I don't proofread my posts before I publish them... cause I keep my thoughts au naturale.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

The CP Chronicles: Chapter Three (Tawny)


Tawny blew my mind. Some days she annoyed me to no end, some days she was a barrel of laughs and other days, I wanted to adopt her due to my overwhelming pity for the poor woman.

I could be wrong, but from what I recall, Tawny had MS. But, it had started in her brain so she was no longer able to take care of herself. She has a terrible short term memory. She called everyone (male or female) "good lady." You'd walk in and there would be Tawny, sitting in the living area watching television and she'd turn with a chipper, "Hello, Good Lady!" This was usually followed with, "do you have a cigarette?"

Tawny loved her cigarettes. I remember, she smoked Dorals in a blue pack. We had to have her initial every hour on the hour when she got a cigarette because she would come back and ask for another one and when you told her she had just finished smoking, she'd yell, "Like hell I did!" She would occasionally attempt to break in to get her cigarettes from the office, but she was pretty harmless. We could only give her one an hour because she'd smoke every minute of the day if you'd let her.

The reason I pitied Tawny (other than her disability) was her family. She was kind of from a trashy family and had two daughters and a son that would occasionally visit her. They were in high school and would bring their friends who would make fun of her. I know one of the daughter's names was Tara because whenever Tawny would ask me my name, she'd say "That's like my daughter Tara, but not the same first letter!"

She was also known for doing just about anything for a candy bar, soda or cigarette. Sometimes I wonder, though, if it was better for her not to understand what was going on. She had a safe environment and was very friendly. Perhaps had she been out of the facility, she might have ended up being taken advantage of and abused.

Yes, Tawny was an enigma, but managed to put a smile on my face on an almost daily basis.

1 comment:

  1. what disgusting people those children are...I have no other words! UGGGG

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