Strange New Feet

by Shannon Esposito

  “Oh,” Giorgio laughs. “That’s a manticore. Originally Persian, its name means “man-eater”.Beauty of a chimera, isn’t he?”

  Safia walks over to get a better look at the ugly creature. Its head is that of a man’s, with three rows of sharp teeth, the body of a lion and the tail of a dragon. It gives her the creeps.

  “Just think, ladies, one day soon it will be quite possible to create creatures like this…to bring them to life. We could build a real life chimera zoo to visit with the kiddies. Our only limit will be our imagination.”

  Safia glances up at him, noting the seriousness in his tone. “I think I’m going to call it a night.” She suddenly feels the weight of emotional fatigue. “Do you mind?”

  “Not at all,” Rita answers, giving her arm a supportive pat. “Glad you came with me?”

  “Yes.” Safia nods thoughtfully as they make their way back through the museum. Then she thinks about all the new things to think about and laughs, “And no.”

  Chapter 5

  Safia has gotten used to listening to her gut. Her gift of pattern recognition lets her see things differently than most, but as she drives to Nash Prison in a rental car smelling of cigarettes and carpet cleaner, a knot begins to form in her stomach. Bill Crowley has been transferred there from Parkland after being deemed healed enough to stand trial. What’s she going to say to him? She has no idea. So many questions and something is pulling her to get some answers.

  Her examination of Olivia’s tumor on Monday has proven it to be a Grade 1 as expected. No problem, surgery is a definite option for her. So, why doesn’t she feel better? She also asked for a second DNA test. A new blood sample, just to be sure. The results came back on Thursday. Rita had called her with the news. No surprises.

  As the highway stretches into a more rural landscape and the mountains begin to show through the fog, her mind works to grasp whatever it is poking at her.

  “What, what is it?” she whispers, smacking the steering wheel.

  No answers come on the forty minute drive. She exits the highway and follows the road for another six miles before the prison comes into view. It is an old square building on top of a hill with visible hot-wired fencing surrounding it. The guard at the gate is less than friendly, but she’s too distracted to care.

  She parks and walks purposefully into the building and up to the window. A uniformed guard asks for her ID and she slips it through the slot in the glass.

  “You can pick this up on your way out. Sign in here.” He pushes an electronic clipboard through the slot. When she has signed it and pushed it back through, she hears a buzz to her left. The metal door opens and she walks through, being met by another guard who silently escorts her to the meeting room.

  “Wait here.” He points at a spot on the end of a table.

  There are a few others in there talking in low tones with their loved ones in the orange suits. She glances at one young girl who keeps wiping at her nose and then stares at the man seated across from her. His head is bowed, and he’s holding a photograph. She doesn’t have long to wonder about their situation.

  Bill Crowley is being led by the guard and sits down tentatively across from her.

  “Do I know you?” he asks.

  “No.” She studies him for a moment. He’s nothing like she expects. A splinter of a man in his fifties with a quiet demeanor and little hair. The side of his face is still yellow and purple. He looks both tortured and beaten. “My name is Safia Raine.” She pauses not quite sure what to say. Her anger dissipates. “That was quite a beating you took.”

  “Yeah. I deserved it.” His eyes are pale and watery and slip off of hers every time she tries to make eye contact. “Are you a lawyer?”

  “No.”

  “Reporter?”

  “No.” She shrugs and decides to be honest with him. “I work at the hospital where Olivia is staying.”

  He moans and lets his head fall. His grief is almost palpable. She lets him sit in silence for a moment before continuing. He seems to be mentally bracing himself for another beating.

  “Do you know what’s wrong with her?”

  His head snaps up and his eyes search Safia’s face with suspicion. “What do you mean?”

  “I think you know what I mean.” She is playing a hunch now. A hunch that began to solidify when she saw what kind of man he was. He wasn’t a violent man. His motive for the attack wasn’t violence. She remembers Dr. Ackers saying he was praying while smothering her.

  His eyes fill with both horror and tears. “Please, just leave her alone.”

