The Picture Book

I can’t remember when it began to happen, one day it just wasn’t the same anymore. At first it was a forgotten phone number and then a forgotten bill and eventually this…I sat and watched him stare off into space. He looked around questioningly, as if he wondered where he was and then he turned his stare towards me and pointed.

“What is it? Do you need something?” I asked.

He looked around the room again and said, “that book, with the pictures, where is it?”

We shuffled around the living room and he found one that was merely a cover that only had a few pages in it. He flipped through the pages and muttered, “this one is all used and there is nothing in it I need. There is a newer book, please help me find it.” We continued moving couch pillows and other things throughout the room to no avail.

As I walked into the kitchen I passed the old telephone, that no one ever used. I picked up the receiver just to see if it had a dial tone. It didn’t and I wondered why it was even still connected to the wall. I chalked this up to an old piece of wall art and let it be. I surveyed the dirty dishes in the sink and decided to load the dishwasher, getting sidetracked from my original mission of finding the picture book.

As I opened the dishwasher, there it was, on the top shelf, just sitting there. “Dad,” I called, "the new book is in here.”

He shuffled around the corner and took the book from my hands. “I’ll make you a list.” He said and went back into the living room.

I tidied up the kitchen and started the dishwasher. I swept and mopped and went back into the living room.

There was dad, he had torn pictures from the book: a suit, dog, eggs, milk, can of beans and a picture of a big smile of nothing but lips.

“Dad,what is this?” I asked.

He looked at me and said, “go by the cleaners and get my good suit, I need dog food and milk and those beans.” He said.

“And the smile, is it a big thank you?” I asked. He replied, “no, silly, I need some more polident.”

“OK Dad. I will get to the store and bring you back these items”, I told him, knowing it will be hard as dad hadn’t worn a suit in years and he doesn’t have a dog. Is this all you need?”

He nodded his head and went back to his chair, where he sat and continued staring out the window.

First it was reading, then writing and soon, I’m told, he will not remember my name.