THE BOSTON HERALD carried the story about three days later. Martha hid her head in her hands, disbelieving the words on the page. How could any respectable, responsible newspaper print such things!
Mike read it over and over, as if by looking at it long enough somehow or other he could manage to change the content of Lara Chadwick’s article. ‘Those bastards!’ he complained, smashing his hand against the kitchen counter.
Mary Rose gave Martha a scared, embarrassed look and she only thanked heaven that Alice was in the other room engrossed in Songs from the Little Mermaid on the TV.
‘New England Miracles’. That’s what she’d called it.
‘At least it’s not on the front page,’ argued her husband, clenching his jaw and mouth with tension.
‘Mike!’
A threatened airline strike at Logan, a profit warning from one of the huge over-hyped new technology companies and the fining of a local actress for drink driving had mercifully saved her from that.
Martha sat on the kitchen chair feeling numb and miserable, her family around her. Patrick bent down and wrapped his arms around her.
‘It’ll be all right, Mom, no-one really reads the newspapers and if they do no-one believes them!’
‘D’ya think?’
‘Yeah, Mom, definite!’
‘For sure,’ Mike added, coming and sitting beside her.
‘The only thing is, Mom,’ added Mary Rose, ‘is that you did do it! I saw you heal him. Everyone else saw you too, so it’s not like that journalist woman made it up or anything.’
Martha gazed at her daughter’s serious face, the slightly lopsided full lips, the pale fair skin, the intelligent, brown-green eyes that were scrupulously honest and fair. Mary Rose had never been able to lie and had a forthrightness about her that some considered difficult and that often got her into trouble both at school and with her friends.
‘Most of what she actually said in the paper is true.’
Faced with such honesty, Martha had to agree, but it just was so weird to read words written about yourself and try to be rational about what was printed. She was only getting used to the healing gift herself and certainly hadn’t reckoned on anything like this happening.
Alice ran in. ‘Granny’s on the phone, Mom,’ she said.
Mike cast her a knowing look, warning her not to say too much to her mother who could spread news quicker than anyone.
‘Hi, Martha love, how you doing?’
‘Fine, Mom, fine,’ she lied.
‘Did you see today’s paper yet?’
She was tempted to play dumb and ask which one but could hear the concern in her mother’s voice.
‘I saw it, Mom, I saw it already.’
‘How did that journalist woman ever find out those things? That’s what I’d like to know.’
Martha let out a deep breath.
‘She came here to the house, Mom.’
‘What! You let her into your home!’
‘I know, but I didn’t realize what she was writing, honest I didn’t.’
‘You didn’t think to ask?’
‘No, I didn’t.’
There was silence at the other end, which was a pretty rare occurrence when her mother was on the telephone line.
‘Anyways, I’m right proud of you, darling,’ admitted her mother a few moments later. ‘Ever since you were a little girl you always wanted to help people. Your daddy and I were sure you’d end up a nun or a nurse.’
Despite herself Martha laughed.
‘Maybe you always had the healing power and we didn’t notice,’ pondered her mother. ‘Sure, do you remember the time poor Brian got his hand caught in the door of your daddy’s car? He set up such a ruckus with the pain and you were the only one could get him to quiet down and he let you hold his poor hand under the cold water and you kept on rubbing his arm and wrist until the pain went away. He had the worst bruising I ever saw, his fingers nearly turned black, but funnily enough, he hardly complained of the pain at all afterwards.’
‘Mom,’ said Martha, genuinely surprised that her mother could remember such a childhood event.
‘I do remember, Martha,’ declared her mother, as if reading her mind.
‘Listen, Bee wants to say a word for a minute.’
Beatrice Patterson was her mother’s best friend and confidante, the two of them having become close companions on moving into the Belmont Retirement Home. Somehow or other Bee had almost managed to replace Joe Kelly in her mother’s eyes. Two elderly women, enjoying the years they now shared together.
‘Hello, Martha,’ she now interrupted in her distinctive husky voice. ‘Frances is all of a fluster here, but I’m just wishing you all the best and I’m so glad that the Lord has blessed you with this gift, for in this cruel world there is much good work to be done.’
