This week Julia’s challenge is to use the prompt ….I’m exhausted. Shut the door behind you…. So here is my attempt.
Caring
Right, your groceries are sorted, dishes washed. I’ve changed your bed and made up the spare room for your brother. The fish pie I made is in the fridge and a lemon meringue. I’ve refilled your medi-wallet too, okay?
The recycling bin is outside and the cats are fed. All the laundry is ironed and tomorrow’s shirt is hanging with those jeans I took up. I’ve booked you a test ride with motability and your wheelchair’s being serviced on Tuesday. Okay?
‘Where’s the remote? I can’t reach it.’
‘My sweets and beer?’
‘…. I’m exhausted; shut the door behind you….’
Lucid Gypsy 
Wow! Excellent hon! 🙂
*hugs*
Thanks for being so sweet!
In all the words, I see fondness, loving, patient understanding.
Thanks he is supposed to be a rich character!
Sounds to me like someone is not being appreciated. I neglected to see “Thank you” between the words bring me a beer and shut the door behind you. It sounds to me like it is the caretaker that deserves the beer and the right to be exhausted.
I agree but it often isn’t the way it is!
Keyword . often! 😉
Ditto. He needs to be given some tough love despite his wallowing in self pity … but maybe we haven’t seen the whole story?
Actually, I think Gilly captured the story very well. Too many times people confuse appreciation with expectation. I would think the caretaker would become a bit resentful after awhile. As a matter of fact, I just wrote a children’s book, and the difference between the two is the very lesson I focused on in that book (The Orples Make A Tree Home). Expectation tends to create resentment, whereas appreciation makes the heart glad.
excellent ..how exasperating!!!
Thanks honey, I son’t think I would have the patience!
Neither would I, I’m afraid …
Yeesch!
Quite 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi Gilly, I just nominated you for a Sunshine Award!
http://lisawrosenberg.com/2012/04/24/sunshine-award-nomination/
Bless you Lisa I’m flattered, one day I’m going to catch up! 🙂
Wow…someone doesn’t know how to say thanks.
Quite a lot of people sadly!
Someone isnt very gracious at all!
Thank you so much for visiting and it sounds like you ‘got’ my character!
Oh goodness. This is a good example to us all of what can happen to us if we are not careful. I agree with others that it shows such kindness too. We have to hope our families see beyond that grouchieness!
Thanks Julia, a really good prompt this week! 🙂
I like this piece, because it has a huge amount of realism to it. Lots of caring and love, yet the recipient comes across as having a level of expectation and of taking their carer for granted – hence the lack of a thank you. Great piece.
Thanks Julie and I enjoyed yours very much as well 🙂
several of us have this sense of being underappreciated or at least not recognized in the daily grind of life…great job of displaying a reality we live…
Thank you Lorraine, its a pity that not everyone can show their appreciation where its deserved!
What a lovely caring person she is. Someone needs to take over for a while though so she can take a break. She deserves a fortnight’s holiday somewhere sunny!
(S)he does, perhaps a lottery ticket is in order!
That has to be the real world! Not made up, you are a star….remote, sweets, beer!!
Next time sing for his supper too!
Well done.
Liz
It’s certainly based on a real situation, thanks for reading Liz!
Oh dear – talk about being taken for granted. I hope I was nicer to my husband when I was ill last year.
I’m sure you were, thanks for visiting Alison !
So sad and frustrating…though that is the sense to be had from the prompt. Still, there’s a charming wistfulness about the narrator. S/He doesn’t seem to readily mind, despite the overflow of work.
I really like the list of chores done. Obviously, the speaker is keeping track, though I can sense some resignation about it all. Well done!
(I admit that I’m biased in my view, having just read your Hobbit tale from today. :))
Ah thanks for reading Mayumi. I think it’s a male voice and he is resigned to being taken for granted, at the moment …
*snort* Ungrateful so and so.
Sadly i think there are a lot of them out there 😦
Sounds like a grumpy old so and so. Getting everything he wants and with no thought of others. Great piece to make the guy sound so ungrateful!
Thanks for coming round golfbandit!
Sadly too many carers are neglected themselves in this way – but lovely piece, very emotive.
They are, but in some places at least there is support available. It’s never enough though 😦
Excellent piece. I was going to do down this path; I’m so glad I read yours before I did – I wouldn’t have done it half so well! Well done.
I bet you would have done much better!
Goodness, what patience. Well written ; it seemed much longer than it was due to the subject. Always enjoy reading your pieces 🙂
You’re a peach Mrs Halford 🙂
A great story.
It must be love that makes us carry on even when we don’t seem to be appreciated.
Thanks Mike, yes that must be the answer!
Brilliant Gilly! From his perspective, can’t be easy being so dependent 😦
There are always two sides to a story I guess 🙂
I was exhausted and I was only reading it – LOLOL
Nicely written and executed … very nice take on the prompt.
Hugs,
Izzy xoxo
Namaste Izzy Gxx
Terrific tale. 😉
🙂