The Secret North

by Ka Newborrn

  Was it somewhat inhuman?

  “Who are you?” Peggy’s voice cracked.

  The patient's curved lips parted slowly. Her clipboard slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor.

  “Did you say something?” Dr. Sakaguchi put his cell phone away and walked over to the bed.

  She shook her head and dropped to her knees to retrieve the clipboard.

  He turned his attention back to the patient and smiled warmly. “Welcome back, Ms. Ridley.”

  The patient’s response was a hoarse splinter. He placed his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t talk.” He set the earpieces of his stethoscope firmly into place. “Can you give me some deep breaths?”

  The patient stared up at him and breathed. Peggy stood at his side, not quite knowing what to think.

  “What just happened?”

  “We’ve all blinked before, Dr. Murano.”

  Dr. Sakaguchi moved the chestpiece from the patient’s chest to her back. A slight clinking noise rose from under the bedsheet.

  He put down the earpiece and looked at the side of the bed. “What do we have here?”

  The patient’s eyes followed Dr. Sakaguchi as he pulled a handful of thermometers from under the sheet.

  “Where did you get these, young lady?”

  The prickling sensation at the back of Peggy's neck spread as the room grew unbearably hot. Sweat pooled in her armpits and dripped down the small of her back.

  Dr. Sakaguchi wiped his brow. "Wow. Did someone adjust the thermostat? The mercury really is rising in here."

  More like Bad Moon.

  "Are you okay, Dr. Murano?"

  "I think I'm going to be sick."

  The slack eyes turned to stare at Peggy. “There’s a bathroom on the right.” The curved smile returned.

  She had no words to offer as she slowly backed away from the patient’s bed and headed for the door.

  She nearly collided with Herman, the ward assistant, as he stepped into the doorway. He was holding two Starbucks drinks. The first was a hot beverage inside a paper cup labeled, DR. S. The second was an iced, kaleidoscopic-colored beverage inside a clear plastic tumbler labeled, DRINK ME. His blue fingernail polish glimmered as he urged the second drink in her direction.

  She flinched in horror and shielded herself defensively with outstretched palms. “What on Earth is this?” Terrified, she wedged herself between the doorframe and Herman and fled down the hallway, crying.

  From the doorway, Herman watched Dr. Murano’s body grow smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared in the direction of the elevators.

  “Earth? Is that what planet this is?” His laughter exposed the diamond teeth on the left side of his mouth. He shrugged, pursed his lips against the straw of the kaleidoscopic beverage, and drank.

  PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

  2012

  Odette

  After two months on the job, she was accustomed to her weekday morning routine of walking to City Hall and riding the Blue Line to Lincoln’s University City campus. Today, however, was different. She was taking a long weekend and driving to Gladwyne to meet Jana North.

  She walked the block to the monthly lot where she kept her car and took the elevator to her assigned parking space on the fourth floor. She unlocked it, placed her coffee into the cup holder, tossed her weekender bag into the backseat and started the engine.

  She turned onto 18th Street from the structure’s exit and headed towards JFK Boulevard. The cool morning breeze rustled her hair through the open driver side window. It felt good to be behind the wheel of her car. After two months of walking and taking the train to work, driving was a welcome reprieve.

  From JFK Boulevard, she turned onto Arch Street. Pumpkins, cobwebs and skeletons adorned the city in celebration of Halloween. The entire month of October had been festive. The weekend prior, she had attended a haunted house at the Eastern State Penitentiary with her colleagues. They had gasped and shrieked like grade schoolers. Her weekend shopping excursions at the Reading Terminal Market had brought forth an abundance of crisp apples, pressed cider and hearty squash soup.

  The Schuylkill River rippled from grey to silver as she merged onto the 76 Expressway and maneuvered the length of its curving stretches. The streets widened as she entered Montgomery County, drove deeper into Lower Merion Township and turned onto a shaded knoll.

