The Healing of Robert Kinston
Part 7
It was two days before New Year’s Eve. Robbie got a phone call from Jon asking him to stop by his office. Jon had been over to see Sister Ann to see what predictions she had for the New Year and she had asked him to bring Robbie back to see her.
"She was insistent I guess you’d call it Robbie so it must be important." Jon said navigating the narrow sandy road.
"Do you really believe what she says Jon?" Robbie leaned his arm on the passenger side window
"A part of me knows it’s hokey and a part of me believes it. I think she does have a gift though."
"Morning Sister Ann I did like you asked and brought him out here." Jon called out when he parked.
"Come, come," she said her claw like hands motioning Robbie to her.
He came up on the porch and knelt down by her rocking chair, "I’m here," he said quietly.
She touched his face and took his hands, "umm hmm you have de touch, you only, you heal it."
"Heal what Sister?" he asked
"De big hurt you know it…you have it here," she touched his chest, "it don’t go away but it get softer, you know how to heal her…you do it soon…or it be too late…you do it."
Robbie knew what she was talking about…Jill. "I will…I will try."
"You do it…no time to play." She sat back in the rocker and folded her hands.
Robbie stood up and looked back at Jon who had remained leaning against his vehicle smoking a cigarette.
"Thank you Sister Ann." He said and backed off the porch.
"You ready?" Jon asked and opened his door.
"Did you hear?" Robbie asked buckling his seat belt.
"No I didn’t hear what she said and I guess if she’d wanted me to she would have asked me up on the porch, she did seem a little agitated."
"She knows nothing about me…you never told her anything?"
"You were with me the last time we were out here, I stopped by early this morning and that’s when she asked for you, no I ain’t never told her anything."
Robbie looked out the window as they drove back to the main road. "Is Jill back yet?"
Jon looked over at him, "came home just before I called you why?"
"I need to see her."
Jon said nothing but drove him to Jill’s house and backed out parking by his office.
Robbie knocked and it was some time before she opened the door. "Jill…"
Her hair was wet and she had on a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt, she backed into her living room and Robbie came through the door.
"Jill…are you okay?"
Her eyes were wide and frightened, "Robbie," she whispered.
He took her hands and led her to the sofa and sat down beside her, "what’s happened?" he asked.
She looked down at their joined hands, "you know what happened to me?" he nodded, "I have…panic attacks…pretty bad ones sometimes…I have medication but I forgot it when I went to Charleston."
"You had an attack?"
"Yes I couldn’t breathe my sister took me to the emergency room." She looked up around her living room, "she says I have to come and stay with her…that I can’t be alone." Jill looked up and met his eyes, "I had another one when I got home not as bad. I can’t leave…there’s my work…"
Her hands were cold in his and he rubbed his thumbs over the back of her hands, "Jill…I’m here for you whatever you need from me whatever I can offer you…I don’t want you to go to Charleston. I want to help you I think we can help each other…will you let me?"
"Why? Why would you care?"
"I do care I don’t know why but I do…ever since I first saw you. Do you trust me?"
"Yes…and that’s strange because I don’t know you." She met his eyes and his eyes held her she couldn’t look away.
"Will you come with me…right now?"
"Where?"
"I’m going to take you home with me to meet my cat, Milford." He said softly.
She smiled slightly, "meet your cat…I think I’d like to meet him."
"Get whatever you think you’ll need for awhile."
"You want me to stay with you…I don’t know."
"I’ll bring you back here when you want to come I promise I won’t hurt you." She responded by squeezing his hands.
"Okay," she said and eyed her bags still unpacked from her trip sitting by the door. "I need to get my meds. Are you sure Robbie?"
"I’ve never been more sure of anything Jill." His heart was about to beat out of his chest and he took a deep breath when she got up to get her things from the bedroom.
She’d dried her hair and had her handbag; Robbie picked up the bags by the door and loaded them in his vehicle. "Those are mostly dirty clothes," she said.
"I have a washer and dryer we’ll manage." He answered and held the door for her.
They were mostly quiet crossing the bridge to Harbor Island, he turned down his road and she asked him what kind of cat Milford was.
"He’s a big yellow tabby of unknown parentage. He came from a shelter."
"That’s good that you got him from a shelter." She said.
He carried her bags up the steps and set them in his living room, knowing where he wanted to put them but would leave that to her, he had a guest room.
"Oh, this is Milford," she said sitting on the floor next to his bed and petting him. Milford stretched and encouraged her pets.
"He’s shameless Jill once you start petting him." Robbie sat on the arm of the sofa.
"I like your house," she said looking around, "and the view of the ocean."
"I like it too," he said watching her. "Would you like some coffee?" he asked rising to go to his kitchen.
"Yes, thank you." She was drawn to the porch and opened the French door.
"Its nice out here," he said coming up behind her, "I spend a lot of time on the porch even when it’s cool like today.
"I can see why and you’ve got all this comfortable furniture out here."
"The sofa came from the living room, probably not a good place for a fabric sofa with the damp and all but its comfortable to lie on and read."
She noticed stacks of books around the sofa and smiled. "I’ve thought about you Robbie," she turned to look at him, "I couldn’t picture you anywhere except at Jon’s now I can."
Robbie wanted to put his arms around her and steeled them to remain at his sides, "I’ll get your coffee," he said.
Jill followed him back inside and went to the island watching him moving around his kitchen. Something about him made her want to touch him to hold him, she blinked at where her mind was going; she didn’t know him. "I know you’re famous, Jon told me who you are…I haven’t read any of your books."
"Good," he grinned, "don’t."
"I think I’d like to know you…the real you."
A sharp intake of breath, "I want you to and I want to know you."
Jill sat down on a stool and put her head in her hand, "I’m a mess like a hurricane has been through me all kinds of things turned over and washed up on my beach I can’t seem to sort it all out and put it back together."
Robbie tilted his head and smiled at the analogy, "I know what that’s like some things never go back in their proper place, you have to find new places to put your emotions, windows to the world are in different places and you have to get used to looking out differently."
"You know don’t you?"
"Yeah…it wasn’t the same experience you had but I know." He moved over to her and placed his hand on her head running his fingers through her silky hair. She caught his hand and held it for a minute turning it and kissing his palm.
It was an intimate thing to do and she caught herself letting his hand drop. "I…sorry I didn’t mean to do that." She said and picked up her cup.
"It’s okay…I said whatever you need from me." He moved back around the island and picked up his cup realizing he’d better slow things down. "So you have laundry to do?"
"Oh yes I do where’s the washer?"
"It’s downstairs…I’ll show you."
Robbie showed her where everything was and left her to it. He went back upstairs and began digging through his cupboards and fridge looking for something for lunch. She came back up after awhile and he called her over to the stove.
"My mother used to make me grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup when I was out of sorts. Think that would work today?" he bit his lip and waited.
Jill smiled and touched his arm, "I think that would be perfect. Can I help?"
"No, I’ll be mother today…your turn is coming." He grinned.
Jill moved out of the kitchen and set one of her bags on the sofa pulling out a pile of clothes. "Robbie, where do I need to put my bags?"
Ah the question he moved to the hallway, "this is my room and this is the guest room." He left it up to her.
She looked from one to the other and looked up at him shyly smiling, "the guest room I think."
"I don’t think there are any sheets on the bed but they’re in the closet."
"I’ll manage," she said, "Robbie…thank you."
Robbie smiled at her and went back to his Campbell’s tomato soup can to read the instructions.