Chauncey wandered over to Cassie's to chat but he'd seen her sitting with her eyes closed, journal on her lap. Not wanting to disturb her, he'd climbed Myrtle, his favorite mulberry tree, and was sitting with his back against the trunk waiting for Cassie to finish her train of thought.
He remembered the day, nearly a year ago, that she first came to the orchard. He'd invited her to park her tiny house on the orchard property on impulse the day he'd seen her in the Admin office at University. They'd had a class together the semester before and become friendly when they kept running into one another at the library. The day he saw her in Admin he'd assumed she was changing or dropping a class as he was.
He was something of a professional student, meandering his way towards a degree. He'd been at University five years and still hadn't settled on a major or finished a degree. Coming from money made a some things easier. His parents no longer much cared what he did as long as he was not causing them trouble or embarrassment.
His father had long since given up on him and his mother, well she had her charities and her own issues. He had a monthly lunch with his her, where he reassured her he was fine and they talked about whatever courses he was taking and whatever charity she was backing. Her charities were always about children, nothing that could be bothersome or embarrassing to father. He pitied her a bit, it all seemed so pointless to him, but then she pitied him right back for his 'eccentricities', as she liked to call his touch aversion. So they had their lunches and pity in common and not much else. Well, there was the money. Mother always pressed a check on him at the end of their lunches. He'd stopped trying to refuse them, giving checks was one of the few things that seemed to give his mother pleasure.
When he'd asked Cassie if she was changing or dropping a class it took her a moment to answer. "I'm withdrawing. I need to move."
"Going back home?"
"No." She lost herself in thought. "No." She repeated and sort of shook herself. "Actually I don't know where I'm going. I just need to get out of here. Find a quiet place to park my house and be alone a while."
Chauncey wasn't sure why he'd said it but he blurted, "I know a place. It's quiet and calming. You could park there if you wanted."
"Oh, do you know the owners?" Before he could answer she shook her head, "Never mind. I really need to get away from here. But thanks anyway Chauncey."
Looking back, he still couldn't quite believe it. He wasn't sure if it was the sadness in her voice or suddenly noticing that the normally outgoing girl seemed so withdrawn, almost as if she was folding in upon herself, but without a thought he reached out and touched her arm. The contact was brief and startled both of them. They both stared at his hand a moment before looking at one another. To forestall anything she might say he said, "It's an orchard. It's a couple of hours from here." and quietly, "It's mine."
Cassie tilted her head a little to the right. She started to say something but stopped herself. Chauncey knew she wanted to say something about the touch and he was glad she hadn't. He couldn't say why he'd done it. He hadn't willingly touched or been touched by anyone besides his doctor since he was a young child and Nan had left, or rather been sent away.
Nan had been his wet nurse and nanny until he was five. When it had become obvious that he wasn't just a squirmy little boy, but in fact had a serious aversion to touching or being touched by anyone but Nan, his father decided he'd 'been coddled too long'. He remembered desperately clinging to Nan and crying when he understood what was happening.
She'd held him for a few minutes until his father said, "Enough!" and Nan had pulled herself away so that they could look at one another. With her soft pale blue eyes she looked deep into his. Though she never really smiled, she had a wicked little grin that she'd occasionally flash him when she thought he'd done something particularly funny.
That day she smiled a sad little half smile at him as she said, "It's time leibshin." Then hugged him to her and whispered in his ear, "You give up titties for now. One day you find nice titties again." Then gave him the quick triple back pat that meant titty time was done. He'd never taken to cow's milk, even to this day he'd use almond milk.
When Cassie did finally speak, it was with a little laugh. "Your last name is Gardner? So was your mother a Peter Sellers or a Shirley MacLaine fan?"
"Huh?"
"I just saw your last name on your paperwork there." She pointed to the paper in his left hand. "So which was she a fan of?"
Chauncey creased his eyebrows and shook his head, "I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean."
"The movie Being There. The main character was Chauncey Gardiner. It starred Peter Sellars and Shirley MacLaine." She smiled. Chauncey just shook his head again. "Forget it." She paused a moment and got a far off look. "Were you serious about letting me park in your orchard?"
"Yes. It's really quite lovely."
"Where is it exactly?"
Chauncey told her where it was and they arranged a time to meet the next day. Before they parted Cassie said "Thank you Chauncey. Even if it doesn't work out, thank you for..." She hesitated and he again knew she wanted to say something about his touch but what she said with a shrug was, "Today. It really means a lot to me."
Chauncey's memory of Cassie's first day at the orchard tightened the bond he felt to her a year later. When he'd arrived to meet her that day he found her laying on a beat up flannel blanket under Myrtle, starring up into the branches. When he walked over to her she silently moved over to make room for him on the blanket. They lay there for ten or fifteen minutes before she turned to him and said, "You're right, it's quite lovely and so peaceful. I feel like I could maybe find my own peace here."
"You're welcome to try. You can stay as long as you like." Chauncey had told her.
