Blanche Van Boeck on the city council? She who
would be mayor?”
“Drat,” said Judith. “That woman has clout.”
Judith had opened her mouth to tell Renie about the
Randall twins’ visits when Corinne Appleby entered
the room, looking determined and pushing a wheelchair. “You’re getting up today, Mrs. Flynn. We’re
going to put you in this swift little number.”
“That’s good—I think,” Judith responded.
But she was not without trepidation, especially
when Corinne didn’t request any help with the lifting
process.
“Just take your time,” Corinne said, exuding more
confidence than Judith felt. “I’m used to doing this.
My mother is very crippled with arthritis and can’t
stand without assistance.”
“My mother also has arthritis,” Judith said, sitting
174
Mary Daheim
up and struggling to swing her legs over the side of the
bed. “Unfortunately, it’s often just part of old age.”
“My mother’s not quite sixty,” Corinne said, her
freckled face clouding over. “She developed arthritis in
her early twenties. It was terrible. She’d planned to become a concert pianist.”
“Oh, that
dear family friend, we called her Auntie May, who
played beautifully, but she had arthritis, too, and all her
professional dreams were dashed at a very young age.
Can your mother play at all?”
Corinne shook her head as she put her arms under
Judith’s. “No. She hasn’t played in almost thirty years.
We sold the piano when I was still a child. Mummy
couldn’t bear to have it in the house.”
“That’s very sad,” Judith said, gritting her teeth.
“Oooh . . . I don’t know if I . . .”
“You’re doing fine,” Corinne said. “Just keep coming up. Be thankful that eventually you’ll be mobile
again. Not everyone is so lucky. There. You’re on your
feet. Don’t move for a few seconds. Steady . . .”
Judith wasn’t steady. In fact, she was swaying. But
after focusing her eyes on the bathroom doorknob, she
began to get her bearings.
“Good,” Corinne said, slowly letting go of Judith.
“Now try to take a step toward me. Don’t worry—if
you fall, I’ll catch you.”
Judith inched her way forward on her good leg,
though most of her weight was against the bed. Then,
closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she tried to
move her left leg. It hurt, but not as much as she’d
feared. Corinne gave her a nod of encouragement. Judith gently tested putting weight on the hip replacement. She felt unsure of herself and gritted her teeth.
SUTURE SELF
