Chapter 43
Penny's Ordeal
Angela stared disbelievingly at the contents of the salad compartment,
"My god what on earth is this stuff in here!" she exclaimed loudly, then added a loud "Ugh, disgusting!", for good measure.
At the sound of Angela's cry of horror, April, who had just finished her call to her brother Wyatt, came hurrying over.
April peered into the compartment and uttered the same note of disgust as her twin.
"This stuff looks as if it should have gone in the freezer, and certainly not in here?", April deduced in bewilderment.
"Where's Mom?, I'll have to throw this lot out and clean this refrigerator thoroughly", Angela surmised.
"I think she's still upstairs", April assumed, then in warning to her sister she added, "for crying out loud don't puncture any of the packaging or this kitchen will stink to high heaven".
XXXXX
Leonard entered the kitchen a short while later for a cup of decaf,
(His Doctor had ordered him to drink, to Leonard's immense displeasure. (He very much missed the caffeine kick he got from the real coffee), only to discover his Daughter furiously scrubbing at the interior of the fridge, while the salad container lay soaking in disgrace in the kitchen sink.
"What are you doing sweetie?", Leonard asked, feeling quite puzzled at her behaviour.
"Well, someone put stuff that was meant to go in the freezer and put it in the salad compartment instead?, and so I've thrown it all out and now I am cleaning out the fridge", Angela explained.
The brief shadow of dread which passed over her Father's face at this news surprised her, and assuming her Father was worrying about supplies, considering his two house guests, that were at present staying there for a while. So she told him that she would go to the supermarket tomorrow and restock.
"Thanks, that would be great honey, I remember I must have put it in there in a hurry and I guess I just forgot to move it all to the freezer afterwards", Leonard explained.
But his explanation only served to worry Angela. For Leonard was the lousiest of liars, and Angela could immediately tell that he was lying now, but the question was, why?.
XXXXXX
The next morning Angela, had showered and dressed, and went outside to fetch the newspaper for her Father, when Mr Parsons, from two doors down, was taking his black Labrador for it's morning constitutional, He called out a greeting to her, then asked her how her parents were doing.
"Good Morning, they're doing fine thank you Mr Parsons", Angela politely informed him.
"You know your Mom's incredible, I see her out here everyday sweeping this drive, I tell you, I hope I'll be half as fit as your Mother is when I reach my late 70's. Oh well, nice to see you again, I think Buster here is getting impatient. Say Hi to your parents for me", and with Buster straining at his leash, they continued on their way.
It was about mid morning when Angela heard the door bell ring and went to answer it.
There standing on the doorstep was an elderly man, whose appearance was much like everyone's favourite Uncle.
"Hello, Can I help you?", Angela asked politely, then puzzled as she spied over Uncle's right shoulder, her mother busily sweeping the drive again.
"Why yes, I am seeking Dr Angela Hofstadter?, asked Uncle favourite.
When Angela confirmed that Uncle was indeed speaking to her, He showed his I.D. Which Identified him as Arnold Stone, an employee of Uncle Sam and asked if he could come in.
Once they were seated, Arnold came straight to the point.
"I must first offer the sincerest apologies on behalf of the United States Government. While it is a practice to transport raw recruits miles from their base in order to ascertain their level of initiative in making their own way back to base, however it is not our practice to treat civilian employees in the same manner, therefore General Rawlinson's action in this regard has merited his being put on gardening leave forthwith, and you will no doubt be pleased to learn that we have placed Dr Karl Van Der Kokk in charge of the facility". Mr Stone informed Angela.
However rather than being pleased at the news of his appointment, Angela felt like tearing down the walls of the lounge bare handed in anger and frustration that that horrible creepy Kokk had got his own way.
However with not a little effort she managed to hide her anger from Mr Stone.
"So what about the assignment I was working on?, is it to continue?", she asked hopefully.
Arnold composed himself for Angela's reaction before he answered in the negative.
After all if she can create such havoc in the general's office, she might very well turn her frustrations to violence perhaps.
He then went on to explain that he had been informed by the powers that be, that the cancellation of your particular assignment has been agreed.
"Obviously, since I am not party to such information as to your project, as I do not have the level of security clearance that is required. And I must officially remind you that you cannot under any circumstances discuss the details of your assignment with me, or anyone else for that matter", He warned her sternly.
