This week’s words: Ramble, preclude, canary yellow, gladiator, disengage, inure doughty, triumphal, somberly, begone
‘Begone ye divells, begone, ‘ said the old man to the space before him. No amount of arm waving on his behalf seemed to shift the torment he was confronted with.
It was sad watching him, now the shell of the hero I had grown up with.
I was faced with a man I once idolised. Capable of gladiatorial conquests and riding at the front of triumphal processions now reduced to this old man who day to day disengaged further from the world and sunk down into an existence I could but pity.
There was still something very doughty about his person. He still wanted to take on the world, he wasn’t backing down and it was inbuilt in him to be inured to challenges that most would baulk from taking on.
In between outbursts and arm waving he rambled on to himself as if re telling stories of past conquests and victories.
Dressed in the canary yellow jumpsuit of the hospital he had taken on a comical appearance all for a purpose of course as the staff had to preclude him from slipping away unnoticed. In the past he had proven to be a difficult patient to recapture as he had a habit of blending in well with his surrounds.
Sombrely I watched him, but I didn’t see the old and disorientated man before me but rather the strong, athletic and brave hero I had come to love as a child.
I took my leave thinking my childhood vision of him was much preferred to what I had just witnessed.
Written for: https://therattlingbones.wordpress.com/2015/07/02/words-to-write-by-prompt-12/
Morpethroad 
I like how this story’s words have drawn in my head a very good picture of a young boy’s hero contrasting to the inharmonious reality of what his hero had become.
Thank you so much for reading my tale. Much appreciated. Michael.
Passage of time does that to all mortals, but we have our memories tucked away within self-conscious. And that is youth.
Yes that is true, thanks for reading and your comment..
Such a sweet tale, Michael… I too would have preferred my memories to the reality of the present in that situation.. it is so sad to see someone who was once so strong and brave become frail and feeble-minded. Lovely use of the prompt!
Thank you Lori, I love playing with words….
You are welcome, Michael… you do it so well too! I am so blessed to be among so many great writers here on WordPress… you, Phylor, LadyLee, Dell… you four especially amaze me!
We are lucky aren’t we, in the company of greatness you just lift your own game….anyway today is fairy tale day on MLMM, soon I shall see what the challenge is…..
We are indeed 😀 I look forward to seeing what the Fairy tale thing will bring …might participate 😀
There are plenty of fairies to go round Lori……though mine have been in a bit of turmoil of late…..
Oh yes 🙂 I hope they get under control soon!
Reminds me of my mother’s decent into dementia, tho she wasn’t my hero. Spent her last 8 weeks in hospital so lost an additional year and ability every week.
I know its so very sad for those who care for their loved ones…..I often find it a hard topic to write about objectively……I try to write in a compassionate way as I can’t imagine it as any fun for anyone….
Awww…
How things can change from one moment to another.
So sad to watch our heroes wither away. Still – always our heroes though.
That is right no matter what they stay within us as our heroes
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