The river\u2019s latest outburst was merely a hiccup in duration, and the sky remained clear; the air calm. Mabel and Van passed the gray church, beyond which were several houses on either side of River Street, and beyond the houses the road ended abruptly in a small roundabout.<\/p>\n
\n\tDirectly in front of Mabel and Van, facing the circle and the length of River Street, stood an eight foot tall wrought iron fence, comprised of black spikes connected by a vining network of metal ivy leaves. Stone columns stood at either side of an open gate of similar design. <\/p>\n
\n\tOn top of the columns perched stone gargoyles, peering down at passers-by with inquisitive expressions. The bird-like creatures might have seemed intimidating had they not been wearing clothes. One wore a pink neck ribbon, and the other a small flower-bedecked straw hat.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHmm,\u201d said Mabel, as she and Van passed through the gate. \u201cI wonder who\u2019s been dressing up Marty and Igor?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tVan just laughed and rolled his eyes as if this was exactly the type of thing he expected at this house.<\/p>\n
\n\tBefore them stood a large brick house. It was a classic foursquare, obviously old, and badly in need of a handyman\u2019s care. A covered porch ran the length of the first story, supported by four columns. The front door, and two windows flanking it, sported borders of leaded glass which were cracked in several places. Each of the three tall, narrow, second story windows had at least one pane of glass patched with silver duct tape. The low-pitched roof projected several feet beyond the building\u2019s exterior walls, and it was capped with two small brick chimneys and a cupola. Ivy, growing thickly around the base of the house, trailed in curlicues as high as the second floor windows, and a few bricks had become dislodged where the ivy\u2019s tendrils had loosened the mortar.<\/p>\n
\n\tDespite the house\u2019s state of disrepair, there were some curious decorative touches making it evident that someone had been attending to its appearance.
\n\tIn the yard, a bronze statuette of a pirouetting ballerina accented a small clean pond of well-fed goldfish. In front of the porch stood two concrete urns of lush burnt-orange mums, and on the front door–tied just above a tarnished knocker engraved with the word \u201cRotter,\u201d was a basket of dried flowers.<\/p>\n
\n\tMabel stepped onto the porch, followed by Van. Several warped floorboards creaked beneath them. A swinging bench hung from the ceiling to their right. Sitting on it, with a slumped posture suggesting complete despair, was a young woman.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHey,\u201d said Van, addressing the sad lady. \u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tShe raised doleful eyes toward them, and sighed heavily.
\n\t\u201cI\u2019m just not good at that kind of work,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m afraid I\u2019m a terrible disappointment to the doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe young woman stretched out her long, lean frame, and sat up straighter. She had on a calf-length jumper of pastel floral cotton over a white t-shirt. Her wavy black hair was pulled into a ponytail, and her facial features were quite lovely, Mabel noted, provided one was not distracted by her exceptionally scarred complexion. Fresh red scars, just beginning to heal, ran here and there across her face and arms.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cYes,\u201d she said, noticing Mabel\u2019s gaze. \u201cI look a mess now, but Dr. Rotter says that always happens. He says skin just can\u2019t sit around being dead for very long before the tissue weakens, so it sometimes splits when the blood starts to flow again. But he\u2019s a great stitcher. You wouldn\u2019t know it looking at those beefy hands of his, but he says I\u2019ll look better soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tShe slumped back on the swing. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter though. I\u2019m still so abysmally bad at everything a laboratory assistant should be good at.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWell,\u201d said Mabel sympathetically, \u201cmaybe you\u2019ll feel better after you eat. We brought manicotti from the co-op.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThat sounds lovely,\u201d said the woman, smiling weakly. \u201cI\u2019ll come in after I collect myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tVan opened the front door, and held it while Mabel stepped inside. He rolled his eyes toward the back of the house and whispered, \u201chere we go again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThey were in an entry hall that led straight back to a kitchen. To their right was a small and cozy sitting room filled with upholstered chairs which might have been comfortable had they not required one to sit up so straight, and a fireplace where several logs were burning. A doorway to the left revealed a library where walls completely covered by shelved books surrounded a cluttered wooden desk.<\/p>\n