  Grand old homes winked like loot recovered from the flotsam of pirate ships until the stretch of the road ended abruptly into a grove of oak trees. The very last pair of gateposts was capped with broken lanterns. She slowed the car, drove carefully up a long driveway and stopped before the house.

  She turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car. Vines curled defensively around a stone Tudor stone façade in the absence of Halloween decorations. It was as massive as it was beautiful, and as beautiful as it was misunderstood. It was a witch house that roused the curiosities of neighborhood children to their wildest potential. One that accommodated their cruelty in a daily show of sportsmanship but wept every night in solitude. One that had an abundance of candy to share but always wound up eating it alone.

  The cobweb she pulled aside before ringing the doorbell was real and not the cotton variety from Michael’s that was so plentiful that time of year. A few moments passed before the heavy wooden door creaked open slightly.

  A woman in her sixties opened the door. She had a tangled mop of greyish blonde curls and a glowering energy in her blue eyes that wasn’t exactly unkind but unaccustomed to entertaining novelty.

  “Odette?”

  “Dr. North? I hope I’m not too early.”

  “Of course not. And please call me Jana. Come in.”

  She stepped carefully over a broken stoop and followed Jana inside. Tall ceilings and dark wood flanked the entranceway of a stately home that was a tad overdressed by modern standards. Odette took in the beauty of the carved paneling, winking chandeliers and crown moldings. She chose to ignore the staleness of the air around her.

  “What a beautiful house.”

  As she stared at a chandelier, her scarf slipped away from her neck and fell onto the floor. She felt Jana’s eyes linger at the hummingbird at her throat. She bent down to retrieve the scarf as quickly as she could and hastily wrapped it around her neck. An uncomfortable silence followed.

  Jana’s sculpted arms grasped the handle of Odette’s bag with the agility of a yogi. “Let’s have a cup of tea before you get settled into the guest room. It always helps me relax when I’m in a new space. After that, you can rest, explore the house, take a hot bath, get some work done, whatever you’d like, really. I know you didn’t travel far, but I want you to feel at home.”

  “I’d like that.”

  She fell into step behind Jana through the living room, down a dark hallway, and past a panorama of stained glass windows in the dining room to the kitchen. Odette was surprised by her pace.

  “Please sit down.” Jana motioned to a nook in front of a bay window.

  Every window in the house seemed to overlook the garden. Partly cultivated but mostly wild, it surrounded the house three quarters of the way around and rambled on for several yards in all directions, only stopping at the back of the house at the border of oak trees.

  A pair of mushroom shaped salt and pepper shakers rested on the nook. They looked as if they had been untouched for forty years. When she picked them up to admire them, she accidentally knocked the salt shaker on its side. Tiny grains spilled across the windowsill. She brushed them into a neat little pile with her thumb.

  “How are you enjoying Philadelphia and your new role?”

  “I went to college there, so it feels like I picked up where I left off, in some ways. Nina and the rest of the faculty are making me feel right at home.”

  Jana placed a tea cup in front of Odette. Then she opened the cupboard to the left of the stove and took out a plastic mug in the shape of Wile E. Coyote’s head. It was filled with sugar cubes.

&nb
sp; “I haven’t met Nina. She’s Spiree’s friend, right?”

  “That’s right. Nina’s my boss.”

  “Spiree’s a dear old friend of mine.”

  Odette nodded.

  “Have you been to Warmdaddy's?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  She placed a tray of pastries on the nook in front of Odette. Odette selected a croissant.

  “Delicious.”

  Jana picked up a silver teapot and filled Odette's cup before refreshing her own. “Do you remember Zanzibar Blue? Same owners. They're old friends, and they’re feeding us all weekend. Actually, they’ve been feeding me since Russell’s last trip to the hospital. So kind. I never get out much to see anyone anymore. To be honest, I really don’t get out at all.”

  “I am so sorry for your loss of your husband. And I know it’s late, but I can’t even begin to tell you how I felt when I heard about Calvin. We never got to know each other very well, but I liked him. Our class was small. We were all connected.”

  Jana sipped her tea. “That is so kind of you, dear. Thank you.”