But Mr Stone's concerns over impending actual bodily harm proved groundless, for Angela had already decided that she would like to buy a Condo here in Pasadena and then search for suitable employment here in the part of California She loved.
So upon informing Mr Stone that she will not be returning to the facility, she was pleasantly surprised to be told that she would not only receive severance pay but also generous compensation, and upon enquiring, she was pleased to be told that Jane would also be awarded similarly.
After Mr Stone had left, Angela approached her Mother, who was still wielding her broom vigorously, (for a 78 year old woman that is).
"Hi Mom, I thought you swept this yesterday?, Angela asked in bewilderment.
"No dear, I only sweep the drive down once a week, her Mother Penny told her in a manner one uses, as speaking to a child.
And at that moment Angela recalled Mr Parsons telling her that it was on a daily basis that sees her mother sweeping the drive down. And in the same moment Angela knew who it was who had put the frozen food in the salad compartment. Angela felt sick at this revelation, her mother was clearly suffering from a form of dementia, which really made rather small beer of Angela's own troubles.
She quickly left her Mother to her sweeping and went to find her Father, hoping perhaps then together they might be able to get some help for her Mother, after all there is now a drug available that produces excellent results these days.
She found her Father in the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee. She waited until Leonard had got settled, and then, taking a deep breath, before proceeding to tell him,
"Dad, the frozen food in the fridge, it was Mom that put it in there wasn't it".
Leonard looked up at her, ready to deny what Angela had discovered. But at the determined look on his daughter's face Leonard's shoulders sagged in defeat, then he confessed sadly,
"I'm afraid your Mom has dementia, as clearly you have already guessed. You See she thinks that's where the frozen food goes now. I try to move it quickly into the freezer without her seeing me as it makes her get so stressed when she sees me moving it, but I guess I forgot this time. You see your Mom and I, well we didn't want you guys to worry, you have your own lives to lead and we thought we could manage it. But I'm afraid your Mom's condition has deteriorated faster than I had expected".
Angela crouched and took her father's hands in her own.
"It's OK Dad. Listen there's a drug available now, we'll get it for Mom and she will be a lot better," she told him encouragingly.
But to her surprise Leonard's face fell.
"Mom's already tried it. It just gave her severe migraines and dizziness. And now I don't think there is anything else we can do?" Leonard admitted, now very near to tears.
Completely shaken at this shocking revelation that her Mon could not be helped. Angela needed to sit down and considered what herself, her sister and her brother could do to help her Mom and Dad to cope with Penny's dementia. Clearly a family conference was needed, and fast.
But before she could arrange that meeting. Angela would have to take the unpleasant task of breaking the devastating news of her Mother's condition to her older sister Honey Marie first. And as Geneva was 9 hours ahead of California time it would be too late to ring if she left it any later.
XXXXXXX
Honey Marie placed her phone back on her desk and shakenly sat slumped in her chair staring blankly at the monitor, no longer even being aware of the masses of data displayed upon it.
Her Mom was always there whenever Honey Marie needed her.
Anger suddenly welled up inside her as she thought back to the last three months of scanning data, looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack, several haystacks in fact.
'We need to be quite certain that nothing important is missed', number one had informed her as they had found no results from the automatic detection programs. And now they were reduced to scanning the data again, this time physically.
And all that time her Mom needed her.
Then, on coming to a solution, she cleared the data off her screen and began looking up for the earliest flight to LA. From Geneva.
Clearly her Mom needed her more than CERN did. And now for Honey Marie it was time to go back home.
XXXXXXX
It was no surprise to Angela, at her sister's distress once the awful news about her mother had sunk in. After all they had always been a close family. She collected her purse and her phone and began to make her way towards the front door, when her mother met her in the hall after washing her hands from her task outside.
"Are you going out sweetie?", Penny asked her daughter.
"Just off to the supermarket, I need a few things", Angela told her mother guardedly.
"I wonder if you could give me a lift to 'Christine's'?, I'm afraid my hair is such a mess, and she always does it how I like it, you see". Penny asked hopefully, even now still concerned over her appearance.
"Sure Mom, be glad to", Angela said, feeling rather relieved that her mother had no intention whatsoever on coming with her to the supermarket.
However, little did Angela know how much her mother's condition had deteriorated. As she was about to find out.