\n\tEverything in the house, from eye level down, was–despite the clutter–swept, dusted, and spotless. On the ceiling, however, dwelt an amazingly numerous collection of spiders. Webs stretched across every corner, some occupied, some abandoned. On an antique table near the front door, a bowl full of bubble gum and caramels sat, apparently in preparation for Hallowe\u2019en.<\/p>\n
\n\tA thumping sound resounded repeatedly from the kitchen. Through the doorway, Mabel saw the burly doctor pushing a wet mop around the slate kitchen floor.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cOh,hey,\u201d called Doctor Rotter, looking up. \u201cAlways clean the floor to calm my nerves, ya\u2019 know.\u201d
\n\tThe voice was deep, with a gravelly timbre which suggested years of tobacco use.<\/p>\n
\n\tMabel and Van entered the kitchen. A banged-up coffee percolator was bubbling away on the stove. An assortment of plants and herbs, potted in empty coffee and soup cans, cluttered the counter space around the sink and the windowsill above it. <\/p>\n
\n\tOn a dinette table with a speckled turquoise formica surface, several books were open. Gray\u2019s Anatomy,<\/em> a medical textbook, lay next to Elementary Calculus.<\/em> On a chair next to the table sat In Monet\u2019s Garden,<\/em> a book featuring colorful floral paintings, and bearing a Logjam Public Library sticker.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s just crazy, you know?\u201d began the doctor, leaning his mop against the wall.<\/p>\n \n\tHe was a stocky man, of medium height. His skin had the pallor of too much time spent indoors, and his frizzy hair and beard resembled steel wool. He wore rumpled gray sweatpants, a white t-shirt, and well-worn brown loafers.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe\u2019ve studied the nervous system. We\u2019ve studied the endocrine system. We\u2019ve discussed simple quadratic equations. All great stuff, you\u2019ve got to admit, right? And she just looks at me blankly, with these big, brown eyes, and says, \u2018May I go pain now?\u2019\u201d Dr. Rotter raised his voice to a falsetto at the end.<\/p>\n \n\tMabel closed her mouth tightly, to pretend she wasn\u2019t smiling, and shrugged. \n\tDr. Rotter began absentmindedly pulling a motley selection of plates and glasses out of a cupboard. \n\t\u201cSounds like a winning combination,\u201d said Van, nodding.<\/p>\n \n\tThe doctor grunted. \u201cYeah. So what\u2019s she like? All this girl wants to do is paint and admire the pretty colors. Huh. I oughta quit and go into real estate.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong with art,\u201d said Mabel, although she knew already what Dr. Rotter\u2019s reaction would be.<\/p>\n \n\tThe doctor picked up Gray\u2019s Anatomy<\/em> and held it reverently, like a priceless artifact. \n\tThe front door closed with a gentle bang, and the dark haired young woman entered the kitchen. \n\tHis gruff demeanor softened perceptibly. \u201cHoney, you just sit down and help yourself to some of the best Italian food you\u2019ve ever tasted,\u201d he invited.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI don\u2019t remember ever tasting Italian food before,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n \n\tDr. Rotter handed her a napkin. \u201cYeah, well, like I\u2019ve told you–the transplant procedure tends to pretty much wipe out personal memory. Hey,\u201d he continued, gesturing at Mabel and Van. \u201cYou two sit down. We can share.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThanks,\u201d answered Mabel, \u201cbut I think we\u2019re both expected home for dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWell, have some iced tea for a minute, then.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMabel handed Van a glass, and they took the two remaining chairs.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOh, Doctor!\u201d said the young woman, with sudden brightness. \u201cWell, two things, really.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cLet\u2019s see,\u201d suggested Dr. Rotter. \u201cYou wanna go to med school?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tShe flashed him a look of amused reproach. \u201cDon\u2019t be silly. No. It\u2019s the goldfish. They\u2019re positively shimmering. The sun glints off them like a thousand mirrors. I should love to paint them.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOh,\u201d replied the doctor with mock amusement. \u201cThat is a surprise!\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAnd the other thing,\u201d she continued, with an even brighter smile. \u201cI\u2019ve chosen a name. I shall call myself Patience!