Chapter 3: Bearing False Witness

The Library

“You aren’t having any difficulty figuring out the computer,” Karen said.

“It all seems pretty straightforward. I don’t remember doing this before, but it feels like I’ve done it. Is this my Gee-mail?” Gee asked.

“Yes. But remember that you are on a public computer in the library. You need to close your email when you are finished and make sure you are logged out after each use. And don’t forget your password,” she laughed. She suddenly looked shocked that she’d made a joke about his memory. Gee joined the laughter. “Are you sure you want to post pictures?”

“I don’t know how else someone could identify me, do you?” They sat with their chairs pulled close enough that Gee could feel Karen pressing against his arm while she pointed things out. The computer wasn’t difficult, but having Karen lean in to point things out was distracting to Gee in its own way. He paid attention to what she said, but he was constantly aware of her closeness.

“Okay, then let’s snap a couple pictures and I’ll send them to you. That way you’ll have my email, too.” Karen used her cell phone to snap the pictures and in a minute a flashing icon alerted Gee that he had mail. He opened it and looked at the pictures. “When you save the pictures, use the cloud server. That way you don’t store anything on the library computer. And then we’re ready to start posting inquiries.” Karen pulled out a notebook and began directing Gee to various websites where he could post his picture with a caption that said, “Do you know me?”

“Do you think I know people on all these social websites?” Gee asked.

“How would we know?” Karen asked. “You are very social ... comfortable with people in ways I would never imagine a man without an identity to be. Not that I’d know what to expect. I can’t imagine you not having friends out there who would want to help. We just have to find the right place.”

“I appreciate everything you’ve helped me with, Karen. I haven’t been a resident here for two full weeks yet and already this feels like home to me. I’m glad you’re my ... um ... friend.”

“I am your friend, Gee. I hope we’re friends for a long time.” She looked at Gee and he got lost in her eyes.

“Are you researching a story, Ms. Weisman?” a matronly woman asked, interrupting whatever connection Gee thought they might have made.

“Oh, hello, Ms. Tomczyk. Have you met Gee? We’re researching his identity,” Karen said.

“I saw your picture in the paper, but this is the first I’ve had the pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Ms. Tomczyk said. “So, the story I’ve heard about the man with the missing memory is true? I do hope you have a speedy recovery.”

“Thank you, Ms. Tomczyk. The pleasure is mine. With Karen’s help, I’m getting the word out. She’s showing me some of the different activities and services available in Rosebud Falls. Tonight, our investigation is the public library.”

“Do you like to read, Mr. Gee?”

“Oh, yes. At the moment, I’m puzzling through Homer’s Odyssey. I understand all the words, but getting the structure and context to make sense takes a bit of time. By the looks of it, I’ve been working on it for some time.”

“Is there a way for Gee to check out books? I’d be happy to extend my card to him,” Karen said.

“I’ll have to do some investigation on that. It would be irregular not to have an ID first, but we do it for children. Hmm. For now, I’d recommend you come in and use the reading room. Just be aware that our Bookhouse meets Wednesday evenings. It can be a little chaotic.”

“Bookhouse?”

“Children’s reading groups. Summer is both a good time and a bad time for us. There are lots of children with nothing to do and long evenings in which to do it. But there are fewer volunteers. We’re stretched a bit thin.”

“I could help,” Gee blurted out. “I mean, could I help? Crowds and children don’t bother me. In fact, I’ve been looking for activities to get my three-year-old housemate Devon involved in. I know he likes stories.”

“Really? You read to him?”

“I often read a story before dinner to keep him out of his mother’s hair while she’s cooking.”

“Would you mind auditioning?” the librarian asked. Gee started to stand and follow her. Karen laid a hand on his to stop him.

“Log out first, Gee. Never leave your email open.” It only took a moment and they followed Ms. Tomczyk. She pointed to a beanbag chair and Gee settled in. Karen folded her legs beneath her and sat nearby.

“This is our story nook. Take this book and begin reading aloud. We’ll see how your voice and expression fill the room.” Ms. Tomczyk smiled and handed Gee a children’s book. Lacking any children in the nook, he began reading the story to Karen. She laughed as he used different voices for different characters and pointed out the pictures.

Before he was halfway through the book, two little children—maybe three or four years old—entered the nook holding hands and sat down in front of him. Gee saw a woman he assumed was a parent standing near the door. He simply included the two children in his reading and showed them the pictures. By the time he’d finished the book, two more children and another mother were in the room. The mothers sat on a sofa nearby and whispered to each other. Ms. Tomczyk handed him another book.

Gee read three books to the five children who had wandered in. They were laughing and enjoying the stories, often making the sound effects Gee suggested to go with the story.

“What does a train sound like? Woo-woo!”

