Soup Kitchen

True to her word, Amanda called Michelle to apologize for not being able to attend the party that Friday and gave her a half-hearted congratulations on her and Brian's upcoming addition. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence when she asked Michelle when her date of confinement was anticipated, and the syrup in her voice was dropped. Amanda tuned her out while she went into detail about how she was feeling, what the baby's room was going to look like, names, and other related issues. The incessant chatter gave her a headache and she hung up on Michelle without saying anything.

She went into the kitchen and was making spaghetti when the phone rang. She picked up the receiver and was greeted by Michelle's rant about her being rude. Amanda rolled her eyes, dropped the handpiece back in the cradle, and went back to the kitchen. The steam from the pot of boiling water warmed her as she added noodles and set the timer. Not wanting to forget about what was on the stove, she took it with her back to the table and then opened the book she had picked up in the library on how to grow strawberries.

The thin volume had been written for children and simple enough for Samantha to understand. Amanda figured she would read it to her during their next session and ask if she would like to grow some. The more the plan laid itself out, the more interested Amanda became. She would get a pot for Samantha and ask her to decorate it, then keep the plant on the windowsill in her office where she could take care of it.

The front door closed as the timer went off. Amanda called back to Daniel's greeting as she turned off the burner. She went to the sink and dumped the noodles in the colander. "How was your day?"

"Not bad," he answered. "I got a call from Brian right before I left. He said Michelle was irritated because you hung up on her."

Amanda didn't say anything as she shook the excess water off of the spaghetti before putting the colander in the pot. She looked at her husband who was smiling. "Oh?"

"I told him he could take it up with you. He got mad and hung up."

Daniel kissed her cheek before he set the table. He saw the book and held it up. Amanda explained what she and Pastor Richmond had talked about and how he thought Samantha may have been responding to kindness, which led to Dr. Thompson's conclusion that she was showing promise. She also told him her intent of reading the book to her and asking if she wanted to grow some strawberries in her office where they would be safe.

Daniel's smile was wistful as she outlined her idea, laying down the pros and possible cons like she did when they were in college as she doled out spaghetti onto their plates and smothered it with sauce. Daniel took a bite and said, "This is great, Mand. You must have had a really good day."

"It was promising," she agreed. "I'm hoping the patient will like the book. I don't want to get too far ahead and overstimulate her."

"She was digging a trench though."

Amanda nodded. "That was physical as well as methodical. It seemed to have a calming effect."

"And what about the other patients?"

"The other ones seem to be enjoying it. We have to make sure they don't get close enough to hit each other for imposing on another's section."

Daniel couldn't help laughing as he imagined a disturbed patient whacking one of his colleagues for intruding upon his dirt. "I'm sorry, Amanda. I just got a visual."

She ignored his outburst. "Did you hear from Robert?"

Daniel shook his head. "No. Thank God."

Amanda nodded. She told him about how they finished digging the trench and how she planned on going back and meeting with Pastor Richmond around 10:00 so they could burn the land for the upcoming spring. "I will be leaving around 9:30. Would like you to come with me?"

Daniel was surprised she was asking him to accompany her. "That's fine. How long do you think it will take?"

Amanda shrugged as she gave him the dimensions. He figured it would take at least a few hours if they lit it along the perimeter. "The densest area is towards the center. We made the fire break about two feet wide to be safe. Pastor Richmond believes the flames will be eight inches max since it's mainly dead grass until it reaches the center where there are a couple of dead bushes."

"And you have fire extinguishers if something goes wrong?"

Amanda looked at him as if he was moronic. "Of course."

She got up and cleared the table. Daniel put the leftovers away while she washed the dishes and then put the pot and pan in to soak. Afterward, they retired to the living room until it was time to leave.

--2--

Pastor Richmond was thinking about Katie and was wondering if he would hear from her before she came back as he ran his thumb over the picture that he kept of her above the fireplace. He had been aghast when she had told him the news about Papua New Guinea as his own experience came flooding back in nightmarish proportions, blocking out her exuberance. He wanted to sit her down and tell her, "No," she couldn't go.

It had been in 1956 when a man of the cloth, very much like Reverand Adams, approached him at the end of the service when he was still a junior pastor at St. Luke's and told him about the heathens in Papua New Guinea who were damned from a hellish practice which involved mortuary cannibalism. At first, he had been shocked and like the fervently speaking visitor, caught his urgency in wanting to share the gospel before any more of them perished.

At the time, finances had not been a problem, given he was single and lived in a room at the church. He also had a valid passport, which wouldn't expire for another three years. His expenses were minimal outside of food, clothing, and hygiene necessities. A young girl kept his room and did his laundry as needed and he was more than happy to pay her to do tasks he found mundane if not draining.

He didn't remember much of the experience of how he got there. Travel arrangements had been made by the church secretary while he tried to find out as much information as he could about the people he had just learned of. From the brief articles, he was able to obtain, he learned they were horticulturists called the Ytuwa, who lived in the highlands of Papua New Guinea and were discovered by gold prospectors from Australia during the 1930s. Word of the consumption of their dead reached the missionary world in a storm from researchers who had gone over to study them.

David balled his hand into a fist and brought it down on the mantle. "Enough!"

The word hovered above him and seemed to echo in solemnity. Sweat broke out on his brow and he began to tremble until he succumbed to the tears which were a continual reminder of his hypocrisy and shame. He had expected a savage culture, not one of civility and deep peace. If anything, the greatest thing he learned, it was he who was the savage. "Enough," he whispered, resting his head against the mantle. "Enough."

The clock struck 9:00, shattering his disturbing moment of self-reflection. He looked up and sighed with relief, grateful for the sudden distraction. He felt his pockets to make sure his keys and wallet were there, then left for Sanford.