\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHoney,\u201d said the doctor. \u201cYou\u2019re my seventeenth attempt. That should be my name.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBut you\u2019re Doctor Rotter,\u201d said Patience with a playful smile. \u201cDoctor Ernie Rotter. And I\u2019m Patience.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMabel stood up. \u201cDr. Rotter, I think Van and I should really be going. It was nice to meet you Patience.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWait,\u201d said Patience with sudden anxiousness. \u201cThere\u2019s something else I need to say.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tVan and Mabel paused, and Dr. Rotter looked at Patience with an amused expression.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cDr. Rotter,\u201d she began. \u201cI love you as I would a father. I would never, ever do anything to hurt you if I had a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDr. Rotter stirred his iced tea and sat patiently.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI have to leave. Oh, Dr. Rotter, after all your work, I have to leave here! I\u2019m just not what you need. The only thing is,\u201d Patience hesitated, a worried expression furrowing her scarred brow, \u201cI don\u2019t know where I shall go.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDr. Rotter handed Patience a roll and the butter. He gazed out from under his bushy brow with a combination of fondness and resignation. \n\t\u201cYou\u2019ll go to the co-op,\u201d said Van. \u201cIt\u2019s where they all go.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tPatience looked at Van questioningly.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cDon\u2019t worry, I live there, and I know you\u2019ll love it. You\u2019ll fit right in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \n\tDr. Rotter sat back in his chair. \u201cHoney, eat your dinner. I\u2019ll take you over there tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tPatience gave him a grateful nod, and began to nibble on her roll.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019ll tell Mom and Dad you\u2019re coming,\u201d said Van, getting up from his chair.<\/p>\n \n\tMabel followed, picking up the now empty insulated bag. \n\t\u201cHang on there, you two,\u201d said the doctor, rattling the table as he got up. \u201cI\u2019ll walk you to the door.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWhat remained of the dusky afternoon light filtered through small panes of glass in the front door. Dr. Rotter paused as he reached for the doorknob. \n\tVan looked at Mabel and said, \u201che means when he gives them the big jolt of electricity, the electrode is inserted somewhere in the brain.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAnd for some reason,\u201d the doctor continued, \u201cthe right and left hemispheres come out unequally stimulated…\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tVan completed his sentence, \u201c…and you end up with an incredibly right-brained individual like…well, like my parents.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cYup,\u201d acknowledged Dr. Rotter, \u201cand they\u2019re all great folks, really creative…I\u2019m proud of them really, but…\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMabel said, \u201cyou want one of your children to be an egghead, like Van.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDr. Rotter flashed a crooked smile, then straightened to full height. \u201cI am a man of science. And the sciences are,\u201d he said in a proudly formal tone, which suddenly shifted as if he were adding parentheses, \u201capart from occasional brilliant flashes of insight such as Einstein\u2019s theory of relativity,<\/em> a predominantly left-brained pursuit.\u201d He ended with a farewell salute.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBye Doc,\u201d called Van. Mabel waved, and the two headed back through the gate, under the watchful stone eyes of the gargoyles.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI wonder if he\u2019ll ever get it right,\u201d said Mabel. \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t blame him if he\u2019d given up by now. It must be very frustrating.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tVan pushed his glasses up his nose. \u201cWell,\u201d he said, \u201clucky for me he can bring \u2018em to life at all. My folks were the first two, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cDo your parents know where they came from in the first place? I mean, are you ever curious about whether you would have aunts and uncles, or grandparents?