In the hilarious “Pink Panther” film series, the bumbling Inspector Clouseau has a valet named Kato. Beyond his man servant duties, Kato is tasked with keeping Clouseau on his toes, making sure the policeman’s mind is always keen, ready for anything.

Kato does this by surprising Clouseau at unforeseen moments. He jumps out from behind a curtain, drops from a chandelier, or appears inside a closet door. A fight ensues, and the two combatants proceed to destroy everything in sight as they battle each other.

I have my own Kato. Her name is Maria.

Fortunately, she is far less destructive than her movie namesake. However, She is equally silent, ever present, and constantly surprising me. Although my hearing is quite good, she has the uncanny knack of sneaking up unheard.

Bending down to tie my shoes, I’ll suddenly hear a voice in front of me, “do you need help?”

I’ll be immersed in a stream of warm water and the shower door will open, “are you okay?”

Then, there’s my breakfast routine. Being blind and needing to be organized, I’ll first set everything  I’ll need on the counter, bowls, spoons, measuring cup, fruit, hot cereal. Then, I’ll put a pot of water on the stove to boil. When it starts steaming, I’ll turn around for the hot cereal and…

The counter has been cleaned. Everything has been put away, often in unexpected places. My Kato has been busy.

“Do you love me?”

“Always.”

tio stib

You might also enjoy: My Dementia Diary 28 – Resets, My Dementia Diary