“Woo-woo!” the children responded.

“Chug-chug-chug-chug.”

“Chug-chug-chug-chug.”

“Children, would you like to have Mr. Gee come back to read more stories one day?” Ms. Tomczyk asked the group.

“Yeah!” Even the mothers responded positively.

“How about it, Mr. Gee?” she asked. “Can you make Wednesday at six?”

“That was wonderful, Gee!” Karen said. “And you just got volunteered for a new community service.”

“It was fun. There is so much more to a book than the words when you have a bunch of children involved.”

“I’ll meet you after your reading Wednesday, if that’s okay. We can do the swabs for the DNA services. I’ll have all the kits by then.”

“It’s a date.” Gee smiled at Karen and then stepped back. “I mean ... I’m sorry ... I didn’t mean ... I mean ... an appointment.”

“I understood, Gee. We’ll have a meeting. An appointment. We’ve set a time. And a date.”

Super Marketman

“Hello, Mrs. Resnick. It’s so nice to see you again,” Gee greeted the old woman who approached him in the aisle. He’d seen her nearly every day and remembered her name.

“Young man,” the old woman said, “I can’t reach the corned beef hash. I don’t understand why it is on the top shelf.”

“I’ll discuss the location with Nathan,” Gee said. “In the meantime, can I reach it for you? How many and which brand?” Mrs. Resnick wanted only one can of the generic brand. Gee noted the can cost half what the name brand next to it did. The woman thanked him and collected three or four more items in her basket before she left.

“Oh, Mr. Gee,” the pink-haired checkout girl named Rena panted at him after Mrs. Resnick left. “Can you show me where the tampons are?” The girl seemed to always try to embarrass Gee, but he did his best to treat it all in good humor.

“I’m sorry, Miss Rena. We didn’t get a delivery today. I could get you a roll of paper towels.” He looked at her quite seriously and she broke up laughing.

“I can’t get one over on you. I’ll come up with something. Just you wait!”

“Gee to the Deli for wet cleanup, please,” a voice over the store speakers said.

“Maybe you’d better take that roll of paper towel with you,” Rena laughed.

Gee hustled to the janitor closet to get the needed supplies and headed to the Deli. The cute blonde deli girl was hugging Rupert Grimm tightly with her head buried against his chest.

“I’m sorry. It just slipped,” she said. It took a moment before Gee remembered that the young woman was Rupert’s second wife. They made an odd couple.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Rupert soothed her. “Accidents happen and help has arrived.” He looked up at Gee. “The minestrone soup got away from Onyx, Gee. Do you have the right supplies for cleanup?”

“I’ve got it, Mr. Grimm. “This will only take a minute, Mrs. Grimm. Nothing to worry about.”

“Please, Gee. No formalities,” Rupert said. “It’s Rupert and Onyx.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Perhaps you could make part of your mid-morning routine picking up the soup kettles and putting them in the warmers for the lunch crowd,” Rupert said. “I nearly dropped one myself and it’s silly to have Onyx trying to lift a full kettle like that. Do you mind?”

“Of course not. I’ll plan on it for about ten-thirty daily. Does that work?”

“Thank you, Gee,” Onyx said. “I’m not really a klutz, but they are heavy.”

“No problem!”

Gee finished the spill and returned to stocking canned goods. He greeted several more customers during the day and they all called him by name. Gee was feeling at home.

The Head of the Family

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

“What a terribly misguided world we live in and how simple the remedy, brothers and sisters,” Pastor Beck intoned from the pulpit. “I said ‘simple,’ not ‘easy.’ For God gives us the solution. It is all laid out in His holy Word. But it is not easy for us to set aside the burden of this world and abide by His Word.

“We are confronted on every side by the seductive voice of Satan. Satan twists the blessed words of the prophets and the apostles to make us believe that what he is offering is what God wants. Remember his first words to Eve were, ‘Has God indeed said ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?’ He subtly twists God’s Word and entraps his prey. And he tries the same thing on you and me today. God, says Satan, wants every person to be treated equally. God, says Satan, wants us to give welfare to those illegally in our country. God, says Satan, thinks deviant lifestyles are okay. But let me tell you something, my friends. Satan is a liar. And he is good at sounding so reasonable.

“I am here to tell you today that God is not on the side of Satan! God has told us that there is man and woman and the two shall cleave together and be of one flesh. Believe me, cleaving together and becoming one flesh is one of the great blessings God gave us. He did not say man should cleave to man nor woman to woman. He made it clear that he created male and female, not that there was a choice in the matter. God doesn’t send men into women’s restrooms. God doesn’t make mistakes about gender. God has shown us the way, the truth, and the light, and He is unchanging.”