\u201d asked Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWell,\u201d answered Van, \u201cThey\u2019re all made from spare parts. Parts of my dad came from a schoolteacher, and parts of Mom came from an Olympic skier, but if you tried to track down all the parts, I\u2019d have more relatives than any kid in Logjam. And most of them wouldn\u2019t believe where I came from anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMabel and Van began to hurry home along River Street, as it was getting quite dark. To their left stood a small white cottage with a pristinely green lawn. This was in marked contrast to the neighboring homes whose yards were littered with early Fall leaves.<\/p>\n \n\tMabel waved at a hunched little woman in the yard, who was slowly and deliberately picking up what few leaves she could spot remaining on her lawn, and dropping them in dented steel trash can.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHi, Miss Penny!\u201d called Mabel.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOh, hi!\u201d the little woman called back. \u201cThese darn leaves!\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMiss Penny smiled with a toothy grin which seemed considerably too big for her tiny, excessively wrinkled face. \u201cI\u2019ve just been talking to Sparkle,\u201d she said, motioning to her front porch. In the fading light, Mabel hadn\u2019t noticed the white, wire-haired dog, who appeared to be taking in the conversation.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cShe\u2019s just restin\u2019 up a few minutes,\u201d continued Miss Penny. \u201cSays she has some hard work to do tomorrow. Says she told you about it too, Miss Mabel.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMabel looked at the dog. Sparkle looked back, and waved her tail slightly. The words, \u201cI\u2019ll have something to show you,\u201d <\/em>replayed themselves in Mabel\u2019s memory. She looked back at Miss Penny, who was shuffling toward her, cane in hand.<\/p>\n The old woman, who stood no taller than Mabel, put a wrinkled hand on Mabel\u2019s arm. \n\tMabel nodded, then looked back at Sparkle who had begun to nibble an itchy spot by her tail. Van looked anxious to get going. \n\tThey passed the empty lot on the way back to Mona Lisa\u2019s, but the green van was nowhere to be seen, and Mabel felt somehow relieved. She handed Van the food carrier as he turned to go inside, and headed for Eurus Press alone, feeling comforted by the rippling of the Willibunk, and murmur of the trees.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The river\u2019s latest outburst was merely a hiccup in duration, and the sky remained clear; the air calm. Mabel and Van passed the gray church, beyond which were several houses on either side of River Street, and beyond the houses the road ended abruptly in a small roundabout. Directly in front of Mabel and Van, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=109"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109\/revisions\/112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emilygillespieclement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\t\u201cHow about some dinner?\u201d she asked, setting the insulated bag down beside Gray\u2019s Anatomy.<\/em> \u201cI hope it\u2019s still hot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHere\u2019s the kicker,\u201d he said, grabbing fistfuls of ice out of the freezer and plopping them into two glasses. He pointed toward the front of the house. \u201cThat brain came from a nuclear physicist. Terrible thing, it was a train wreck. The body was completely unsalvageable, poor dude. But guess what?\u201d he continued, with feigned brightness, \u201cThe body\u2019s a college girl, summa cum laude, degree in chemistry, untreatable bacterial meningitis.\u201d <\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cBut, I don\u2019t need another artist around here,\u201d he said in a tone one might use when speaking to a naughty toddler. \u201cI need a partner in scientific exploration. I need someone who sees beauty in cellular structure. Art in nerves and synapses. Problem is, they\u2019re all so dang nice, I can\u2019t hold it against them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI could do with some food,\u201d she said, smiling sweetly at Dr. Rotter.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI know where you\u2019ll go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cGoodbye Dr. Rotter,\u201d said Mabel. \u201cWe do have to get home. And Patience, I\u2019ll see you at the co-op.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt has something to do with the positioning of the probes,\u201d he said thoughtfully, not to anyone in particular. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to find a spot with plenty of excitable nerve tissue, and most of the good neuronal pools are in the brain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIf a critter has somethin\u2019 to say to you, it\u2019s usually best to listen,\u201d said Miss Penny.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cBye, Miss Penny. The lawn looks great,\u201d said Mabel, as she and Van turned to cross River Street.<\/p>\n