An old lady upstairs...

My neighbor from upstairs was outside today and it became immediately apparent to me it was too late to withdraw rapidly back into my apartment. I had been seen with trash bags in hand. What, am I gonna drop the bags and run back inside?

She is an older lady in her late 60's to early 70's. She is the type that will talk unceasingly to you while you say uh huh, yes, I see, and various other and assorted responses like that, while she engages in her repetitive monologue. She is a good person with a good heart. She is just lonely and so anyone who she talks to , their time becomes her time. She means no harm but is relentless. I am always the one to have to say something so I can move my stiff legs after standing there listening to her for eons. "I have to go do this or that" I will say to get away.

Today I let her talk without limit. Her dog is sick. I knew he was ill but had not heard a diagnosis. It turns out he is so full of cancer that the surgery to remove a huge tumor would probably not save him and in fact might end his life sooner due to complications and/or his present health. So surgery was cancelled.

Tears came to her eyes telling me this. She lives alone except for this dog who she has had for ten years now. I felt the same in my eyes knowing she was going lose this dog , probably her only real friend. She said she could just go crazy about all her medical problems , her kids problems and now her dog's but she still had her faith. Her faith in God. That could not be taken away. Her faith.

Eventually we parted. Picked up the bag of trash and headed to the dumpster thinking about what she had said and thinking about her ill friend, her dog named Angel.