Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 73

Standing in front of a full congregation, Mitch turned to them and said, "Heed My Message!"


There was a general response of awe and adoration.  Some had hands in the air.  Others had to sit because they were overtaken with emotion.  A woman held her baby in the air, and a few people here and there collapsed to the ground.


He slowly left the church assembly, and went into a beautifully decorated room.  He turned, and next to him was the stunning Tera Winfield in a white flowing gown.  "I am yours, Messenger, to do with what you wish."


"I wish to count my riches, bring me the computer reports from all of my accounts."


She obeyed.


His eyes scanned the long rows of numbers, and he smiled.  "Yes.  The Lord fortune is mine, as it should have been, since Victor promised it to me years ago.  You, my dear follower, have done well."


"Thank you, Master," she said, "I want to please you."


"Oh, you will," he said, grabbing her by her hair and pulling her head back.  Her lips were almost touching his.  He said, "You will have plenty of time for that."


"Yes, my Lord.  I will," and she closed her eyes.


Before kissing her, he imagined Todd Manning's face as he watched his family die before his eyes.


"This has been a very good day," he said to Tera, and kissed her mouth.


He woke up from his dream with a start, hearing a clattering on the bars.  "Meal time, let's go," the guard said.  His cellmate jumped off his bunk, as if this were the greatest moment in the world.  But Mitch Laurence knew it wasn't.  By a long shot.

***

Sister Rebecca Katherine ambled slowly into Mountainview.  She had a basket of fresh cookies, decorated with flowers and a checkered napkin over it.  The napkin was Bitsy's favorite color, red.  Ray Martino, in his search for a way to reach the woman, had called the nun, and asked her to be Bitsy's first visitor since the day she was brought in.  The clergywoman had agreed, and got her driver, still provided by Todd, to bring her out to the institution.

She walked in, and recognizing the front desk, she stopped, signing her name.  She remembered the last time she had been there, when Todd and Blair had to leave his mother there, wanting to end her life.  She wondered what it must have been like for her the night of Christmas Eve, when the incident happened and she'd gone inside herself.  Remembering Blair's words about Todd doing the same thing in the past, she said to herself, "Take it slow, Creena.  This is not going to be an easy one."

She was escorted to Bitsy's room, at which she saw Ray standing outside.  He turned and they embraced.  She said, "Ah, Dr. Martino.  Have I ever had the pleasure of telling ya how much I appreciate all you've done for my surrogate son?"

"Sister, I think you may have, but, it's fine either way."

"Bea.  How is she?"

"Unresponsive.  It hasn't changed.  I thought that possibly you might be able to get something from her. I was hesitant to bring Todd here.  Seeing her catatonic would be extremely upsetting to him, and if he could not make her respond, it wouldn't be advantageous for his own emotional health.  This is why I asked you first."

"Yes.  That was a smart decision, Doctor."

"I have to warn you of the same.  She may not respond to you."

"I'm prepared.  Would ya like a cookie?"

"Why, yes, don't mind if I do," Ray said, lifting the napkin and reaching in.  Sister Rebecca Katherine smiled, and then made her way into Bitsy's room.  Ray followed, finishing the cookie, and watching from a distance back.

"Bea?  Are ya all right, Dear Heart?"  The nun asked.

Bitsy made no effort to move.  In fact, she stared out the window with her head slightly tilted to the left.

"I suppose I thought my voice might make ya turn to me and smile that bright smile ya have."

The woman did not respond.  Instead, she continued to stare ahead.

The nun approached.  "I brought some cookies.  Y'ar favorite," she said, holding out the decorated basket.  "Would ya like one?"

Nothing.

Sister Rebecca Katherine came around in front of Bitsy, positioning her in front of the woman.  She smiled into her vacant eyes, but they did not connect.  She lifted the top off the cookie basket, and revealed a small, golden note pad with a shining sparkly gold pencil.  She looked at Bitsy's face, and saw its blankness firm.  She said, "I brought ya a gift, in case ya wanted to mull over old times with the likes of me."

Bitsy did not respond.

The nun continued, "Ya know, Bea, I've missed ya.  St. Anne's is not the same."  She placed the pad and pencil onto the woman's lap, and kept talking.  "The staff misses ya, Father MacNamara even mentioned ya at mass.  The snow is almost all melted. There was a red cardinal in the garden.  Remember our flowers?  The blue ones, Dear?"

The nun almost faltered, but said to herself, No.  This is not about you, old woman.  This is about Bea.  No self pity.  If she can speak to ya, she will.

She said, "Little Ray, the baby, he is getting big.  He's starting to want to walk, he is.  And Jack, he's got a girlfriend.  My goodness, I warned Todd that this one is going to be a ladies' man."

The nun added, "I'll just sit here with ya, Bea.  If I can't get ya to talk with me, I'll just sit and remember the times and talks we had on my own.  It's perfectly fine to just sit here and think with ya."

She became quiet, and Ray, still watching, seemed to lose interest, as if he knew the ending before it came.  He took out his phone and began answering messages with it.  The nun, still sitting, was now praying to herself, and hoping she could, along with the drugs and therapy, make a difference for Bea.  She was not ready to concede defeat.  She moved her chair right next to Bea, and made herself comfortable.

Of course, as was customary with the sister, she began to drowse a bit during her prayer time, and closed her eyes, slightly leaning to the right, which happened to be toward Bitsy.  Before she knew it, she was falling into sleep, and fighting to stay awake, catching herself every few minutes and pulling herself upright.  Finally, without warning, her head languished to the side enough to touch down on Bea's shoulder.  To Ray's surprise, and Sister Rebecca Katherine's astonishment, Bitsy took her hand and pushed the nun's head off her shoulder.

"Oh my!"  the nun called out, and then looked to Bitsy.  Ray, now furiously recording the scene with his phone for his research notes, remained as quiet as possible.  Sister Rebecca Katherine looked into Bitsy's face.  The woman smiled, and handed her the pad.

"Oh, Bea.  Bea," was all she could say, and read the note aloud.  Your head scared me.  Sorry I pushed you.

The nun was laughing and crying simultaneously, and said, "My God, Dear, that's perfectly all right."

The woman wrote, Sister, I missed you so.  I missed you more than drawing.  I would like to draw.  Soon.

"Of course, ya will."

Ray Martino had to sniff back a tear or two as he watched the two women engage in their strange speak:  the nun, talking freely and continually, and Bea, looking to her face and back to the little pad, and scribbling information.  

He saw her hand the pad to the nun again.  Something happened.  It was Christmas, or maybe the party.  Something happened, when someone . . . hurt me.

"You mustn't think of that now, Dear.  Let's think of today.  Let's think of these cookies, and the drawing y'ar going to do, and . . ."

Bitsy ignored her, and then handed her the notepad.  

The nun could not help but bite her lower lip, and attempt to compose herself.  She looked at Bitsy and touched the side of her face, and then to Ray before reading aloud.

Something is missing.  Can you bring it, Sister?

Please. Bring Todd. 

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