At the mall

My dad is a patient man. At least, he has learned to be patient. Here he is, waiting at the mall while I help my mum shop. Where are the bags?, he asks. We had spent at least 30 minutes in one store, and another 15 in the next, and she did try on three items of clothing, but nothing was quite right.

Before his eyesight deteriorated, my dad used to spend a lot of time in the bookstore at the mall. He would happily browse the shelves, or just sit and read from a book he brought with him while my mum shopped. Today, he sat and waited, chatting amiably with my partner while they waited.

Within the last year, my dad has been looking older. Sometimes he has been tired or seemed confused, and at other times, he stumbles and is unsteady on his feet. But not today. Today was a good day!