Sati (14 page)

'Need anything?"David asked. He could be a tight bastard, but with Timmy he had always been generous. Before his illness, Timmy had been an electrician. Since being put on permanent disability, he had been doing electrical maintenance on David's properties in exchange for an apartment. Since this maintenance amounted to no more than a few hours' labour a week, David was essentially giving him the apartment free. Indeed, for the last couple of months, Timmy had been too sick to work at all.

‘I’m fine, thank you,'Timmy said.

'Don't play the martyr with me,'David said.' If you need a few bucks, tell me.'

Timmy nodded.' OK,I would like some money. But not for myself. I'd like to bury Sati a present.'

'What can you buy a girl who has everything?'I asked.

'It's a secret,'Timmy said.

David took out his wallet.' Will a hundred be enough?'

'I won't need that much,'Timmy said.

David gave him a hundred, anyway.'N ick, take this guy home. And could you leave that sketch of Sati?

I'd like to look at it.'

Nick stood and handed David his drawing pad. The picture was remarkable. Nick had caught Sati's joyful nature without having to resort to putting a big smile on her face.' I'm sort of proud of it,'Nick said.

'Who knows?'David said, hardly glancing at it.' Maybe someday it will be worth a fortune."

'It won't be for sale,"Nick said. Then he scratched his head and laughed.

'What's so funny?'I asked.

'It's nothing,'Nick said.'I t has nothing to do with Sati.'

'Tell us,'Timmy said.

Nick was embarrassed.' It just struck me tonight that Mary's going to have
my
kid. It's weird, it never really hit me before.'He helped Timmy up.' I should get home to her."

Timmy feigned weakness and leaned against Nick's body.' My heart,'he gasped.'Y ou'll have to carry meupthe stairs.'

'I can carry you,'Nick said.' Just don't try to kiss me.'

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Timmy beamed.' She must be God. All my dreams are coming true.'

When they were gone, I asked David,' What do you want the drawing for? A photograph would be better for tracing her.'

David nodded.'T ry to get one. Are you making a run to Phoenix tomorrow?'

'Yes.'

'Do you have a Polaroid?'

'No.'

'Ordinary film usually takes overnight to develop. Nick's sketch might be the only picture you'll have to take with you.'

'You want me to show her face to people who live near where I picked her up?'I asked.

'If you have the time. I know it's a long shot. For all we know, she could have hitch-hiked from the other side of the country.'

'It may not be the long shot you imagine. When I was in that diner with Sati, this guy kept staring at her as if he knew her. He works down the road in Catson in a factory. I don't remember his name, but Penny

- the waitress I mentioned - will tell me what it is. In fact, Penny herself thought Sati looked familiar.'

'It's a lead. We've got to find out where she came from before we ..."David didn't finish.

'Before we what?'I asked.

He chuckled, shaking his head.'I f she impressed me yesterday, she blew my socks off tonight. Did you see how calmly she sat there while that idiot threatened her with that nail? I say it again, she's got magic, God or no God. We've got to get her on TV.'He glanced at the chair where she had been sitting.' Do you like having her at your place?'

'She keeps things lively.'

'Not too lively, I hope.'

'What do you mean by that?'I asked

He waved his hand.' Nothing, don't get shook. I was just thinking, it doesn't look good that she's living with a guy. Not for someone in her position. People will talk.'

'Sati doesn't seem to care what people talk about.'

'That's what she's got us for, to look after her better interests.'

'Dave, can I ask you a blunt question? Why are you, on the one hand, trying to prove she's a phony, and on the other hand, trying to launch her as a celebrity?'

'Before you launch a ship, Mike, it's smart to check first and see what could sink her.'

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NINE

When I came through my apartment door, Satiwas sitting cross-legged on the couch in an orange robe Mary had lent her. The lighting was down low. He hair hung close to her cheeks, partly hiding her face.

'I brought these back,'I said. I had the vase of flowers and the plate of cookies in my hand.

Sati nodded.

'How was your walk?'I asked.

'Fine,'she replied softly.

