Salem's Sight by Eden Elgabri Read Free Book Online Page A

them.
    I took a good look at the man in front
of me. About six feet tall, dark hair graying at the temples, blue
eyes. Yup, had I bothered to really see him when I walked in, I
might have saved myself some embarrassment. Although they weren’t
carbon copies, there was a family resemblance I would have easily
noticed if I’d bothered to look.
    “ Could we start over?” I
asked.
    “ I’d like that. Now your
mother says you’re here at her insistence and would do just about
anything to get out of counseling.”
    I squirmed in my seat but didn’t
bother to deny it. “That would be correct. This is simple. My
father and I had an argument and he got killed a few minutes later.
Guilt. If I had been sitting were I usually sat I would have been
dead too. Guilt. I get it; I understand that there are accidents
every day and some people die while others live. I get it. But it
doesn’t change the fact that I still miss my dad. I want him and my
old life back.”
    “ Good, understanding is
half the battle, but it’s not all of it. Acceptance is the rest of
it, and unfortunately, that takes time.”
    “ No offense, Doc, but I
don’t have a degree, and I could’ve figured that out on my
own.”
    He smiled patiently as if it was part
of his job, and I guess maybe it was. “Salem, some things are
easier said than done.”
    “ I was just thinking the
same exact thing before I knocked on your door...”
    “ Then you understand, my
job is long term, it’s not a band-aide quick fix. You aren’t here
for understanding. You’re a smart girl and you know the way of the
world. I’m here for you to vent, for you to get your anger out so
it won’t bottle up inside you and explode later.”
    He looked past me toward the door and
I turned to see if anyone was there. He had this strange sort of
expression and I wondered for a moment if Robby had something
bottled up inside. Stupid thought. I mean, if Dr. Martin couldn’t
shrink his own kid what kind of luck would he have with
me?
    But Robby didn’t need a shrink, I did.
And now he knew it. Of all the stinking luck.
    “ I don’t like feeling crazy
and that’s how I feel about seeing a shr..
psychiatrist.”
    “ If it helps, I’m only a
psychologist, which means I only treat little nuts. Major
psychiatric problems go downtown.” He grinned at me and I knew I
was going to like him in spite of his job title.
    “ Funny, a shrink with a
sense of humor.”
    “ Laughter keeps us
sane.”
    “ What about
tears?”
    A shadow crossed his face and for a
split second I thought I recognized the agony of loss. “That
too.”
    “ Then I must be very
mentally fit.”
    He nodded. “We don’t need to talk
about your dad yet. Let’s just talk about the other things you’re
going through. New school, new friends…”
    “ New part of the country.”
I don’t know why I slipped that in, but lately it seemed to be
significant. I mean, I really felt like I’d changed
worlds.
    “ It’s a lot to deal with on
top of everything else.”
    Okay, so he said it, not me. Now as
far as I was concerned Mom was fair game. “Then why did my mother
add that to my plate?” I asked not trying to hide my
anger.
    “ Why do you think she did
it?”
    “ Oh good, the question with
a question routine.” If he kept this up he’d get to see me at my
worst.
    “ Answer?” He looked at me
expectantly, like he knew I had the solution and he’d be willing to
wait all day for me to spit it out.
    “ So we wouldn’t have to
drive by the spot Dad was killed every day. Because she thought I
couldn’t handle it.” The pitch of my voice rose with each word like
the sound of a teakettle when it’s close to a boil.
    “ How was she handling
it?”
    “ My mother?” I hadn’t
thought about that. Maybe it was more than just to protect me.
Maybe she couldn’t deal with it either.
    I frowned. He got me to admit it to
myself. I hadn’t been handling it. It ripped my heart out every
time we drove past that