035: I read phone books

Myndee was sound asleep when they got there so they simply checked on her, and Kell signed the papers. He decided to go right away and get her the felt boards and coloring things he'd promised her, and he drove straight to a small out of the way art store, in downtown, which Maille thought was very unusual.

"How did you know this was here?" she said as they got out.

"I know." he said and laced her fingers easily.

"But, have you spent a lot of time in Salt Lake? I didn't think you were from around here."

"I'm not. I told you... New York."

She digested that. "No, I don't think you did tell me that, but I just figured you weren't from around here."

He held the door for her and then re-laced their fingers and moved expertly through the little store looking down aisles. When he didn't answer her question, she asked if he was an artist as well that he should be familiar with obscure art stores.

Kell gave her a look, that plainly asked why she cared, but she did, so she gave him a look back.

He stood her in front of the felt boards and markers. "I memorize phone books."

Maille burst out laughing. "You what?"

"When I go to new places, and I intend to stay awhile. I memorize phone books, and maps also... they are in phone books, no? That's how I know."

He huffed defensively, and Maille wondered what it would be like to have a photographic memory. To look at something once and always be able to recall it word perfect, or even sight perfect. A map? That was incredible too. But an entire phone book? "What, do you just flip the pages fast?"

"Maille!" he warned her, but Maille was interested for interest's sake, not just as a means to 'get to know him', those kinds of questions he normally fielded. He would prefer she made her own observations and he didn't tell her everything about himself. She'd come to realize that, somewhat. Except for today at the field overlooking the city and the Temple.

She squeezed his fingers as he thumbed through the felt boards. He gave her a sidelong glance, his dark eyes boring into hers. She grinned gamely, cocking her head to one side expectantly, waiting for his answer. "No. I study it. I read the phone books."

"You're kidding."

"Quit asking if that's your only reaction." he said sharply and Maille's mouth dropped open in shock.

"So, it bothers you that you have a photographic memory? I think it's awesome, wonderful, a blessing." she said, squeezing his fingers slightly, trying not to be offended at his tone.

Kell turned to her, grabbed her shoulders and clunked his forehead to hers painfully, and then be pushed. "I don't have a photographic memory. There is no such thing."

"What?" she whispered, shock smarting behind her eyelids.

"I can't give it to you, this blessing."

"Well, I wasn't asking you to. I like that you have it though. I don't want it." she backed away and stared at him. "I don't want everything that you have, Kell."

He blew out his breath turning to the display again and chose a felt board. "Choose, choose, choose!" he demanded.

But Maille felt confused. She dropped his hand and looked through the felt boards while he waited, chose one and then backed away. Kell grabbed it and looked at it critically, then he put his back and grabbed her hand. He immediately began walking down the aisle. He intently pulled her hand to his mouth, popped her little finger into his mouth and then blew on it.

Maille had to laugh. Was he saying sorry? Maybe he was crazy. What had brought all that on? She stubbornly picked up his finger and did the same. She was in the act of blowing on it when she realized they were at the check-out stand and the clerk was staring at them in fascination.

It was obvious he knew who Kell was. It was just as obvious he'd seen the pinky exchange. His expression was excited. Maille let Kell pay using his other hand, and then picked up the felt board. Kell gave the clerk a strong stern look that obviously was interpreted correctly as he immediately went back to his clerking, and they exited the building. Maille was trying hard not to laugh. They got in the truck and got in their seat belts before both burst out laughing.

"Maille Mann ." he wheezed.

"Kell..." she giggled and he pulled her braids close and then wrapped both his arms around her. It was the first time he'd hugged her for real, not including the time she'd cried. But just a friendly hug. He buried his nose in her neck and breathed hard, almost blowing on her. Maille squirmed and giggled again, she was getting a case of the giggles. Kell's hands held her there, with her arms around him too.

"Okay, Okay, Okay," he said and let her go. "We are downtown, Maille, you want to show me your Temple?"

Maille had been to the temple in Salt Lake many times. "Sure." she agreed. They decided to get out and walk to Temple Square, they were that close. So they did, approaching it from the east. They came to the Beehive House first and Kell wanted to tour it.

