The Journey (24 page)

“Lost and found?”

“Pfft. You wouldn’t
believe
what all people leave behind after mass. They walk right out without their hats, coats, gloves. I even found a pair of ladies shoes one time.”

“Shoes?”

He chuckled. “Don’t even ask me how in the world they didn’t realize they were barefoot after they walked back outside.”

“Your sermon must have been a real doozie that day. You stepped on her toes so many times, the heels just proved too painful an option to even consider.”

He glanced back over his shoulder. “Still in the teasing mood, huh?”

“I’m
always
in the teasing mood.”

“Well, it suits you.” He dumped the contents of the paper bag out on my bed. “I hope something
here
suits you as well.”

I moved to stand beside him, quickly snatching up a pair of white cotton panties.

“Are these clean?”

“Everything in the box is clean. The clothes and linens are picked up by the Sisters—washed, folded, and sorted by size. They are then
re
boxed and left at the back to be picked up by orphanages, women’s shelters, teen advocate groups and the like.”

“And how did you know which size box to dig in?”

“I guessed.”

“Pffts… Well, looks like you rock at guessing in the panty department—perv.”

He elbowed me. “Do you want me to take them back?”

“Just try,” I said, bending over and quickly slipping them on. “There…” I smiled up at him. “…safe and sound.”

He smiled with only one corner of his mouth. “Regardless of my vows… I am still a man. Show some restraint. Dress in the other room.”

“Pffts. Whatever.
You
dress in the other room.”

I grabbed a black t-shirt and held it up.

“I picked that one… because I couldn’t find you a bra.”

I looked up at him. “Huh?”

“I chose a black shirt because of your lack of a bra.”

“Oh… You noticed, huh? Well, not a lot I could do about that. Douchebag cut right through the strap. They tossed it at the hospital. I didn’t mind. It’s not like I’d be able to stand anything touching the wound anyway.”

“Yes… Let me see how it’s healing.”

When I turned my back toward him, he sucked in a sharp breath.

“I know, right? It
feels
just about as bad as it looks.”

“That’s one angry looking wound.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Let me tend to it before you get dressed.”

“You brought some gauze?”

“I brought everything we had.” He led me over to the table and motioned for me to sit. “I’m not sure how much help I can be. You really need to see a doctor.”

“No money.”

“Yes… I know. I
could
call one here…”

“But then someone would find out that you’re hiding me.”

“I’m not concerned for myself, Jem.”

“Don’t worry about it. I understand completely. The politics that rule big religion, huh?”

“Yes. If someone else knew where you were staying…”

“I’d be out on the streets.”

“Possibly, yes. I am not without friends. Yet… we are not the only votes here.”

“Seriously, Father, I don’t want you getting in trouble over me. Maybe it’d be best if you just took me to the Sisters—”

“No.” He cleared his throat. “It’s
my
duty to see to you.”

“Your
duty
?”

“Yes. My heart is compelled in this thing.”

“Your
heart
? Aww… Are you falling in love with me?”

I laughed when he flicked the towel wrapped about my head.

“I am
supposed
to help you… that’s how I feel.”

“Good enough for me.” I flinched and sucked air in through my teeth when he poured antiseptic on my shoulder. “Dang it, Priest.” I held my breath for a second before slowly releasing it. “Hooo… leee… hell.”

“Language, Jem.”

“Language my arse. Are you
trying
to make me cry?”

“No. I’m
trying
to help you.”

“What was that?”

“Peroxide.”

“Mixed with fire and brimstone?”

“Pffts… No.” He gently dabbed something soft near my stitches. “I’m trying to boil out the infection.”

“
Boil
being the operative word.”

“Perhaps you should have a sip of wine.”

I grabbed the glass and downed about half of it in one go.

“Try to save the rest until you get some food in your belly.”

I only nodded and swallowed hard.

“This won’t take much longer. I promise.”

I held my breath, whimpered, and even shed a couple of tears over the next few minutes.

“There we go.” He taped a clean bandage over it. “Feel better?”

“I feel like I gonna be sick to my stomach.”

“I’m sorry, Jem. Here…” He handed me an oversized shirt. “I couldn’t find a proper nightdress, so I brought you one of my undershirts. I hope you don’t mind. At least… it should be more comfortable—not touching you anywhere too tightly.”

“This is yours?” I tugged the towel off my head and tried to slip the t-shirt on. “Dang it…”

“Let me help.”

Father Robert stretched the shirt and gently guided my left arm into the sleeve. I shimmied out of the towel then and plopped back down in the chair.

“Can we eat now? I’m afraid I’m gonna be sick if I don’t.”

“Whenever you are ready.”

He closed his eyes and said grace over our meal.

“Thanks, Father. This looks delicious.” I took a bite and rolled my eyes. “Mmm… This
is
delicious.”

He smiled. “I’m glad you approve.”

“Did you order this?”

“I cooked it.”

“Are you being serious?”

He nodded. “I was afraid I’d taken too long and you’d be completely famished. But you soaked for a long time. I had it ready exactly when I was supposed to have it ready.”

“Bless you, Father.”

He chuckled. “I don’t think that’s the way it goes.”

“I meant what I said.” I playfully winked at him before refilling my wine glass.

“I’m certain that you did. Bless you, child.”

I rolled my eyes. “Couldn’t let that one slide, huh?”

“I fear it is in my nature.”

“Pffts… Priests.”

Father Robert only chuckled again, refilling
his
wine glass as well.

*****

I smiled at him across the table as I wiped my mouth and tossed my napkin across my empty plate. “I’m not complaining, mind you… but, how did you pull all this off?”

“Carefully and unassumingly.”

“Hmpft. I would have been happy with just a sandwich and some tea. Instead, I receive a feast
and
a pleasant dinner companion. How did I rank all this?”

“I fear this will probably not be the norm, but I will always do what I can.”

“Why? I mean… why go above and beyond?”

“I am entertaining an Angel. Well… someone who holds a direct bond with an Angel. If I treated you any less than was possible, it would be a mark against me.”

“Sooo… If I hadn’t told you about Uriel…”

He glanced up and met my gaze. “I would have done the exact same thing.”

I silently refilled my wine glass.

“I am not a
perv
, Jem. Truly. I just…
feel
something… a strong pull to you. I feel like I
must
take care of you.”

“It’s okay, Father. I was just teasing you about the perv bit.” I took a drink. “I’m certain your unexplainable
pull
is because I am a Witness. The people I
need
to help me… they always do. It’s got nothing to do with
me
. It’s my task that compels their compliance. Not my personality. Still… I haven’t spent more than a moment in the presence of any one of them. Maybe if they were forced to hang out with me like you are, they’d feel strangely indebted to me as well. But let me assure you, Father, I am as common and undeserving as the next bloke.”

“As are we all.” He smiled and quietly laid his silverware across his plate. “Tell me some about your adventures. Only if it isn’t against the rules.”

“Not against the rules at all. In fact, I believe my recordings will eventually be accessible to others in some way. If not that, I don’t really have a clue as to why I’d be called to write down what so many other scholars have already ciphered out. My job’s been the easy one so far.”

“It doesn’t seem all that easy to me.” He motioned toward my bandaged shoulder.

“Yeah, well, that’s just dumb luck on my part. I was targeted because I was obviously a
tourist
, not a Witness. My
job
didn’t cause this injury.”

“So… will you share with me?”

“I will… but I ain’t real sure you’ll like the part I’m writing about right now.”

“And why is that?”

“I’ve been reading about the Papacy.”

“Oh… I see.”

“Not necessarily the Pope you have now. Just about the
office
of Pope.”

“What does the prophesy say?”

“I’m pretty sure you already know what it
says
, but I’ll tell you what it
means
.”

He filled his wine glass to the brim. I chuckled.

“You ready?”

“I believe I can handle it.”

“Alrighty then.” I retrieved my journal and scooted my chair closer to his. “This was the part I was telling Uriel about when he put me to sleep.”

“How did he put you to sleep?”

“Stroked my hair and played with my curls.”

“An Angel did that?”

“Yeah, and it was completely out of character for him. Trust me. But… he was just trying to make up for before.”

“Before what?”

“The last time he had taken me anywhere—Austria. We had a bit of a disagreement. Well, I wouldn’t really call it that. More like… I teased him and he squished my brain until my nose bled and I fainted.”

“What?”

I nodded. “He didn’t
mean
to hurt me. He said he didn’t realize I was too fragile to handle his
spiritual
pressure
. He felt bad about it, I guess, and found me in Rio—to make amends.”

“…I see.”

“Anyway,
this
is what I’ve been working on.” I pointed to the handwritten page. “First, let me ask you a couple of questions.”

“Very well.”

“Do you understand and agree with the year/day method of translating prophesy?”

“In that a prophesized day equals a year of fulfillment? Yes. Such is common knowledge.”

“I agree. Now, of the four greatest earthly empires mentioned in the book of Daniel, can you name the first three?”

“Of course—Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Greek.”

“Correct. Historically this is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

“Agreed.”

“So, historically speaking… what was the next great empire to rule over the civilized world?”

“…Roman.”

“Yes, the Roman Empire. The whole world knows this to be true. Now, before the last trumpet—the seventh trumpet—sounded, there was an Angel who brought a little book down to the man who was recording this prophesy… and told the man to eat the little book up.”

“John.”

“Yes, John. He was told the book would taste as sweet as honey in his mouth, but that it would turn bitter in his stomach. Do you have any take on what this little book was?”

“I do. It can only be referring to the Bible.”

“I agree. And historically, it is proven. You see… during the Turkish onslaught that happened with the sounding of the sixth trumpet, the Eastern monks and clerics moved the great Greek libraries to the safe haven of Europe before Constantinople fell in 1453. Because of this, the people of the West were now flooded with previously unknown—to them—Biblical texts. This created a
flurry
of intellectual activity.”

“Yes, when all of the Greek writings were taken to Italy.”

“Exactly, and when read by the Western Europeans, these old-world manuscripts created a rebirth in learning philosophy, law, science, and art.”