The chirping of a bird quite close by awakened me. The sound cut off abruptly as Norah spoke in a murmur.
“Hello, Sherri.”
I lay in a warm, soft cocoon and listened to the soothing rise and fall of Norah’s voice without listening to the words. The house was filled with the smell of apple pie and baking bread. I did not wish to open my eyes, lest it chase away this lovely sense of peace.
“Yes, Susanna is sleeping. When did Mark call you?”
I allowed my eyelids to open halfway. Norah sat curled in the chair next to the sofa, a phone pressed to her ear.
“The ankles worry me. I’m not sure what to do… A walk-in clinic? Yeah, there’s a free clinic in Pittsboro on Saturdays… “She bit her lip, sighed heavily, and looked at me suddenly over the top of her spectacles. “Just a moment, Sherri,” she said and lowered the phone. “How do you feel?”
I allowed my eyes to blink open fully. “Rested.”
“Good.” She nodded. “I’m talking to Mark’s mother. I’m almost done.”
I pushed myself into a sitting position, still wrapped in the blanket, and looked about the room. The clock over the fireplace had hands. It was just past noon.
Norah set the phone on a small table and wiggled forward to the edge of her chair. “Are you hungry?”
“No, ma’am.” Food here was abundant and varied. There were too many opportunities to eat. I did not know what to make of it. “A drink would be welcome.”
“I’ve made a pot of tea. Would you like some?”
“Yes, please.” I tried to stand and hesitated, waiting for my head to cease spinning.
“Don’t get up. I’ll fetch it.”
I must have been suffering from the sin of sloth, for I did not reject her offer. Reclining into the sofa, I waited until she returned with a cup. I sipped with pleasure. She had added a bit of honey.
“Susanna, the boys will be back soon.”
“The race is over, then?”
“It is.”
“Did he win?”
“I’ll let him tell you.” Norah blew on her own mug of tea and smiled. “Our opportunity for a private conversation will be gone once they get here. Do you have any questions about life outside your…community?”
Questions? Indeed, yes. My mind buzzed with them.
Would Mark’s parents approve of me?
How would I operate all of the appliances?
Why did they take baths every day, and what would happen if I did not?
Would I ever feel comfortable in this place?
“Norah,” I said and shook my head, bewildered, “I wonder about everything. I have so many questions that I do not know where to start.”
“Why don’t you let me pick a topic? I’ll talk, and if you don’t understand, then stop me and ask.”
“Yes. I would like that.” I placed my cup on the table at the sofa’s end, burrowed into the blanket, and listened expectantly.
“First, let’s talk about lady things.”
I felt the heat of a blush sting my cheeks. “Lady things?”
She nodded. Her face was calm. “I’ll tell you how we take care of our bodies. What do you call what happens each month to women?”
The blush eased at the mildness of her tone. “Monthlies.”
“That works. People around here would understand that term, although the word we use more often is periods…”
I took another sip of my tea, enjoying the sweetness of honey and ginger. Norah continued to speak of many things. Baths, teeth, shaving, hair. She used words I knew, like brush and razor. She used words I did not know—words that I would ask to hear again.
Yet always she spoke in that same calm, mild voice. She paused between subjects and watched me kindly. And I grew ever more confident that I could learn anything with a lady such as she in my life.