i got a call i got a phone call from my mother your dad is changing he is becoming something other and you may not recognize him when you come and he may realize it s you there s part of him that is completely numb he d not been well his eyes and legs were almost useless he d been depressive he hated looking so damn foolish and the cat scan showed his brain was losing mass and he didn t know each morning where he was or how he came to this impasse he took the phone his voice was querulous and distant i heard and old man and i knew it in an instant and he told me how it was to be so blind and he told me how it was to know precisely how it felt to lose his mind i asked me dad how much his vision was impaired he said he sees things but that the things he sees were things that are not there then he paused and quietly spoke this words that chilled i have my own small thoughts about that and i felt the air around me grow quite still for my dad was telling me that he was dying he was telling me in such a gentle way and i couldn t stop myself from softly crying as he formed the mindless words the had their say i got a call i got a phone call from my mother your dad is changing he is becoming something other