A Caregiver's Memories

Line Count: 29

Thinking back across the years,
I remember scattered incidents
and out-of-character actions
that appeared ... odd,
but not bizarre.

The memories return,
out of chronological order,
and I wonder
why I didn't connect the dots.

Mom called my name at midnight,
she asked me where
the young girl went
that was standing by her bed;
I calmed her with a lie,
I told her
that I had seen the child before
and that I thought
the house was haunted.

Another night she woke
insisting she had to serve the people
in the center booth;
I walked with her to the front door,
refused to let her go outside
and walk to the closed Showboat Hotel-Casino
so that she could serve her customers -
Mom was angry with me
for the rest of the night
because she thought
I had gotten her fired.