Heads were nodding in the congregation. Roxanne agreed with the preacher. Faggots weren’t part of God’s plan on earth. If Larry found one, he’d beat the crap out of him like he did that disgusting old man, Jig Riley. Of course, her husband wasn’t in church to hear the lesson. Sunday was his day of rest. Besides, he was hungover like on most Sundays when he was home.

“Wives ... oh, most precious of all God’s creation ... submit yourselves to your own husbands. I can see that makes some of you uncomfortable. Bear with me. You chose a man to stand beside you through your life. Men like to think they had a choice, but you women know that you are the ones who made the decision. And what were the criteria you used in that selection? A good lover. A good provider. A good father for your children. A good-looking huuunk.” He dragged out the last syllable until the congregation started to laugh. Several women nudged their husbands and nodded.

“And yet ... All too often I counsel with married women who have made it impossible for their husbands to be the men they said they wanted when they married. How can he be a good provider when he is too tired to go to work because he spent the night listening to the complaints of wife? How can he be a good father if his authority in the home is undermined and his children see him as a second-class citizen? How can he even be a good lover if you withhold your body from him as punishment for an unseen slight?

“Satan would have you believe, sisters, that you should be free and independent, equal in pay and equal in rights. Equal in the bed and equal at the table. But God says that the husband is the head of the wife, just like Christ is the head of the church. God says to submit yourselves to your husbands in every thing. Was God unclear in what He said? Do we question Christ as head of our church? Do we prance around saying, ‘I know you said this, Lord, but I think it should be this way’? What kind of church would we be if we called into question every word of our Lord?

“And yet, that is what the feminazis would have you do, women. They would have you leave your homes and labor as a man while you give your children to heathens to educate, their knowledge prescribed by State Boards of Education. They would have you earn money to pay someone else to cook for you, clean for you ... What next? To mate with your husband for you? Submit yourselves, I say again, submit yourselves to your husbands as the church submits to Christ. For in that submission, you will find peace, happiness, a growing family, and a great love.”

Roxanne shivered. She always had difficulty with that part. She needed Larry to keep her in line. At five-eleven and a hundred ninety pounds, she was a big girl and it was easy to get out of control. Raised in South Rosebud, she earned the nickname ‘Timex’ because she could take a licking and keep on ticking. Her father and her brothers proved it time and time again. She wasn’t abused. They just wanted to make sure she knew her place and could tough out the hard times.

Her husband, Larry was a hard-drinking, hard-fighting trucker and loyal member of the church. He’d smacked her butt as she waited tables in the truck stop and she’d slapped his face. It was love at first fight. Larry needed a tough woman and she could take it.

“Husbands, love your wives,” Pastor Beck continued. “I want to clarify what that means. It is not merely remembering her birthday and your anniversary. It is not about flowers and candy. Yes, those are all good things, but loving your wife goes much deeper than these trappings. How can you claim to love your wife if you do not nurture her in the way of the Lord? If you do not value those characteristics that make her lovable, how can you profess your love?

“Popular society, feminism, liberals, would all have you simply give in to her whims. But that is not how Christ treats his church and it is not how you should treat your wives. With your love ... With your wife’s submission ... comes your responsibility to keep her and your children pure in the sight of God. Even if it pains you to see that look of submission in her eyes, you must overcome the desire to let her get away with that little slight. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Not an irrational fear that you will capriciously knock her around a little to keep her in line. If that is how you love, you need to spend time in prayer considering how Jesus loves you.

“But, you must lead her as your head leads your body. Exercise self-discipline and let your family see by your example that you are no easier on yourself than on them. That you expect perfection. That your heart’s desire is to present her to your Lord and Savior glorious, not having spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish. You must discipline her, your children, and yourself. Let this message weigh heavy on your hearts, husbands. Like the man with the one talent, you could be judged and damned if you dare present your wife to the Lord and He is not pleased.”

The Good Samaritan

Gee hoped that Karen would want another ‘interview’ over the weekend, but she’d been called out of town to follow up on a story she was working on. She’d hinted at exposing sex traffic in Palmyra, but working in Rosebud Falls had slowed her research.

“Trafficking?”

“Sex and drugs,” Karen said. “I just can’t get a handle on where they come from. I talk to prostitutes and even some drug dealers. They all end up being normal people who do whatever is necessary to survive. Not nice people, but normal. They all point vaguely at an underground traffic that is much harder to see. No one will say anything about it. It could take me years to uncover enough evidence to begin to understand what is going on.”

“If there is anything I can do to help, let me know,” Gee said.

“I’m sure there will be.”

In the end, Gee went wandering on Sunday after Frieda picked up Devon. He knew Marian and Nathan appreciated time alone to ‘connect,’ as they said. So, Gee stopped at the basketball courts and was soon involved in a pickup game. It was an even split between high school boys and older men. Troy Cavanaugh was on the court along with a couple of other ‘older guys.’

