We padded the smooth vinyl chair with a pillow. Still, the wheels rolling over cracked sidewalks (carefully avoided as kids, so as not to break our mother's back) now countered hoped-for benefit or comfort. Jarring impact traveled up the steel frame, found quick route mapped to weakness, directed by some skilled marksman to reach the target with precision, proving to be the sharper force than all our pillow gentleness on this, her almost final April ride.