Ben Soul

by Richard George

it.” Dr. Field inclined his head to acknowledge the compliment. “Where do you practice psychiatry?”

  “Des Moines, Iowa.”

  “Like it there?”

  “I’ve never known anywhere else. This is my first time out of the state of Iowa.”

  “Well, I hope it’s been exciting.”

  “It has.” Dr. Field grinned again. “Much better than the conference I came here for.”

  “Were you with that Conference of Helping Professionals?”

  “Yes. It was rather dull. I’ve enjoyed the City, though.”

  They were silent for a short while. It was Len who broke the silence. “When do you go back to Iowa?”

  “I’m not sure I will, at least not to live.” Len watched Chester search for words. “This City has kind of gotten under my skin. I don’t know why, but I can breathe better here.”

  Len sounded a cautionary note. “We’ve got a god’s plenty of psychiatrists here. You’d probably have to work for a government agency, instead of starting your own practice.”

  “No problem there. Government agencies tend to pay regular salaries.”

  “I can give you a recommendation, if you want. I know an assistant to the mayor.”

  Dr. Field turned to look directly at Len. “Thanks,” he said. “I’ll take you up on that.”

  “Later on, in the daylight, when I’ve rested up and can write a readable sentence. I’ll write out the name and telephone number, okay?”

  “Yes. That’ll be great.”

  “Mention my name when you call,” Len said.

  “Thank you.”

  “Now, do you have some place to sleep?”

  “Yes,” Chester said. “My hotel’s even got hot running water again.”

  “Have a good night, then. I’ll be here in the morning.” Len watched the little man walk away. There was buoyancy in the man’s step. Len chuckled. “Strike another blow for the magic City,” he said softly to himself. He went in and stretched out on a cot in the tent.

  Recognition

  It was mid-morning when Hank O’Hara from the mayor’s office came by. He asked Len to come outside the tent. “Len, the mayor wants me to thank you, personally, for all your work here setting up this temporary hospital,” he said.

  “It’s more a first aid station, really. We’ve sent any serious cases on to the hospitals.”

  O’Hara took hold of Len’s arm to emphasize his serious message. “You and your team have helped a lot in this emergency. You’ll be up for a commendation of some kind, when we figure out what to do for people like you.”

  “In this kind of disaster, everybody has to help, or we all go down.”

  Benjamin Dover Soul walked by, carrying water into the hospital. He nodded and smiled at both men.)

  “Nice looking young man,” Hank said.

  “Yes. New in the City. Just got off the bus the day before the quake.”

  “A tourist and he’s volunteered, too. I should get the reporters over here.”

  Len said, anxiously, “Please, don’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’d like to keep this one under wraps, if I can. There’s something about him that I like.”

  “Aha! The dirty old man seduces the bright young boy just in from the country, eh?”

  Len shook his head. “No, nothing like that. I think he needs sheltering, at least until he’s got a few months under his belt. I’m referring him to Minnie Vann.”

  Hank chuckled. “Oh, she’ll bring him up right, I’m sure. I thought maybe you were going to keep him for yourself.”

  “I’d like to, but he’s too young for me.”

  “It’s hell to be forty, isn’t it?”

  “Almost forty.”

  “Right. Almost. What, a couple of weeks away?”

  “Several weeks away.” Len spoke with asperity.

  “You can always dream.”

  Len determined to change the subject.

  “Oh, while I think of it, I’m sending another newcomer to you. A psychiatrist. Dr. Chester Field. Maybe there’s a place with the City for him. He’s not here right now, or I’d introduce you to him.”

  “Okay. Send him over in a few days. I’ll interview him.”

  “I’ve got to go back, finish up here,” Len said. “Tell the Mayor hello for me.”

  “I will,” Hank said. “Once again, he thanks you for all your help.”

  “Okay,” Len said, waving as he ducked into the tent. Hank O’Hara watched him go.

  “Wonder if he’ll survive a recognition ceremony,” Hank said, and walked away laughing.

  Ben Takes a Job

  Ben went to the motel. At the Dancing Pixie the clerk asked Ben, “Will you be staying with us longer?”

  “Just a few nights, until I can find a place to rent.”

  “You’re staying in the City, then.”

  “I’ve got a job interview tomorrow.”

  “I’ve got a friend who has a studio apartment for rent. Over on Never-Maiden Lane. It’s clean, the neighborhood’s safe, and the rent’s cheap.”