  Safia watches curiously as he seems to be calculating something in his mind, his eyes flitting back and forth, his body tensing as if he wants to run. This man who tried to murder Olivia is asking her to leave the little girl alone? Talk about irony.

  “Tests?” he whispers. “Have you done tests on her?”

  “Yes.” Safia gives nothing else away. Let him think they have found something. Whatever it is, the thought of it is making him panic.

  “She must be destroyed,” he pushes the words through tears that are now running freely down his blotchy face.

  Now it is Safia’s turn to be shocked and horrified. “Mr. Crowley, do you know what you are saying?” She begins to wonder if he’s schizophrenic.

  “Yes, yes…I’m not crazy and I’m not a murderer. My god,” he chokes. “I came to love her. But you don’t know…” he stops himself, visibly biting his tongue. “You don’t know what they’ve done.” His eyes suddenly make contact with Safia’s and his sorrow makes her shiver. “Don’t play detective, Miss Raine. You don’t know what she is.”

  “What she is?” Safia is almost dazed by this remark.

  “She is the beginning of the end.” He motions for the guard and rises. “I’m sorry I failed, but I do love her. Tell her that, would’ja? And please, for the sake of the entire human race…leave her alone.”

  Safia sits there, stunned. Instead of answers, she is walking away with more questions. What the hell is he talking about? Is he delusional? For some reason, she doesn’t think so.

  Chapter 6

  Her mind is exhausted. It’s Friday. She wants to check on Olivia before she leaves for the weekend. Her surgery is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

  “Knock, knock.”

  “Come in,” a muffled voice says.

  “Oh, hi, Safia Raine.” She holds out her hand, walking toward the woman sitting on Olivia’s bed.

  “Sue Barnes,” she offers. Her hand is cold, but her smile is warm and genuine. “So glad to finally meet you. You’ve made quite an impression on my daughter.”

  “Must be the candy,” she says, winking at Olivia. A shy grin and bright eyes greet her. She then turns to the young teen folded up in the chair beside her bed, cards in hand. “Hi there.”

  “Oh, this is Penney, Olivia’s friend from church.”

  “Nice to meet you, Penney.”

  “Best friend,” Olivia corrects her mother. Penney’s freckled face grins.

  “Well, every girl should have a best friend,” Safia smiles.

  “We’re playing Go Fish. Wanna play?”

  “Sure,” Safia pulls the chair up beside the bed. “Deal me in.” She watches Olivia

  gather up all the cards and begin to mix them up. Her movements are slow and deliberate. She whispers something to Penney and the two girls giggle.

  She glances at Sue. Should she tell her she paid a visit to Bill Crowley? Did he say the same things to her about Olivia? Sue is watching her daughter, her green eyes gleaming with mother-love, contentment drifting in and out of her expression.

  “You know what me and Penney are gonna do when I get out of the hospital?”

  “No, what?” Safia asks.

  “We’re gonna plant a garden. Mom says we can. She’ll buy us seeds. You know what I love?”

  Safia shakes her head.

  “I love tomatoes. I also love to draw pictures. I’m pretty good at it.”

&n
bsp; “Well, you’ll have to draw me a picture to hang on my refrigerator. Can you draw a tomato?”

  Olivia giggles and shakes her head vigorously. “No. I can draw really good flowers. Mom, can me and Penney have some paper to draw?”

  “Sure, baby. Let’s finish our game first, okay. You guys have lots of time tonight to play.”

  “Okay,” Olivia says, her attention focusing back on the cards in her hand.

  “You know,” Sue says suddenly. “I’m sort of grateful for what happened.”

  Safia’s not completely sure Sue’s addressing her, so she remains silent.

  “I mean, if she wasn’t put in the hospital then that tumor would have never been found and who knows how big it could of grown. Maybe what Bill did was necessary to get her here.” She reaches out and rubs Olivia’s uncovered leg. Safia stares at the patchwork of brown and pink skin as she talks. “I don’t know what I’d ever do without her. She’s my angel.”

  Olivia begins to slowly, deliberately place a card in front of each of them. “Mom, stop being sad.”

