Chapter 8 #2
“Anyway, the son knew I was afraid of the snake. I wasn’t supposed to go into his parents’ bedroom, but he would force me to go in with him and stand in front of the glass cage.
One night, the parents went out. It was cold.
I remember that. I think it might’ve been New Year’s Eve.
There was an older teenage boy who came over to babysit us.
I didn’t like the vibe he gave off, and so I’d gone to bed really early. ”
“What happened?”
“The son—I still can’t remember his name.
Probably because I don’t want to. He woke me up.
Immediately, I knew something was awful wrong.
I looked down, and the snake was next to me in the bed.
I remember screaming so loudly. I don’t know where the other foster kids were, but the babysitter was also there.
He had a nasty grin on his face. He grabbed me as I tried to scamper off the bed and took me to the bathroom.
He dumped me in the tub, and the son brought the snake, tossing it into the tub on top of me. ”
Sawyer glanced to her and saw a faraway look in her eyes.
“I froze for the longest moment. Looked at the snake. It looked at me. It had the coldest, blackest, deadest eyes. And then somehow I found the courage to push it away and jump out of the bathtub. I ran to the door, crying, but it was locked.”
She shivered. “I can still hear them laughing outside the door in the hallway. But I went and closed the lid on the toilet. It was always open since that was the bathroom I shared with the three other boys. I climbed up and stood on it. I don’t know for how long.
An hour. Two. Time seemed frozen. I watched the snake slither out of that tub and onto the floor.
I remembered constantly screaming until nothing came out. I’d used up all my voice.”
Paisley fell silent, and he didn’t push her to continue the horrifying story.
After a few minutes, Sawyer said, “I’m sorry I brought it up. I didn’t mean to make you relive something so terrifying.”
“It’s okay,” she assured him. “I haven’t ever told anyone that story. In a way, I take pride in it. It shows how brave I was. How resourceful. That’s actually a good feeling.”
She sighed. “By the time the parents came home, the door had been unlocked and the snake had been removed. I stayed in the bathroom, though, standing on that toilet. The foster mom came in and asked me something. I couldn’t answer her with no voice left.
I couldn’t talk for a couple of days. The dad came in and started yelling at me.
He knew the snake had been taken out of its home.
His son lied and told him that I’d been the one to do it. ”
Paisley snorted. “Like a four-year-old could somehow reach that tall, open the lid, and lift that big a snake. A couple of days later, a caseworker showed up and told me to gather up my things. That I was going somewhere else to live. That kid grinned at me the whole time I walked to the car, thinking he had gotten away with getting rid of me. I didn’t care.
I was happy to be taken from that home.”
She fell silent again, and Sawyer reached out and took her hand again. He laced his fingers through hers, and they drove without talking for several miles, the only noise being the sound of the car’s tires on the highway.
“I’m not just afraid of snakes, Sawyer,” she told him.
“When you asked me what I’m afraid of, the first thing that came to mind was not being able to walk.
After I was taken to the hospital, the surgeon who was going to operate on me told me that the goal was for me to walk again.
Not play professional basketball. Simply walk.
That frightened me more than anything ever has in my life, even that damn snake. ”
He squeezed her fingers encouragingly. “I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through. Not just the injury and coming back physically from it. The mental aspect.”
“They had me see a therapist,” she revealed. “I did talk therapy for about four months. It helped some.”
“Is it something you should keep doing?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want anyone in Hawthorne knowing about this. I’ve already seen in the short time I’ve been here how you’re right. Everyone knows what’s going on in town.”
“A therapist wouldn’t break a confidence, Paisley. It’s like attorney and client privilege.”
“I get that, but word would get out that I was seeing someone. My car spotted at the therapist’s office.
That kind of thing. I don’t want to add fuel to any fire, Sawyer.
I’m already going to be under a microscope as it is.
I don’t want to show any kind of weakness.
While I know seeing a therapist shouldn’t be considered weak, I simply want to avoid the gossip attached to it.
Besides, my therapist was winding down her practice.
I was one of the last clients she took on, short term.
She retired at the beginning of the summer. ”
“What if you could meet with one online?” he suggested. “Would you do that?”
“I don’t know. It would be hard to start from ground zero and try and build a new relationship. Learn to trust a stranger again.”
“The reason I’m asking is because West zooms with his therapist. Dr. Linda.
He started seeing her after his knee injury.
West chats with her a couple of times a month now.
Says it’s like keeping his truck in good working condition.
How you bring your vehicle to the dealership for periodic checkups.
Rotating the tires. Changing the oil. He says therapy keeps him grounded and in a good place mentally.
Ask him about Dr. Linda. I’m sure he would be willing to share his experience. Even give you her contact information.”
He looked to her and saw she worried her bottom lip, lost in thought.
Then Paisley said, “I think that’s a really good idea. Thank you for suggesting it. I didn’t mean to dampen today’s mood, Sawyer. I know you’re trying to make it a joyful one for me. Doing something that takes my mind off Team USA and where they’re bound.”
“It’s natural for you to miss being out on the court. Being with your teammates. The chance to earn gold for a fourth time.”
“Well, whatever you have planned, I’m game for.
And I really do appreciate you taking today off to spend with me.
I knew it was going to be a rough one. One of several coming up.
The opening ceremony will also be hard to watch.
That was so much fun to participate in, everyone wearing their red, white, and blue outfits and marching as a group behind our flag. ”
“I’ll watch the opening ceremony with you. If you’d like. And any games telecast. You don’t have to do this alone, Paisley. You’ve got friends here in Hawthorne, and I’d be honored if you would consider me one of them.”
“I really appreciate that. More than you could ever know. So, Mr. Montgomery, tell me what we’re going to do today?”
“I asked you about heights for a reason. If you were scared of them.”
“Nope. Not a bit.”
He grinned at her. “Good. Because in a few minutes, we’re going skydiving.”