to have several hundred acres, but with all the offspring it’s been divided and quartered and sliced up so much that all we’re left with is fifty acres,” Anna said. She gestured toward the windows that lined the back of the house. The curtains were open, giving them a clear view of the trees at the bottom of the hill.
“Everything’s still so green,” Dr. Hashmi said.
“Those there,” she said, pointing to the center of the grove, “are the original acres, the trees Daddy planted.” Anna took an olive and began to suck on it. The brine coated her tongue. There was a lull in the small talk. They sat in silence for several moments, watching the branches rustle in the wind, their green leaves turning over to reveal their soft, silver undersides.
Dr. Hashmi picked up a length of rubber cord. “You must be used to this. I had to learn it a few years back after the university cut my travel budget. Used to bring a nurse along with me.”
Anna shook her head and rolled up her sleeve. She’d worn the purple caftan she bought for Erin’s graduation and all her best jewelry. The bracelets clanked as she slid the bell sleeves of the dress up onto her shoulder. “No. I haven’t been to see the doctor in about a decade. The last time I went was for a hearing aid, but I don’t use it anymore. Can’t get the batteries in.”
“But you can still strip a tree of its olives in less than twenty minutes. Remarkable.” He found the vein and slid the angled point of the needle into her arm.
It took nearly half an hour to fill the six vials he’d brought with him. When they were finally finished, he held her hand and apologized, telling her she had thick blood. The doctor insisted Anna remain seated while he brought her a glass of lemonade to drink.
“What are you going to do with all that blood?” she asked after emptying her cup.
“See what it is made of.” Dr. Hashmi smiled. “Before we’re through we’ll know all your secrets, and if we look hard enough I might be able to find that gene I’ve been looking for.”
“Secrets. What makes you think I’ve got any secrets?” Anna had never considered that the doctor would be looking for more than a reason why she’d lived so long and how she’d maintained her good health.
“Everybody has secrets. There are so many clues hidden in DNA and we’re just beginning to understand what they mean.” He packed up the vials and the equipment and took a small silver device from his coat pocket. “That’s why the interview is so important. It helps us figure out those secrets.”
Inexplicably, Anna felt the need to protect her family from Dr. Hashmi. He’d done nothing threatening and his manner the entire time had been jovial and kind, but seeing him lock her blood up in his cooler made her wary. “We try not to keep secrets anymore,” she said.
He fiddled with the device and then stated the day and time and Anna’s full name. “Is that because of what happened with Callie’s daughter?”
“That’s part of it,” Anna said.
“I’m not after those sorts of secrets. I just want your blood to tell me about your family. Can you tell me about your parents? What do you know about their backgrounds—where they came from and how old they were when they died?”
She didn’t tell him about her vague memories of another mother, or about Wealthy’s confession. He was a scientist, and she knew he’d want facts. Anna also knew that she wasn’t ready to face the possibility that she was anyone other than the daughter of Percy and Mims. They talked about her childhood and then about her husband and his family. She speculated on why her brother, Wealthy, had never married. To keep the genealogy straight, they drew it out on a paper together, and seeing all the branches made Anna dizzy. They ate their way through a second platter of olives and crackers. As the doctor finished his prepared questions, they began to talk about his work.
“Do you know how rare you
“Everything’s still so green,” Dr. Hashmi said.
“Those there,” she said, pointing to the center of the grove, “are the original acres, the trees Daddy planted.” Anna took an olive and began to suck on it. The brine coated her tongue. There was a lull in the small talk. They sat in silence for several moments, watching the branches rustle in the wind, their green leaves turning over to reveal their soft, silver undersides.
Dr. Hashmi picked up a length of rubber cord. “You must be used to this. I had to learn it a few years back after the university cut my travel budget. Used to bring a nurse along with me.”
Anna shook her head and rolled up her sleeve. She’d worn the purple caftan she bought for Erin’s graduation and all her best jewelry. The bracelets clanked as she slid the bell sleeves of the dress up onto her shoulder. “No. I haven’t been to see the doctor in about a decade. The last time I went was for a hearing aid, but I don’t use it anymore. Can’t get the batteries in.”
“But you can still strip a tree of its olives in less than twenty minutes. Remarkable.” He found the vein and slid the angled point of the needle into her arm.
It took nearly half an hour to fill the six vials he’d brought with him. When they were finally finished, he held her hand and apologized, telling her she had thick blood. The doctor insisted Anna remain seated while he brought her a glass of lemonade to drink.
“What are you going to do with all that blood?” she asked after emptying her cup.
“See what it is made of.” Dr. Hashmi smiled. “Before we’re through we’ll know all your secrets, and if we look hard enough I might be able to find that gene I’ve been looking for.”
“Secrets. What makes you think I’ve got any secrets?” Anna had never considered that the doctor would be looking for more than a reason why she’d lived so long and how she’d maintained her good health.
“Everybody has secrets. There are so many clues hidden in DNA and we’re just beginning to understand what they mean.” He packed up the vials and the equipment and took a small silver device from his coat pocket. “That’s why the interview is so important. It helps us figure out those secrets.”
Inexplicably, Anna felt the need to protect her family from Dr. Hashmi. He’d done nothing threatening and his manner the entire time had been jovial and kind, but seeing him lock her blood up in his cooler made her wary. “We try not to keep secrets anymore,” she said.
He fiddled with the device and then stated the day and time and Anna’s full name. “Is that because of what happened with Callie’s daughter?”
“That’s part of it,” Anna said.
“I’m not after those sorts of secrets. I just want your blood to tell me about your family. Can you tell me about your parents? What do you know about their backgrounds—where they came from and how old they were when they died?”
She didn’t tell him about her vague memories of another mother, or about Wealthy’s confession. He was a scientist, and she knew he’d want facts. Anna also knew that she wasn’t ready to face the possibility that she was anyone other than the daughter of Percy and Mims. They talked about her childhood and then about her husband and his family. She speculated on why her brother, Wealthy, had never married. To keep the genealogy straight, they drew it out on a paper together, and seeing all the branches made Anna dizzy. They ate their way through a second platter of olives and crackers. As the doctor finished his prepared questions, they began to talk about his work.
“Do you know how rare you
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