The Wayward Gifted - Broken Point (31 page)

“I won’t. I’ll be close to the elevator
downstairs.”

With that Ida went into Dr. Klesel’s
office. Sam walked into the hall, got on the elevator, and rode down.

* * *

In
the lobby, Sam walked to the back windows and looked out at the snow. She held
Trista close as she thought about Steuart and Ed. Sam’s heart was broken. She
wanted to help Trista. She wondered how soon she would hear from Ed. She also
wondered how soon her brother would come home. Sam wanted to cry. “Wait until
you’re in your room,” she whispered to herself. Sam didn’t want to go home. She
was uncomfortable about seeing her mother.

A voice came from across the lobby,
“Samantha DuBoise, do you remember me?” A young girl walked over and stood next
to Sam. “Hello.”

“We have an appointment. We’re already
running late,” a woman called to the girl from the elevator.

“I know. He won’t mind. I’ll be
upstairs in a minute. Please tell him I’m saying hello to a friend.”

The woman pushed the elevator button
and spoke firmly as the doors closed, “Don’t take long.”

The girl looked at Sam, “You don’t
recognize me. You were my visitor at the hospital. You sang to me. I remember
you.”

Sam smiled, “I remember you too.”

“Do you remember my name?”

“Yes—Dotsie. You look much better
today. I like your hat.”

“Thank you,” She reached up and touched
her hat, “I’m in remission.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“I’m happy to see you again. Your doll
is very beautiful. What’s her name?”

“Trista. She’s an artist.”

“How pretty.”

“She isn’t feeling well.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Dotsie looked
at the doll and then asked Sam, “Will you visit me? We can have a tea party. I
live on the twelfth floor of the other tower.” She pointed, “Over there. I’d
like to learn the song you sang when you visited. Maybe I can teach you one
too. I’d also like for you to meet my doll.”

“You have a doll?”

“Yes.”

“You’re going to see Dr. Klesel? He’s
my doctor too.”

“Yes,” Dotsie nodded. “I have a doll.
He’s not mine. Dr. Klesel is letting me borrow him. His name is Toriah Toroar.”

“That’s a name.”

“It is.”

“I’ll see if I can come. Thank you for
the invitation.”

“I hope you will.”

“They’ll probably let me. I live over
there.” Sam pointed in the direction of her house. “I’ll look forward to
meeting your doll.”

“How’s your brother?”

Sam looked off in the distance, “He’s
missing.”

Dotsie put her hand over her mouth,
“Missing? Oh, no, that’s awful.”

“I know.”

“I wish I could do something to help
you.” Dotsie reached out and put her hand on Sam’s.

“Thank you.” Sam felt a tear in her eye
and worried that she was about to start crying. She shook her head, “Don’t
worry about Steuart. I know where he is, and I have a friend who’s trying to
help me get him home.”

Dotsie pulled a pen and paper from her
purse and began writing, “This is my number and this is the number for our
condo. You must come to my house. I’ll expect you tomorrow at three.” Dotsie
began walking towards the elevator, “I have to go now. Please come.”

Ida walked off the elevator as Dotsie
walked on. Dotsie turned and waved to Sam, “Promise me.”

“I’ll do my best.”

They waved good-bye as the elevator
door closed.

Ida walked towards her granddaughter,
“You have a new friend?”

“I do.”

* * *

Sam
dreaded going home. She knew she would have a difficult time explaining things
to her mother. Olivia had no idea what was going on. She was wound up. She was
worried and angry. She wanted to find her son and said that no one was doing
what he or she should. “Just explain things to me. Where did you leave your
brother?” Olivia looked exhausted. Her face was covered with tears.

“I don’t know.” Sam decided not to tell
her mother what was happening. She remembered Ed’s advice and whispered to
herself, “Know your audience.”

“Why is this happening to me?” Olivia
asked her mother and then turned towards her daughter. “Sam, please go to bed
now unless there’s something more that you can tell me. I’m exhausted.”

Sam nodded and said “Goodnight.” She
turned to her mother, “Don’t worry Mother. Steuart’s fine.”

Olivia frowned, “What’s wrong with
you?”

* * *

“Hey
Sam,” Ed whispered in a quiet, happy voice.

“You’re back! Where’s Steuart?”

“Lower your voice.”

“Did you find him?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Where is he? We need to tell Mother.”

“No, we can’t just yet. He’s still in
Bellamy.”

“Oh?”

“It’s okay. Let’s talk about it
tomorrow. I’m tired from all this traveling—you must be too. It’s been a long
couple of days.”

“I’d rather talk about things now. I’ve
been talking with people all day. A bit more talk won’t hurt. Please tell me
what you know. Did you come from the tree house? Did you see Ceil?”

“No. I didn’t come that way.”

“How did you get here? Surely you
didn’t end up on the bay.”

“Cat.”

“Cat?”

“Yes, in times of emergency Cat is a
solid means of travel.”

“Cat?”

“Yes, that’s what I said. Cat.” Ed
nodded. He raised his hands in the air and stretched, “Don’t ask. It would take
days for me to explain. We don’t need to go there tonight. You already have too
many things to think about.”

“But, you saw Steuart? Is he okay?
Where is he?”

“He’s at a place called The Minor
Protection Agency.”

“That sounds terrible.”

“It’s not a bad place.”

“How do you know?”

“That’s what I’ve heard.”