  “I’m not sad, sweetie. I’m…grateful.” She does look at Safia then as she gathers her cards. Safia sees that she is sad. “Want to hear something funny?” She goes on, not really needing a response. “Her Daddy was already gone from my life when I conceived her. The miracles of science. He would be so proud of her.”

  Olivia frowns and crawls awkwardly into her mother’s lap, lanky legs spilling over the bed. “Daddy is watching over us from heaven,” she whispers as she strokes her mother’s hair.

  “I know, sweetie. I know.” She kisses her daughter’s forehead.

  Safia is trying to pay attention, but something is clicking in her mind as she examines Olivia’s arms.

  “Sue, has Olivia’s skin always looked like that?”

  “Like what?” she glances down, puzzled. “Oh, you mean the spots. Yeah, I guess so. I don’t even notice anymore, isn’t that funny.” She moves Olivia back onto the bed and fans out her cards. “You go first, honey.”

  “You know what? I’m sorry,” Safia says, mixing her cards back in the pile on the bed. “I just remembered something very important I have to do. Olivia, can I have a rain check for a game later?”

  Olivia smiles. “Yes.”

  “Good, it’s a date then. And don’t forget about my picture.” She turns to Sue as she rises to leave. “Would you like to have dinner tonight? My treat.”

  “Oh,” she seems surprised. “That’s very kind, but I usually eat with Olivia.”

  “It’s okay, Mom. You said Penney could stay with me, anyway. By the way.” She holds out her hand. “Give me your Queens.”

  “Well!” She pretends to be indignant. “Lord have mercy, child…how did you know I had those.” She hands over two cards. Her eyes search her daughter’s face. “Are you sure you don’t mind.”

  “Bring me and Penney back mints,” Olivia says absentmindly as she lays down her set of Queens.

  “Well, all right then. I’ll join you.”

  “Good. Why don’t you meet me at Richard’s down the street? Say around seven? Here’s my card in case you need to reach me.” She hands over a card with her cell phone number. “See you later.”

  “Alligator,” Olivia finishes.

  *******

  Safia finds Dr. Ackers in his office.“I’ve got a huge favor to ask.”

  “Ask away.” He is distracted, reading something important. She waits until the silence catches his attention. He looks up, then straightens up. “Something wrong?”

  “Yes, but I don’t know what. It’s Olivia.” She bites her lip and then just says it. “I need you to authorize one more DNA test…well, two actually.”

  His shoulders slump and he removes his glasses. “Safia, you know I can’t do that. Her insurance won’t pay for any more and we’ve already done two.”

  “But, you’ve done them on her blood.”

  “Yes?”

  “I need you to do them on her skin cells.” She notices he is not blinking. “Test the skin cells on the pink and the brown patches.”

  “Why?” he finally asks, his frustration gathering in the wrinkled skin between his eyes.

  She holds her breath for a moment and then puts herself out there, puts both her reputation and her job at risk. “Because I don’t think they will match.”

  “You don’t think they will match what?”

  “Each other.”

  This forces him to sit back in his chair and contemplate her quietly. She waits.

  “Safia, you know I have always trusted your…gift. I have always taken your advice and have always believed in you.” She can hear the ‘but’ coming. “But, in this case you know as well as I do that what you are suggesting is impossible. There is no virus, no bacteria, no disease that would make that girl have two different sets of DNA. It’s just not possible.”

  “I’ll pay for the tests myself,” she answers calmly, though her heart is pounding. “Impossible hasn’t been a word in my vocabulary for a very long time, Dr. Ackers.”

  “The money is not the whole issue.”

  “Then what is?”

  “Unnecessary testing…it’s not ethical. It’s not practical.” His argument is running out of steam. She waits without removing the pressure of her stare. Finally, he throws his hands up, rubs his balding head and makes a gesture that looks a lot like a man shooing a stray dog from the street. “Fine, you get permission from the mother.”

