My Friend Fritzy

I have a wonderful friend named Fritzy. She's Austrian. She's Jewish. She's approximately 4'7 tall (or short whichever way you look at it). She's 85 years old.

Firstly, I'd like to state my dismay at how many of my friends (after hearing I have an 85 yr old friend), have asked me if she's financially well off! Shame on you.

I first met Fritzy when I was working in home care for a West London nursing agency. I was debriefed at headquarters. Apparently, Frederica was 80 years, and needed assistance with her daily routine because she had broken her arm after falling off a sun lounge whilst holidaying in Switzerland. On ya Fritzy!! My immediate thoughts were that I was going to meet a live one here. Possibly a haughty type.

So off I rode.....A-Z in hand...off to find this thrillseeking granny.

When Fritzy opened the door, it was like a comedy....I was looking straight ahead to say hello and slowly averted my eyes down....down....down further. She came up to just below my chest. I felt like an amazon in her presence. Her thick Austrian accent intrigued me and brought a smile to my face everytime she uttered the word 'Und' (apparently German for 'and').

I helped her bath, get dressed and get her breakfast prepared. I also had to put her arm in a sling. She didn't ask me to do this. She just referred to the cloth tie that she was supposed to wear but no worker prior to me, (there had been 4), could manage to put on her correctly!!!! So Preston was like...."do you have the triangular bandage?" She was impressed I knew the correct name. After I had fixed her arm in it correctly, she showered me with praise....went something like this......'Und, und...you're AMAZING.....you're so c-l-e-v-e-r......so smart...und...und'.

For the record, can I just say that Preston does not think she's clever and amazing for correctly applying a sling. Shame on my predecessors for not knowing something so simple. They must of trained in the dark. Ha...there goes my sense of humour again...like they trained.....hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.

Anyhow, Fritzy and I developed a friendship over the following months until it was time that she didn't need me anymore. Except, Fritzy pretended that she still needed help, so I would get to her place, where she would make me coffee and we would sit around and chat from 9-10am every morning.

Piece by piece, I found out about her life. Growing up in Vienna. Escaping the Nazi's by fleeing to England, (her brother to Sweden). Her parents didn't escape. How she met her husband (a Polish Jew). Her life in London. Her travels. Her friends.

I think people underestimate the aged. In a youth-infatuated society, we overlook the wealth of information the elderly possess. Fritzy doesn't have to consult with a history book to remember the war. She can reminisce about London over the last 60 years, commenting on how it has changed, both for the better and worse.

She has thoughts and feelings like everyone else. And Opinions!!!!!! Dont get her started on Blair and his bogus alliance with Bush!!!

Just the other day, she was down about the fact that she has had to give up bridge because she has trouble remembering the cards played and feels she lets her team mates down. I was trying to console her, saying that at least she got 50 or so years playing time behind her. But she set me straight....she first learnt it at age 70! What a dynamo!

Fritzy and I go walking in summer. We catch a couple of buses from her place in Shephards Bush to either Hyde Park or sometimes to Regent's Park. The pace is slow....extremely slow...but we walk along, taking in the sights and smells, marvelling at the frantic pace that revolves around us.We often walk from Lancaster gate to one of the cafes, where we order coffee. She never lets me pay. I never protest. She loves treating me. I love that she loves treating me.

She has been mugged three times in the last 4 years. It makes me sick to think that people would take advantage of such an obviously frail and open target. But I guess thats why they do it.

I love Fritzy.