Her old friend called

In the early evening, Ma's old friend Georgie called. She talked with Schmidt for a while, and then he asked if she wanted to talk to Ma. Yes, sure. 

Schmidt put the phone on and set the receiver to Speaker so it would broadcast aloud. He handed the phone to Ma and told her it was Georgie.

"Georgie?"

"Hi, Ma!" [Of course she used Ma's real name.]

"Where are you?"

"I'm in my kitchen … in my house … in [the town where Georgie lives]." Then she went on to list her two long-term houseguests, and where they were.

"But where are you?"

"I'm at my home."

"I'm confused. I don't know where I am."

At this point I interrupted to say, "You are safe and sound in your own house." Ma looks at me. "Who are you?"

"I'm Hosea. I'm a friend of your son's."

"Georgie, I don't know where I am."

The conversation went on like that for a little while, and then Ma gave the phone back to Schmidt. I don't remember the whole exchange. Except that when she saw Schmidt, she told Georgie, "Oh good, I see that Pa is here!"

At another point, Ma expressed to me the worry that she doesn't know who she is! I told her she's Ma Schmidt, and that she's in her own house in her own town so she is safe and sound. She was worried about all the work she is supposed to be doing—at the very least, making dinner so the rest of us won't go hungry—but I assured her that Schmidt has the work all covered.

"Have you seen him today?"

"Yes, he's right over there in the kitchen."

When I finally persuaded her that Schmidt has her duties covered so that she doesn't have to do anything, she lay back with a sigh and a look of profound relief. 

She has also spent a lot of time asleep.