'Your talk tonight was interesting.'

She nodded.

'Is something wrong?'

She slowly turned towards me.' No. Sit here beside me.'

I set down the flowers and plate on the coffee table and joined her on the couch. She had showered; her hair was wet.

'You're lucky you escaped with your hand in one piece,'I said.

'There was never a chance of him hurting me.'

'You can read people that well?'

Her mood was solemn.' Yes.'

'I don't know,'I said.' You've got to be careful with guys like that. They're fanatics, totally unpredictable.'

'You are also a fanatic. You're in love with your image of Linda. Mr Green is in love with his image of Jesus. Both of your images have little to do with reality. Both of you are making yourselves miserable.'

'That's not fair, comparing me to him. You don't see me hammering nails in people.'

'You prefer to hammer them through your own hands.'

'And what's that supposed to mean?'I asked.

'You know.'

'You keep telling me..." I began, catching myself when I heard the anger entering my voice. I hate to get angry. I always get mad at myself when I do. Yet it seemed nowadays I only had to hear my wife's name and I would lose my cool. For that reason, I decided I really didn't want Sati to elaborate on her remark.

Nick must have explained the details of the divorce to Sati. I'd have to tell him to mind his own business.'

Never mind,'I muttered.

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Sati nodded. Her robe was wrapped loosely about her slender frame. For all I could tell, she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

'I was surprised the minister didn't have a change of heart after losing his challenge,'I said.

'He changed.'

'Do you think he's going to come see you again?'

'No.'

'What if he had driven the nail through your hand? It would have to have hurt you.'

She turned her big eyes on me.' You see the body of a young woman in front of you. This body can suffer. But I am more than the body. I never suffer.'

'But you are affected by stuff? At least in a superficial way?'

'No.'

'Sati, I asked you this yesterday - do you sleep?'

'Sleep does not affect me. I am beyond waking, dream-ing, and sleeping. That is why I do not ask for your belief in me. If you believe I am God, then belief will vanish when you sleep. If you believe Christ is God, that belief will vanish when you sleep. When you sleep, you are all atheists. Can't you see how fragile belief in God is, that something so simple as sleep can wipe it out? But when I am truly found,s leep never steals me away. When I am within a man or a woman, I am there to stay.'

'Sounds neat,'I muttered, not minding that she hadn't really answered my question. Her point of view was simple, yet the more I thought about it, the more profound it seemed. To her, understanding reality didn't depend upon adopting a certain attitude. She was strictly into experiencing reality.'H ey, I wanted to ask about what hap-pened tonight during your period of silence. I felt.. .'

'You talked to your daughter after the meeting?'she interrupted. Like many of her questions, it could have been a statement.

'Yes. To Linda and Jenny both. Linda finally broke down and admitted you were one amazing creature, whoever you are. But that minister scared Jenny. I hope she doesn't have another bad night because of it

.'

'Her bad nights were because she was afraid she would lose you. That fear is gone.'

'Really? That's what I wanted to talk to you about. When I was sitting there, I felt...'

'Shh. Too many words, Michael, about things better left inside.'

'All right.'I settled back on the couch. Her tone had not lightened. This serious Sati was in some ways frightening, and in other ways even more beautiful. Her long lashes brushed the strands of damp hair clinging to the side of her face. The collar of her robe was loose; the top of her left breast was visible. I was by no means feeling hot for her, but all of a sudden I felt a real strong desire to hug her. Of course, I
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kept my hands to myself.' Can I take your picture?'I asked.

'No.'

'You'll have to have a picture taken some time. If your meetings continue to grow, like it or not, you're going to be inthe papers.'

'Word of mouth alone is sufficient to spread the news of my coming.'

'This is L.A. Get a cult following here and they'll put you on TV for sure.'

'I will never be on TV.'

'That's not what David thinks.'

Sati did not answer. She just looked at me strangely.

