Delivery Into the Past

Szczegóły: Nadrzędna kategoria: Clickandbite; Kategoria: Czytelnia

Delivery Into the Past.
by Andrzej, October 2003

It was meant to be just another delivery. An elderly gentleman needed an alternating pressure pad to prevent more bedsores. Like always, I knocked on the door and gave the caregiver plenty of time to answer. I went to the patient's room. His weak body moved, his pale face revealed months of suffering. Bandages covered his arms. "Hello Mr. Wilson", I said thinking about how I could brighten up his afternoon, "My name is Andrzej and I brought you your pad. It will help heal those bedsores." He mumbled a few words realizing he would have to get out of the bed in order for me to put the pad down. It took him a good five minutes to get ready to be transferred onto a chair.

After explaining the benefits of APP to the nursing assistant, I noticed a black-and-white picture on the wall. A young soldier standing in the snow, machine gun in his hands. "Is that you, Mr. Wilson?" I asked.
"Sure is", he said and added: "Second world war". The soldier in the picture seemed confident, strong, full of life. Much unlike the man I was talking to, who was frail, lonely, withdrawn. "You know, I am from Poland", I said hoping to continue the conversation, "Did you go to Europe during the war?" He immediately perked up. "Poland? Yes! I did go to Poland. I fought the Germans there." He called his wife, "Liz, this man is from Poland. He is from Poland!" All of a sudden sparks set in his eyes. He told me a story of a young Polish soldier, who was "adopted" by Mr. Wilson's American military brigade and followed them to America. "I don't know where he is now, but I remember him as being smart and friendly, very friendly. He came over here and learned English in no time. What a great guy he was!"

We talked for a few minutes, as he was trying to remember the Polish soldier's name. The pad was already inflated, everything worked just fine. It was time for me to go see someone else. "I am so glad I could meet you", Mr. Wilson said. I was glad, too. And searching for words. Just an old, plain good-bye wouldn't suffice. "Take care of yourself Mr. Wilson. I hope the pad helps", I said and headed for the door. But then I stopped, looked at him again, and did the only thing I could really do. "Thank you for fighting for the freedom of my country, Mr. Wilson." He looked up, nodded and smiled. "You're welcome, son. You're welcome."

to answer the door - otworzyc drzwi w odpowiedz na czyjes pukanie
APP (alternating pressure pad) - specjalny materac, ktory zapobiega tworzeniu sie odlezyn
bedsores - odlezyny
brigthen up - uprzyjemnic, rozjasnic
caregiver - opiekun(ka)
delivery - dostawa
to deliver - dostarczac
elderly - starszy, w podeszlym wieku
frail - slaby, kruchy
to head for ... - skierowac sie w strone ...
in no time (to do something in no time) - zrobic cos w bardzo krotkim czasie
in order for me to ... - po to abym mogl ...
inflated - nadmuchany (to inflate - nadmuchac)
it took him a good five minutes - zabralo mu to dobre piec minut
to mumble - mamrotac
much unlike - zupelnie inaczej niz, zupelnie nie jak
to nod - przytaknac
pale - blady
to perk up - ozywic sie, nabrac nagle energii
to prevent something - zapobiegac czemus
to reveal - ukazywac, odkrywac
spark - iskra
suffering - cierpienie
to suffice - wystarczyc
suffice to say that ... - wystarczy powiedziec, ze...
to suffer - cierpiec
to suffer from... - cierpiec, chorowac na...
withhdrawn - daleki, oderwany od rzeczywistosci