John walked in the snow to the house he remembered. It was a detached
brownstone near the lakefront. Just the sort of place his parents would
have sent him to for help. The brass plate on the door simply said: Dr.
Bonner PhD. Psychology. He knocked on the door. A woman answered.
"Yes?" She asked
"I uh is DR. Bonner in?" John stammered. What was he doing here. He shouldn't have come with out calling.
"I'm Dr. Boner, how can I help you? Come in it's freezing and the snow is blowing in." She stepped back so he could enter.
"I think I've made a mistake. Dr. Bonner had long gray hair and a mustache."
"That is my father. I took over his practice when he retired, can I help you" She smiled when she said this. She was short, and a little round with round glasses and a sleek turned under bob of brown hair. You got the impression of brown roundness in everything about her. She looked so kind and sweet.
"I was a patient of his, a long time ago. I need to talk to someone and I remembered I had seen him and " He rambled Dr. Bonner offered him a seat in the living room.
"Slow down. Do you need to see someone professionally or did you just want to talk to my father?" she could tell he was upset
"Look this was a mistake, I'll go. Sorry."
"No stop. Slow down, if you need to talk, talk, it's my job to listen." She said calmly and the sound of her voice reassured him.
"Do I need to come back for a scheduled appointment?"
"Later perhaps, but you're here now, talk"
"I am having nightmares and I am beginning to think I am losing my mind, I don't sleep, in fact I hate the idea of going to sleep because of the nightmares."
"Can you tell me your name? Let's start there." She said. John looked at her. He realized he had not introduced himself. There was an assurance about her. He felt at ease with her. She radiated a sense of calm and quite. Her demeanor made him feel comfortable.
He relaxed and introduced himself.
"Okay John, I have another patient scheduled in ten minutes." She said as she flipped through a book "When is better for you to come back, today, and I mean today."
"I don't get off work until 8; 00 tonight"
"That's fine I'll be here, Just knock. I'll be here," she said as she got up and led him to the door. John felt better; he needed to get this under control. He had been so tempted to drink or take some sleeping pills and he had worked too hard to lose control now. He passed a family going to Dr. Bonners as he left her office. He heard her open the door to them and say Hello. Yes he thought that maybe she can help me.
After his brother had died his parents had taken him to "talk" to Dr. Bonner's father. John would go to the office,but no matter what Dr. Bonner said or did, John would not open up to him. Dr. Bonner had told his parents to give him time, to let John heal in his own time, He had recommended family therapy, but John's mother would not agree. Dr. Bonner had never pushed John or made John feel like he had to talk. When John's parent's had insisted he keep going to Dr. Bonner,even after the doctor had told them about John's reluctance to talk, Dr. Bonner had allowed him to read comics and play with his dog in the back yard. John realized that Dr. Bonner had, once a week, done what his parents should have been doing everyday. Spending time with him. He also remembered a little girl that would come out and play with him. She had glasses and brown hair. They had played with the dog, a boston terrier. She had taught that dog to do the neatest tricks. He wondered if the woman he had just met was that girl.
"Yes?" She asked
"I uh is DR. Bonner in?" John stammered. What was he doing here. He shouldn't have come with out calling.
"I'm Dr. Boner, how can I help you? Come in it's freezing and the snow is blowing in." She stepped back so he could enter.
"I think I've made a mistake. Dr. Bonner had long gray hair and a mustache."
"That is my father. I took over his practice when he retired, can I help you" She smiled when she said this. She was short, and a little round with round glasses and a sleek turned under bob of brown hair. You got the impression of brown roundness in everything about her. She looked so kind and sweet.
"I was a patient of his, a long time ago. I need to talk to someone and I remembered I had seen him and " He rambled Dr. Bonner offered him a seat in the living room.
"Slow down. Do you need to see someone professionally or did you just want to talk to my father?" she could tell he was upset
"Look this was a mistake, I'll go. Sorry."
"No stop. Slow down, if you need to talk, talk, it's my job to listen." She said calmly and the sound of her voice reassured him.
"Do I need to come back for a scheduled appointment?"
"Later perhaps, but you're here now, talk"
"I am having nightmares and I am beginning to think I am losing my mind, I don't sleep, in fact I hate the idea of going to sleep because of the nightmares."
"Can you tell me your name? Let's start there." She said. John looked at her. He realized he had not introduced himself. There was an assurance about her. He felt at ease with her. She radiated a sense of calm and quite. Her demeanor made him feel comfortable.
He relaxed and introduced himself.
"Okay John, I have another patient scheduled in ten minutes." She said as she flipped through a book "When is better for you to come back, today, and I mean today."
"I don't get off work until 8; 00 tonight"
"That's fine I'll be here, Just knock. I'll be here," she said as she got up and led him to the door. John felt better; he needed to get this under control. He had been so tempted to drink or take some sleeping pills and he had worked too hard to lose control now. He passed a family going to Dr. Bonners as he left her office. He heard her open the door to them and say Hello. Yes he thought that maybe she can help me.
After his brother had died his parents had taken him to "talk" to Dr. Bonner's father. John would go to the office,but no matter what Dr. Bonner said or did, John would not open up to him. Dr. Bonner had told his parents to give him time, to let John heal in his own time, He had recommended family therapy, but John's mother would not agree. Dr. Bonner had never pushed John or made John feel like he had to talk. When John's parent's had insisted he keep going to Dr. Bonner,even after the doctor had told them about John's reluctance to talk, Dr. Bonner had allowed him to read comics and play with his dog in the back yard. John realized that Dr. Bonner had, once a week, done what his parents should have been doing everyday. Spending time with him. He also remembered a little girl that would come out and play with him. She had glasses and brown hair. They had played with the dog, a boston terrier. She had taught that dog to do the neatest tricks. He wondered if the woman he had just met was that girl.