Liquorice has been on many safaris throughout our home looking for Ma in the two weeks or so since she has been in hospital. Liquorice must suddenly think of her as she will get up and go to Ma’s lounge-chair, then on to her chair in the meals area. Liquorice will sniff around the floor trying to find some clue to her oldie’s whereabouts, going into the dining room where Ma has her sewing machine and overlocker permanently set up on the dining room table that my grandfather made when he was first married. Ma spends a lot of time in there, not that she does a lot of sewing but with bad arthritis it takes her a long time and it keeps her hands active. When Liquorice’s hunt there proves unsuccessful she goes into the billiard room. Ma uses the billiard table to fold up the washing, which is utter sacrilege I know, however I say nothing as, when Liquorice was a littler puppy she chose to do her piddles and poos underneath. Next she goes to the foot of the stairs, scenting the air for even the faintest trace of her “oldie”. I tell her “No” or she would proceed up the stairs. So she goes into the walk-in wardrobe off my office, actually a downstairs bedroom for when my parents are no longer able to handle the stairs, then she waits by the bathroom door until I open it to let her check out that room with the never-ending roll of toilet paper. But the toilet paper holds no interest for her now. She continues her methodical search in the laundry but when that proves fruitless she just looks up at me with questioning eyes that I am powerless to provide answers to.
My mother was transferred to a specialist rehabilitation hospital last Monday down at Bowral and needed some day clothes. Liquorice sniffed the overnight bag I packed for Ma and would not leave it. Liquorice had found the scent she had been searching for and hoped that it would lead her to her Ma. She followed that bag into the car and lay down snuggling into it. All the way she was pushing her nose between the back of the seat and the bag with its treasure-trove of Mum’s scent, pawing at it or just resting her head on top.
Liquorice only traveled to Ma’s former hospital at night when I would pick up my father and return home. Bowral however is much further to drive than the surgical hospital but mostly by an expressway so it does not take much longer timewise. Bowral is set in the southern highlands region of New South Wales. Liquorice enjoys the journey down there each afternoon, as Ma is quite busy of morning doing rehab exercises. Bowral is a lovely old town full of up-market antique and “olde wares” type shops but it is a cold old hole, especially now winter is officially here in Australia. Naturally Liquorice loves our walks around this town with its penetrating cold.
The cricketer, the late Sir Don Bradman, universally regarded as Australia’s greatest sportsman, lived for a time in Bowral. The folk there are inordinately proud of that as they have a Bradman Street, a Bradman Gate, a Bradman Park, a Bradman Pavilion, a Bradman Oval, a Bradman Scoreboard, a Bradman Museum and Bradman Tearooms! Liquorice certainly intends no disrespect however she relieves herself in Bradman Park but I dislike parting with the plastic bag containing her deposit, as it is so wonderfully warm!
Yesterday Ma was allowed to go for a drive with us. It was the first time Liquorice has seen Ma in nearly three weeks. I took Liquorice out of the car, she saw Ma standing next to Dad and just walked over, stopped and seated herself just in front of Ma and waited while Ma gently stroked her head. Liquorice glowed. She was a perfect little lady understanding instinctively that not all was right with her oldie and restrained her natural exuberance. Liquorice went into the car first and stood on the back seat while we sat Ma in the front. Liquorice licked Ma’s ear and breathed in deeply of her old Mum then slept soundly with her head on my father’s knee as we went for our drive.
Liquorice was one very contented puppy but did not understand why we returned Ma to hospital before taking her home where they could compare their respective operations!
Arthur Witten
Liquorice – I hope Ma had better hospital food than I had!