I let Agnes lead the way. There was a ramp as well as steps up to the front porch. Agnes rang the bell. The door was opened promptly by a young woman who recognised her and invited us in. She disappeared. My first impression was of warmth and tasteful decoration, everything in cream, pale green and rose. The aroma of fresh coffee. The broad entrance hall had a large room off to each side, stairs ahead and more doorways at the bottom. Those led to the kitchen and dining room, I assumed. The door to our right was closed; I could hear the murmur of television. But Agnes went through to the room on our left.
This was a corner room with two bay windows. In the recess of the one at the front there was a table with high-backed chairs. A woman sat writing. In the other bay two women, deep in conversation, sat on a chintz-covered sofa. Each held a cat on her lap.
Around the rest of the large room were three clusters of high-backed easy chairs and side tables. People were sitting in some of these, reading papers and books, sewing and playing chess. The atmosphere was relaxed, quietly busy.
‘She must be in the other room,’ said Agnes.
We crossed the hall and opened the door. The room had the same decor but a semicircle of chairs faced us, arranged to focus on the television set, which was blaring out. There were six people there. A couple looked up as we went in. Agnes moved over to the woman sitting nearest to us, on the outside of the group.
‘Lily, hello. How are you?’
The woman turned to face her. She stared blankly, unwavering, at Agnes for two or three seconds then turned back to the television set. I heard Agnes sigh. I put my hand on her arm. The poor woman. Her closest friend had no idea who she was.
‘Lily,’ Agnes bent over close to her friend, ‘it’s me, Agnes. I’ve come to see you. Lily?’
‘She had a bad night,’ a man sitting in the centre of the semicircle spoke up, ‘wandering about. They’ll have given her something to calm her down.’
There was no response from Lily, who continued to stare at the television.
‘I think there’s too much of it myself,’ the man continued, ‘pills. Take a pill for anything these days. People go to see the doctor and they’re not happy unless they come away with a bottle of tablets. Look at her, you couldn’t say she was well, could you? Just keeping her quiet. Doped up.’
‘Shush.’ The woman on his left glared at him.
‘I’m just saying they’re too quick with their tablets. There’s some folk in here would rattle if you shook ‘em…’
‘Be quiet, will you? I can’t hear the television,’ his neighbour admonished him.