Saturday, 23 February 2002 | Alzheimer's patient

Left alone for a few minutes with an Alzheimer's patient:

"My husband passed away a few years ago," she said, squeezing a slice of lemon and dropping it into her water.

"Yes, I know."

"Oh, you knew that? Well, he passed away, and now I live with my daughter and her husband. They're so good to me; I love them very much. They're very nice. My husband passed away, my mother passed away, my father passed away, but one day I'll see them again." She nodded and smiled sweetly as she spoke, and adjusted her fur-trimmed hat.

"Did you see the sunset? Look at the sky behind you." The bottom half of the sky was blazing pink.

"Oh, yes, that's very beautiful. You know, my husband passed away, and now I live with my daughter in her house. She and her husband are so good to me. They take me traveling with them wherever they go, since I live in their house, since my husband passed away. We travel a lot. It's very nice. I've been to North Carolina before, you know...I think I want a lemon in my water." She slowly picked up a lemon and held it over her water.

"You already have one in there."

"Oh yes! So I do. I didn't see that," she said, setting it back down.