NUMB by Judy Colella (the best books to read .txt) đ
- Author: Judy Colella
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With relief Issa crossed the last item off her list. Kyria Johananâs friend, Kressida Laganos, had volunteered to help with the shopping. A woman who looked quite a bit younger than the Kyria, she had seemed startled when sheâd opened her door to Issaâs knock that morning. But then she had welcomed Issa inside, given her some lovely Greek coffee, and helped her plan her shopping route based on the list.
Now, everything obtained, Kressida invited her back to her spacious apartment for lunch.
âI would love that,â said Issa, hoping her next words wouldnât hurt the womanâs feelings. âBut honestly, I need to get back to Paros. Thereâs something extremely important that I have to do, and I arranged to get a flight back before one oâclock. Please donât feel offended. I am ever so grateful for your wonderful help today.â
âOffended?â The woman laughed â it was a pleasant, genuine sound. âDonât be nutty. Of course Iâm not. It was an honâŠum, a â joy to spend the day with such a nice person! Be sure to give Chara my love will you?â
Issa made herself appear as if she hadnât caught that Kressida had been about to say âhonor,â and gave her a warm handshake. âI will, indeed. How kind youâve been! I hope some day I can be of help to you, as well!â
Kressida handed over the bags she was carrying, and finding the extra burden only somewhat awkward, Issa hurried away to where she could get a taxi.
Now that was odd, indeed! Why would she consider spending time with me an honor? Itâs not like Iâve been in the Kyriaâs employ for years and years! But maybeâŠmaybe she knows my mother or something, and Iâve simply forgotten? No, that doesnât make sense. Issa sighed, readjusting the handles of one of the heavier bags. Grateful that her height made it possible to carry everything without any of the bags dragging on the ground, she reached the taxi stand without incident.
Getting everything checked at the airport was a lot more difficult than getting there, but eventually the porters and flight personnel got it all sorted out and safely put onboard the small plane. Once in her seat, Issa ran a hand through her wavy, short-cropped hair, ruffling it comfortably, then leaned back and closed her eyes. With any luck, sheâd get to the house while that doctor was still there.
When at last the cab she hired at the small airport in Paros dropped her off at the Johananâs, her carefully contained anticipation turned to breathless joy when she saw an unfamiliar car parked in front on the curved driveway. She wasnât too late! Issa paid the driver, dragged her purchases out of the back seat with her, and hurried to the front door.
Because her hands were full, she pressed the doorbell with one elbow rather than drop everything to get to her key. One of the older housemaids answered and helped her inside.
âLooks like you got everything you were sent for,â the woman noted, peering inside one of the bags.
âI did, and thank goodness! Um, is the doctor still here?â
âYes â heâs upstairs. I think he â wait.â The maid had begun walking toward the back of the house, intending to help Issa put the kitchen items away, but stopped. âSomeone is coming down the stairs. Did you wish to see him for some reason?â
âI had a question for him, yes.â Issa placed the two remaining satchels she was carrying on the long bench against one of the walls in the hallway and went back out to the foyer.
A pudgy, balding man with a beard and wearing what she recognized as an expensive suit reached the bottom step at the same time Issa emerged from the hallway. He headed for the door, his eyes sweeping over and past her, the brevity of his notice making it obvious he wasnât the sort to stop and make pleasant small-talk.
Determined, Issa cleared her throat. âExcuse me, are you the doctor?â Sheâd spoken in Greek, not sure of his nationality.
Now he did stop and turned, looking annoyed. âWhat are you saying, girl?â This demand was in heavily accented English.
âI â Iâm so sorry to bother you,â she replied in the same language. âI have a question I was hoping to ask you. May I walk you to your car?â
He started to reply, but then put his head to one side, frowning. âIâŠwho are you?â
âMy name is Issa Xenakis. Well, Narkissa.â
âIs it?â He took a step closer and looked up slightly to meet her gaze. âYou are a relative of Mr. and Mrs. Johanan?â
âOh, no. I only work for them.â
He said nothing for a few moments, but continued to stare. Then, almost too low for her to hear, he said, âIt couldnât be! She would never do that to me!â
âSir?â
âNarkissa, you say?â He nodded. âYes, please, I will hear your question. Walk with me outside to my car.â
She smiled. âThank you, sir.â His English had some flaws, but was good enough, Issa believed, for him to understand her request. She opened the front door for him, and then followed him out.
âTell me, do you know what your name means?â They were at the car when he said this.
âYes. Itâs Greek for âsleepinessâ or ânumbnessâ. My surname means âstranger.ââ She shrugged. âIs that significant?â The only reason she asked this was because he was staring at her again, making her suddenly uncomfortable, uncertain.