  They watched the sun and wind playing through the glass panes and sipped their tea in silence. Odette tried to stay alert, but the croissant in her stomach did little to distract her from the fact that she was very tired.

  “I think I need a nap. Can I help you with anything before I step away to recharge?”

  “You get some rest and we’ll catch up later on tonight. I’ll show you to your room.”

  Jana led Odette up the wooden staircase to the guest room and set the weekender bag down at the foot of a four poster bed.

  Odette brushed her fingers against the ivory bedspread. “How lovely!”

  “Does it feel cold in here? There are extra blankets in the storage chest.”

  “It’s perfect.”

  In the corner alcove, a desk was positioned in front of a window overlooking the wild garden outside.

  “I could get lost in my work for days here.”

  To the right of the alcove stood a tall bookcase. Hanging above it was a framed movie poster from The Song of Freedom. Odette scanned the names of the authors that were stacked neatly on the shelves. Zora Neale Hurston. James Baldwin. Herman Hesse. Walter Mosley. A pile of movie scripts was stacked horizontally near the middle.

  Odette picked up the top script, Ganja & Hess. She opened the cover and read the inscription.

  To Russell. Thank you for everything. My best, Duane Jones

  “Wow. I’m actually a big fan of Duane Jones.”

  “You’ve heard of him?”

  “I lost count of how many times I’ve seen Night of the Living Dead. Your husband knew him?”

  Jana nodded. “Russell mainly handled civil rights cases, but lines got crossed sometimes. He was a consultant for Duane and the Black Theater Alliance in the seventies. He was also involved in a handful of entertainment contracts over the years. Sealing the deal and that sort of thing.”

  She put down the script and picked up Space is the Place. She opened the cover and read the inscription.

  To Russell. Peace on Earth. Saturn, too. Ever, Sun Ra

  “His real name was Herman Blount. Russell was one of the contract attorneys. We saw him perform with his Arkestra a few times in the eighties, too.”

  She picked up a script from Chico and The Man. “So your husband sealed Chico’s deal, too, huh?” She opened the cover and read the inscription.

  To the incredibly hot and sexy Jana North! Looking Good! Freddie Prinze

  “Nope. But fangirl here sure wanted to.”

  They giggled.

  Jana led Odette into an adjoining bathroom with a large soaking tub.

  “Nice!”

  “I hope you’ll take the time to pamper yourself.”

  Odette sat down at the vanity table and lovingly examined item after item.

  “This is amazing! I can’t believe you saved all of these."

  “I guess I like to hold onto things.”

  “Ponds made peach cold cream? No way! Is this really a vintage bottle of Maybelline Moisture Whip Makeup? As worn by Lynda Carter? The one formulated with the highly maligned PABA, or as the seventies kids used to call it, Padimate O?

  “It really is.”

  “What’s the general medical consensus these days for keeping a thirty year old product containing Padimate O?”

  “Still fresh as the date of manufacture. Because parabens. And if Lynda Carter’s current beauty secret involves marinating in her leftover stash, I'm not too worried.”

  They giggled.

  A flush crept into Jana’s cheeks as she continued to relax.

  “Wow. I can’t believe you saved all of this! This is a total trip.”

  “Wait until you see the backup supply.”

  A collection of shampoos, conditioners, and various toiletry products lined the bathroom closet shelves. Most of them were sealed and unopened.

  “Earth Born, Dimension, Deep Magic, Milk Plus Six. Where did you find these?”

  “I always liked trying new ones.”

  “I remember them all! Short and Sassy?”

  “Took a brief ride on the Dorothy Hamill wedge train when it first left the station. Total disaster.”

  “Perma Soft! I remember that smell like it was yesterday. Afro Sheen made a shampoo?”

  “As I recall, it was a pretty good one, too. I might need to revisit it.”

  She looked at the bodies peeking out from a wire basket of vintage magazines on the bottom shelf. Donyale Luna. Marisa Berenson. Margaux Hemingway.