As Angela exited E Colorado Blvd and entered W Colorado Blvd, Penny suddenly asked if Angela had forgotten to drop her off at Christine's hair salon.
"No Mom I hadn't forgotten. We are going there now as a matter of fact", Angela replied.
"No sweetie, you've gone right past it", Penny told her daughter.
"Mom, I know where it is. It's just off S Pasadena Avenue", Angela replied, and now feeling rather confused, as Julie had moved her salon there ten years ago.
"Don't be silly sweetie, you know it's just a block past the cheesecake factory. I should know I've been going there for years, ever since I started working at the factory", Penny informed her. And wondering if there was anything the matter with her daughter that would make her forget.
Angela, rather than cause her mother any more grief turned the car around and headed for Fair Oaks Ave hoping perhaps that when her mother saw Christine's salon was no longer there, then her mother might recall that Julie had moved.
On seeing that Angela had turned round, Penny began to relax, and smiled as she looked forward to having her hair put back the way Leonard liked it.
Angela turned into Fair Oak Avenue and pulled up outside the store where Christine's salon used to be. Only it was now another ethnic Diner, like many others along the avenue.
But instead of producing the required result, Penny became even more confused and cried out in distress, "No! This isn't right", and before Angela could stop her Penny rushed into the diner.
"If I could help madam to a seat", asked the waiter, as Penny brushed past him now thinking that Angela was playing a trick on her mom.
Angela caught her mother before she could rush headlong into the kitchens. But this only served to make Penny more stressed.
"No Please, I know Christine is back there. Why are you stopping me?".
The Waiter seeing the shocked faces on the small number of diners, sternly insisted that Angela take this crazy woman away and quickly.
"Please, if you don't mind? you are disturbing my customers", he said, while getting more irate by the second
And then through the combination of the dementia, her age and her distress.
Penny began sobbing and lapsed into an emotional state. And began speaking as if she were a young child.
"Leonard, want Leonard", Penny begged, by now in floods of tears.
Angela struggled to get her mom out of the diner. And what with her own distress at her mother's upset, her own anger blazing at the waiter's callous uncaring attitude. she slapped the man hard round his face.
After the shock of being slapped passed over, the waiter began to utter threats of police action over Angela's assault against him, but was then stunned into silence by the sudden round of applause from the diners at Angela's action.
"Have a heart Buddy, one day that could be you", said one diner.
While yet another informed him that that would be the last time she would ever eat in here, before she helped Angela to calm Penny down and assisted Penny into the car.
While at the same time glaring at the rubber necks on the side walk as she did so,
Before admitting a little tearfully to Angela that she had recently lost her own dear father to that awful dementia two months ago.
Angela smiled at her new ally and thanked the woman profusely.
Then smiled to herself as she noted through the restaurant window another diner animatedly speaking to someone, while indicating the waiter.
And Angela guessed correctly that the diner was in fact speaking to the restaurant Manager.
Now that Penny was safely seated and belted, Angela quickly retrieved her phone and gave her Father a heads up concerning his wife's predicament.
XXXXXX
Leonard, his mind now in a turmoil, placed his phone back on his desk.
He kept thinking back to Dr Biles, a brilliant Physicist, who was also a victim of this dreadful illness.
The thing that worried Leonard the most was the fact that Dr Biles had been married for over forty years and towards the last five years of his life. He considered the woman that was his dear wife, to be the housekeeper.
If Penny ever forgot Leonard in the same manner, Leonard had no idea how on earth he would be able to cope.
Angela turned into her parents street with some relief as her mom was still quite upset.
And barely had the car rolled to a stop on the newly swept drive, when a sobbing Penny rushed into Leonard's arms
Leonard gently soothed, then helped his emotionally shattered wife into the house, leaving a shaken Angela to once again, depart for the supermarket.
The trip to the market though went without incident, and Angela seized the opportunity to put away her purchases while an emotionally exhausted Penny was asleep on her bed.
When the time came for April to return home from Cal-tech Angela went to meet her outside.
She waited while Angela exited her car and locked it, and was just about to relate to April about Penny's ordeal.
When before Angela could say a thing.
April suddenly burst into tears and rushed past her sister into the house.
Angela stood there stunned, and thought to herself, "Boy? This day just gets better and better."
