It was an ordinary busy morning when, at approximately 8:30, an elderly man, about 80 years old, came to remove the stitches from his thumb. It was clear that he was in a hurry, and he said in a voice slightly trembling with excitement that he had an important job at 9 o’clock in the morning.
Shaking my head regretfully, I asked him to sit down, knowing that all the doctors were busy and would not be able to attend to him until an hour later. However, watching with what sadness in his eyes he kept glancing at the hands of the clock, something seemed to sympathize with me - and I decided, fortunately I did not have other patients at the moment, to take care of his wound myself.
Having examined his finger, I found that the wound had healed well, and after consulting with one of the doctors, I received the necessary tools for removing sutures and medications to treat the wound.
After getting close to his finger, we started talking. I couldn’t resist and asked him:
“You probably have an appointment with the doctor, since you’re in such a hurry right now.”
- No, not quite like that. I need to get to the hospital in time to feed my sick wife.
Then I asked what was wrong with her. And the elderly man replied that, unfortunately, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. While we were talking, I managed to remove the stitches and finished treating his wound. Looking at my watch, I asked if she would be worried if he was a little late.
To my complete surprise, my interlocutor said that, alas, she had not recognized him for the last five years.
“She doesn’t even know who I am to her,” he added, shaking his head.
Amazed, I exclaimed:
“And you still go there every morning, even though she doesn’t even know who you are?”
He smiled and patting my hand in a fatherly manner, answered:
“She doesn’t know who I am, but I know who she is.”
I could hardly hold back my tears. And as soon as he left, goosebumps ran down my arms and I thought: “But this is exactly the love that I have dreamed of all my life..”
Undoubtedly, even despite her illness, she was a happy woman to have such a caring, loving husband.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru