Grandfather was sitting quietly content in the corner of the room; a pungent aroma pervaded the air. Nobody wanted to be the first to say anything. Nobody wanted to hurt his feelings. We sat engaged in light conversation desperate for fresh air.

‘Perhaps we should open the window,’ said Aunt Maud, ‘It is awfully stuffy.’

‘No, no,’ muttered Grandfather, ‘can’t stand drafts. I might catch cold.’

I had been coming to see Grandfather almost every week since he moved into the residential home but the room had never smelt like this before. I was toying with the idea of excusing myself but I could see Aunt Maud eyeing me with her beady eye. Actually, the truth be told she appeared to be more of a Cyclops. I always found this unnerving when I was younger but found it amusing in later years.

A knock at the door heralded the arrival of the tea trolley. Mrs Noble was doing the honours today, she was a large lady; her uniform didn’t quite fit and so gave her a comical air. She stopped at the entrance of the room and sniffed the air and then looked directly at me. ‘Gracious me somebody has problems.’ I began to blush and splutter that it had nothing to do with me. ‘Well Teddy,’ she said walking up to grandfather, ‘did the sprouts not agree with you?’

‘Don’t know what you mean?’ he said looking sheepish.

‘I think you do-o,’ she intoned waving a sharp knife in the air, ‘This isn’t used only for cutting bread you know, I could easily cut your tongue out for fibbing,’ she burst out laughing. Grandfather clearly enjoyed the banter. ‘I’ll send somebody along in a moment to make you more comfortable Teddy,’ and handed him a cup of tea.

‘Could you be a dear and switch the crystal set on?’

‘What?’ she said looking baffled, he pointed in the direction of the cupboard, ‘Ah the radio, why didn’t you say so?’ she flicked the switch on her way out. Turning she suggested Aunt Maud and I might want to leave grandfather and get some fresh air. Once in the corridor the smell still lingered, in fact it followed us all the way to the small canteen. I looked down at Aunt Maud’s shoe, she had trodden in something. Now how could I tactfully tell her?