Bound to the ground

Death works in the mysterious ways. We never know what does the death want. We never understand how it functions. The ways of the death are not known to the human beings. Sometimes the patients eye at the sky while sometimes they could be bound to the ground. This story suggest the later one.

In my society complex lived Mrs Joshi who was a woman in her late 80s. She had cardiac and kidney ailments. She was bedridden for several years. Each day had been becoming more and more difficult for her to continue to sustain. The death had not been to kind to her to free her from her pain and suffering. Mrs Joshi had a caregiver to provide her the care throughout the day.

Once I was requested by Mrs Joshi's family to get her medications from the market. I had brought the medications and I went to her residence to deliver the medicines. The door was opened by her caregiver. I handed over the medications to her and enquired about Mrs Joshi's health.
The caregiver told me, "she is suffering a lot. Everyday starts and ends with pain. It has become unbearable for her to carry on. She cries all day. She is waiting for the death to come and end her sufferings. Unfortunately that is not happening. I suggested something to the family but they are not agreeing to it".
The last statement from the caregiver made me alert. I asked her to elaborate on it. Initially she was hesitant because she should not have mentioned it to a stranger. But later she agreed to tell me, "I told her family to place her on the ground. Right now she is on the bed. If her body comes in direct contact with the ground then I believe the death would be easier for her".
I looked at her in disbelief. She must have realised that I am not believing in what she had said. She explained further, " I have worked with elderly patients for several years. There are some of the ways by which the death becomes easy. When we place patients on the ground, they die an easier death than the ones who are on the bed. For patients are like Mrs Joshi, often keeping them on the ground helps. I do not know the logic or Science behind it. Everything that I have been suggesting is as per my experience. Though it is my work it pains me to look at her suffering constantly".

I left from there. From the caregiver's description I understood that Mrs Joshi had been suffering a lot. I silently prayed for the sickly old woman. A week later we got the news that Mrs Joshi had died. When I went for her funeral the care give her came and spoke with me, "this morning I finally managed to convince her son to place her on the ground. She died in the afternoon. Imagine they could have saved this woman from her pain and agony for a several days. If only they listened to a woman who is not educated but knows a lot about dying. Anyway now she must be in a better place free from her pain".

I was still surprised to receive this information. This woman definitely knew a lot about death and dying. I closed my eyes and prayed for the departed soul, thinking that the death will always remain mysterious.