When my late husband suffered his first stroke in 2006 here in Sheridan, Wyoming, he was airlifted to a hospital in Billings, Montana, about 150 miles away, because it was thought he might need surgery. That hospital in Billings, like many big city hospitals, had labyrinths of corridors on each floor. Signage was everywhere, but for someone like me with a visual impairment, that was no help.
After it was determined that Bill would be there for a while, Dad drove up to Billings and helped me figure out how to get from the hotel across the street where I was staying to Bill’s room and other locations in the hospital such as the Subway sandwich shop and the cafeteria. Even so, I still got lost a few times when I wasn’t paying attention. Once, I ended up in a parking garage with no way to get back into the hospital building.
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Thanks to Girlie on the Edge for inspiring the above true story with this week’s six-sentence prompt, in which the given word is “labyrinth.” You can participate in this week’s hop and read other bloggers’ six-sentence creations by clicking here. You can also learn how I met and married Bill, then cared for him after he suffered two paralyzing strokes by reading My Ideal Partner, which is available free from Smashwords this month. See below for details.
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And now, I’m pleased to announce that until the end of the month, all my books can be downloaded from Smashwords ABSOLUTELY FREE as part of its summer/winter sale. You can click here to visit my author page and download these books. Happy reading!
New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me
Copyright 2021 by Abbie Johnson Taylor.
Independently published with the help of DLD Books.
Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.
After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.
Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.
Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?
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My Corner 
I completely understand. Bob was hospitalized in Pittsburgh 8 years ago with acute myeloid leukemia – was in and out of the hospital for weeks at a time for an entire year.
I memorized the path to the cafeteria, using a talking elevator. It’s really so hard to do things like that. The joys of sight loss, huh?
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I know what you mean, Lynda. Having him in and out of the hospital for weeks on end mustn’t have been easy.
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