EIGHTEEN

The following morning Olivia readied
herself for work.
“They
tell me there is nothing I can do here. I’ve spoken with everyone,” she told
her mother. “I’ve done all that I can. We have to wait. That’s it. This is in
the hands of the authorities. Where is my baby?”

“Maybe you should stay home and try to
get more sleep.”

“I can’t sleep.”

“Have you asked your doctor for
something?”

“No, I’m better concentrating on my
work.”

“You are not going to be able to think.”

“Mother—we all handle stress
differently. I’m my best when I’m busy. I might as well go in and take care of
business. There’s nothing I can do at the moment. I will lose my mind if I stay
here.” Olivia started to cry. “They’ll contact me if there is any news, or if I’m
needed.” She looked at her mother, “You have my number.”

“Of course I do.”

“You’re right. Of course you have it.
I’m not thinking.”

“You have to do what feels best for you.
I’d like to keep Sam here with me today. I don’t think she’s emotionally
prepared for anything at the moment.”

“It wouldn’t hurt her to go to class.
There’s no reason to infantilize her.”

“Like I said, I’d like to keep her home
today.”

“Do whatever you want. I don’t care.”

* * *

Sam
waited until the afternoon before asking Ida if she could visit with Dotsie. Ida
nodded, “That is a very nice idea. I think it will do you good to visit your
friend.” Before leaving the house, Sam turned back and gave her grandmother a
big hug. “Thank you. I think Dotsie may have some ideas that’ll help bring
Steuart home.”

Ida held Sam’s face in her hands and brushed
her hair back. “Enjoy seeing your friend. Do not go to the tree house.”

“I won’t.” Sam left for Dotsie’s with
Trista and Ed in her backpack.

Ed was talkative. “I’m glad you didn’t
tell me about Toriah last night. I wouldn’t have slept. I can’t wait to see my
old pal. We’re about to have an interesting afternoon. Are you ready? Toriah is
a real talker.”

“What’s so great about Toriah?”

Ed pulled a bite of chocolate from his
pocket, munched and nodded as he held onto Sam’s backpack, “He’s the best.”

Sam entered the first tower and rode
the elevator to the twelfth floor. She rang the bell and waited. A short chubby
lady answered—the same woman Sam saw with Dotsie at the doctor’s office.
“Hello Samantha. Dotsie is expecting you. I am Anita.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Should I take
off my shoes?”

“That would be nice. You can put them
over there,” Anita pointed to a boot tray and continued talking, “I can take
your coat and hat too. I’ll hang them here.” She opened a closet door. “Shall I
take your backpack?”

“No, thank you. I have some things that
I’d like to share with Dotsie.”

“Of course, Dotsie told me that you’re
new in town. Do you like the cold weather?”

“Very much. I love snow. We didn’t have
weather like this down south. That’s where I’m from. I like getting out in the
cold.”

Anita smiled.

Sam tried to think of conversation, “I
always wonder why more people don’t make snowmen here. If we had this much snow
back home, everyone would have snowmen in their yard.”

“People take for granted what they
have. You know that. Most children don’t want to get out. They’re accustomed to
entertaining themselves in the house. I’m afraid we have a world of lazy little
house muffins.”

“You mean potatoes?”

“Did I say potatoes?”

“No.”

“I prefer muffins—they’re
sweeter. I heard about your brother. Do you have any news?”

“No, nothing more, but I know he’s okay.”

“It’s important to have faith. That’s
what my priest tells me.”

“I do.”

“I hear Dotsie coming down the hall.”

“Sam!” Dotsie was thrilled. “You’re
here. Let’s go to my room. Anita helped me set up a little party. We can have
tea. She made scones for us.”

Sam looked at Anita, “Thank you. My
grandmother makes scones sometimes. Most of the time she makes biscuits.”

“Which do you like best?”

“I love them both,” Sam smiled.

“Today I’ve made apple for you ladies.”

“I love apple.”

“Come on Sam,” Dotsie led Sam down a
long hall and into her room. “Did you bring your doll?”

“Yes, well, no. I did, well, yes and
no.”

“Silly—either you did or you
didn’t. Did you?”

“Yes. I brought Steuart’s doll, Ed
Camino. I also brought Trista Petrina, but she’s ill.”

“What’s wrong with her?”

Sam opened her backpack and gently
pulled out both dolls. Dotsie took Ed from Sam’s hands and sat him in a chair
at a little table next to another male doll. Sam laid Trista on the bed.

“I feel so bad for her,” Sam said.

“She looks okay to me. What happened?”

“It’s awful. When you and Steuart were
in the hospital, I left Ed and Trista at the house. We were in a hurry. Later
that day my mother went home and had an accident with Trista. Her skull got
crushed.”

“That’s terrible, but she looks pretty
now. Who fixed her?”

“Steuart and I found a doll hospital
downtown.”

“I can’t even see where she was
broken.”

“I know. They did a good job, but it
wasn’t enough.”

“This is my doll.” Dotsie pointed to a
portly doll seated next to Ed. He wore a three-piece suit and carried a pocket
watch. He looked as if he could bellow his name and be heard all the way across
town. “I call him TT, but his real name is Toriah Toroar.”

“What a name. Where did he get a name
like that one?”

Dotsie shrugged, “He’s an orator. He
talks and talks and talks and talks and talks. After that, he talks and talks
some more. Sometimes he has trouble stopping. He’s long winded, but he’s a
long-time friend of mine. Sometimes I have to ask him to be quiet so that he
doesn’t disturb my mother.”

Both of the dolls sat silently.

 
“When TT gets started, he doesn’t know
when to stop.”