Commune by Bill Myers

Author:Bill Myers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fidelis Publishing
Published: 2023-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

FIFTEEN

I LOOKED UP from my coffee as Darlene, having just come from Amber’s room, entered the kitchen. “She going to be okay?” I asked.

“As well as to be expected. I gave her a couple shots of NyQuil PM to put her down.”

“You what?”

“You didn’t have any booze in the house and I figured you didn’t want her scarfing down her little marijuana buttons.”

“She has—”

“Welcome to the twenty-first century.”

I stepped aside as she crossed to the coffee machine—an addition she’d insisted upon buying—to prevent further martyrdom drinking my instant coffee. “Everyone gone?” she asked.

“Yeah.” I watched as she opened the refrigerator and pulled out the French vanilla creamer—another domestic touch I’d grudgingly grown fond of. Finally, more quietly, I added, “Thanks.”

“For?”

“You’re the only one she’ll listen to.” I took a breath and blew it out. “I don’t know how you do it.”

“Teen Whisperer,” she said as she returned the creamer.

I gave a half smile.

More seriously, she added, “I’m just talking to my younger self.” Resting against the counter she continued. “A lot of guilt that kid is carrying around—feeling she’s somehow responsible for her sick baby. Then that whole trip your girlfriend laid on her.”

“She’s not my—”

“Just believe hard enough and everything will work out.” She shook her head and swore softly, before taking a sip of coffee.

“You don’t buy that?”

“Used to. Long ago and far away. Back when I lived in Never-Never Land.”

“Never-Never—?”

“Clap your hands, children, just believe really, really hard and Tinker Bell will come back to life.”

“You never resort to prayer?”

“Not if I can help it. And even if I do, it’s prayer, not her God-manipulation thing.”

I nodded. Like Patricia, Darlene always cut to the chase. She could be a little profane in the process, or what Patricia called, “worldly,” but there was also a certain … wisdom and groundedness.

She continued, “Remember what Patty’s pal said about reincarnation—how its adherents become double victims?”

I nodded.

“Same thing’s happened to Amber. She thinks God’s punishing her for her sins, and now she thinks he’s punishing her for not having enough faith to fix them.”

“That’s not how it works.”

“Tell that to her. And to Patty.”

I looked down at my coffee. “Sometimes Patricia lacks certain …”

“Social skills?”

“She’s a missionary kid, remember? Grew up in the jungles.”

“I’ve got nothing against her, Will. Really. Though she can be a little judgy.”

“She’s got strong principles, I’ll give you that. But I’ve never heard her judge anyone.”

“I’m not talking about judging others. I’m talking about judging herself. The woman is relentless.”

“She pushes herself pretty hard.”

“And that self-judgement, whether she wants to or not, just winds up spilling all over the rest of us.”

I thought a moment then slowly nodded. It was true. Not once did I recall Patricia judging someone, and yet I always felt guilty around her, like I never quite measured up—which made Yeshua’s statement about me helping her, instead of the other way around, all the more confusing.

“Seriously,” Darlene said, “it’s hard to believe you two even have the same God.”

I frowned. “What do

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