Busted But Loyal

Summary

• Tova, a pensioner, is compared to Eight-Legged Eddie, a disabled crab found by Erik, as she has a sprained foot and feels hampered in her daily activities.
• Her friend, Janice, visits her with a casserole dish and news that Tova missed at their book club, Knit-Wits, because of her injury.
• The significant news is that one member of the group, Mary Ann, is moving to live with her daughter because she can no longer live alone. This prompts Tova to think about her own future, living alone without a family to rely on.
• Tova becomes frustrated when she receives an unsolicited mobile phone from Janice, who insists that she needs it for emergencies. While trying to retrieve the ringing phone from her pocket, she drops a dish and slips on her creamy kitchen floor, symbolizing the potential risks Tova faces living alone.
• The chapter ends with Tova contemplating filling out an application to live at Charter Village, a potential home for the elderly as she faces her own mortality, loneliness, and the practical challenges of living alone.