“Hey, Gee!” Troy said. “How about the old men take on the kids?” Gee agreed and shook hands with the other men. “Luke Zimmer, Zach Poltanys, and Ken Probst,” Troy introduced the older men. “This is Gee, our local hero.”

“I think that qualifies as ‘old news,’ Troy,” Gee said. “I’m just a stock boy at the grocery store.” The guys welcomed him as he was just what was needed to round out the teams.

On the boys’ team, Gee was introduced to Ryan Moffat, Barrett Zimmer, Victor Nussbaum, James Nussbaum, and Drake Oliver. The boys quickly proved to the old men that they could run longer and harder. When they finally gave up the match, they’d lost track of how far ahead the boys were.

For Gee, playing in the pickup game opened a door for new friendships and a wider circle of acquaintances. He promised to return regularly. Feeling invigorated by the game, he jogged north along the river trail and cut west toward the fairgrounds. The West Branch was turbulent in this area, but a hundred yards upstream it flattened into a glassy calm marked by a low dam. From the north, the canal was separated by a lock from which daily barges emerged to cross the river to the coal yards.

Gee was in the narrow section of the trail between the river and the fairgrounds fence when he heard a cat yowling. He hurried along to see if he could help the distressed animal, first looking toward the river and then toward the fence. When the yowl came again, Gee started running. This was no cat.

Leaning against the fence next to the parking lot, a woman wept, periodically releasing a long wail. She struggled toward the road, using the fence to support her. Her face was bruised and she cradled her left hand between her breasts as her right supported her against the fence.

“Can I help you?” Gee panted as he ran up. The woman startled and cringed against the fence before nodding slightly. She pointed toward the road.

“Hospital.”

Gee slipped under her right arm, replacing the fence as her support and gently circling her waist with his left arm. She winced and he did his best to support her without causing more pain as they worked their way toward the street.

She was a big woman, nearly as tall as Gee and weighing at least as much. Tears flowed down her bruised face. Gee spoke soft comforting words as they struggled slowly toward the hospital. He didn’t try to find out what had happened. It didn’t seem to be his place. After struggling a few minutes, the woman collapsed and Gee caught her in his arms before she hit the ground.

He couldn’t think of anything else to do, so he carried her. As he got used to the burden, his pace picked up until he was running toward the hospital emergency entrance.

When Gee appeared at the entrance, he was spotted by the receptionist who pressed a button and requested assistance. Two EMTs rushed to his side and eased the woman to a gurney. They disappeared into the hall and Gee sank to the floor in front of the reception desk. He could hear the receptionist on the phone, and a minute later, a nurse arrived.

“Are you also injured?” the nurse asked. “Where was the accident? Are there others?”

“No accident,” Gee gasped as he caught his breath. “Found her down by the river near the fairgrounds.”

“Why didn’t you call for help?” The receptionist showed up with a glass of water that Gee gulped gratefully.

“No phone.”

“You don’t have a cell phone? You don’t look like a Neanderthal.” Now that it was clear that Gee wasn’t injured, but was just out of breath, the nurse eased up on her interrogation.

“I ... I uh...”

“Relax. Let’s get you to an examination room where I can take your blood pressure and vitals. I don’t want to risk an incident in the waiting room. You can walk?”

“Yeah.” He stood and followed her into the hall. “Will she be all right?”

“We’ll know when Doctor Poltanys is finished with his exam. You know her?”

“No. I just found her by the river. I was out for a run after playing basketball.”

“Hmm ... You’re the new guy in town with no memory, right?”

“Gee.”

“Yeah. Adam told me about you. I mean Doctor Poltanys. I’m Julia. I’m sure the doctor will want to check you over, if for no other reason than to find out if you remembered anything. I’ll get him as soon as he’s finished with the emergency.” With that, Julia left Gee sitting in the exam room with a fresh glass of water.

“I’m fine, really,” Gee said to Doctor Poltanys as Julia hovered nearby. “Just a little more exercise than I’m used to. It was quite a run.”

“You ran with her?” Poltanys asked. “I thought you brought her in a car. How far?”

“The other side of the fairgrounds near the river. I don’t have a car.”

“Roxanne weighs a good one-ninety,” the doctor said. “You must be strong as a horse. You might be sore tomorrow but no permanent damage. Get out of here and be useful.”

“I was going to stop by to see about volunteer work,” Gee said. “Hopefully not as a horse.”

“There’s always grounds maintenance to do. A volunteer coordinator is here from nine to five weekdays. Give her a call and she’ll tell you about orientation. I hear you’re good with kids. We always have a few who could use someone to come in and read to them. Talk to Sofia tomorrow.”