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Mai Griffin
sedative, but a week later, although no longer violent, he
was obviously in need of special treatment and removed
to hospital. Eventually he was admitted to a psychiatric
ward and for the rest of her life she visited the hospital
almost every week, although never able to approach him.
Normally docile and silent, the mere sight of either his
wife or Jay sent him into uncontrollable fits of hysteria.
Jay loved his father but had long ago resigned himself
to the fact that he would never recover. His mother,
almost fifty and still a beautiful woman when it happened
had never looked at another man. Until the moment she
died, she prayed that her husband would mentally return
to her one day. Her prayers were not answered. He was
still in that joyless place, looking far older than his eighty-
seven years.
Just after his mother’s funeral, Jay went to see him ...his
first visit for ten years. He hardly knew what to expect.
As he stood outside the door, his pulse rate accelerated
with apprehension. Moving the lever on the double-glazed
window to adjust the slats of enclosed blind, he peered
into the sparsely furnished room. The withered old man
was scarcely recognizable to him. He sat like a statue –
only his eyes moved from side to side as though seeking
escape. The doctors all agreed; it was exceedingly unlikely
that his father would recover and he must accept the fact.
So – there was nothing to hold him here now. For many
frustrating years his plans had been put aside in
consideration of his mother ...her death had released him.
It was time to act.
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