TEN

The wind was dry and dusty as I stepped from my truck into the afternoon sun and walked towards Pete's diner. A tumbleweed bounced by. I looked at the brown desert and thought of ghost towns and skeletons in the closet, and ships I might not want to sink. Still, I went inside the diner anyway, Nick's sketch clutched close to my heart. I asked to speak to Penny.

She wasn't there, which was no major surprise. I was on my way to Phoenix, not on the road home. No one knew better than I how late Penny usually worked. However, Pete himself was at the checkout stand, and he was kind enough to ring her at home for me.

'Hello, Penny?'I said, using Pete's phone behind the counter.' I didn't wake you, did I?'

'Shucks, no. I was just watching a
Dynasty
rerun. You follow that show? I love it. I love Joan Collins.

She's such a bitch. How've you been keeping?"

'I've been keeping strange company, Penny. You re-member that blonde girl I had with me when I was in a couple of days ago?'

'Lord, yes! It's the strangest thing. I haven't been able to get her out of my mind. Don't tell me she's been staying with you? Oh, I bet Linda loves that.'

'Yes, she has been staying with me. But Linda... hasn't really complained. Penny, why have you been thinking about her so much?'

'Well, she was so gorgeous. And sweet, too, I could see that right off. I just liked her a whole lot.'

'When you first met her,you thought you'd seen her before. Had you?'

'She did look sort of familiar. I don't know - had we met,it seems I would have remembered her. She wasn't your ordinary gal.'

'There was a man in the diner that night who seemed to recognise her,'I said.'W e've had coffee together a couple of times, but I can't remember his name. He's a foreman at a factory inC atson. Do you know
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who I'm talking about?'

'Do you mean Clyde Sheian?'

'That's him! Sheian, yeah. Do you know how I could get hold of him?'

'Try his work. That's Poll's Cardboard, in Catson. You can get their number from Information. But Sheian prob-ably won't be there now. He usually works late.'

‘I’ll give it a shot.'

'Wait, don't leave me like this! What's up? What's she done?'

'I'm sorry, Penny,it's a long story. We'll have to save it for another time.'

I said goodbye and thanked Pete for the use of his phone. I moved to the phone booth outside. The factory's number was easy to obtain and Mr Sheian was working, after all. He vaguely remembered me, but he was busy and wanted me to state my business. I told him about his staring at a blonde I was with a couple of nights ago. The sound of his voice changed. He seemed to hold the phone closer to his mouth.

'Is she a friend of yours?'he asked.

'She's staying with me. But I don't know where she came from. I'm trying to see if she has any family around here.'My heart was pounding.'D o you know her?'

'Why, yes, I think so. Her name'sK athy Lion. She used to live in a house I rented. I was surprised to see her in Pete's.C asey had told me she'd left town ten days ago."

'Who's Casey?'All of a sudden, I didn't feel so hot. And this was exactly the news I'd been looking for.'

She wasK athy's next-door neighbour. You really ought to talk to her. She knewK athy best.'

'Is her number listed?'I asked.

'Probably. Her last name's Barbers. Is something wrong with Kathy? She was such a spirited girl.'

I swallowed, telling myself my disappointment was ir-rational, that as a lonely truck driver I couldn't expect to be picking up goddesses in the middle of the night, that my expectations had simply been too high. It was only then I realised how much I wanted to believe Sati.

'No, she's fine,'I said.' She's great. Do you know where she was going when she left?'

'Casey said she was headed to L.A. I understand she wanted to be an actress.'

Casey Barbers wasn't the suspicious type. When I told her I was a friend of Kathy's, and in the neighbourhood, she didn't hesitate to invite me by for tea. Only in small towns do you find strangers eager to make you tea.

The lady's street was narrow and in need of repair. My truck parked in front of her house practically closed off the road. The neighbourhood had probably seen better days, but it didn't look like the sort of place earthshakers had ever emerged from. Somehow, I couldn't picture Sati walking its crummy sidewalks.

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Casey Barbers was wiping grease from her hands with a napkin when she answered the door. Food must have been an all-day affair with her; she was fat. She was so fat I had to wonder how her poor heart could possibly pump blood to every one of her fat cells.