Phronesis
Active member
"You need to keep warm," she said. It was well-meant advice but there's a huge difference between what a person needs and it's possibilities. If you do not have money to heart your home, cannot loan and no one helps you out there are no options left for surviving the winter.
"It's not that cold yet," she mumbled wrapped in a blanket, wearing her hat inside.
The social worker of the city looked around and couldn't help shivering from the cold. How could she say that?
"You get used to it, partly used to it. It's just my feet and hands. The feet are worse. I try to walk up and down to stay warm but..."
"But what dear?"
"I cannot feel them. First, they felt cold now I feel nothing."
The social worker did a few steps forward and observed the tiny lady. She had worked her entire life, had six children and this became out of her life. No family, no visits, not able to pay for the power. She couldn't help thinking winter moved inside.
"Let me have a look dear."
She bent down as the elderly in front of her nodded. Carefully she took the blanket away and pulled her socks down. She wasn't sure what she saw, how bad it was but those feet looked dead.
"Let me pack your bag. You have to see a doctor. You can't stay here."
"No doctor will visit me and hospitals are forbidden. They are not for the elderly or the poor. You know the rules."
She swallowed.
"Your children..."
"They left, left a long time ago. They needed a better life... suffered enough... it's okay, I'm alright."
Was she? She stared out of the window and thought. This had to end. What kind of life was this? She had a spare room, didn't know if it was a smart thing to do. Quickly she packed a bag and called an ambulance.
"We leave and you can stay with me. Once it is Spring again we see. The tiny figure nodded and not long after she was carried away.
Spring never came. Both legs were amputated 10 centimeters underneath the knee. The operation succeeded but the patient died.
"It's not that cold yet," she mumbled wrapped in a blanket, wearing her hat inside.
The social worker of the city looked around and couldn't help shivering from the cold. How could she say that?
"You get used to it, partly used to it. It's just my feet and hands. The feet are worse. I try to walk up and down to stay warm but..."
"But what dear?"
"I cannot feel them. First, they felt cold now I feel nothing."
The social worker did a few steps forward and observed the tiny lady. She had worked her entire life, had six children and this became out of her life. No family, no visits, not able to pay for the power. She couldn't help thinking winter moved inside.
"Let me have a look dear."
She bent down as the elderly in front of her nodded. Carefully she took the blanket away and pulled her socks down. She wasn't sure what she saw, how bad it was but those feet looked dead.
"Let me pack your bag. You have to see a doctor. You can't stay here."
"No doctor will visit me and hospitals are forbidden. They are not for the elderly or the poor. You know the rules."
She swallowed.
"Your children..."
"They left, left a long time ago. They needed a better life... suffered enough... it's okay, I'm alright."
Was she? She stared out of the window and thought. This had to end. What kind of life was this? She had a spare room, didn't know if it was a smart thing to do. Quickly she packed a bag and called an ambulance.
"We leave and you can stay with me. Once it is Spring again we see. The tiny figure nodded and not long after she was carried away.
Spring never came. Both legs were amputated 10 centimeters underneath the knee. The operation succeeded but the patient died.
