Snooze

She always comes right after lunch. When I’m having what they call a snooze. You having a little snooze, Mollie? the ladies say. 

They wheel me out to the coffee bar area after lunch and put a newspaper on the table. I can’t usually get too into it. It’s too blurry, a bunch of squiggles. There’s a few words. My eyes get heavy, really heavy. My head is heavy. My eyes. Really tired.

Someone tapping on my shoulder. Huh? Eyes open, where are they? Right in front. No, off to the side.  No, I wasn’t sleeping. I was awake! It is bath time?

Oh, it’s her! She leans in, kisses my head. Grandma! It’s good to see you!

It’s good to see you, too.  I can’t say it. I want to say it but it’s not working. I move my lips. Close my eyes.

Grandma!

Open my eyes. There she is! No one visits me. She visits me, not all the time though. How much. Did she come yesterday? No, longer.

But who’s that—she’s with someone else. Him. His name is.  He’s—

Hi Ma.

Ma. He hugs me. That’s nice. It would be nice if someone would hug me like that every day. I try to tell him. I would like.  I would.

He is playing with something on the table. Pressing some little buttons.

She gives me a big smile. It’s like I’m a baby. It’s okay. I like when she smiles. She always smiles.

You would what, she says.

I would—what? I can’t remember. It was something important. I remember that. But not what it was.

She’s doing a little better, she says.

Better but not good, he says. She’s still not talking.

She just talked right now.

When? Today?

Just a second ago. You didn’t hear her?

I’m nodding my head.  Hey, look at me. Yes! I said something.

I guess I missed it, he says. He’s pressing the little buttons.  He’s frowning.

She always starts a sentence, but it’s like she doesn’t know how to finish it, she says.

Yes! That’s right! That’s exactly right. I nod as hard as I can; but it's not much. My head is so heavy and my neck is stiff.

Yeah, I say.  It comes out loud. She looks at me.  He looks at me.

Yeah? says the girl back. She laughs, like I’m a really good baby, a funny baby. You’re listening to us?

My eyes are getting heavy again. I’m cold and I want a blanket. But I’m gonna answer her. I know just how to answer her. I know what the answer is.

“Yes,” I say.