  “Or you could join me in the present day. I’ve got some Qhemet Biologics and Miss Jessie’s for you to try.”

  “I’ll check them out, but come see the wardrobe first.”

  Odette gasped aloud when she saw the walk in closet. Rows and rows of dresses from the late sixties through the mid-eighties were among the many pieces in Jana’s collection.

  She clapped her hands and threw her head back with laughter. “Stop it right now!”

  “It’s my doll house for living dolls. You can wear anything you want.”

  “Halston and Stephen Sprouse? Jana! You have Gloria Vanderbilt jeans in every color. Stop it!” She looked through drawers lined in velvet that were stuffed with accessories. “Brett Somers wore those glasses on Match Game.”

  “There’s jewelry too. And if you’re in need of entertainment after you’ve bathed and dressed, there’s also a collection of VHS tapes.”

  “It’s a museum, Jana. An interactive product and clothing museum. Do you know how many people would pay to experience it?”

  “I had a feeling you’d like it.”

  “How many fundraisers crash and burn in per plate wasteland? There’s so much to discuss. When I’m ready for my close up. But first, I must nap.”

  “Rest. Play. Meet me downstairs when you wake up.” Jana blew a kiss and closed the door behind her.

  Outside the window, the wildflowers danced interpretatively in the breeze. A small group trick or treaters sported colorful costumes and frolicked like an eddy of leaves in the distance. She drew the curtains shut and wondered if they would be lucky enough to score candy three nights in a row.

  She nestled under the ivory bedspread and breathed deeply. For all its vintage opulence, the room bore an air of loneliness similar to the vine-covered stones outside. As she fell asleep, she imagined what it felt like to be a soap opera star in the seventies. Or Norma Desmond.

  The Persian carpet felt soft under her bare feet when she woke up a few hours later and headed to the bathroom. She took a quick shower and pulled on a turtleneck and yoga pants. Suddenly thinking the better of it, she opened Jana’s closet and peered thoughtfully at the pieces inside before changing into a pair of navy lounging pajamas and wrapping a paisley ascot around her throat. She checked her appearance in the vanity mirror and she dabbed her wrists with a single drop of Chanel Cuir de Russie before heading downstairs to join Jana for dinner.

  �
��You look lovely! Did you get some rest?”

  “Thank you! I had a very nice nap.” She handed Jana three bottles of wine. “I got you these. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I brought Chardonnay, Cabernet and Zinfandel.”

  Jana took the bottles of wine and looked at the labels. Folie à Deux Vineyards.

  “Thank you. That is so generous of you. I’ll put them in the cooler for later.”

  “Can I help with dinner?”

  “There’s nothing to do but eat. We’re having fried green tomatoes with rémoulade, softshell crabs, quiche, salad, and crème brûlée. Oh, and some kind of mixed cheese and olive plate.”

  “Lagniappe.”

  Jana’s eyes sparkled. “That’s right.” She held up an open bottle of Chardonnay. “Cuvaison, too. Let’s fill your glass, shall we?”

  The dining room was set up with disposable chafers. They filled their plates, took their places at the table and began to eat.

  Jana motioned to Odette’s neck. “She gave me one, too, you know.”

  Odette brought her fingers to the ascot and looked down at her neck.

  “Calvin and Russell buried it in the garden. I know it’s just a coincidence.” She looked down into her wine glass and avoided Odette’s eyes.

  “Please don’t be upset, Jana. I don’t want to put you on the spot or embarrass you, but I understand. I do.”

  “In what way?”

  “I know about what happened in Orange County. I know about your daughter.”

  Jana shook her head and laughed resignedly. “That was a long time ago.”

  “She’s not entirely here, but you brought her to this world.”

  “Please don’t, Odette, She’s not real. I get it.”

  “Yes, she is.”

  “I know it’s an anthropomorphic delusion brought on by unresolved grief. I’m a doctor. Was, anyway.”

  “She’s real. Her name is Ester. I know her. I think Calvin knew her, too. She saved my life.”