[guide.chat] Short Story

  • From: "Elizabeth Kay" <ebeth.kay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "Guide.chat" <guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:48:47 +0100

 A Short Story: "The Elusive Hearing Aid" by Elizabeth Kay

It could have been any one of her tormentors that caused Beatrice to wake up 
for the first time that night. It could have been her hiatus- hernia which 
would mean a ride downstairs on the stairlift to take Gaviscon and fill a glass 
with water and ice cubes to ease the pain, or it could have been back pain 
caused by stenosis. This would mean a hot water bottle and pain killers, or 
perhaps the stoma pouch needed changing! On the other hand cramp may have been 
the tormentor, any one of these could have been responsible. Whichever it was 
it had succeeded in destroying her sleep.
Having done her best to alleviate the problem she made herself as comfortable 
as possible,  switched on the talking book player and prepared to listen to 
another chapter of "Shadow of Tyburn Tree" by Dennis Wheatley setting the timer 
for 30 minutes.
No sooner had ithe reading started however than she remembered tha this 
particular reader's voice was difficult to hear without wearing at least one 
hearing aid so she got up and installed one in her right ear. Sure enough when 
the half hour was up she had begun to feel drowsy .With a feeling of relief she 
turned over on to her right side and prepared to sleep,but now the hearing aid 
pressed into her ear and felt uncomfortable,without thinking she took it out 
and held it in her hand. Now she knew that if she did not sit up and put it 
safely on the bedside table it would be missing when she next woke uo and she 
would have difficulty finding it, but the desire for sleep was too strong and 
still holding it she fell asleep.
An hour or so later one of the other tormentors got to work and now,in addition 
to alleviating this problem, there was a.hearing aid to find and she knew that 
she would not be able to sleep until it was found. All over the bed with her 
hands, no hearing aid. Al over the carpet with a bare foot, no hearing aid. A 
rest to ease the pain in her back and then one foot all round again, this time 
just underneath the edge of the bed and there it was hiding. How on earth cid 
it get there!
Talking book player again. This time wearing the left side hearing aid. I must 
leave it in this time. After listening for some time to the exploits of Roger 
Burke she managed a few hours sleep before it was time to get up. Sleepily she 
got nto the shower forgetting she was still wearing the hearing aid. 
Remembering she took it out and placed it on the bathroom shelf. It didn't get 
lost this time, but later in the day attending a meeting of the talking book 
club she realised it was still sitting on the bathroom shelf and it was only 
with difficulty that she could hear what the others were saying, this nade 
things rather embarrassing.
When the meeting was over sevaral people remarked how well she was looking. 
"Thankyou vey nuch" she said smiling." It's surprising what a bit of makeup can 
do".

 
 

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