Todd Revisited: Contact (Chapter 23)

Lilly did the handwipe thing on her apron.  "Well, then, don't keep me in suspense.  Who is Tom, then Lad?"


He didn't know how to answer, not exactly.  "He's sort of like . . . an imaginary friend."


Lilly's face was so twisted with doubt he had to laugh.  "Okay, not an imaginary friend.  More than that, I guess.  He saved me."


"He saved ya?  From what, Dear Boy?"  she approached the bed, and grabbed her favorite chair, hoisting it close and sitting.


There was a pause.  As he was talking, he was also remembering.  "My father."


"How?  How would a child save you from your father?  Did you have a brother, or somethin'?"


"No, not a brother, not really.  I think he...I think he was another part of me.  Someone I could be, when I couldn't be me.  Does that make sense?"


She was puzzled.  He could tell she did not want to give her real thoughts.  "Tell me more," she said instead.


"I don't have all the details yet in my head, but I do know that Tom was a part of me.  He said in my dreams that he stepped in for me sometimes.  I can see him there.  I never thought about this before, but, maybe I'm just crazy."


"You're not crazy, now, you stop that kind of talk." She thought more.  "What would make you have this other person to 'step in' for you?"


He turned his head to the window, and got quiet.  


"Todd, are you all right, Lad?"


Turning back, she gasped when she realized he was no longer there.  "Hey lady, I mean, Miss Lilly.  Can I have some milk?  I'm real thirsty and hungry, too."


Lilly sat for a moment, serene and silent.  She observed, but couldn't find the words.  


He continued, "Miss Lilly?  Are you okay?  Did I do something wrong, because I don't want to get in trouble.  I really don't like it when people yell at me."


Lilly thought quick on her feet.  The only way to help him was to get him the information he needed.  "Oh, Tom, yes of course, lad, let me get ya your milk."  She ran to the kitchen, hastily grabbing a glass and filling it.  Running back, she handed him the glass and sat back down.  


"Hey, thanks for remembering my name.  That's cool."  He gulped his milk and wiped his mouth on his arm.  Holding out the glass, he said, "More please?"


Lilly got up, got the milk, brought a plate of cookies and sat there, speechless for a moment.  She was thinking.  "Tom, do you like those cookies I made?"


"Yes, lady, I do.  Very good.  Me and Todd don't get a lot of those."


"Well, you have as many as you like, then.  But can ya tell me something?"


"I can try!  I'm not that smart, though." He ate the cookies and innocently stared at her.


"Tom, where were you born?"


"That's easy!  I was born in Chicago, at Todd's house."


"Do you know when?"


"Yep.  Todd was six, and I was born right then."


"You were!  Well, imagine!"  She feigned pleasant surprise.


"Yep!  I came to help Todd.  Pretty much, he needed me."


She nodded.  "Why did he need you?"


"Our father, that guy, Peter Manning, boy, he was real mean.  He did terrible things to Todd.  But sometimes, I helped.  I'd come and take over for him so he wouldn't have to feel all of it all the time."


Lilly gulped, and felt herself becoming emotional.  Hoping not to scare off Tom, she said, "Well, glad to meet ya.  I have so much work to do in the kitchen!  I hope you don't mind?"


"No, go right ahead.  I'd help you, but I don't think I can walk yet."


"Yet."  She found herself smiling, "that's right, not yet!  Good attitude Tom."


He yawned.  "Lady, I think I want to take a nap.  I'll see ya later."  He lay down on the bed toward the wall, and all got quiet.  Within moments, she heard the calming allay of his regular breathing.  Clutching the dishtowel to her breast, she ran to the front door and looked out.  Signaling Aman to return to the house, she turned to look back at the sleeping guest to be certain he was still peacefully resting.


"What is it woman?"  Aman said.


"I've got somethin' to tell you, Aman O'Farrell, and you're sure going to listen!"


He woke up in Llanfair, on the couch where he had fallen asleep.  On the table was a newspaper, his paper, that he recognized, barely.  The headline read, "I am Todd Manning."  Of course, it was published by The Impostor, with his money, using his name and his business.  He put his feet up onto the coffee table and started to read the article.  "He's got to be kidding."


When Jessica came in the doorway, he didn't take the newspaper down.  He recognized her voice almost instantly.  He let her do her thing, then surprised her by removing the newspaper from his face.  In her surprise, he also saw something he desperately needed - recognition.  She knew him.  He was pretty positive of that.






Letting her go at the end of the talk was almost painful.  He did not want to see her go, because she had known him and seemed to accept him, regardless of what others were doing.  It was strange but he felt if she walked out, he might lose the only one believing him, but of course, he couldn't express that or stop her.  And she went.


He made his way into the kitchen, looking for food.  Taking a large piece of fresh bread, he made himself a very large sandwich (he hadn't eaten much in weeks) and brought it with him back to the library at Llanfair.  Coming into the foyer, he heard the bellowing of The Impostor, and stopped short, taking a huge bite.  Lettuce hung out of his mouth, and as The Impostor made a series of faces of disgust, he couldn't help but love the fact that his sister Viki, regardless of how unintentionally, had given him this moment.