Martha appreciated the other woman’s sincerity and she found that talking to her mother’s best friend had released something within her. Martha realized that being scared was plain stupid for in reality she had been granted a blessing, the gift of healing people, and she must learn to overcome her reluctance and embarrassment and use this gift.
‘You OK, Martha?’ Her mother came back on the line.
‘I’m fine, Mom, just fine.’
‘Don’t you mind what those papers say, honey, or journalists write about you! Martha, do what you have to do helping people. Just you remember that if you hadn’t been there the other day that poor Lucas woman would likely have buried her son, and nothing is worse than the loss of a child – nothing!’
‘I know, I realize that.’
‘Good!’
Frances Kelly rang off, and no sooner had Martha put down the phone than her sister-in-law and her brother came on the line. Jack was calm and nonplussed by what he’d read, but Annie was in a right state.
‘Martha, I can’t believe it! They are actually saying that you are able to work miracles. God Almighty, it’s so crazy! Jack’s baby sister – I can’t believe it. That boy you told us about – and the kids in the school yard.’
‘Listen, Annie, hold on, this thing is being blown up out of all proportion. You know what the papers are like, the things they write.’
‘It isn’t true, then?’
‘No, it is true about Timmy, but it’s not like what they say.’ She tried to explain, knowing full well that Annie was so excited she wasn’t even properly listening to her.
‘Imagine, I’m related to someone like that. Martha, it’s just so amazing.’
‘You don’t believe it, then?’
‘Martha, come on, you are a truly good person, even Jack says you’re a saint the way you’re always doing things for people – looking after Frances, helping out with the kids and the family. You’re always there when people need you. I guess if I were to pick someone to help and heal people, I’d pick you.’
Martha was silent. Annie’s sincerity and trust and faith in her had both moved and surprised her. She had not expected it and was genuinely touched by her sister-in-law’s honesty.
‘Thank you, Annie,’ she said simply.
The phone continued all day: family and friends curious, offering support and trying to glean more information from her.
By afternoon the tone of the calls had changed: strangers’ voices, urgent, pleading, asking her to see their child, heal their wife, help with a dying parent. Martha sat cradling the receiver listening to their torrent of words, hesitant, unsure of the help or comfort she could give them but none the less arranging to see those who needed her and trying to find words for those whose spirit was wounded and broken and in need of healing.
Mike returned from work that evening, his eyes blazing with temper as he walked by the scattering of cars parked all along Mill Street: cars of those who had parked in the hope of seeing Martha, or touching her.
‘We’ll sue that paper for what they’ve done!’ he shouted, getting himself a cold beer from the fridge. ‘We have a life, a family. This is a total invasion of our privacy! Who the hell do these people think they are, coming along and parking in our street, disturbing our neighbours?’
‘I’m sorry, Mike, I’m sorry. I never meant any of this to happen. Honest I didn’t.’
‘I know you didn’t. I know that. Listen, with any luck in a few days all this gossip and rumour will have died down.’
‘They’re all just scared and worried,’ said Martha, peering through the window. ‘See the man and woman in the green car there?’
‘Yeah.’
‘They want me to go visit with them and see if I can help their son. He has motor neurone disease and has only recently moved back in with them.’
‘Christ!’
‘I know. They want me to fly to Washington with them in two days’ time and lay my hands on him.’
‘Jesus, I don’t believe you!’
‘It’s true, Mike. I told them I couldn’t go with them but they’re just prepared to keep a vigil out there in the hope I’ll change my mind.’
‘Jesus, those poor people.’
‘I know. I never could have imagined all the desperate things people have to endure. If I can help even one person in any small way I’ve got to try.’
Mike came close and wrapped her safe in his arms, his lips kissing her forehead and nuzzling her hair. ‘Aren’t you scared of all this?’ he said.
‘Course I’m scared, Mike, I never expected anything like this to happen, but something changed the other day. I don’t understand the why or how of it, but maybe I am meant to help people, and to help them heal themselves. Laying my hands on Timmy I could definitely feel the healing power go through me. It’s so hard to explain, but I can’t walk away now and pretend none of this is happening because it is. And I guess you and I might have to get used to it.’
He held her so tight she could feel his heart beating through the cotton of his shirt. It was as if he was trying to hold onto her and protect her from something that neither of them could yet imagine.