Have Mercy

by Siobhán Béabhar

  Pasting another smile on my face, I said, "It does sound strange, but what happened next?"

  "The next morning, I walked into Mother Superior's office, and I made my request to leave. She was shocked. She was sure I would change my mind. I told her goodbye and I hugged her," the wren confided, "and then I said I hoped she didn't report me." She tapped my arm, emphasizing each word. "I went to my room, grabbed my things, and went to the pay phone and called you about the room."

  Wait. "That was this morning."

  She nodded, then her face blossomed into her welcoming smile. "I was still unsure about this all the way here. It took me a while to get my courage up to walk to your house, but then you opened the door and said that you were Mercy, and I knew this was where I belonged."

  I wasn't sure how to process this. For someone who had only hours ago been a Sister, she seemed to be handling this change in circumstances rather well. I was incredibly curious. "So you can leave just like that? One minute you're in, and the next minute you're out? No ceremonies? No paperwork? It seems weird."

  "Really? Did you think it would be different?"

  "I just never thought y'all could leave so easily. I thought you were in it for life, and they heavily discouraged you from leaving."

  "Oh no. It's all voluntary. I mean, they certainly don't encourage you to break your vows. But it was my choice to join. It was my choice to remain. And it was my choice to leave. A year ago, I would have never thought I would wish to leave." She wagged a finger and said, "Now I can't imagine being there another year."

  "Was it so bad? Why did you stay?"

  She chuckled, causing her glasses to slide down her nose. "It wasn't bad. I just feel that God has given me a new life to pursue. This was a lesson to re-examine my life. I always thought I was happy, but now I see I was just content. I knew happiness when I learned that the room was still available. Yes, I have a new life, and I am looking forward to it."

  "How about I show you the room before you get too happy? As I mentioned on the phone, there are five bedrooms. Mine is on the third floor; it used to be the attic but I converted it to a master suite some years back." Standing up, I motioned for her to follow me. Leaving the mugs behind, I led her towards the staircase.

  I trotted up the steps. Reaching the landing, I turned to look at her. She was at the bottom of the stairs, making small circles around the foyer. I guess she hadn't noticed the staircase when she arrived.

  "Each of the original four bedrooms opens to the staircase." I started up the stairs to the second floor. At the top, I turned to face the front of the house. Pointing at the corners, I said, "The two small bedrooms are located there." I pointed towards another room. "On that side, you'll find the former master bedroom. That room has its own bathroom. The room across from it has already been rented."

  Leading her towards the large, open space at the back of the second floor, I turned and waved my arm in a grand arc. "Originally, this room was going to be used as a family gathering space, but when... after my husband passed, I decided to make this a room for entertaining. I had some guys build the bookshelves, then I bought a piano. Do you play? I used to play when I was a girl, and I've always intended to take it back up, but I just haven't found the time. I added the leather couch and love-seat for dramatic effect."

  Her attention locked on the grand piano. She walked over and leaned against it. "This is beautiful." Her fingers grazed the white keys then, as if commanded, she straightened. "Where can I find the bathroom?"

  Striding up behind her, I nudged her towards the front of the house. "It's up here, in between the two small bedrooms." I led her to the bathroom. Pushing the door open, I stood aside so she could enter.

  This bathroom also was updated. I had removed the small shower/bath combo and added a claw foot tub. The toilet was tucked away in a corner, and the walk-in shower was converted into a little steam room. It was a gorgeous bathroom.

  She fluttered around the room. Opening the shower door, she peeked inside and cooed with excitement. Her eyes were wide when she whipped around to face me. "I'll take it!"

  "The bathroom?"

  Giggling at my joke, she pushed her glasses up her nose again. "No, I'll take the bedroom."

  "But you haven't seen it."

  "Oh, I'm not worried about that. I'll take one of the smaller ones, I don't care which."

  Shrugging, I left the bathroom, leaving an excited wren behind. I turned right and opened the door to the smallest bedroom. This lady had just left the convent. Even this dinky room was an upgrade. "How about this one?"

