Last home
Many small life stories from a nursing home. Where there is still time for a smile.
"Do you know my name? "
"No." reply.
" Ulma " she says. " ... and I'm so old ! "
"I take a picture because I am convinced that you never meet a woman with this name! "
"... then do me a big smile Ulma ! " I tell her.
Ulma wasn't unable to smile. I photographed her. In her proudly mood with that unusual name and deadly serious. She was in the gym doing exercise in the afternoon .
Paolo, an executive of the company, a man of great culture, is in the room with Marino, a former agent of commerce. There are no friends. They respect each other. I brought to Paolo a Jazz compilation, a genre of music that he loves and started to listen it immediately, eager for newness.
Marino, a man of few words, stares at me. I smiled at him and ask him if he listens to jazz too. I also promises him a CD. I answered no. He's holding on an old clock with broken strap in his hand.
Mario and his brother Paolo share the same room. They've been together for a lifetime and they're not separated also in a nursing home. Mario is always happy, a bontempone, one that touches the butt of the nurses. A fun life that has made acceptable old age. His brother, quiter than him, shows me proudly a picture of him when he was younger.
A former homeless was looking at me, silently. He clearly wants a picture of him, without words but with his eyes. I took it and show it to him. His smile lights me up. I promise to print it, but he decided to not want it.
A former homeless was looking at me, silently. He clearly wants a picture of him, without words but with his eyes. I took it and show it to him. His smile lights me up. I promise to print it, but he decided to not want it.
Another ancient old bitty gets her tresses done by the hairdresser. "She's still incredibly vain!" her daughter tells me who goes to visit her everyday.
A nurse dispenses smiles and love to all as if he had in that place one hundred grandparents.
Italia lives in a world of his own, saying that she has 5 children and repeating like a lullaby their names. She's sweet and devoted as the teddy bear clutched in her chest.
Rocco comes every day to find his wife suffering from Alzheimer. He shows me a picture in which partecipates at the inauguration of the biggest bell in the world. The pace is slow in the last house, punctuated by meals, music and recreational activities of the staff, by the prayers.
Old age is the time of statements. You could imagine it, looking into the eyes of the old guests. Never ask of the past life and youth to sullen and irritable old people. Better to talk about something else.
08 p.m, it's late. The lights go out in the last house. The most stubborn guests watch TV. Soon everyone will be in bed. Some will think and remember the dark, others more or less restless sleep soundly. But tomorrow... tomorrow there will be coffee and cake for breakfast, you certainly ! And nobody try to tell you otherwise!
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