Puzzles at The Elders’ Lodge
A part of the recreational facilities for the Turtle Bay Elders’ Lodge is a dedicated spot for completing puzzles of all shapes and sizes. It comes complete with a puzzle board for ease of tidiness. (Photo credit: George Rahrhaienté:ri Ross)
Story told by Gloria Cross
One of the elders I met, she was so nice; Her name was Margaret. She passed at the age of 104.
Her daughter, she’d come in from Florida, maybe for a week, to visit her at the hospital. When she walked around, she’d see us there, and she’d always come in to talk to us. So, her daughter likes us.
I said to her once, “Tell your mom that I’m the girl that used to like to do puzzles with her, at the Elders’ Lodge.”
When she’d tell her mom about what I said, Margaret would shout, “Puzzles! Oh yes, puzzles!” When she was looking at us from then on, she smiled, and she remembered.
She was the nicest woman.
When I was going to the Elders’ Lodge, a lot of people there got into gambling money. I went there for yoga; it was good exercise.
Claire Diabo always did puzzles there, and I looked at the puzzles next to her. I saw a nice one and said, “Oh, I like that. I like that puzzle!”
“Oh, don’t touch that, Gloria. That’s Margaret’s puzzle,” she would warn me. “Nobody touches Margaret’s puzzle.”
“But Claire, I like that puzzle,” I’d say back. So, I’d take my chair, go sit there, and start doing the puzzle.
As Claire got woozy over it, Margaret came. She didn't say nothing, she just sat down. She didn’t know who I was; I was new. Then, we used to go for exercise together and that was it; we became friends. She got used to me being there.
I usually left after yoga was finished, because my children, Bob or Donna, used to call me for lunch.
“Mom! Mom! What’s there for lunch?” You know?
I'm glad though, because it gave me that extra time with them, even if they were maybe working, we could make time.
The yoga I liked was finishing, however, so I stopped going to the lodge.
Before I left though, Margaret whispers, “I gotta tell you something.” She tells me in a very low voice, “I gotta tell you, I hate to do that puzzle, all that framing. I hate to do it.”
I assure her, “Margaret, It’s okay. I’m gonna do it for you!”
So, I did her frame for her, but that was the last time I saw her there.
Maybe it’s been four years, even five, since I left the lodge. I mean, maybe I’d win a bet once or twice, but the main thing there for me was all that good exercise.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Tiehnakhánions Ne Elders’ Lodge Nonkwá:ti
One of the common areas in the Elders’ Lodge where senior community members can gather for a chat, watch the latest on the screen, and participate in the occasional activity. (Photo credit: George Rahrhaienté:ri Ross)
Gloria Cross IAKOKÁ:RATON
Tseià:ta ne tsi nihá:ti thotí:iens kheientehrhà:'on, é:so tsi tiakorihwaierì:ne. Margaret iontátiatskwe. Wa'ontóhetste 104 shitiakó:ien.
Ontatièn:'a, Florida néntien, tóka' nòn:wa tsahià:ksera nikarì:wes, ne ki' ne aiontátken'se tsi iakenheion'taientáhkhwa nonkwá:ti. Nó:nen ehta'kéhson eniénhson, enionkhí:ken eh nón:we, tánon tió:konte entionkhiià:tara'ne teniakwahthá:ren. Ne ki', ionkhinòn:we's ne ontatièn:'a.
Énska tsi náhe wa'khehró:ri, "Shehró:ri sa'nisténha tsi ì:'i nen' nè:'e ne iakón:kwe ne tsi niká:ien skátne tekenihnakhánionskwe ne tiehnakhánions, ne Elders’ Lodge nonkwá:ti.
Nó:nen eniontathró:ri no'nisténha tsi nahò:ten wa'kì:ron, teniakohén:rehte Margaret eniè:ron, "Tiehnakhánions! O hen, tiehnakhánions!" Nó:nen enionkhiiatkáhtho ohnà:ken thí:ken, eniakoiéhson, tánon eniakehià:ra'ne.
