Alma The Helper

Alma sat in her chair in the corner of the livingroom surrounded by her books. The fire was crackling in the fire place and it was warm and cosy in the room. She smiled at her helper and then looked out the window at the rain. "I remember when I was a helper." she said. "Just before my first shift it was raining like this." The helper took Almas foot on her leg to take her sock off and put a new one on. "What's your name, dear? I forgot." Alma said. "I'm Emily, Miss Rose." the helper said. Emily had thick brown hair held back in a high, tight pony tail. She didn't wear any perfume Alma could smell but had put on a little bit of mascara, maybe to look more awake. "Just call me Alma, Emily. I prefer that." Alma said and the two women smiled at each other. "Who was the first person you helped?" Emily asked as she changed socks on Alma's other foot. Alma wasn't used to the helper's biting when she put out conversational bait. "Oh, her name was Penelope. She had sclerosis. She was not much older than me really. I remember I biked out there in the rain. I was so nervous, cause a friend of mine had told me about the job and that it was difficult to put it mildly. Were you nervous before you came here, Emily? I hope you weren't." Alma looked at the young helper concerned. "I've been in the trade for a few years, so I've toughened up. But nobody talks ill about you, Miss Rose. I mean, Alma." Emily answered. "Oh, I think you're just being kind now. I have my difficult days, I'm quite aware." Alma chuckled. "It was tough the first two shifts. Then something funny happened that kind of loosened both of us up. Penelope and I. Her dog farted in its sleep and woke itself up and I just remembered we couldn't stop laughing. After that things went more smooth. But the first two shifts, I'll never forget. Beginnings are never easy, I guess." "What happened during those first two shifts?" Emily asked as she lined up Alma's pills for her. "She yelled at me a lot when I did anything wrong. But to be honest, I think she was just testing me. And I passed the test." Alma chuckled. "I just remember that ball of anxiety and worry in my stomach before my first shift. It was awful." "Yeah, beginning are difficult as you said." Emily replied and looked at her watch. "I've put your pills and a glass of water on the table here for you. I gotta go see another client, Alma. I'll be back this afternoon to check up on you, right?" "Right, dear." Alma said and watched Emily put her coat on and step out into the rain before she popped her pills into the soil of the potted plant next to her.