sheets.
He has grey hair, was it grey before?
And tubes are sticking out of funny places.
Lines and bumps jump across a small dark screen.
We don’t belong here.
We feel like shoes on a snake.

We sit in the waiting room wishing we weren’t here.
The couch is faded and ripped.
Wish we were home having tea.
Other people sit here too.
We roll our ball across the room.
Sometimes, when noone is looking, we bounce it.
Chris is cool, his dad is sick.

Wish we were sitting with Nana and Grandad.
Eating potatoes rolling in gravy.
Or with ice-cream dripping from our spoons.
Making sure we pass the salt with the pepper.
With mouths closed and clean fingers.

Grandad shook our hand to day.
Firm. Not soft.
Just like he always does.
He showed us how the bed goes UP
And down.
We wonder if Mum would let us have one.
But it might be too big for our room.

Grandad is surrounded by people.
Some joking. Some not.
They do jobs that don’t dance off our tongue.
Doctor. Physiotherapist. Occupational therapist.
Sometimes they speak as if he is not there.
Or they talk to him like he’s a small boy. He’s not.
Grandad’s big and strong and doesn’t need little words.
Last week he was sitting at his computer
Working out things we don’t understand.
Things Mum doesn’t even know about.

Today we want to be nurses.
They wear medals which make them look like they’ve been to war.
Maybe tomorrow we’ll want to be doctors.
I like the tea trolley.
And the lady smiles big as she gives Grandad cups of tea.
His hand shakes as he takes a sip.

Grandad is up.
He’s not quite straight but like our cousin Dylan
Who’s learning to walk.
A bit unsure, a bit unsteady
But he’s not lying down, getting lost on the sheets.
He walks with a walking frame.
It’s not like his car - big, powerful and blue.
It does have wheels and brakes.

Nana picked up Grandad today.
He’s coming home.
Grandad is coming home!
He will sit in his blue chair and make cups of tea,
Telling us about life as a boy. Grandads were kids too.
But some bits of Grandad are a little lost.
Maybe one day they will come back.
Or perhaps they will stay buried
Like lost treasure.
His eyes are still bluer than blue.
And his smile just as big.
Handshake just as tight.
Grandad’s sitting in his blue chair.
Nana’s in the other one.
And Mum’s still tripping over our shoes.

A stroke is one of the main causes of disability in our country. An elderly person or a young person can have one. Many New Zealanders do not recognise the signs that someone is having a stroke. FAST helps you to learn the signs so that you can act quickly to save someone’s life.
Here is the FAST way to recognise a stroke:
F – Face – smile (is one side droopy?)
A – Raise both arms (is one side weak?)
S – Speak a simple sentence (Is the speech slurred or is he/she unable to speak?)
T – Lost time could be lost brain! Go to hospital fast!

Is it a stroke? Act FAST. Call 111
Act FAST - you could save a stroke victim’s life! Learn FAST off by heart and tell your friends and family about it too.
For more information visit www.stroke.org.nz

Copyright V. Hall 2008