Like a Thief in the Night

 Alzheimer's destroys the mind - and in the process, annihilates the very self.  
 -J. Kluger

Like a Thief in the Night
It starts with the littlest of things. A misplaced set of keys. Putting the wrong date on a check. Forgetting an appointment. 

After a while, there are whisperings of the word 'dementia'. No one really thinks too much about it because as we age, our bodies and minds start to go. Death knows no boundaries. It is something we just know will eventually happen. 

The repetition grows old. You've heard the same story so many times you could tell it yourself. Holding a conversation is difficult because recent events are easily forgotten. But the past, it sticks around. It is detailed. It is familiar. 

But even those familiar details become blurred. Some of the story is still true. The rest of it is filled in with new places or people who have nothing to do with the story. 

Moments of clarity exist, but are rare. At least some of the memory is there. 

Keeping a routine becomes a necessity. Familiar people. Stay close to home. Don't go too far. 

Night becomes day. Day becomes night. Time altogether becomes irrelevant. The month, the year, the days of the week pile on top of each other. Understanding length of time is forgotten. 

Using the telephone becomes too difficult. The television has too many buttons. 

Pajamas stay on all day. Showering takes too much time. Brushing teeth and combing hair are not important.  
Behavior changes. The adult moves out and the child moves back in.

Names are lost, secrets are now buried. 
Laughter is gone and tears dry in place.
Blank stares. Hollow eyes. Thin cheeks. 
Weight is lost. Scent is lost. Sight is blurred. Taste is gone. 
Light is gone.

She is gone. 

He wants to go. 

He needs to go. 
He's gone; and now he is with she.
-T.B. Williams