  “Do you have a telephone number for your friend?”

  “Yes. I’ll write it down for you.” He took a card for the motel, wrote the name and number on it, and handed it to Ben. “Here. He’s usually home in the evening.”

  “Thanks. I’ll call tomorrow, if I get the job.” Ben took his key and went to his room. He laid out a shirt and suit to wear to a job interview on the chair in the room, turned down the covers, and went to sleep.

  The next day Ben found the commercial district. He studied the card he held. He looked up, frowning, at the street signs. The street wasn’t the right one, but which way to go? Then he saw a policeman on the corner. He went to him. “Can you tell me how to find this address, officer?”

  The policeman pointed the out directions. “Yes. Go down the hill two blocks, turn right and Indigent Aborigine Insurance is in the middle of the block.”

  “Thank you, Officer.”

  “We’re here to serve the public, sir.”

  Ben followed the policeman’s directions and found the Indigent Aborigine Insurance Company with no problems. He went into the marbled lobby and approached the receptionist’s desk. She said, “May I help you, sir?”

  “Yes, please. I’m scheduled to see Ms. Minnie Vann at 10:00 o’clock.”

  The Receptionist glanced at the clock. It read 9:50. “Yes, sir. You are a little early.” Before Ben could reply, the receptionist pushed a button on an instrument on her desk and spoke into it. “Ms. Vann, your 10:00 o’clock is here.”

  Minnie said, “Okay, I’ll be up in a minute. Tell him to wait.”

  “Ms. Vann will be with you shortly. Please have a seat.” She gestured toward the lounge. Ben took a seat on the lounge across the lobby. He picked up a magazine and thumbed through it. Precisely at ten Minnie Vann came out of the elevator. She approached Ben.

  “Mr. Soul?” she said. Ben looked up, and got to his feet. The woman who had addressed him was squat, with a short haircut. Her eyes danced with the humor of life, and Ben took an immediate liking to her.

  “Yes. Ms. Vann?” he said, as he took her outstretched hand.

  “Yes. Please come with me.”

  They walked toward the elevator. “Len DeLys says you’ve just come to the City?” Minnie asked.

  “The day before the quake. The City’s given me quite an introduction.”

  “Sometimes the City’s a drama queen.” The elevator doors closed on them. Ben felt it drop, carrying him to a new life and a new career. Minnie offered him a job in the mailroom after a brief interview.

  To celebrate, Ben went to a burger joint for lunch. Garish red and yellow plastic covered the booths and tables. Ben asked for the fish and chips the menu promised. The counter boy told him the afternoon cook didn’t know how to cook them, so Ben ordered a hamburger and fries, and a lemon-lime so
da. He took his drink and sat in a booth to wait for his burger and fries.

  The counter boy brought the meal to him on a cracked red tray. “Here’s your burger and fries,” he said. “Need a refill on your soda?”

  “No, thanks,” Ben said. The carbonated concoction tasted like someone had scraped the white stuff off a lemon peel to make it. It was very bitter. Two older men, Ben guessed them to be in their late fifties or early sixties came in. They were holding hands, and gazing at each other with adoration.

  The boy waiter jerked his head at the older couple. “Don’t mind the aunties,” he said. “They come in about twice a month. Always lovey-dovey like that. You’d think they just met, drunk, wouldn’t ya?” The boy shook his head. “Boss knows them,” he went on. “Says they’ve been together thirty-five years.”

  “They seem happy enough,” Ben said.

  “I suppose.” The boy looked at Ben. “I can’t imagine them doing anything, ya know what I mean? Old farts like that?”

  “Like have sex?”

  “Yeah. Disgusting picture. They must be way over forty.”

  “Is forty some kind of cutoff age?” Ben chewed on a cold fry.

  “Forty’s way old. You ain’t forty, yet, are you?”

  “No, not for quite a while.”

  “Good. I wouldn’t want to screw up my tip, ya know.” The boy went to take the couple’s orders.

  Ben marveled at how sour the kid was, even though Ben doubted he was twenty yet. Ben saw how happy the couple was. An epiphany struck him. I want to be part of a couple when I got old, he thought, half of a pair that has a history. Mr. Bee flitting from blossom to blossom really wants to settle down in a hive with a queen of his own. Ben paid his bill, left a small tip, and went out to find Mr. Right.

  Vanna Returns to Dickon

  On Sunday, Vanna reluctantly made her way home to