Grandma's Trait Swapper (Patreon)

Sophia ventured up to the attic. It wasn't easy for her to get there, she wasn't as young as she used to be. She was in fact over 80-years-old. 84 to be exact. She took each step one at a time, holding onto the railing for balance. She didn't tell her daughter, Erika what she was doing. Firstly, she didn't want Erika to know what she was looking for. But also, Erika was always telling her don't do this and don't do that. Sophia thought she was old enough to know what to do and when to do it. She was Erika's mother. It wasn't the other way around.

Entering the attic, Sophia looked for her Trait Swapper. It was a device that could swap traits between the person who wore it. (The Trait Swapper looked like a wristwatch that could be worn by either men or women.) Sophia hadn't used it for years, decades actually, but now it was time to use it again.

Sophia had used it when she was much younger to swap many traits. Some because she wanted them and some for fun. But as she got more mature, her conscience started to act up. After a while, she stopped using it and packed it away. But now she was going to use it again.

Sophia was in constant pain due to her arthritis and other ailments due to her age. She was going to trade her ailments with someone else. Someone not so nice. Why should she suffer, when there were some people who weren't as nice as she was. That is what she believed.

The truth was that her mental faculties were diminishing. She didn't know this was happening. Even if someone had told her, she wouldn't remember anyway. Thus her conscience wasn't a problem anymore. After looking for a while, Sophia found what she was looking for and put it on. It wasn't all that easy with her fingers as stiff as they were.

On her wrist, the Trait Swapper booted up. Its power source was just as magical as the rest of it. Once it was fully activated, the Swapper would make all its options clear to Sophie through what looked like a menu that only Sophia could see. It in fact optimized the display for each wearer to make it as easy as possible to use. It was fully intuitive in its operation.

Sophia was over the master bedroom and from her position could hear what was being said. Erika was talking with her husband, Martin. Sophia couldn't make out exactly what they were saying until she turned her hearing aid onto its maximum setting. This setting would be uncomfortable when Sophia was in a crowd. But in a quiet room, she could pick up voices and sounds that even a person with average auditory abilities could hear.

"It's time you told me," Sophia heard Martin say.

"I know you are right, but I have been putting it off," Erika replied.

"I know it's not her fault, but it's not our fault either. She has to go."

Sophia didn't know who or what they were talking about. She sat quietly and listened some more.

"How do I tell my mother that."

"It'll be the best for her; for her and for us. They can watch over her better than we can. They can make sure she gets all her medication on time. They can keep her from falling down. There will be lots of people her age who she can make friends with. All her old friends have died. She doesn't have many people to talk to. Well besides you."

"I know."

"...and this problem we are having with Ricky. It will require our full attention."

Ricky is Sophia's grandson. He has been getting into trouble. He was suspended from school for some reason. Sophia didn't know what for exactly. But whatever it was, Ricky has been home from school for four days so far.

Martin continued, "look at you. Between the two of them, you're worn to a frazzle. It would be best for everyone if we put Sophia in a senior care facility."

"Put me in a home???" Sophia thought. "Are they nuts? I shouldn't go, it's Ricky who needs to be watched full time. I haven't been anything but nice. I help with preparing the meals and the housework. I never cause any sort of problem."

"What if she won't go?" Erika asked.

"She has to go. There is no choice in the matter. But we'll let her think it's her choice. When push comes to shove, she's going. IT'S BEST FOR EVERYONE."

"I know. I hope we can convince her."

"We'll take our time and let her think it's her decision."

Sophia didn't know how much concern she caused her family. They were afraid she would fall and end up in the hospital. Sophia knew she had been to the hospital for a fall, but she didn't realize how regularly it happens. They were afraid that she would try and wash the clothes with dish soap, or a hundred such mistakes that only a person who is losing their mental faculties would make. She didn't have any clue how much trouble she was causing.

"I wasn't suspended from school. I don't come into the house and throw my things around making a mess everywhere. If anyone should be going to a home, it should be Ricky, not me!"

