Chapter 4: Doreen
And so, Malcolm went on his way, and Esme went hers. He left that fall for college, heading towards the University of Oregon, with an undeclared major.
It was hard on his mom when he left. Since his dad bolted, she was dependent on him, liked having him around. She still dated, hell she was a good looking woman and had friends, but he was her boy and the house would be empty without him.
He wasn't going to dorm it, not with being a healer, and since dad was paying he rented a great little guest cottage in an area right outside of town in the orchard area. Oregon had a lot of orchards. Apples, berries, pears, all kinds of wonderful things. It was only 15 minutes from campus and was literally, out in farm country.
He rented from a couple in their late thirties, the Williamsons. Husband and wife psychologists that were fairly well known for their books. Part of the reason for renting the guest house was they were gone a lot on book tours and such and wanted someone on the premises to watch over it.
They liked him and checked out the references and were delighted with the arrangement. So was he. The guest house was about 200 yards from the main house, separated by a massive Japanese garden.
The bedroom was on the second floor and was huge and overlooked the apple orchard to the west. He would get the afternoon sun. It had a full stocked kitchen, beautifully decorated living room, a second smaller bedroom and a studio/office. The bedroom had sliding glass doors which led to a second story balcony. He couldn't believe his luck. The Williamsons went off on tour and he settled in to a class routine. He met some people, went to a few parties, a few football games, hung out at Taylor's Pub, right on campus and wondered about the future. He didn't have the faintest idea of what to do next about his healing, or my life. But this was sweet.
He dated a few girls, but nothing had developed. He might be a sexual healer, but he couldn't really talk about it, and didn't want to take advantage of it either. He was just walking in the door of the cottage after his last class on a Tuesday in late October, when the phone rang. He picked it up.
"Hello." He said.
"Hello. Uh. Is this Malcolm?" A woman's voice asked.
"Yes, it is." He tried to place the voice but couldn't.
"Hi, Malcolm. You don't know me. My name is Doreen. A mutual friend of ours said I should call you. I hope that's okay."
"Sure. I guess. Who's the friend?"
"Esme." She replied
"Oh." He wasn't sure what to say. The voice on the other end giggled.
"Well, Doreen. I am a bit surprised. I haven't heard from Esme in a while. Last I heard she was settling in nicely in Boston. Is that where you are?"
"Oh, Esme is doing great. She, uh, is great. No, actually, I'm here in Eugene, at the airport."
"Here?" My mind was swirling with thoughts "Where are you staying?"
"I don't know yet. I just got in, and Esme said to call you. I'm, uh, I'm, oh this is so hard. I'm in need of your special abilities. Oh, god, that sounded so stupid."
"No. It really didn't Doreen. Know I now. Did you want me to come pick you up? The airport isn't far."
"There's a cab right outside waiting, I have your address. I could just pop over. It'd be faster."
"Okay. Sure, that'd be great."
"Malcolm?"
"Yes, Doreen?"
"I'm really nervous."
He laughed. "So am I, Doreen. But it'll be alright. Come by, we'll talk."
She was ten minutes away. He hurriedly picked up around the house and wondered about her. Esme sent her, so he gathered this would be his second healing. He ran upstairs and looked through the closet. He needed something that made him look older, more healer-like. To inspire confidence. Then he laughed at that. Play it by ear, if she knew Esme, then she knew.
He threw on a black tee shirt and grabbed the dark gray corduroy suit jacket.
He heard a car pull up and halfway downstairs stopped on the stairway. Be professional. Prepare yourself. She might be terribly disfigured or horrible in some way. It would be best not to show shock. I steeled my mind and opened the front door.
The cabbie had the trunk open and was getting a suitcase out. He could see her behind him, but not clearly. She another smaller bag on her arm. They went around the other side of the car and she pulled out a wallet and paid him.
He drove off and she picked up her bag and strolled this way. She was tiny. Maybe 5' tall, blond and smiled like a long-lost friend coming to visit.
He went out to greet her and she put down her bag and put out her hand. He shook it and they said hello.
"This is weird." She said. She looked around, seemingly pleased. "Good, I think. Very good. But I've never done anything like this before."
Without thinking, for some strange reason he bent down and kissed her forehead gently. "Don't worry, Doreen. You're among friends, nothing bad is going to happen." Her face dimmed and a tear ran out of one eye.
"Come on." He said. Picking up her suitcase. "Let's go in."
Her blond hair was short, and feathered. She wore black framed glasses. Her eyes were blue, and what once would have been called "googly" eyes, eyes that always seemed to be surprised and interested by something, eyes that seemed to be catching all the wonder on this ride through space and time.
Her nose was a little too big for her face, and her mouth was too wide with lips I wanted to dive into. Somehow it all came together for her. She wouldn't ever be called pretty, but people would look twice when she came into a room..
They sat at the kitchen table and drank coffee and chatted. They talked of Esme and school like They were old friends. She had an MBA and so far hadn't been able to latch onto the job she really wanted, it was slim pickings in this economy. She was working phones for a small brokerage firm and hated it and the money wasn't going far enough. She was 28.
"Esme said you could fix me. She told me about your, er, adventure and her change." she said.
"Well." He replied "Esme seems to be the expert on this. I would certainly be willing to try."
"The old college try, huh?" she said and giggled.
He laughed too. Making love to her would not be the worst duty in the world, that He was sure of and was starting to get an erection just thinking about it.
She was so different than Esme. Esme was dark and lush and dangerous looking. Doreen was light and compact, trim without any extra flash. She was blond and light and had an ass that would make a tangerine jealous.
She stood up across from me and raised her sweater up to her neck. She wore no bra, nor needed one. She coyly turned her head, baring herself to a younger man in his kitchen within an hour of meeting him. He watched those pert little breasts nipple out in the late afternoon light. Her nipples were bright pink and large and must've measured an inch. "These." she said.
"Doreen?" I asked, confused.
"Breast cancer. Inoperable and has now spread. I might have six months, maybe a year. I refused chemo. I watched my mom through that and there was no way I could do it. I didn't know what to do, and I met Esme at the counseling center. And here I am." Her voice broke and her tears started to come.
He stood up and went over and put my arms around her. She reached around my back and I could feel her steel-like nipples against my chest. She fit perfectly in my chest to where I could just lean in and kiss the top of her head.
She shuddered and He held her.
"Shush." he said. "It's going to be alright now. You'll be a new woman in the morning. Though I must confess, I'm pretty thrilled with this one."