  She entered silently, walked to the center of the room, and did a quick turnaround. With a hop in her step, she nearly skipped over to the window and glanced down at the street. The wren smiled. "I love it! But... one thing."

  "Yes?"

  "May I paint the walls? I lived so long within white walls; I'd like a bit of color." She walked to the closet and opened the door. She placed her small bag inside.

  "Sure, I don't mind. I guess if or when you decide to leave, you can paint them back to this color. Deal? Oh, and what are you going to do about furniture?" Previously, I had assumed she would be bringing furniture with her, but now that I understood her circumstances, I knew we needed to find her a bed quickly. "There's a pull-out bed in the couch downstairs in the living room. You can use that tonight, or the next few nights, until we find you a bed. You do have money, right? I mean, not only for the furniture but for the room?"

  "Yes, yes," she said, waving her hand. "For the last few decades, I have lived very humbly, but my father was a good businessman and he left me an inheritance. I gave much of it away, but I kept a small amount for myself. I think tonight I will use your couch, as I want to paint the room this afternoon. But, I think I should be able to find a bed tomorrow."

  My body tingled with satisfaction. Two rooms down and two more to go. An abrupt movement at the door caught our attention. I turned to find Red lounging against the doorframe. She frowned as she surveyed Albertine's attire. I thought I heard disgust in her voice. "Did you say that you were a Sister?"

  Red's references had cleared a few days ago. Two of her clients, both admirals, had attested that she was a fine, upstanding citizen. It surprised me how drastically this citizen's clothing had changed since she'd moved in. Instead of frumpy floral prints, she wore a lavender wrap dress that snugly fit her shape. Her bright red hair was pulled into a bun at the top of her head. Curly tendrils fell around her oval face.

  "Oh my! I didn't realize you were standing there," the wren fluttered. With short but confident strides, she approached Red with her hand held out. "I am Sister... no, I am Albertine. Albertine Morales."

  Red gracefully took Albertine's smaller hand into her grasp. "I'm Carol O'Brennan."

  "You must be the Irish lady that Mrs. Higgins mentioned. I simply adore Ireland and its beautiful culture. I once biked across a few counties. Where are you from?" she asked.

  Red's eyes lifted towards mine. There was a silent message there. I had no clue what it was. "I was born in County Galway, but my family moved around a bit when I was younger."

  "I've never been there. That's the west of Ireland? I'm sure it is lovely," chirped the wren.

  "You were a Sister?" Carol repeated, pushing away from the door. She puckered her lips and folded her arms.

  "Carol here is in the personal enhancement business. Maybe you two could bond over spiritual discussions or something," I said, hoping to foist the wren off on Red.

  Red's eyes flashed in my direction. Her color darkened as she looked at me and then back at the wren. She made a brief choking sound as her eyes bulged from their sockets. She coughed into her hand then her face went absolutely blank. Uh oh. Did Travellers avoid religious folk?

  Albertine smiled. She seemed unaware of Red's reaction. Nodding her head, Albertine said, "I always enjoy vigorous discussions on faith. I will miss that about our little convent. I hope to find that here, though." She sighed blissfully at R
ed. "I was a member of the Blessed Sisters of Mercy."

  Red stood at attention then whipped towards me with a malicious grin on her face. "Blessed Mercy," she said.

  "Go to hell," I mouthed in her direction. She threw back her head and laughed.

  "I'm already there, dearie. I'm already there," Red said, saluting us as she walked from the room. The wren stretched her neck as she watched Red's strange departure. I could hear Red's chuckles even after her door closed.

  Shaking my head at Red's rudeness, I said, "Albertine, how about we go back down to the kitchen and discuss the details? Do you have any references?" I stopped in my tracks and peered at Albertine. Innocence cloaked her little body. How on earth could anyone think that she had done anything inappropriate?

  Placing my arm around her shoulders, I felt like I was protecting her from the birds of prey that would trample her delicate nature. Birds like Red. "You know what? Never mind. I have a feeling you're the ideal tenant." I smiled, hoping to reassure her.

