Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 53

Jack sat in the main office, waiting for the guidance counselor, when Jenna came in, still in her jacket and scarf.  He watched her without saying anything.  He feared, more than anything, the she would respond to him as she did in his dream.

The next moment, she had spotted him, and smiled, and stood at the counter waiting for the secretary.  "I need a late pass, please."  She looked back to Jack and added a wave to the smile.

The secretary told her to sit down and wait a moment, so she walked over to Jack.  Sitting right by him, she said, "I was late.  I hate these kinds of mornings."

"Me, too," he said.  Don't be dumb and let it slip that you slept in your Mommy and Daddy's room last night.  "I'm really tired."

"Why are you in the office?"

"I fell asleep in class, again.  They sent me to see guidance."

"I overslept, too.  Do you . . . have nightmares?"

He swallowed, and said, "Yeah.  You?"

"Yep.  Sometimes they keep me awake all night."

"Hmf.  Me, too."

"I started getting them when my mom disappeared."

"I'm sorry about that."

"Thanks."

Jenna was called to the front for her pass.  "I'll see you at lunch.  I'll get extra food for you." 

He watched her go, her long hair swinging behind her.

***

Mitch was on his cot, eyes still closed.  He could hear his cellmate, Jimmy Testa, walking back and forth by the bars, like a caged lion.  He ignored him, continuing to shut the light out and attempt to keep napping.

Testa waited by the bars, and then stood still when the footsteps of the guard appeared.

"What do you want, Testa?"

"You know what I want."  he was uneasy, then whispered, "I told you what I want.  Did he agree to speak to me?"

"Your boyfriend ain't coming for ya," the guard said.  "Too busy with that sexy redhead."

Mitch, hearing this, remained perfectly still, eyes shut and continued to listen.

"Shhhh."  Testa was frantic.  In a very soft whisper, he said, "Get me out of here, I want to see the Warden."  Then, as an aside, after looking back to assure Mitch was sleeping, "My roommate, he's kind of, weird, ya know?"

"Ain't any weirder than you are, Testa."

"I wanna see the warden, Stokes.  Come on, do me the favor and ask him, will ya?"

"I'll ask him, but I know he ain't buyin,'" the guard walked off.  "Oh, and, watch out for bedbugs."

Mitch did not stir.  He remained quiet, as if asleep on his cot.  Testa went to his own bunk and stripped it, shaking the sheets out, and returning them to the cot.  He sat down.  Then turning his legs, he stretched out on his back, staring at the ceiling in wait.  After a few moments, Mitch said, without moving, "You, need to Heed the Messenger, my son."

***

Todd and Blair were enjoying the limo ride, her head against his shoulder, sunlight coming through the sunroof in streams onto their legs, and the cold from outside locked out by the doors.  Her hand was intertwined with his, and his other was holding his tablet.  He was reading.  She glanced down and caught something on the screen.  She read aloud, "The Eightfold Path."

He said, "Yep."

"This reminds me of . . . Sam.  Coach Sam," she said.

He looked at her, "Yep."

"Didn't he used to tell you . . ."

"Yeah, during that self-imposed Blair drought.  He did."  Todd remembered back to the days when he and Blair were not together; when he had made the mistake, in his panic of losing everything, to ask Tea to marry him to gain custody of Starr.  "Everything else might have been a joke then, but this, it's really not that bad once you start reading it."

"You.  A Buddhist?"

"Better than nothing?"  he smiled.

"I suppose there's a first time for everything."  She put her head back on his shoulder.

He read, "The Noble Eightfold Path describes the way to the end of suffering, with the goal of freeing the individual from attachments and delusions; and it finally leads to understanding the truth about all things.'  Doesn't that sound like it makes sense?" 

"Yeah, I guess it does.  Sure."

"Hmm," he went back to reading.  She smiled to herself, and checked the baby.  "He's asleep."

As they pulled up to St. Anne's, Todd closed the tablet, and tucked Ray's blanket in around him, carefully lifting the baby's head and pulling the back of his knit hat down lower.  Blair, watching him care for his son, felt a shiver of want as she saw him, so gentle, and so strong.  She said, "There, your Daddy is taking good care of you, Little One."

He said, "Like your Mommy takes care of all of us all the time."

***

"Oh yeah?  And who's The Messenger, you?"  Testa said, turning on his side to face Mitch.

"You have clearly underestimated the power of The Messenger, and that will be your downfall."

"You talk a little bit strange, there, Laurence.  If you are this Messenger, what is the message?"

Mitch, still not having changed positions, talked as though he was speaking to the ceiling.  "Follow me, I am the Lord's vessel, the Lord's prophet.  Listen to my word and do as I say, and you'll seek favor with Him."

"This is religious stuff, right?"

"Yes, religious stuff.  And you are insolent.  You should heed, before it's too late."  It's already too late for you, insufferable loser.  

"I don't believe in God."  Testa said.  "He ain't never done nothin' for me."

