39. Chapter 31
Chapter 31
E lijah carried the empty pastry plate and creamer jug into the kitchen. He filled up the empty jug from the soy milk in the fridge.
Jolie came in. "Elijah? I have something else for you this fine Christmas morning."
Elijah cringed and closed the fridge. "You all got me so much already. I feel bad about it."
Growing up, Christmases had been pretty simple. He and his brothers and sisters had gotten one gift each from Ma and Da, generally practical things like gloves. Nuts, citrus, chocolate and other indulgences they rarely got during the year had been the main gifts the household shared. He felt a little overwhelmed at the generosity of Samuel and Eddie, who'd bought him new work pants, work boots, and a few shirts, and of Jolie's book, which looked real thorough and kinda intimidating, with diagrams of the body and all sorts of things. Then there was the phone from Jon. It made him so happy to know Jon wanted to be able to find him anytime. Though how he could lose a body on a farm like this was a mystery. All you had to do was walk around and look. Still, Jon's gift was precious to him and gave him hope.
And he, Elijah, had only gotten simple gifts for everyone.
He missed his family bad today. He missed feeling like he knew how things were supposed to work, missed not feeling like he was always a step behind.
Jolie came over and gave him a motherly hug. "Don't waste a second feeling bad. We all care about you. That's all. And this other thing isn't really a gift. It's an opportunity."
She took a piece of paper from her pocket and unfolded it.
She handed it to him, but he couldn't make much sense of it. It looked like some kind of official form.
"Read the paragraph at the top," she urged.
At the top were the words: Hospice Energy Healer - Part Time to Start . He looked at her with a frown. His pulse thudded in his neck.
"Keep reading," she said. "Read the description." She pointed to a paragraph near the top.
This position is for a certified energy healer to work with hospice patients on a part-time basis with the potential of a full-time position. Seeking a certified Reiki or Healing Touch practitioner with at least five years of experience working with clients.
He shook his head. "What's this got to do with me?"
"Elijah." Jolie placed a hand on his arm. "You're a healer. You should apply for this job."
"But I… I…" Jolie was sure enough crazy. "They're lookin' for somethin' specific. I don't have these things they're lookin' for."
"You have experience," Jolie said firmly. "How long did you work with your grandfather?"
"Since I was five. But—"
"And at about what age were you working with him fully doing healing? Pulling pain?"
Elijah thought about it. "About twelve, I guess."
"Well then. That's longer than five years."
He stared down at the piece of paper, confused by her logic. "But they want certified . And I don't know anythin' about Reiki or the t'other."
"I know what it says." She took the paper out of his hand and looked at it. "My point is: You have had training. Your grandfather trained you. And you've had experience. Probably a lot more than most. Just because it was with a modality not listed here doesn't mean it doesn't count. And you're gifted, Elijah. Believe me, that's not something any amount of certification can buy."
He shook his head. "I don't think so."
Jolie gave him a firm look. "The very fact that they're looking for Reiki or Healing Touch shows they see the value of energy healers. Frankly, I applaud them for that. I'm thrilled the medical establishment is finally opening up to alternative medicine."
He bit his lip. "I don't think I'm what they're lookin' for."
She hrmphed. "I say this is worth a try. I'm leaving next weekend, and I think it's worth contacting them before I go. And if this one doesn't work out, it's not that hard to get a Reiki certification. I've known people who've gotten it in a few weekends. But I don't think it's necessary. You have your own methods, and they work for you. But this—" She waved the paper. "This job is worth applying for."
"They mention Healing Touch? What's that?" he asked. Maybe they just meant healing with a touch, which he did.
"Healing Touch is another training program. It's like Reiki but more Western, and it requires a lot more hours. But, as I said, I don't think you need it. That would be like slapping ketchup on a prime roast. You just need to show these folks that there's another way that's just as valid."
That sounded good when she said it, but the idea of trying to convince English medical people of anything was too much. "I wouldn't have the first idea where to begin, Jolie."
"I know. But I do. We begin by creating a resume for you. I can help you with that. Or Jon can, if you want."
"No!" Elijah was horrified at the idea. "Not Jon. I don't want him to know. Or Samuel or Eddie either." The idea that they would know he'd even entertained such high hopes, or how they'd look at him when he failed—that was too much.
"Okay." She held up her hands in surrender. "I get it. We'll keep this between us. Will you work with me this afternoon on a resume? Just you and me?"
Sweat broke out on Elijah's brow and under his arms. "I don't have nothin' to put on it."
"I happen to be good at fluffing," Jolie said with a smirk. "But I think there's a lot more than you think. It's just about how to word it."
For the first time, he felt a spark of hope. His heart reached out for the idea. How amazing would that be? To work, for money, as healer? To get a real job and not worry that Samuel and Eddie were scrimping to provide a spot for him? But it was unlikely. He knew it was. It was hard to get employed anywhere being ex-Amish. He only had an eighth-grade education, and hospitals employed people with big degrees. Heck, he still was working with Samuel just to get a driver's license and social security card.
Jolie must have seen his face fall, because she put a hand on his shoulder. "Even if they say no, Elijah, it's a good exercise to put yourself out there. And, frankly, they'd be idiots to say no. You were born to do this work."
Oh how he wanted to believe her.
She hedged. "Do you know what hospice is?"
"Nah."
She sighed. "People go on hospice when the doctors think there's nothing more to be done for them, medically. They stop all treatment and send the patient home to wait until it's their time to pass."
"Oh." He felt a pulse of compassion. He and Dawdi had worked with people like that. The Amish didn't use that word, hospice, but it was not unusual for homes to have an elder grandparent, or even a young person who'd had some kind of accident, in the upper bedroom, dying. Dawdi would pray for a swift passage, and sometimes, they'd pull pain or offer a blessing.
"I'm not a preacher," Elijah said, remembering Dawdi standing at the end of the bed, reading from the bible.
"You don't have to be. They have chaplains for that. It's about giving them comfort, easing their suffering however you can. That's all. Does the idea put you off?"
Did it put him off? He considered it. Actually, for the first time, he thought she was right; he could do this. "How do we start?"
She smiled and gave him a quick hug. "You start by believing in yourself the way I believe in you."
"Hey! Where's the milk?" Eddie hollered from the living room.