The Decks and the Road
book 1- Freeborn
Chapter 14
Dr. Kat Shepherd- I got the text. I didn’t know what to make of it, so I didn’t
respond immediately. It was one of the
things I took from my father. He’s the
kind of guy you can prick, and get no response.
Not that he’s numb, but he always looks at the equation carefully. He’s not a math scientist or anything, but it’s
just his nature. When I was a little
girl, he would always tell me stories about his father. I’d never met him, but hearing the stories gave
me more insight on my dad, and the Shepherd way.
From what I knew, he was a pretty heavy guy. I didn’t know how heavy Tayeton’s blog would
get, or if I would be an ongoing subject, but it did interest me. I wasn’t sure why, but I was pretty certain I’d
heard the name before. I mean, not as a
figure of speech, but as a literary work.
Anyway, I didn’t have much time to think about it, although, I did keep
thinking of myself as a fresh blossom. I’d
never thought of myself that way before, and it just rested on me. So, I continued on with that in mind. I was more overwhelmed by the message I’d
received to work with a woman prisoner, who was being considered for an early
release. I’d never applied or petitioned
for the opportunity, but here it was. I’d
listened to the message three whole times.
The first time I didn’t catch any of the details for my surprise. The second time I think my face was turned to
the heavens, and the third time, I was enjoying the way the director said, “Good
Evening, this call is for Dr. Kat Shepherd of Minds of Cats, I’m calling from….” It wasn’t so much that I’d never heard my
name before, but it wasn’t very often that I would hear the name of my business,
and in such an official way. Anyway, I’d
returned the call and had gotten a list of things I needed to get in order, but
apparently, I’d been highly recommended, and they wanted me there like
yesterday. So my mind was off in front
of me, and so was my future. Funny, even
though we think of the future always ahead of us, sometimes we hold on so
tightly, that it’s actually standing right next to us. The message and the opportunity had come to
let me know that I hadn’t been clingy. The
other two messages I forwarded back to my receptionist. They were simple scheduling matters. I had a few moments left to finish the bagel
I’d started an hour earlier, and prepare for my video conference with my new client. She was only the third out of the area client
I’d gotten, and I was somewhat glad. I
just preferred being face to face in a real way, but now in my excitement I
thought maybe this would be a great area to focus on. It was just a thought though. I usually stuck with my gut. I adjusted the monitor, and waited to see if
my assumptions about her appearance would be on or off. It was just a cool thing I always did. She was and she wasn’t. She was petite, and appeared a lot younger
than her voice had led on. Perhaps it
was her worries that gave me the impression that she was a lot larger. Unlike my other two clients, Ms. Felix did
not dress up. It just seemed like a
natural thing to do, but no—she was fresh faced, and her hair was just brushed
flat off her face. She sat near to the
camera, and so I could only judge her from the chest up.
“Good morning Ms. Felix.
How are you?”
“Good Dr. Kat.”
“Did you think about some
of the questions we covered on the phone?”
“I thought a lot about
them. I just don’t know how well I can
answer some of them.” It was evident
that she was prepared. She was candid,
and I could feel her readiness to release the weight she was carrying. It didn’t mean however that the weight was
ready to release her. That was always
the thing. Behind all the happy
greetings, well-wishes, and hugs most people gave, remained an unseen weight—a
magnetic weight at that.
“Well, let’s see if I can
help you with that.”
“Tell me again why you
called.”
“My marriage. Well, we’re not married, but it’s been a long
time.”
“What’s the trouble as
you see it?”
“It bothers me.”
“What bothers you?”
“His dad. He told him I wasn’t good enough.”
“And what did you add to
that?”
“I didn’t add
anything. He kept coming around, so I
didn’t think it mattered much.”
“When did you know it
mattered?”
“When I stopped hating
myself so much. Then I didn’t know how
to approach it, and more time passed.”
“Why is it important now?”
“It’s just the
gossip. Every time a new lady gets her
eyes on him, it comes up.”
“What come up Ms. Felix?”
“Why we’re not married.”
“And why aren’t you two
married?” I cross checked.
“I’m not sure anymore.” She had paused and thought a while, and then
she released it. This was one of the
questions she didn’t have an unchanging answer to, but this was the answer I
thought was most true. I still had a lot
of work to do, but I couldn’t do it here in this way. I needed to stop and go over her answers;
both from the phone call and the chat. I
needed to reference my bible. It wasn’t
the holy one—it was the one I’d labeled, “The Minds of Cats”. I’d written every word. I’d dug deep between my studies, my
observations, and my experience to put it together. Some of it was like a textbook, and other
parts like a comic. But it had proven to
be the business. We hadn’t reached the fifteen minute limit,
but I had heard enough. I knew where the weight was, and now I just needed to
draw a plan to reach it. I scheduled a
follow up for a week later. I still had
some new findings that needed to be added to the book, and so I needed some
extra time to sort everything out. I
could sense a little bit of disappointment by Ms. Felix. Perhaps she thought from the purple card that
I was a magician, but I knew she would replay my questions, and each time she
did, I knew she would gather more insight.
So, I didn’t feel any pressure, just excitement to find the path we
would take.
FAQ:
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Answer: A Novel that has its contents released in a suspended manner, according to the schedule prescribed by the author or publisher.
Purpose: To engage the reading audience with an interactive book publishing and book release event. Learn more: http://thedecksandtheroad.blogspot.com/2017/10/welcome-to-decks-of-our-lives.html
Freeborn, a novel
Freeborn
© Grace Call Communications,
LLC
Copyright © 2017
by Natisha Renee Williams
All Rights Reserved
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