Free Her Eyes by Jennifer Cloud, Regan Taylor Page B

nice, caring person and Catherine is benefiting from that nice person's parts."
    Frank didn't want to say it out loud, but that sounded even more out there than what Mary had to say. “Still, do either of you think it could be both? That the donor was a good person and that nice personality is coming through and that another soul or the donor's soul wants to be here?"
    "You never know.” Mary said, nodding sagely. “You never know."
    "Well, that makes as much sense as anything else I guess. I wonder who walked in if that happened. They don't tell you who the donors are with the privacy laws and all that. Still, Catherine said something the other night about a man who smelled bad and a knife. I thought it was just a dream, but now I'm not so sure."
    "I think we'll have to wait and see."
    "Jim, I do agree with you there. It's just so strange."
    "Have you told anyone else about this?” Jim asked.
    Frank remembered when a mother from their church had been worried over their daughter dressing in black and wearing funny make-up. Mary had half the women at her church organized into what people teasingly referred to as the Curse of the Baptists. They brought the family covered dishes for a month with someone from the church praying with them until the girl gave up wearing black. Sure, she'd tried to run away first. The ladies from the church tracked her down at a teenage hangout and embarrassed her into coming home. Now the girl had cleaned up and had a scholarship to college. She'd probably do anything to get out of this town.
    "I had to get some advice, but I didn't go gossiping.” Mary groused.
    "No,” Jim said dryly, “that would be a sin.” He snickered, and Mary pushed the recliner button, forcing him into a seated position.
    "I appreciate everything, Mary, but I'm not buying soul jumping as an excuse for what's happening. I'm going to call a doctor tomorrow. I'm more worried about brain damage than anything else."
    "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."
    "Thanks, Mary."
    Frank said his goodbyes and Jim walked him out. They stopped halfway between the properties, neither seemed to know what to say. A stiff breeze chilled Frank. Finally, Jim spoke.
    "I know my wife seems daft, but some of what she said makes sense.” He chewed his bottom lip a minute. “That sure as hell ain't the same Catherine who used to scowl at me from the window."
    "Sure, but then what? You want me to perform an exorcism? Maybe I should politely ask Catherine to leave and the nice one to hang around as my wife?"
    "That's what I'd do. That Catherine was a bitch.” Jim's hand flew to his mouth. “I'm sorry, Frank. I didn't mean that."
    "It's okay. She was a bitch."
    "I always wondered what you saw in her. I know it's none of my business and I don't mean to offend."
    "None taken. What did I see in Catherine? I guess it actually starts with another lady. Well, actually she was a girl back then, but every way a lady.” He thought back. Everything had started with Pam. “Well ... back in high school, actually before that, I had this friend, Pam. We were best friends. Grew up a few doors down from each other. I remember the day she moved into the neighborhood. She was eight at the time, two years younger than me, and she looked so sad when she climbed out of her parents’ car. She had these two long reddish-brown braids and the biggest green eyes I'd ever seen, saddest ones too, at least on that day. I rode up on my bike and said hello, and I think I fell in love with her then and there. I know a ten-year-old boy isn't supposed to have sweet thoughts about girls, especially an eight-year-old one he never met before, but I did for Pam. I bugged my mom for two days till she invited them to dinner. When we were playing that night, I told Pam I'd be her best friend if she wanted. She said yes and, you know, we were. From that moment on, we were.
    "I took her to my first junior high dance and my first senior dance. She was there for almost all my