Waltzing Matilda

Her name was Bertha. She was a patient in a nursing home, a victim of dementia, old age, and poverty. She never spoke but she hummed constantly, never anything recognizable or familiar, just a song that played over and over again in her mind. She was, so the staff nurse said, perfectly harmless but she did like to roam the halls at night. She would crawl out of her bed, leave her nightdress behind, and creep into the night lighted corridors. More than one aide had come across her unexpectedly in the small hours and more than one patient had been awakened by the ensuing shrieks. Once out, Bertha was reluctant to return to bed - she refused to be coaxed or bribed and she laughed at threats of restraint or sedation. She would crouch down in a corner and smile and from a distance all you could see was a black shadow with one gold tooth flashing in a mouthful of otherwise perfect teeth. Her dark skin made for nearly perfect camouflage.

The night I came across Bertha for the first time, she jumped out at me from a laundry closet. The medicine tray I was carrying went flying and I screeched while she laughed, gold tooth glittering, eyes bright, proud of herself. It was impossible to be angry with this tiny, naked, black woman dancing around in the linen closet so I retrieved the medications and put them out of harm's way then gathered up a spare nightdress and headed for the closet. Bertha was rocking on her heels and humming and when I held out the nightdress, she obediently slipped it over her head.
I took her hand and she slowly stood up and consented to be led back to her room. As we walked, I listened closely
to her humming, thinking that it wasn't just random but an actual song. When we got to her bed, she crawled in and as I pulled the covers up she smiled at me. I leaned over and whispered Waltzing Matilda? but she just closed her eyes and buried her face in her pillow.

I straightened up, looked around to make sure that all the other beds were occupied, and felt a tug at my sleeve.
Mrs. O'Reilly was awake and gesturing me to come closer with one finger while the other was held against her lips.
She was born in Australia she whispered to me and winked, She don't know her own name but she knows where she come from. Ain't that somethin'?

And it was.