Mercedes Webb-Pullman

Jacob’s Ladder

 

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As Jake entered the room Dr. Don kept his head down, writing into a file. This pause was important. He counted silently …eighteen…nineteen...twenty…and looked up. 

 

“Good morning, Jake. Take a seat, make yourself comfortable, and we’ll start.” 

 

Jake looked at the chair in front of the desk, at the couch to the side, and pulling from his pocket an envelope, he scattered sand on the carpet. Then he took from his backpack a large stone, and lay down with the stone as a pillow.

 

“We’ve not had much luck with the Rorschach cards, nor the Zener cards. Today we’ll try a new set. I want you to free-associate when I pass you these pictures. Just say whatever comes into your mind, OK?” He tossed a picture which Jake caught and studied.

 

“England. Communist. Windhover. Iris Murdoch.” Dr. Don scribbled furiously. Very interesting. This was an old etching of a round lighthouse next to a tide-powered mill in an estuary. “Marches. New Labor.” Jake continued.

 

“Thank you, Jake. That will do. Now this one,” and he tossed a second picture, which Jake examined.

 

“War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells. Spiders from Mars, David Bowie. Hearts a Mess, Gotye.” This time the picture was of a lighthouse built with external ladder and reinforcing.

 

Dr. Don wrote some more.

 

“This one?”

 

“Archimedes. The desert blooms. Eureka. Death in a Bathtub.” This lighthouse was shown in open section, a spiral staircase running down the left side.

 

“Good. And finally…”

 

“Inchcape Rock. Wreck of the Hesperus. Tower of Babel. Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.” A lighthouse on a bluff, solidly constructed.

 

“Thank you, Jake. Just relax while I write up my notes, please.”

 

Jake stretched and closed his eyes.

 

“I still have those ladder dreams, you know.” he said.

 

Dr. Don glanced over. From Jacob’s head, stretching up through the  ceiling, rose a ladder. It reached bright clouds, and winged beings were coming and going, up and down ... Jake smiled in his sleep.

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Mercedes Webb-Pullman was DM's 2019-2020 Artist-in-Residence. She writes from New Zealand.

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