A Passage of Time

 

Sunday August 10th 2025 - 

I got in from the Saturday night shift at twenty past five, and drifted to sleep a little after six in the morning. 

A minute or so after ten in the morning, I woke up for the toilet and looked at my phone. I noticed that I had missed phone calls and messages from my aunties Carol and Ann, as well as a fairly recent message from my younger brother James. They were all asking me to contact them. 

I had a feeling that I knew what it was, but I didn’t want to believe it. I messaged my younger brother James, who then rang to tell me that Mum had passed away sometime around 7:30 in the morning. 

I messaged someone at work about it, who let a Director know. I misunderstood a message telling me to talk to Wayne in the office on the Monday morning, so got ready for work at the usual time, and showed up at the office at 4:40pm for the five o’clock start, to find that Andy had come in to cover for me, and was told that I was also covered for the Monday night shift. 

A 45-minute drive back home included me telling Louise that I was on the way home, as work has covered me for compassionate leave. Louise was overjoyed, as she was worried about my emotions. 

It might also have been a good thing, as I hadn’t gone back to sleep since the phone conversation with James. 

We watched a tiny amount of television, and I mean a tiny amount. 

The Good Life series 3 episode 6 ‘Whose Fleas Are These?’ Episode 7 ‘The Last Posh Frock.’, and series 4 episode 1 ‘Away From It All.’ 

Monday August 11th - 

On Monday I met up with my brother Mark this house, where we chatted about things, and went through some of the paperwork that I already had of mum’s, from when me and Louise had cleared her flat out. After this we then together decided to try and get mum’s affairs in order.

We went to Maun View care home, where we both cleared out her room, and chatted with management, trying to get all of the information we could. 

I contacted Clipstone Hall and Lodge care home, and the social services. Mark contacted King’s Mill Hospital, and started to look into mum’s finances, and a potential funeral plan, of which we had no details. 

Me and Louise watched the great film Point Break, starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze.

We also watched The Good Life series 4 episodes 2 The Green Door, 3 Our Speaker Today, 4 The Weaver’s Tale. and 5 Suit Yourself. 

I watched Star Trek Prodigy season 2 episode 15 Ascension Part 1. Episode 16 Ascension Part 2. 

Tuesday August 12th - 

We watched The Good Life series 4 episodes 6 Sweet and Sour Charity, 7 The Anniversary, the Christmas Special episode Silly But It’s Fun, and the final “episode”. 

We watched To The Manor Born series 1 episode 1 Grantleigh. 

I took the laundry, nipped to Tesco, continued thinking about songs for mum, and started the list of people that we could invite. Up to 57 at present. 

We watched the film Separate Tables (1956) on Amazon Prime, starring Deborah Kerr, Rita Hayworth, David Niven, Burt Lancaster, and Rod Taylor. 

We watched the  biopic film Fear of Fanny, about the life of the celebrity chef Fanny Craddock, which was on the BBC iPlayer. 

We watched To the Manor Born series 1 episodes 2 (All New Together) and 3 (Going To Church). 

Wednesday August 13th - 

Text chat with two of my brothers when I woke up. My oldest brother was away on a course. 

Sorted through more of mum’s paperwork, and carried on working on possible guest lists. 

Went to my brother Mark’s to catch up on where we are at with regards to everything that needs sorting after mum’s passing. We spent around two hours talking about what had been done, and admitted that we are in limbo until we can find out about mum’s funeral plan. 

Work contacted me to ask about coming to work for my rostered shift on Thursday, to which I responded by asking to come back on Friday instead. They said yes. 

We watched the film Hope Springs, starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, on Amazon Prime. 

We listened to two episodes of I’m Sorry I Haven’t Got A Clue. 

We watched an Episode of Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Home Cooking Classics with A Twist on Amazon Prime, all about Boiled Eggs with Anchovy Soldiers. 

Thursday August 14th - 

Woke up at 6, having taken until 2 to get to sleep. Then I dropped off to sleep until 8, and finally at twenty to ten (later than intended) I decided to get up. 

House cleaning day. 

No answer from an earlier care home that mum stayed in, as I’m chasing up something that is necessary. I also didn’t get through to the council, whom I am waiting on to get hold of items of mum’s that they have in storage. 

We watched series 1 episode 4 of To The Manor Born, entitled The Nation’s Heritage. 

We watched the film The Grass Is Greener, starring Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, and Jean Simmons. Directed by Stanley Donen, who also directed Cary Grant in the film Charade. 

We watched the film One Hour Photo, starring Robin Williams, on Disney Plus. 

Friday August 15th - 

My brother Mark contacted to say that he had been in touch with Social Services, who said that they would get mum’s items sorted for him within 7 to 11 days. 

I was contacted by an earlier care home mum had been at, who said that they didn’t have any items, as they had sent them to social services. 

I contacted Maun View care home again, who said that they had no more of mum’s items. 

I picked up the laundry, and went to Tesco supermarket. 

Back to work on the Friday night. I don’t want to work. I hate losing all of those hours to this crap, and working for people who aren’t human beings. 

The fairly recently promoted Director of the company, Debbie, said “when this is all over you can move closer to work.” That’s an interesting way to say that now that my mum’s died, I don’t need to live where I do. Heartless and tactless. 

No matter how they paint it, that’s what they mean. However, even if I did move closer to work, I would not do anymore for them than I already do. 

I would like to do less hours, because I work sixty two and a half hours a week minimum, and usually travel for anytime between 45 minutes to an hour and a half each way for work, one time I finished at 7:30 in the morning, but because of traffic I got home at 9:45am. 

The time I had off showed me the sort of family relationships I would have if it wasn’t for the hours I work. With that in mind I’m looking to see what the pay rise situation they’re on about comes out as, and if it isn’t any good, then I’ll get a normal job that isn’t security based, and closer to where I live.