IV
Part of the clients that I picked up were from another agency which took care of the patients at night and on weekends, but sent the patients to the day care center during the week. I picked up three people at this center. As I have already related, the young man who lived inside a shell of a body lived in this center. There were two others that I picked up at this center. One was a man, an older man, who could hardly walk. His legs bent out at the knees and to move from one place to another, he had to use a walker. I remember one time when I arrived early and was waiting for everyone to get ready, he asked the lady in charge why he couldn’t get a motorized wheel chair. She patiently told him that if he quit walking all the time, soon he would not be able to walk at all. He accepted her response. When he got into the van, he usually needed some assistance because of the height. This man only went to the day care center 4 days a week. While I would be waiting he sometimes would ask me to come to his room because he had something new. I remember the last time I was over at this center, he showed me his desk. A large desk worthy of an executive with a matching chair. When I left, he was sitting at his desk doing what ever he does. Remember this man as later we have another encounter. There was a lady at this center who rode all 5 days to the day care center. She loved sitting in the front chair helping me drive. If the person whose turn it was to be in front would happen to get out before we reached her home, she would ask if she could come up and sit. I would check to see if any one else was interested and usually they weren’t and she would move up front. There was a tremendous difference about her. After a couple of turns, she stopped giving hand signals and began having serious discussions with me. I do not remember how they started. Maybe she would talk about things that happened at her home or at the day care center. I don’t exactly remember. But I do remember one day her talking about having anger control problems at her home center and at the day care center. She went on to say that she didn’t have this problem when riding with me in the van. One day we are getting close to her home and she said that she would like to say something to me. As near as I can remember: “I know I shouldn’t say what I am going to say; but I am having feelings that I should not have toward you.” Not to long after this incident, the day care center closed down and I didn’t give her any more rides. But when the day care center was ready to close she asked me if I could get her any books for her to learn. It was at this time that I learned she was about at the 4th grade level. I happened to have a demo book for some encyclopedia with lots of pictures that I gave her. On the last day, I went to tell the director of her home good bye and this lady was there and I told her good bye. The director told her it was ok to give me a hug and like some bashful young lady of 12 or so, she was reluctant. Then we hugged goodbye!
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