Silva had welcomed him into a
room she called a parlor near the rear of the house decorated in
honey brown leather and burgundy plaid with a lively fire burning
beneath a gold mantel. Dr. Silva's cat, a large red Somali that
looked like a fox, took an unnatural interest in Jacob, following
at his heels and guarding his every move. Dr. Silva said it was the
breed; Somalis were known for their loyalty and Gideon, as the cat
was called, was not accustomed to strangers.
But perhaps the greatest surprise was that
despite Dr. Silva's casual manner and that she'd forgone her black
coat for a sweatshirt and khaki pants, Jacob remained horrified by
her presence. The touch of her hand when they greeted one another
was enough to send a charge of electric current coursing through
his body, and set every hair on end. It was embarrassing, but Jacob
felt powerless to fight it.
"Before we get started, I think it would be
a good idea for us to get to know each other." Dr. Silva lowered
her chin and stared at Jacob until he felt a bead of sweat drip
down his temple. "Would you like some tea?"
He nodded. As if he had any other choice but
to say yes. She moved like grace personified, practically gliding
to the kitchen. In less time than it would've taken him to walk
there and back, she returned with two steaming cups. He took a sip
with shaky hands, trying his best not to spill any on himself.
Around the flavor of oolong tea, he could make out a trace of mango
twisted with cinnamon and coconut. The after taste was—what was it?
Pumpkin. Clearly, pumpkin.
"Do you like it?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's really good," he said
honestly.
"It's my own secret recipe. It has over
seventeen distinct ingredients. I call it moon tea because it takes
a month to make, a full cycle of the moon. I use pumpkins from my
garden. Imparts a unique flavor, wouldn't you agree?"
Jacob nodded. Something about the warm tea
and the way the light of the fire flickered across the wood grain
coffee table was helping him feel more like himself. Dr. Silva
looked him directly in the eye and smiled but he didn't feel the
same electric tingle as before. He felt…normal, like he might have
felt around any adult. She was still stunning but her beauty wasn't
overwhelming.
"That's better," she said, but Jacob didn't
know what she meant. She couldn't possibly know how attracted he'd
been to her before.
"You look tired, Jacob. We don't have to
start in the garden right away. Why don't you just rest awhile and
tell me about yourself?"
"Well, I am a little tired," he replied. To
Jacob's surprise, he began to tell her about himself, more openly
than he'd ever talked with anyone, even Malini. The words poured
out of him as if he were a bag of sand that she had slit open,
releasing every grain of thought he'd ever had. Jacob told her
about his parents and growing up in the little house on Oahu. He
told her about his father's death in the war and then about living
with his mother in the family car. He described in detail the
public housing apartment he eventually moved into. Jacob admitted
that Malini was the only friend he'd had in a long time. But what
would upset him the most, later when he'd had the chance to think
about their talk, was that Jacob admitted to her that his living
situation had cost him friends and how he wondered somewhere deep
inside if his mother had meant to abandon him. It was a private
thought, not meant to be shared with anyone, but he'd said it just
the same.
It didn't bother him while he said it. Every
word was a weight, rolling off his tongue, leaving him lighter than
before. It was so easy, to cast the weight aside. When every event
his brain could remember was laid out on the table, he leaned back
in his chair, feeling as light as a feather, and closed his eyes.
If she minded, Dr. Silva did not say so or anything about the
silence that ensued.
It was warm here, relaxing. Jacob didn't
care if he ever started work, or if he ever left.
He was on the edge
room she called a parlor near the rear of the house decorated in
honey brown leather and burgundy plaid with a lively fire burning
beneath a gold mantel. Dr. Silva's cat, a large red Somali that
looked like a fox, took an unnatural interest in Jacob, following
at his heels and guarding his every move. Dr. Silva said it was the
breed; Somalis were known for their loyalty and Gideon, as the cat
was called, was not accustomed to strangers.
But perhaps the greatest surprise was that
despite Dr. Silva's casual manner and that she'd forgone her black
coat for a sweatshirt and khaki pants, Jacob remained horrified by
her presence. The touch of her hand when they greeted one another
was enough to send a charge of electric current coursing through
his body, and set every hair on end. It was embarrassing, but Jacob
felt powerless to fight it.
"Before we get started, I think it would be
a good idea for us to get to know each other." Dr. Silva lowered
her chin and stared at Jacob until he felt a bead of sweat drip
down his temple. "Would you like some tea?"
He nodded. As if he had any other choice but
to say yes. She moved like grace personified, practically gliding
to the kitchen. In less time than it would've taken him to walk
there and back, she returned with two steaming cups. He took a sip
with shaky hands, trying his best not to spill any on himself.
Around the flavor of oolong tea, he could make out a trace of mango
twisted with cinnamon and coconut. The after taste was—what was it?
Pumpkin. Clearly, pumpkin.
"Do you like it?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's really good," he said
honestly.
"It's my own secret recipe. It has over
seventeen distinct ingredients. I call it moon tea because it takes
a month to make, a full cycle of the moon. I use pumpkins from my
garden. Imparts a unique flavor, wouldn't you agree?"
Jacob nodded. Something about the warm tea
and the way the light of the fire flickered across the wood grain
coffee table was helping him feel more like himself. Dr. Silva
looked him directly in the eye and smiled but he didn't feel the
same electric tingle as before. He felt…normal, like he might have
felt around any adult. She was still stunning but her beauty wasn't
overwhelming.
"That's better," she said, but Jacob didn't
know what she meant. She couldn't possibly know how attracted he'd
been to her before.
"You look tired, Jacob. We don't have to
start in the garden right away. Why don't you just rest awhile and
tell me about yourself?"
"Well, I am a little tired," he replied. To
Jacob's surprise, he began to tell her about himself, more openly
than he'd ever talked with anyone, even Malini. The words poured
out of him as if he were a bag of sand that she had slit open,
releasing every grain of thought he'd ever had. Jacob told her
about his parents and growing up in the little house on Oahu. He
told her about his father's death in the war and then about living
with his mother in the family car. He described in detail the
public housing apartment he eventually moved into. Jacob admitted
that Malini was the only friend he'd had in a long time. But what
would upset him the most, later when he'd had the chance to think
about their talk, was that Jacob admitted to her that his living
situation had cost him friends and how he wondered somewhere deep
inside if his mother had meant to abandon him. It was a private
thought, not meant to be shared with anyone, but he'd said it just
the same.
It didn't bother him while he said it. Every
word was a weight, rolling off his tongue, leaving him lighter than
before. It was so easy, to cast the weight aside. When every event
his brain could remember was laid out on the table, he leaned back
in his chair, feeling as light as a feather, and closed his eyes.
If she minded, Dr. Silva did not say so or anything about the
silence that ensued.
It was warm here, relaxing. Jacob didn't
care if he ever started work, or if he ever left.
He was on the edge
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