The wind was blowing very hard that day. The rain had started and we held on tightly to our Walgreen’s 2.99 navy blue umbrella. We managed to make the appointment on time and found the new medical building.I was not familiar with this side of town at all. She was always late and never ready even when I came an hour away. I felt anxious inside today and could not understand why? Running through my mind was my checklist ; (insurance information, medications, referrals, copies of tests, questions, answers). We climbed into the elevator and pushed the number 3. She hung on tightly to my arm as we bumped up each floor. As we stepped out the doorway the wind almost took our umbrella and this made us both laugh to get rain on our foreheads. I said in that sing song voice to cheer her up, ” do not be afraid, ya sister is here” she smiled and nodded those beautiful eyes at me. We patiently waited our turn. He finally appeared, there he was a very little man, not even 5 feet tall. His hair was unkempt and his shirt had a food stain on the front, his shirt was partially untucked. He then motioned with his hand for both of us to enter his messy office. Quite abruptly he said, ” this is not my office, I share this space” and we both nodded as if giving approval . She took the seat closest to him and I sat in the corner on that old hard chair which reminded me of Oak Street school. The walls had baseball memorabilia and the desk was piled high with papers scattered everywhere. There was not one square inch of free space on that desk. I thought to myself; how could anyone work this way, maybe he is just crazy! He began to administer the tests to her. With each execution I held my breath when she was unable to answer the question or failed to write something down. I recognized that anxiety it was this sinking down feeling and knew where this was leading us. He hopped around on those short legs and over run shoes and said, ” can you draw the hands of the clock at 3:00 for me…..please just take your time…yes, at three o’clock.” When she did something correctly he praised her as if she were a child and then he smiled and patted her on the back. I tried to paste myself into the wall so that I would not interfere in any way during this transaction. As the tests continued once again she was unable to complete the test I felt that sinking down feeling in my heart . He continued without success and then he rubbed his temple and said bending down towards her, “Do you know who Ronald Reagan is?” she confidently replied, ” yes I do and I don’t want to know him.” I was very surprised at her saracasim . Well, he said, looking thoughtfully into her eyes, ” I am sorry but you have the Ronald Reagan Disease,” and abruptly left the room. ………………………….
/later sunny(from sister’s diary).
