Short Stories : The Last Trip of the Hanseatic (Chapter 1)

Short Stories : The Last Trip of the Hanseatic (Chapter 1)

 

This novel takes you into the world of old people's homes, which we only know, if at all, from occasional visits by close relatives, where we were always happy to be able to go home as soon as possible. But the residents of such homes do not have this option. You can't go home at all. For almost everyone, taking the step into the home is a final one.

I try to describe the daily monotony and the big and small problems there in a diary-like form. From the perspective of everyone involved, the resident, her daughter and the head nurse. Everyone tells the same things, but from a very personal perspective. The reader may also react a little differently in the future if he experiences the latest scandal from the Milieu nursing home again in the media. In addition, we all probably come to the age when we can no longer spare our parents the difficult step into the home if we don't even get there soon.

People:

Ms. Gerda Scholz - resident

Elvira Heinemann, born Scholz - daughter

Angelika Wimmer - geriatric nurse

The first day

We get out of the car. Elvira has just parked it in the large parking lot. Elvira is my daughter. "You have it much better there, mom, in the beautiful home!" She told me. Over and over again. Until I believed it myself. Now I'm in the home, the beautiful one. The building looks pretty new. The front front swung like the bow of a ship. Like that of the Hanseatic. That was a ship. We went on a cruise three times with it, Alwin, my husband and me. The first time Elvira was there. "Man, mom, it's boring here, all just old people!", She complained. Alwin paid so much money for it. Well, today she has her Hans. He is flying to the Maldives with her. Living in a straw hut. A comfortable one, with air conditioning, but in a straw hut. It would be nicer to have your cabin on the Hanseatic. And the same cabin steward as last time, his name was Rudolfo, came from Portugal. Germans hardly want to do that anymore. Serve, serve, be friendly.

And now I'm here, in front of the beautiful old people's home: "Sankt Angelika". Why do they always have to have holy names that remind of Christian values, charity, humility. Modest because of it. After all, I'm supposed to pay 2300 euros a month here. Nursing care insurance pays a few hundred, at least. But my whole widow's pension goes on it. And the additional supply from the Hansa car factory, where I earned something as a cleaning lady because Alwin didn't bring home so much anymore, the last years before his death. He worked for twenty years. Night duty, Sunday duty in the print shop as a typesetter. Then the computers came. Every little office tip could put there. Now everything comes from the editorial office ready to use as a print template. Is only tensioned on the rollers of the printing press. And let's go. Why do you need a typesetter?

But not even all this money is enough for the home contribution. Elvira is supposed to take care of the rest, they told her, at the social welfare office. From her father's inheritance. For that, Alwin saved up for decades. So that his daughter would be better off than we were. Although we weren't that bad. The cruises on the Hanseatic. Rodolfo always said doctor to Alwin. Because he tip so well. Rodolfo probably thought that we were rich people. But he didn't really believe it anyway. "You are far too nice for a millionaire," he always said to my husband.

But now let's finally go inside the house. The glass door hooks something. But now it still opens. A jack would be easier. But it has to be automatic. Because of the regulations. What do the regulations actually say if the power fails, who actually opens the door? Well, when is the current going out nowadays is not like after the war when we had the candles, more than anything else. Finally, we are inside. I painted worse all day before. The first step into the home. There is even a reception on the right. A young girl behind the counter could be Lilli, my granddaughter. But it is not. She would shout "Hello Omi!" But here it only says "What can I do for you?".

These new-fashioned phrases today, a friendly hello would be much more appropriate. Elvira takes care of it for me. So I can look around. Have been here before, two months ago. "Just so you can see that it's not that bad in a home, mom!" Said Elvira at the time. I would have years before I had to come here. If anything, she said. But now I'm here. And much earlier. Earlier than I thought, at least. The little girl is busy on the phone. "It will take a few more minutes. The head nurse will come and pick you up! " I don't want to be picked up. I want to go to my room. In my new home!

Back then, two months ago, they showed us a model room, but now I want to see my real one. The head nurse finally comes.

"Welcome to Sankt Angelika, I'm Frau Wimmer, Angelika Wimmer!" How sensible, her name is Angelika.

She seemed to be guessing my thoughts. "No, no, I'm not that holy. Sankt Angelika is just the patron saint of the parish here in town, that's where the name of our home comes from

Mrs. Wimmer seems to be friendly and humorous. After all. She goes ahead, opens the door to the elevator and presses the 2. Nothing moves.

"The fitter has to come at any moment, we have already called", calls the girl from the reception. Ms. Wimmer pulls us out of the elevator and points to the other end of the hall.

"We'll take the small elevator, ladies, we'll get out of your room anyway!"

Done, the small elevator works perfectly. It can get fun with the technology here. "We have a competent caretaker, but of course he can't fix everything himself!" Sighs Ms. Wimmer. Again she seemed to have guessed my thoughts.

"So there we are, Mrs. Scholz. This is your home now. Mr. Claudius, our caretaker, has already hung her own curtains from her old apartment. And he set up the antique wardrobe again! ”

Well, but I would have preferred my own bed instead of this miracle of technology that I should now put myself into. As if she had guessed my thoughts again, says the head nurse

“The beds are always made by us, with an electric motor to raise them. What do you think, what people used to bring in beds was impossible. And if you ever need to be looked after, the nurse can give you the food much better with the automatic lift system! ”

Can be, I think in secret. But an electric bed reminds me a little of an electric chair. After all, my favorite pictures are hung up. The picture of Alwin with the cabin steward from the Hanseatic. Our wedding photo, in front of the church with all our friends. So I don't feel completely strange, away from my old apartment. The two eagerly follow how I would take the room.

"I'll leave you alone for now, Ms. Scholz!" Says Ms. Wimmer. "You definitely want to familiarize yourself with the circumstances undisturbed". How right she is. I don't want to see anyone at the moment. Especially not Elvira, who got it all into me. "Believe me, soon you will be happy that you can be here, mom, it's the best for you!" She says stubbornly

Especially for you, I think to myself. Hans, her husband definitely didn't want me in her row house. Although he had the attic expanded to a cozy little guest apartment.

"You would have to climb stairs forever, mother-in-law!" He used to apologize whenever I tried to broach the subject.

At some point it got too stupid for me and I agreed to move to the home.

Elvira also starts walking, her guilty conscience is written on her face. "Bye, mom, I'll come to the office tomorrow, as soon as possible!"

she calls and disappears.

Continue Readimg to The Last Trip of the Hanseatic (Chapter 2)