  Her dark eyes widened behind the thick lenses of her glasses. She ducked her head, but not before I noticed her lips curl with sudden amusement.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Moses stroked my hair. I traced his full lips with my fingers then I nipped at the dent in his chin. He laughed. Leaning into me, his lips hovered over mine, and I waited, anticipating his kiss.

  The sound of the doorbell startled me awake, pulling me out of my dream. I hated abrupt wake-ups. Especially if they interrupted my quiet time with my dead husband.

  The clock on the nightstand read 7:15 AM. When it was me and Moses, together in bed, we would take turns waking each other up before 5 AM. I didn't have to report to work until 7:30, so those hours were spent talking, laughing, and loving with Moses. After he died, and after I retired, I took to sleeping as long as I wanted. Most days, I didn't wake before ten.

  I wasn't sure who would be at the door. The mail wasn't delivered until after noon, and deliveries were made between ten and twelve. Maybe it was for Albertine or Red. I guessed this was something I would have to get used to. There were other people here now, and they had their own routines.

  Red seemed to avoid Albertine. Whenever the little wren entered the kitchen, Red would find an excuse to return to her room. I doubted that Albertine noticed. She seemed to like me.

  She said she woke before the crack of dawn and spent a few hours in prayer. Then she would come down and have a spare breakfast of a boiled egg and a slice of toast. Red, on the other hand, usually slept until noon. Sometimes she ate lunch, but usually she made herself a strong cup of tea with a few liberal spoonfuls of sugar.

  Ding dong.

  It was probably just a delivery for Albertine. She had spent much of her time visiting the little furniture stores and art boutiques in the neighborhood. She seemed to be really enjoying her freedom. The night she moved in, we went to a small paint store not far from the house. She went about the showroom looking at each color sample until she settled on her ideal color. She turned to me with a vivid and surprising shade.

  "Pink?" I asked.

  "I think they call this 'rose.' It's much deeper than pink; don't you think?" she said.

  I was confused by her choice. I could understand perhaps a very deep blue, maybe even a rich red, but pink? "Are you sure this is what you want?" I asked her. She nodded and told me pink was her favorite color.

  It seemed girlish for women our age. After picking up a few buckets of the color, we progressed to the little furniture showroom located across from the paint store. There, Albertine again surprised me by selecting a queen bedroom set with a four-poster bed.

  Her bedroom was a mix of pink and rose-colored items. Over the last few days, there had been several more deliveries for her. She managed to cram a three-piece bedroom set, a few paintings, and several plants into the small bedroom. It was quite a cheery little room, and it fit the wren perfectly.

  Tap. Tap.

  "Mercy?" I heard someone call. I wanted to ignore them. I wanted to go back to sleep. I wanted to feel Moses's lips on mine. I grabbed my pillow and slammed it over my face. I wanted to smother the person at the door, but I settled on myself instead.

  "What is it?" I called from the bed. Maybe it wasn't important, and I'd be able to fall back to sleep. I was too warm and too comfortable to move.

  "There's someone downstairs asking to see the landlord. She says she's here for one of the rooms," Albertine said. "Do you want me to ask her to come back?"

  I checked the clock again. I couldn't remember scheduling an appointment this morning. There would have to be some compelling reason for me to schedule something before nine o'clock. "Albertine, what time is it?" I called out.

  "Hmm. I think it is half past seven," she answered.

  I swore. No way in hell would I have scheduled anything this early in the morning. But I was curious. Furious, but also curious. Grudgingly, I threw back the covers. I was reluctant to leave my warm bed, but my fury compelled me to go downstairs. I sat on the edge of the bed, and dragged my hands over my face.

  "Tell them I'll be down in thirty minutes, Albertine. Please. Thanks," I shouted down the stairs of my loft. I may have been curious, but I was in no rush. I planned to go about my regular morning routine before greeting my unplanned guest.

