My Life in Argentina and Beyond

The Old Lady’s Death 

They knocked on the door. “Who is it?”

 “Police.” The man’s voice was sharp. Nadia, she thought. Something’s happened to Nadia. The woman opened the door. “Come in.” She pulled out 4 chairs for the policemen. “Thanks. Do you know an old woman with short black and white hair, who wore dirty sneakers?” “She likes to wear dirty sneakers. She says she can walk faster in them.” The policeman shook his head. “Wore. She’s dead/” The woman, who had been standing, grabbed the back of a fifth chair and sat down. “Dead? But she was here last night.” “What time did she leave?” The question came from the second cop, the youngest in the group. The woman took a Kleenex and wiped her eyes. “At about 10. I walked her and her dog downstairs.” “There was a fire. Two of the dogs died with her.” “I loved that woman. I was expecting her any minute.” A few minutes later, the policemen left after offering their condolences. She made herself some tea and thought back to that afternoon in the taxi. “Please don’t die. Please don’t die,” she thought as the taxi took them to the hospital. Nadia had come early to her house after she had walked the dog. “I don’t feel well,” she told her friend. The friend saw that her face looked pale and that the shadows under her eyes were more pronounced. “The hospital is nearby. I’ll take you there.” They left the dog in Nadia’s apt. when the first taxi they hailed wouldn’t take him. Nadia and her friend held each other’s hands when they walked up the ER steps. “You’ll be fine,” the friend said with a faint smile. “Yeah,”, Nadia replied. “ I’ll be fine.” She looked at the two double glass doors and sighed. They kept her in the hospital about a week. Her heart wasn’t working the way it should, the doctor told Nadia’s friend. “When she gets back home, she’ll need some looking after. No more hard walking the dogs or anything like that.” Nadia gave her friend the keys to her apt. “Here. Take the 2 smaller dogs for walks. Don’t take the Big One. I was never well enough to teach him.” The friend touched Nadia’s forehead. “Consider it done.” The friend left the hospital and went to Nadia’s place. The two dogs greeted her by waving their tails. She fed them in the living room and went to the kitchen. “Hello, Big One,” The dog smelled her and looked up at her. She put his food in a large bowl. “I just want you to know that your mistress is fine. She’ll be back home in a few days.” The dog’s brown eyes shone. “Who is it?” “Police.” The man’s voice was sharp. Nadia, she thought. Something’s happened to Nadia. The woman opened the door. “Come in.” She pulled out 4 chairs for the policemen. “Thanks. Do you know an old woman with short black and white hair, who wore dirty sneakers?” “She likes to wear dirty sneakers. She says she can walk faster in them.” The policeman shook his head. “Wore. She’s dead/” The woman, who had been standing, grabbed the back of a fifth chair and sat down. “Dead? But she was here last night.” “What time did she leave?” The question came from the second cop, the youngest in the group. The woman took a Kleenex and wiped her eyes. “At about 10. I walked her and her dog downstairs.” “There was a fire. Two of the dogs died with her.” “I loved that woman. I was expecting her any minute.” A few minutes later, the policemen left after offering their condolences. She made herself some tea and thought back to that afternoon in the taxi. “Please don’t die. Please don’t die,” she thought as the taxi took them to the hospital. Nadia had come early to her house after she had walked the dog. “I don’t feel well,” she told her friend. The friend saw that her face looked pale and that the shadows under her eyes were more pronounced. “The hospital is nearby. I’ll take you there.” They left the dog in Nadia’s apt. when the first taxi they hailed wouldn’t take him. Nadia and her friend held each other’s hands when they walked up the ER steps. “You’ll be fine,” the friend said with a faint smile. The Old Lady’s Death by Eugenia Maria Renskoff October 2010 They knocked on the door. “Who is it?” “Police.” The man’s voice was sharp. Nadia, she thought. Something’s happened to Nadia. The woman opened the door. “Come in.” She pulled out 4 chairs for the policemen. “Thanks. Do you know an old woman with short black and white hair, who wore dirty sneakers?” “She likes to wear dirty sneakers. She says she can walk faster in them.” The policeman shook his head. “Wore. She’s dead/” The woman, who had been standing, grabbed the back of a fifth chair and sat down. “Dead? But she was here last night.” “What time did she leave?” The question came from the second cop, the youngest in the group. The woman took a Kleenex and wiped her eyes. “At about 10. I walked her and her dog downstairs.” “There was a fire. Two of the dogs died with her.” “I loved that woman. I was expecting her any minute.” A few minutes later, the policemen left after offering their condolences. She made herself some tea and thought back to that afternoon in the taxi. “Please don’t die. Please don’t die,” she thought as the taxi took them to the hospital. Nadia had come early to her house after she had walked the dog. “I don’t feel well,” she told her friend. The friend saw that her face looked pale and that the shadows under her eyes were more pronounced. “The hospital is nearby. I’ll take you there.” They left the dog in Nadia’s apt. when the first taxi they hailed wouldn’t take him. Nadia and her friend held each other’s hands when they walked up the ER steps. “You’ll be fine,” the friend said with a faint smile. “Yeah,”, Nadia replied. “ I’ll be fine.” She looked at the two double glass doors and sighed. They kept her in the hospital about a week. Her heart wasn’t working the way it should, the doctor told Nadia’s friend. “When she gets back home, she’ll need some looking after. No more hard walking the dogs or anything like that.” Nadia gave her friend the keys to her apt. “Here. Take the 2 smaller dogs for walks. Don’t take the Big One. I was never well enough to teach him.” The friend touched Nadia’s forehead. “Consider it done.” The friend left the hospital and went to Nadia’s place. The two dogs greeted her by waving their tails. She fed them in the living room and went to the kitchen. “Hello, Big One,” The dog smelled her and looked up at her. She put his food in a large bowl. “I just want you to know that your mistress is fine. She’ll be back home in a few days.” The dog’s brown eyes shone. “Yeah,”, Nadia replied. “ I’ll be fine.” She looked at the two double glass doors and sighed. They kept her in the hospital about a week. Her heart wasn’t working the way it should, the doctor told Nadia’s friend. “When she gets back home, she’ll need some looking after. No more hard walking the dogs or anything like that.” Nadia gave her friend the keys to her apt. “Here. Take the 2 smaller dogs for walks. Don’t take the Big One. I was never well enough to teach him.” The friend touched Nadia’s forehead. “Consider it done.” The friend left the hospital and went to Nadia’s place. The two dogs greeted her by waving their tails. She fed them in the living room and went to the kitchen. “Hello, Big One,” The dog smelled her and looked up at her. She put his food in a large bowl. “I just want you to know that your mistress is fine. She’ll be back home in a few days.” The dog’s brown eyes shone.