Kwah ne naonhà:'a tiakorihwaierì:ne.
Elders’ Lodge shiekéhtha, é:so rá:ti ne tho wahatinòn:we'ne tahatihwístaien. Eh iahà:ke ne ki' ne ió:ka nakátiere ; é:so tsi ioiánere tsi ontia'tahkarí:ioste.
Tió:konte tiehnakhánions wa'tiehnakhánion ne Claire Diabo eh nón:we, tánon wa'katkáhtho ne tiehnakhánions ieia'tákta kaién:ton. Énska ioiánere wa'katkáhtho tánon wa'kì:ron, "O, kenòn:we's thí:ken. Kenòn:we's thí:ken tiehnakhánions!"
"O, tóhsa satsté:rist thí:ken, Gloria. Margaret akó:wen tiehnakhánions thí:ken," enionkwà:riste. Iah ónhka teiontsterístha ne Margaret akó:wen tiehnakhánions."
"Nek tsi Claire, kenòn:we's thí:ken tiehnakhánions," tentkì:ron. Thò:ne ki' entkatihéntho nakwanitskwà:ra, tho ienkátien, tánon entkatáhsawen ne tiehnakhánions.
Tsi wa'tiakoni'tónnien ne Claire tsi teiehnakhánions thí:ken, Margaret tá:ien. Iah thé teiaká:wen, nek tha'óntien. Iah teiontién:tere'skwe ; aonkwè:tase nì:'i. Thò:ne ki', skátne eniatiatia'tahkariiostà:na tánon thok ní:kon ; wa'atiatén:ro'ne. Wa'erèn:nha tsi tho iewatió'te.
Iotkà:te enskahtén:ti nó:nen iénkhsa ne ió:ka, áse' kenh kheien'okòn:'a, Bob tóka'ni Donna, entionkwatewennáta'a'se néntie ní:kare.
"Istén! Istén! Nahò:ten sakhón:ni néntie aó:wen?" Saterièn:tare wáhi?
Wakatshennón:ni ki' tánon, áse' kenh onkenaktótha'se ne sénha karì:wes skátne aiakwéhseke, iaweronhátien tóka' rotiió'te, eniakwanaktó:ten ki' wáhi.
Ó:nen wéhrhahkwe aontò:kten ne tsi niká:ien ió:ka kenòn:we'skwe, sa' ne, ne ki' tiorì:wa tsi wa'kátkahwe tsi Lodge iekéhtha.
Ohén:ton sha'kátkahwe ki', Margaret wa'tionktsahón:ha'se wa'è:ron, "Ó:nenk tsi enkonhró:ri nahò:ten." Kenk niwatewén:na tsi wa'onkhró:ri, "Ó:nenk tsi enkonhró:ri, kwah katahkwáswens akkwatá:ko thí:ken tiehnakhánions, akwé:kon thí:ken tsi ioto'ktátie aorihwà:ke, kwah katahkwáswens eh nátiere."
Wa'khe'nikonhrahní:rate, "Margaret, akwé:kon ioiánere. Tekonkhanionnì:re!"
Thò:ne ki', wa'khekwatákwa'se ne tsi ioto'ktátie, nek tsi nè:'e ne ohna'kénhkha tekhé:ken eh nón:we.
Maybe it's been four years, even five, since I left the lodge. I mean, maybe I’d win a bet once or twice, but the main thing there for me was all that good exercise.
Tóka' nòn:wa kaié:ri niiohserá:ke, khó:ni wísk, tsi náhe shiwakatkà:wen ne Lodge. Akì:ron, tóka' nòn:wa énska tóka'ni tékeni tenkhe'néhare, nek tsi nè:'e ne karihwakwe'ní:io nakerihwà:ke ne ki' ne thí:ken ioiánere tsi ontia'tahkarí:ioste.
Edited by: George Rahrhaienté:ri Ross, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde