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The Fountain of Neptune
by Kate Wilhelm

Kate WilhelmтАЩs most recent books include the novels The Unbidden Truth
and Sleight of Hand and a short book for writers and readers called
Storyteller: Writing Lessons and More from 27 Years of the Clarion
WritersтАЩ Workshop.

Here she presents us with the story of a young woman whose life changes
abruptly.

****

She did most things right, got a second opinion, did not panic, did not go on
a drinking binge, or search for a third opinion. What she failed to do was
take a friend with her or tape record the conversations with both brain
surgeons. Consequently, her memory of what one or the other said proved
to be sketchy, but key phrases were ineradicable. Inoperable. A baseline
CAT scan. More blurred vision likely, more frequently. Possible double
vision. Possible distorted images, illusions. Possible hallucination.
Probable headaches.

тАЬLive your life normally,тАЭ one or the other said. тАЬIтАЩd like to see you
again in three months.тАЭ

тАЬWhy?тАЭ

тАЬWith another CAT scan we can better predict what to expect.тАЭ

Her question had covered both parts, live a normal life, as well as a
return appointment. A normal life meant working every day for a corporation
that cared as little about her as she cared about it. She remained in her
apartment for several days, spending time weeping, then she added up her
assets, including the sale of her car, cashing in her retirement plan, selling
most of her possessions. She bought a laptop computer, a beginnerтАЩs
Italian language CD, and a new digital camera. And she made a reservation
for a flight to Rome. At the last minute she made it first class.

She had been to Rome once for a three-day conference and one day
of sightseeing. At the near demand of a tour guide, she and everyone else
in the group had dutifully tossed a coin into Trevi Fountain. тАЬRome will call
you back,тАЭ the young guide had said.

She did not tell her mother, who would berate her for leaving a job
with health benefits at a time like this. Nor did she tell her sister, who would
scream and wail and insist that she come live with her and her family of four
noisy children under the age of twelve and a husband who worked when it
was convenient. She told them both that she was being transferred to the
Rome office. She did not burden her few good friends who would grieve
helplessly, or her ex, who would not. And she did not tell anyone in the