  Safia stands, her legs are shaky. “Thank you, Dr. Ackers.” She shuts the door behind her and leans against it with her eyes closed. She knows he doubts her at this moment. It is hard enough for him, supporting something he doesn’t understand. It’s even harder for him to support something that he deems impossible, something that he believes will cost her credibility and possibly, if word gets out, her job.Now she has to convince Sue. That will be harder. She knows how protective she is. No unnecessary testing or pain is her motto. As her legs begin to feel useful again, she moves away from the door. There will be just enough time for her to run home and shower before dinner.

  Chapter 7

  Safia likes Richard’s because of its atmosphere. The intimate space makes her feel like she’s tucked away in some remote corner of the world. She needs Sue to be relaxed and far removed from the reality of hospital life for her daughter.

  “Hi, glad you could make it.” Safia smiles as Sue enters and makes her way over.

  “It’s hard,” Sue nods as she slides into the high wooden booth. “Leaving her, you know?”

  “I would like to say I do, but I honestly can’t even imagine what you must be going through right now.” Safia motions to the waitress. “And you raised her alone?”

  “Yes, well…along with God, of course. There were some days when the church was the only reason I could go on. The church we go to, the people are really saints there. Do anything for anyone.”

  The waitress stands smiling at the edge of the table.

  “Can I get a glass of white wine, please? And a crab appetizer.”

  The waitress turns to Sue. “For you, Ma’am?”

  “Oh, I’ll have the same,” she waves, going on with the conversation. “Our only family, really, since my husband died before Olivia was even conceived.”

  Safia can tell she wants to talk about her husband. She must still miss him.

  “What was your husband’s name?”

  “Henry.” She smiles. “My Henry. He would have loved Olivia so. We tried for three years to have a baby. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in the second year. It spread to his brain within months, nothing they could do. He told me he wanted me to keep trying. It took another year after he was gone for the IVF to work. I couldn’t believe it. I should’ve, though.” She looks up, guilt pooling in her green eyes. “They were praying hard enough for me.” She laughs self-consciously. “Telling me to just have faith, it would happen in God’s time. Then it happened. He had to take Henry, but he gave me part of him back in
Olivia. Me and Henry’s child, after he was gone. It really is a miracle, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is,” Safia smiles. “Olivia is truly a gift.”

  “Of course, we had a wonderful fertility doctor. Dr. Vogler is his name. Him and his nurse, Shar, were just wonderful.”

  The waitress sets their steaming appetizers in front of them and two glasses of wine. They order and then talk and laugh until the food arrives. Safia is beginning to regret that she has an ulterior motive because she’s really growing fond of Sue and enjoying her company. She’s so warm and open and in love with her daughter. Sue tells her stories of Olivia as a child, how it felt to find out she had a developmental disorder. She home schooled her, working hard with her everyday to teach her about the world.

  “She’s got some strong points and some weak points. She’s good at remembering faces, not so good with numbers.”

  Safia gets the impression that Olivia is her life, maybe the only way she can hold on to her dead husband.

  “Sue, is there anything unusual about Olivia. I mean besides her developmental challenges and her skin coloring?”

  Sue is chewing a mouthful of pasta. A distant smile pulls at the corner of her mouth. “I don’t have any other children to compare her to. To me, she’s normal,” she shrugs. “I’ve never seen her cry, is that what you mean? Something like that?

  “She doesn’t cry?” Safia says after swallowing a mouthful of her own pasta.

  “Nope, well…I mean, she does have emotion. She gets upset but I’ve never seen her cry actual tears. Not even when I found Bill…you know, trying to hurt her.” Her motion is jerky as she takes a large swallow of wine.

  “I’m sorry,” Safia offers. “Do you have any idea why he attacked her?”

  “No.” The word is more like a choking noise in her throat. “He was always so good with her. He lived with us for a year. I was happy, though I told him I wouldn’t marry him. The church didn’t agree with me, but I always said I would only marry once and I still love my husband. It was nice having a man around, though. Sharing the good moments with someone. And Olivia really liked him. I will never understand and I will never forgive that man.” Her hands shake. “I really wanted to kill him with that iron.”