Maille had seen Brigham Young's home on several occasions, so she and the Sister Missionaries were a good tour guide. Although the Mormon families on the tour gave them funny looks for being dressed as Bob the Identical Builder, and for the way Kell was now holding her arm close to him, shoulder pressed to shoulder, fingers laced.

People would have stared anyway, she surmised. With his beaded goatee, his dreads, his wiry build and dark skin, those hollow cheeks and piercing dark eyes, he was an amazing figure. Easy to picture him as the swashbuckling buccaneer she'd originally met five days ago.

Kell appeared quietly intrigued, taking his time, listening to every word. Maille wondered if his mind was photographic about things he saw as well. She wagered a bet with herself that this was the case, and things he heard too. Or at least a very good memory. It would explain his ability to do so many things. If he watched a cooking show for instance, he would probably be able to duplicate it himself. If he could judge sizes... well, that wasn't exactly... she did wonder how he knew what size clothes she was.

They left the Beehive House and went into the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Kell was appropriately awed by the beauty in the building and wanted to listen to the man playing piano, so Maille left him there to see about tickets to the free movie playing in the Legacy Theatre.

They were seated. Kell took her hand and laced the fingers leisurely, and kept them in his lap so she'd have to press her shoulder to his as well and her elbow was against his side. She would have called it snuggling if she hadn't thought Kell was gay. Then she figured maybe he was uncomfortable surrounded

by all this Mormon stuff.

But was Kell ever uncomfortable?

The movie started and Maille was completely caught up in it. She felt Kell rubbing her fingers at intervals, but he never made a comment, just sat there and watched intently. She quit worrying about his

reaction eventually and let the movie flow over her. This was a movie she'd seen many times, but she loved every second of it. When the Savior raised the main character and gave him his sight back, chills pervaded her being and she had to wipe at her suddenly bleary eyes. She glanced at Kell. There were two wet streaks sliding down his cheeks as well. He was rubbing her fingers rather awkwardly, and then he stopped completely and used her fingers to wipe his eyes. He looked at her, and then wiped her eyes as well.

They smiled at each other in the crowded darkness, watched the final seconds together, and then sat there as the curtains closed. There were sniffles all around. Wet eyes everywhere. Kell just sat there staring straight ahead. Maille leaned forward, actually sat on the edge of her seat and turned to him.

For the second time that day Kell hugged her. Only this was a deep sharing of emotion. He was a profound man. She thought. Felt things so deeply. He was weeping into her neck this time and people around them were nodding approvingly, and stepping around them. When they were alone in the theatre, two sister missionaries came forward and introduced themselves, Kell obviously wasn't ready to talk, but graciously took their pamphlets while Maille explained it was his first time to see the movie, and no he wasn't a member, and yes, he'd probably like to hear the discussions, but she would arrange for them closer to his home. They left the theatre and walked on the grounds of the building, the church headquarters looked at the summer flowers, rather absently. She knew he was replaying the movie in his mind.

After a while, they drifted to the reflection pool, and stood looking at the Temple. "I want to go in." Kell whispered.

Maille shrugged. "Someday." she felt her heart clench. There would be several obstacles to overcome, not the least of which was that he was gay. She hoped sincerely that the other things her sisters had alluded to were untrue.

"Not now?"

Maille shook her head and let him pull her close into his side, their arms linked, their fingers entwined. Maille had never felt so close to anyone in her life.

"Why?" he turned to give her a quizzical look.

"You have to be a member."

"Can you go inside?"

"If I have a recommend ." "Who gives this recommend?"

"Your Bishop and Stake President."

"They recommend you? How?"

"They ask you questions about worthiness ."

"Are you worthy?"

"Yes."

"Am I worthy?"

Maille rubbed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "That would be between you and your Bishop and Stake President."

"Who are my Bishop and Stake President?"

"It goes by where you live."

"Can I meet with them and have them ask me these questions?"

"Yes, but they'll ask you other ones about baptism first. You can't go in there unless you've been baptized."

"I have been baptized."

"Not into this church."

"But I have been baptized, do I need more than one baptism?"

"You need to be baptized by the right authority. The ones who baptized you, they had no authority from God.''

"Only members of your church have the authority from God? Where did they get it? In the Temple?"

"They got it from God." she said. "Come on. Let's visit Temple Square and the visitor's center, there are displays there that will explain this better than I could and then you can ask me twenty questions."

*****