Old Mrs Jellyman no longer had enough strength in her wrists to open a bought jar of anything. Nor could she rip the foil off the top of a plastic milk container. All these things were designed by the government to enhance health and safety.
To get around this problem, old Mrs Jellyman would ask young Josiah from next door to come and open things for her. Not all the time mind you (that would be a nuisance) but when it was called for as a last resort. For example, Old Mrs Jellyman would poke a hole in the silver foil with a sharp knife. That worked well enough. But some things we unopenable.
When she did call young Josiah over she always rewarded him with some candy. That’s why he was always keen to lend a hand, or in this case a wrist.
One day, Mrs Jellyman didn’t have any candy so she gave him some peanuts, and now he’s dead.