"He put you on this Earth.  He gave you Life.  Heed The Messenger or perish at His hand without warning.  He will strike you down, and you will be destroyed.  Destroyed in a manner that will stop your heart."

"No one's striking me down from heaven or anywhere else."

Mitch began to ignore Testa.  The man ceased to be amusing to him, and focused on his own plan.  Yes, he would see John McBain fall.  He would relish seeing Todd Manning suffer, in the worst possible way, when his first born son was taken from him, never to be seen again.  Unless, of course, Manning wanted to turn over every...red...cent. 

***

Blair got out of the limo, and he followed, with Ray's carrier, and they made their way in to St. Anne's.  They were greeted in the lobby by Sister Rebecca Katherine.  She said, "I was hoping ya might bring the cherub."  

Blair hugged the nun, and Todd leaned in to kiss her cheek.  She said, "Come with me, Bea's waiting in the solarium for ya."

Todd said, "How is she?"

"She had a nightmare last night, woke up with lots of questions.  The poor thing was shaken.  Dr. Levin wants to help her, but she seems to be afraid of him."  

Todd didn't answer; he was already sure he knew why she was afraid.  They continued to the sun room, and walked in.  Bea was sketching, dreamily, between looks out the window at the still-present snow.  The three of them, with Little Ray in his carrier, went to her table.  Todd stayed standing, Blair sat, with Ray at her feet.  Bitsy stood, and like a child, went to Todd and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.  As soon as she did this, she touched his face, and scrunched hers in question.

He said, "Momma.  Are you all right?"

She nodded, and pointed to his scar, questioning.

He said, "Accident.  It's okay."

Sister Rebecca Katherine was relieved that Todd did not explain further.

Bitsy touched the scar, slowly, and then went to Blair, and hugged her.  Blair said, "Oh, Bitsy, Hello.  This, is Raymond Manning."  

Blair lifted Ray from his carrier, and held him up so that Bitsy could see him.  She smiled as tears sprung to her eyes.  She touched his head, and petted it, gently.  She went to her place at the table, and wrote a note.  

Can I please hold him?

Blair said, "Of course," and stood, walking to Bitsy.  She handed Ray to her, and the baby woke at that moment, and smiled at her.  

Bitsy, her face filled with joy and emotion, looked to Todd, and then to Sister Rebecca Katherine, before handing him back to Blair.  

She wrote more:  He's so beautiful.  He is your baby, your baby with Todd.  He's not mine.

Sister Rebecca Katherine said, "Yes, Dear.  He's your grandbaby."

Bitsy slowly sat down, and everyone else did as well, Ray on Blair's knee, cooing softly.

Bitsy wrote, I still get confused.  All the time.  Something is wrong in my head.  I can feel it.

Todd said, "I want to help you, Momma.  But you're not letting the doctors help."

She took the pen, and wrote, I don't like them.  The white jackets, that's what they wore at The Jail.  In The Jail, they all wore them.  They did bad things to us.  They hurt us.

Todd read it and said, "I understand.  But I know a different doctor, maybe someone else who could help.  He helped me.  Would you try and listen to him?"

She shrugged.

He smiled, "Hmf, all right."

She nodded, and went back to her drawing.  It was of a flower arrangement.  She was carefully coloring it with her pencils.  Todd said, "Momma?"

She looked up.

He said, "Momma, I want to help you.  I think you should move from here to this place I know of.  It's near here, Blair and I will come and see you all the time.  It's beautiful, it has a lake.  My friend is there.  He can help you."

She handed Todd her note pad, where she had written, Will you be there?

"Will I be there when?  Will I bring you there, is that what you mean?"

She nodded.

"Yes, I'll bring you there.  I'll bring you and I'll help you settle in, and I'll introduce you to my friend."

He waited, and then she handed him her note.  Will Blair come?  And the baby?

He said, "We'll see about that, Blair?"

"I'd love to be there, Bitsy.  Yes, I'll come.  I'll bring Ray, if that is what you would like."

She nodded.  She wrote one more time, and handed it across to him.  If you want me to go, I will go.  I will talk to your friend, but I don't want him to hurt me.

Todd closed his eyes momentarily, and then said, "He won't hurt you.  I promise, Momma."

"I've met him and talked to him.  He's helped Todd, and me.  He's very nice, and he won't hurt you."  Blair added.  At this, Bitsy wrote again, and handed it to her.

Was he in a white jacket?  Did he come with needles, or did he try and hurt you with his body or his hands?

Blair said, "No, not at all.  He's been at our wedding, he's the person we named Little Ray after."

Bitsy smiled and then she nodded.  Looking forlorn suddenly, she turned to Sister Rebecca Katherine and tears came.

The nun said, "I will be with ya.  I'll come and see ya, I'll help ya get settled, too, if ya like."

Bitsy brushed her tears off her face with her sleeve, and Blair, noticing it, smiled to herself.

I will need you to be there, Sister.  You know about the sparrows, and you understand.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Your comments are 'payment' for the work of the authors. Our writers like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment when you read.