Noelina settling in at the Palms

“They treat me wonderful. I can’t complain,” Noelina Prospere-Medor said from her bed at the Palms Geriatric Home on Sunday.

She has been there since October 10, when she was transferred from the Georgetown Public Hospital. Prospere-Medor has been in the spotlight since September, when her London-based son came to Guyana looking for her. Sylvester Medor had returned to Guyana for the second time in two years to see his mother only to find her missing. A search for her proved fruitless and he returned to London without seeing her.

A few days later, his “missing” mother was found locked in a room in a bottom flat at Craig, East Bank Demerara. Medor was informed and subsequently contacted the Ministry of Human Services from London asking that his mother be taken care of until he could return to make more permanent arrangements for her. He reportedly could not return immediately as he was undergoing a knee operation.

These days Prospere-Medor is happy to get a visitor. And although one is not too quite sure that she remembers the face from recent visits, she insists that she does. Then says she cannot recall the name. When told she says, “you have a lovely name.” Then, “must always come and visit me…I get lonely sometimes…”

Asked about how she spends her days, she replies, “everyday is the same for me.” She cannot walk about so her days and nights are spent on her bed. Occasionally she sits up, assisted by the nurses, which is mostly at meal times as she has to be spoon fed.

Her voice fluctuates and one has to strain to hear her sometimes. But she is a well-mannered woman. “Pardon me I didn’t hear what you said,” she says, when she did not hear a question, which is often due to her age.

“I sleep well at nights,” she relates to this reporter, “and I have good dreams.” Out of the blue she says “I’m going to live to see Christmas…it is a special day.”

Recalling past Christmases, Prospere-Medor says that she used to love to cook. She recalls making cakes and adds that she would love to have a “nice piece of cake” on Christmas day. Being a diabetic she cannot indulge in those things but hopes an exception will be made on Christmas day.

She feels a bit cold and asks for the covers to be adjusted a little. Then the expression on her face changes and she relates that she is sad. “I don’t have money to buy gifts for any of my friends,” she said. Asked what friends she was talking about, she said she meant her ward mates and the nurses. Asked what she would have bought if she had money, Prospere-Medor replies, “Any nice things. I like nice things…I love colourful flowers.”

Finally she adds that she does not mind staying where she is but would like to see her son.

Meanwhile the nurse on duty relates that Prospere- Medor is no trouble. She is doing a lot better than when she first came. She has gained a little more strength. However she is not strong enough to walk about. “Please come again,” is the last thing she said as this reporter left.