And then he flashed a smile that was, somehow, one of the most unpleasant expressions she ever remembered seeing. Sly, angry, sour, and all these at the same time. âHow long have you worked here, Narkissa?â
She wondered why he hadnât answered her question. âNot long â a little under three months, I think. My mother tells me I have known this family longer, but I canât remember. You see, that is what I wished to speak with you about. She told me I have a neurological condition that has left huge gaps in my long-term memory. It gives me terrible headaches from time to time as well, and I was curious to know what it would cost to have you examine me. Perhaps there is a cure for this?â
He was staring again, only this time, there was something else in it. Comprehension, maybe? Satisfaction? âMiss Xenakis, come with me if you would â we can talk over a coffee, yes?â
âReally? Oh! How kind of you!â She glanced back at the house. Kyria Johanan didnât know she was back, had certainly not been expecting her yet, so she doubted sheâd be missed for a little while longer, unless the other maid said something.
âNot at all. Please â get in.â He held the passenger door open, closing it gently after sheâd settled herself inside. A moment later he opened the driver-side door and got in. âI know a place, very pleasant, private, where we can speak freely, yes?â
âUm, yes. Where?â
âIn town, of course. It is a cafĂ© near the water.â
She relaxed. âAh. All right.â It was dawning on her that getting into a car with a complete stranger, even if he was the Johananâs doctor, was probably not the wisest thing sheâd ever done. And that weird smileâŠ
âWhat time did you want to be back?â
Her nervousness subsided further â he wouldnât bother asking her when she needed to return if his plan was to abduct her or harm her in some way. âBefore five would be best.â And the other maid knew sheâd been back and had wanted to talk to this doctor. She tried to stop worrying.
True to his word, he took her to one of the familiar waterside cafes so prominent in Paros. They ordered their coffees and some pastry, and Issa would have found the entire outing pleasant were it not for the bizarre way in which the doctor kept staring at her. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but an inner sense told her to keep quiet.
âSo, Miss Xenakis, how is it your English is this good?â They were finished eating and were sipping on a second cup of the delicious beverage.
For some reason, Issa hadnât questioned this herself, but now she did. How, indeed? âI donât really know. You see, I remember many things, like shopping in Athens when I was younger, things like that. But I donât know when or why I was taught English.â
âYou realize, do you not, that you also speak very American. No Greek accent is there.â
She frowned, thinking about this and admitting, at last, that he was right. âI am more confused about that than you can imagine.â She sighed and sat back. âIâll have to ask my mother.â
âYour mother. Who is this mother?â
âHelene Xenakis. And she is very poor. She could never afford surgery for me, if thatâs what I need. But perhaps I could do something for you in exchange, and also pay you a set amount each month?â
His eyes seem to light up with a flash of interest, but it was so brief, Issa wasnât sure sheâd seen it. âFirst, we should do scans to find cause of this forgetting, yes? I will do this at, as they say, no charge.â
Issa frowned, thinking this was odd. âWhy would you do that?â
âIf surgery is indicated, there will be charge that includes these scans. If not, well, we doctors are required to do a small number of free services. I cannot remember term for that in English. So. What do you say we do this right away?â
She laughed. âThat depends on what you mean by âright away,â sir.â
âAh. Today. I have flight back to mainland in â â He jerked his right arm out and then at an angle, exposing a gold watch. He nodded at it, then looked back at Issa. âFive-fifteen. Now it is three. But you say you must be home by five?â He shrugged. âThere may not be another chance for me to be at Athensâs big hospital where equipment is for such scans. Not soon.â
Oh, dear. What should I do? I suppose I could call my motherâŠno, I didnât bring my phone. Blast. Well, they must have phones at the hospital, so I could call from there, and she could tell the Kyria. Or I could call Kyria Johanan myself and let her tell my mother. I hope she isnât angry with me, but at least her shopping is done and she has her items. I just hope she takes no offense at me talking to her doctor like this.
âMiss, er, Xenakis?â
âSorry. All right. Yes. I can go with with you â how kind you are, sir!â
He smiled again, and while this time there was less in it to cause alarm, his eyes were still notâŠright. âI am only too glad to help Mrs. Johananâs servant.â
She smiled, too, and sat back, finished her coffee, and did her best to ignore the growing mistrust knotting the pit of her stomach.
*******
Jax waited for the woman at the front desk to recover. Well aware of how much he looked like his brother, he had grown used to this kind of reaction. When the color returned to her face, she began to speak but he interrupted her. âIâm sorry. As youâve probably figured out, Iâm Jett Kinsleyâs brother, Jax. Iâd like to speak with one of his doctors.â
âWow. Are you twins?â
He smiled. âNo. Weâre a little less than a year apart, though. Iâm older.â
âAmazing.â She inhaled a quick, deep breath and turned to her computer, tapping something on the keys. âOkay, that would be Dr. Rufino. Heâs in a session right now, but they should be done in fifteen minutes or so.â
âNo problem. Is there somewhere
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