Sophia hadn't planned on using the Swapper on anyone in her family. She was going to use it on a 'bad person' but now she was so mad that she was going to use it on Ricky. "If anyone's going to a home, it'll be Ricky!"

Sophia exited the attic and looked for her grandson. She assumed he would be in his room. The Swapper was now fully charged, she just had to test it out before getting to work. She had to move quickly, Erika and Martin were about to tell her about their plan. She had to complete her swaps before they made her leave.

Ricky was in his room, not doing much of anything. He wasn't allowed to use his computer. That was part of the punishment for being suspended.

Sophia walked up to him and said, "Sophia I want to talk to you."

"I'm Ricky grandma."

Sophia selected the name option and activated it. Ricky didn't know Sophia was doing anything at all as the Swapper was so intuitive. Sophia hardly had to do anything at all.

She wanted to see if the Swapper was still working. "I'm sorry, I meant to call you Sophia."

"It's OK grandma. What would you like."

"Sophia, I was in the attic and I heard your mother and father talking. I'm afraid it's bad news for you."

"What did you hear?"

Sophia swapped back their names. She didn't want to go through life with the name Ricky. She then used the Swapper to trade their place in the family.

The Swapper was so intuitive that it knew exactly what Sophia meant. Erika and Martin were now discussing putting Ricky into a nursing home because he was suspended from school. The conversation seemed perfectly ordinary to them that a boy Ricky's age (16) could be placed in a nursing home for his problems. Erika and Martin would have more time to devote to Sophia's problems once Ricky was gone.

"They want to put you into a nursing home."

"A nursing home? They want to put me in a nursing home!" Ricky shouted.

"That is what I heard them say. I'm here to help you, but there is still time. But you have to do what I say."

"What?"

"They said they can't handle you. You have to be on your best behavior. You have to do everything they say and not give them a reason to go through with it. So when they tell you, I want you to be calm and agree to everything. If they show you a place, say it's very nice. If they want you to sign anything, just do it. I'll work behind the scenes. Everything will turn out right."

"OK, I'll be good."

"Great, I hear them coming, remember whatever they say, just agree to everything."

Erika entered Ricky's room followed by Martin.

"Sophia," Erica said, "we need to talk to Ricky. Can you excuse us?"

"Sure thing."

Erica left the room but positioned herself so she could see Ricky and Ricky could see her.

"Honey," Erika said in soothing tones to Ricky. "You know that your dad and I love you a lot. And that we always want to do the things that are best for you."

"Yes, Mom."

"Dad and I have been talking about you and we want you to consider something."

'What is it?" Ricky asked, but he knew what it was. Ricky was sure that grandma would help him. He just has to be good. If he made a fuss they would put him in a home for sure.

"You need help. More help than your dad or I can provide on a daily basis. I think you should go to a place where they can take care of you," Erika tried to explain.

Ricky looked up at his dad who was nodding somberly.

Sophia was watching the entire scene from the doorway. Erika and Martin had their backs to her. They couldn't see her, but she could see them and Ricky. She wasn't paying much attention to what they were discussing. Instead, she was making more swaps with Ricy.

"As long as Ricky was going to be in a nursing home, then he should have her ailments. They could care for him," Sophia thought.

The first swap was the things that were causing Sophia the most pain: arthritis and osteoporosis. The pain in Sophia's hands and back and the rest of her body were gone for the first time in years. She unconsciously straightened up and then she flexed her fingers in a way she hadn't in a very long time. The swelling in her knuckles was gone and her fingers were no long misshapen. She smiled with her dentures.

Ricky hunched over a bit and presumably, his hands (and other joints) became as arthritic as Sophia had been. He was now the person in pain. But he didn't complain. As far as he knew he had always had this pain.

Continuing Erika said, "You need a place where they had a full staff who can make sure you get all your medications on time. A place that is designed for people like you. Where there aren't any steps you can trip on."

"But I don't..." Ricky started to say.

