The Plaza

Every Tuesday at noon, a gaggle of nurses, receptionists and sometimes residents rush to the hospital cafeteria hoping they’ll have the opportunity to experience a miracle. This isn’t the place you come to repent your sins or ask a higher power to spare your sister with cancer. It’s the hospital cafeteria.

Somehow, my receptionist Don has turned it into his oyster. Everyone wants a piece of me and he’s the only one with the power to put them on my calendar. As a grief counselor it’s my job to help people cope and manage losses. You sit in an office & ask a person to recount their worst life experience. Then you try to pull them out of the living death they’re experiencing. What would posses so many men and women to claw & bribe to see me? It’s actually quite mad. A mind blowing experience expanded my ability to connect with these people and I don’t mean that figuratively.

A month ago, Don and I were having lunch at my favorite Greek restaurant, Setio Plaza. The minute we sat down, he couldn’t sit still. Every 10 seconds or so he’d look over both shoulders and then at me. I made eye contact the first 3 times. The 4th time I gently placed my hand on top of his hand gripping the silverware wrapped in a dinner napkin.

“Don, what’s the matter? You’re freaking me out” I whispered out of my teeth trying not to speak to loud and fake a smile.

“I’m just so excited for you, this is a big day!” he lied checking over both shoulders again before looking back at me with sheer panic on his face.

The occasion was the completion of my first year as a grief counselor. It was nearly impossible to get a reservation at Setio Plaza but Don’s sister was married to the sous chef who was able to get us a decent table. Don’s sister died in a car accident a month or so before our dinner. Victor, the sous chef, survived. Victor blames himself for the accident and grovels at Don’s feet to make up for it.

The server approached our table and Don flinched as if the hulk was about to punch him. I scrunched my eyebrows at Don and ordered the hummus sampler as an appetizer. Don asked for water and requested black olives in oil for the table. I kicked him in his shin as the server left us.

“Damn you!” Don exclaimed sounding more like himself. He reached down to rub his shin.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked

He looked down at his hands before hesitating and pursing his lips together.

“I saw a medium last night” He whispered.

“Uh, okay. What happened?”

“My sister came to us in the seance”

I looked around to see if anyone could hear us.

“Okay and what did your sister say?”

“Julia, when I tell you this, please understand I’m only doing this for my family”

“Doing what Don? You can tell me anything”

In all transparency, I was terrified. I’ve only seen seances performed in horror movies and that was usually around the time I’d conveniently use the restroom. Don gave me a place to stay after my last serious relationship. We lived together for 7 months. I could at least hear what he had to say, crazy sounding or not.

“DouHnë Bah Tœdä” he bespout.

The words left his lips and pervaded my ears. A chill went through my eyes, sinuses, tongue, throat and teeth. It was like I gargled with listerine and then drank ice cold water.

He said the words again not moving his eyes away from mine.

“DouHnë Bah Tœdä”

To be continued......