Mother is cranky this morning
doesn’t want to be at a nursing home full of old people.
“But you are eighty today mother and the oldest one here.”
“So what! I’m not senile.
I want to go home to my own flat and smoke when I want to.”
“Don’t they allow you to smoke?”
“Yes but not in my room.”
“It is too late now the flat is council property
and has been rented out to an elderly couple” I tell her.
“Where is my furniture?”
“You gave them to relatives”
“Oh, them! Greedy bastards!”
“And here they are mother, can hear them in the hall”
A group of too noisy, too cheerful people enter
bringing flowers and cakes
and mother smiles
she can, at times, be very polite.