Sophia swapped Ricky's ease of mobility with hers and her memories as much as she could remember about falling.

Without missing a beat, Ricky continued, "I don't fall that much."

"But honey, you do. I worry about you all the time. Every time you get up, I worry you could fall down.

Sophia wore corrective shoes and other corrective garments due to her ailments. She didn't need them anymore, but Ricky did. Thus Sophia swapped her attire with his. Ricky was now dressed as Sophia had been, the same sleeveless top, loose-fitting slacks, and slip-resistant footwear. Underneath he was also wearing her bra, granny panties, and supportive underwear, and socks.

Sophia was now wearing a basketball jersey and cargo shorts. She looked down at what she was wearing. She swapped her apparel with Erica. She liked these clothes better. "Let Erika dress like a shooty-hoops star," Sophia thought.

"So we think you should go into an assisted care facility," Erica finally told him.

Martin continued to nod throughout Erica's speech.

Next Sophia swapped with Ricky those things that she considered physical annoyances. Glasses were first, replace with Ricky's contacts, the hearing aide was next, and finally her dentures. She rubbed her newly real teeth with her tongue.

"Do I have to?"

"No, of course not, but we think it'll be the best for you. They will make sure you're comfortable. You won't have to cook. They will make your favorite meals and everything will be soft enough for you to chew," Erika said in a louder voice than before as Ricky was the one now wearing the hearing aids.

"Do you have a place in mind?"

"Yes, we do. You remember Shady Acres. We visited it two weeks ago."

The family had visited the place just as Erika said two weeks ago, but Sophia had forgotten.

"Oh."

"It was nice. Wasn't it?"

"I guess so."

Erika pulled out a brochure and started to read it "is a modern and fully furnished 523-bed facility. It offers its residents comfortable accommodations, delicious food..."

Skipping down a bit, she announced that it has free wifi, newly renovated bathrooms equipped with safety features, air conditioning, cable TV. When Erika was finished with the list she told Ricky, "I'm sure you will just love it."

Now that Sophia could see better, she could see that not only was Ricky wearing her clothes (and the glasses, hearing aids, etc.) but he was also wearing her make-up. What little she still put on, namely lipstick, a little eye shadow, and some blush.

"What the hell," Sophia thought as she wished to herself Erika's makeup.

Sophia wanted to look at herself, but as she turned, even though she wasn't in pain anymore, it took an effort to move.

As one final swap, Sophia traded her internal organs with her grandson. She felt a sense of power right away. She dashed to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She was still 'an elderly woman' but the vitality she felt, in addition to the more youthful clothing and makeup made her seem years younger.

While Sophia was looking at herself in the mirror. Ricky was signing his life away by agreeing to enter the nursing home. He thought that his grandma would help him.

Erika and Martin started to pack up Ricky's staff immediately. Ricky was too warn out to help. He found grandma in the bathroom reapplying her makeup.

"Grandma," Ricky said in a panic. "They are really going to ship me off."

"Don't worry. I'll talk to them. I'll make them see how good you've been and get them to change their mind."

"But the papers are signed."

"It's fine, it's fine."

"Calm down. You have ruined your makeup. Here let me fix it. When you look better you will feel better."

Sophia made up Ricky's face while making other swaps with him. She stole all of Ricky's friends and decided it was time to go back to school. With Ricky's internal organs, she has another lifetime to live. When Ricky's suspension was up, Sophia would be attending his school. She planned to be a better student than he was. A nicer one at the very least.

When the van came to pick Ricky up to take him to the home, Sophia was at his school. It was a complete surprise to Ricky as they ushered him away to the home."

No, no, no! I changed my mind! I don't want to go!"

"I'm sorry honey. It's for the best. You'll be well taken care of. You'll have a lot of fun at Shady Acres. I promise."

A wheelchair was brought to the door. Hoping against hope, Ricky sat upon it. It felt good to be off his feet. Maybe if he was well behaved they would let him return home.

End.