  Forty-five minutes later, I made my way downstairs. I managed to brush my teeth, wash my face, and shower in under twenty minutes; I spent the last twenty-five minutes sitting on my bed, reading a magazine.

  Just as I reached the bottom of the stairs, I heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor. Heavy footfalls pounded against the hardwood floor.

  "Are you Mercy?" a foreign voice asked. I turned and saw a black woman, extremely slim and of average height, standing in my kitchen doorway. She had dark, heavy-lidded eyes, and a small, pert nose on a square face.

  "I am. I would apologize for being late to our appointment, but I can't seem to recall ever making one with you, Ms...?" My eyes widened as I recognized the wench.

  "I'm Melia Mason. I came about the room you posted on Craigslist," she responded.

  Well, that explained it. When I first advertised the room, I posted an ad in the newspaper, but on the previous night, Red had talked me into advertising on Craigslist. I went to the local library, created an email account, and with the help of a librarian, created a post. They all said that I would reach more people online, but they also said I ran the risk of encountering a strange assortment of individuals. Damn it. I guess this fine specimen of a lady was one such example.

  She didn't recognize me. That stung my pride a bit. Her square face was burned into my mind. I wanted to grasp her shoulders and hurl her from the house.

  Over Melia's shoulder, I could see Red moving around in the kitchen. She was dressed in another exotic silk bathrobe that reached mid-thigh. Her hair was loosely braided and hung over one shoulder. Her eyes were puffy with dark circles as if she hadn't slept much. She had gone out the night before, and she hadn't returned home by the time I went to bed.

  She slept in most every day. Her hours were irregular and I didn't know how she managed to support her consulting business. Maybe I should have asked for bank statements.

  I looked back at Melia, who was staring at me. She actually looked annoyed, and I returned her stare with a glare. Then she had the nerve to give me the once over, as if she were estimating my weight and how much strength it would take to knock me over. Surely she remembered me now.

  "Ms. Mason, I've had several interested parties for the rooms, and I..." My voice dropped off as she stepped closer.

  "Are you telling me I can't rent your room?" She was shorter than I was, but that didn't stop her from trying to stare me down.

  "I'm afraid we won't be compatible." In my mind, I ended the statement with "you snitching bitch."

  She laughed softly and turned to look at Red, who stopped puttering around the kitchen to listen to our conversation. Red flipped the braid over her shoulder and leaned
back against the kitchen island to watch us. She seemed incredibly perky at the moment.

  "Is it because I'm Indian?" the little black woman asked while she stared at Red.

  I blinked. Twice. "Are you supposed to be Indian?" Her back straightened and knees locked. She was clearly offended. "And where in India are you from?"

  She whipped her head around to stab me with her eyes. I smiled sweetly.

  "I'm Tle'katan, from Junior's Band of Vermilion Lake Indians. It's a small community on the Tete Blanche Indian reservation," she answered with a mocking lilt.

  I shrugged. Was I supposed to know what she was talking about? Snorting dismissively, I walked into the kitchen.

  She followed me, the heat from her eyes burning a hole into my back. "So, are you going to rent me the room?"

  "What?"

  She was so close I could smell an herbal scent about her. Maybe incense?

  "The room. Can I rent the room?"

  I kept my back to her. "I thought we already settled that. It's best I find another tenant."

  "Oh. I see." There was a long pause then a distinctly infuriating laugh. "It's about what you did, isn't it?"

  I turned around and glared at her. "I don't know what you mean."

  "Bullshit."

  "Look Ms. Mason—"

  She stepped towards me and grinned. "That was your own fault for getting into trouble. I wasn't the one sprinkling piss around the store."

  "You have me confused with someone else."

  She placed her hands on her hips. "Girl, don't play with me. We both know it was you. We both know that's why you're giving me attitude now."

  I crossed my arms and I rolled my head back. The nerve of her coming up into my house with that stank ass look. "I think you've got this situation confused. This is my home. Those are my rooms for rent. I get to choose who I want in this house and I certainly don't want someone like you."