The Peacock 1221

 I struggle to discipline my imagination against treading uncharted and unwelcome waters concerning François changing from his white pyjamas to the navy blue ones during the night.  Better not to go there, despite my temptation to ask.  Instead, here is the sprig of lemon balm, gift from the kid last night, and now Francois appears curious.

"Where did that plant come from?" And now it occurs to me that neither he nor George or Jeffrey actually saw the kid, just Carl and I.

"Carl says it's lemon balm."

"Yes, but how did it get here?"

I just shrug. I don't think I ought to mention the kid to him, or not just yet anyway, and I really don't know why.  But it feels as though there is an invisible hand covering my mouth.  "The leaves smell like lemon.  Want to check it out?"

"No thanks."  I bring the glass of water with the sprig over to the table anyway and we sit there together while the coffee sputters its way into the empty pot.

"Something strange about that plant", he says.

And looking at it myself, I see that he has a point.  The leaves appear to be almost glowing.  "I'm going to pot it today, then maybe later plant it outside..."

The Peacock 1220

 "Did you eventually make it to bed", says Francois sitting down at the table.  I am going to make a full pot, just in case there are others soon to join us.

"Yes, shortly after you guys.  Who cleaned up last night?"

"I did.  I kept waking up, so I thought I should do something.  Hope I was quiet"

"You were.  I didn't hear you anyway, but I was also sleeping fitfully."

"I suppose that wasn't a dream then."

"What exactly?"

"The kerfuffle with that  Swedish guy and the police outside.  Then later when we were having our midnight snack, that visit from Aaron."

"Thank you", say I.  I am scooping in generous portions of decaf, in case people want to go back to sleep for a while.

"For what?"

"I was beginning to think I was hallucinating again."

"You're okay."

"Weren't you wearing white pyjamas last night."

"I was."  And the terseness of his tone suggests we should change the subject...

The Peacock 1219

 Funny, I don't recall anyone cleaning up after our snack last night.  The sink and counter are pristine clean and clear.  I imagine that today I should get key copies made, but right now I am remembering that dad used to keep extra keys in the second kitchen drawer here.  Yes, here they are and among the other household detritus that gets eternally stranded in second kitchen drawers I am counting four copies.  One for the couple, one each for Carl and Francois, and one for Jesús when he gets here.  If George or Jeffrey want their own they can get their own copy made as far as I'm concerned.  Not sure how much coffee to make, since there is no way of knowing when people are going to get up.

"Are you making coffee?" says Francois from the doorway.  He is just out of bed, sleepy eyed and wearing navy blue pyjamas.  Not white.  and now I am really beginning to wonder what happened last night...

The Peacock 1218

 It's five am, and I have slept perhaps a little since going to bed.  I really did have a full sleep on the couch, protected from all the hubbub and excitement.  It's just as well, with that dream about Lindstrom breaking into the house, then the kid Jesus turning the water into wine.  I think George and Jeffrey brought with them some of the mystical madness from the mansion, since things were fairly calm here before their arrival.  But it is good to have them here, if rather strange.  I have never been friends before with a same sex couple, much less when they happen to be two catholic priests.  Well, excommunicated Catholic priests I would now imagine. This house is getting crowded, and this morning arrives Jesús.  I am looking forward to his arrival...

The Peacock 12i7

 "Anything else about Lindstrom?" asks Francois.

"As I said, responds Aaron, just after shoving the cheese into his mouth and swallowing it, "Your guess is as good as mine.  But be aware of the loopholes.  He has many friends in dark places that are manipulating him into performing their bidding.  I also have a feeling you will be seeing him again, soon.  I think the lemon balm just given you by Our Lord holds some secret virtue or power.  Also be prepared for another meeting with him."

"Can we meet for coffee sometime?" ask I.

"We are living in different dimensions and different times.  Right now where I am it is more than two and a half years later.  Russia has been at war with Ukraine for almost two years, Israel has been bombing the bejesus out of Gaza for the last three months, and our various levels of government are still dragging their asses about addressing homelessness.  Pay very close attention to Chuck in the coming weeks.  Oh, and by the way, I have moved, after twenty-one years in a little subsidized bachelor apartment on Granville and Davie.  Now I am at tThirty-seventh and Main near little Mountain in a subsidized one bedroom suite.  It is just lovely.  And now, for the final time, my friends, or at least till I drop in again, and I will from time to time,  ta-ta..."

The Peacock 1216

 He could have stayed a bit longer", says Carl.  I want to pick his brain."

"About..." says Francois.

"About us.  About what he plans on writing us into next."

"Your guess is as good as mine."  Aaron has suddenly reappeared.

"What's this business about a teenage Jesus", say I.

"Your guess is as good as mine.  That's how this thing is being written.  I am but your humble scribe."

"So, you're just recording all this", says Francois.

"I believe it is what is often mistakenly called the creative imagination.  Except, I am not making any of this up.  Simply, I enter a place and you people happen to be living there.  I know as much as you do about what's going to happen tomorrow."

"What about Lindstrom?" says Carl.

"What I know so far about this unfortunate being has only been gradually unfolding to me.  I do believe he is a descendent of the so called Nephilim, and that he himself is very old, centuries old at least.  but he is still part mortal, and for this reason he still possesses, or is possessed by a soul that can be redeemed.  He is also incredibly stupid and inept.  He had his chance on the island and he blew it, plus, he is still vulnerable to dark forces and that is why he does such outlandishly stupid stunts as what he tried to pull off here a few hours ago.  And that is also why he lives with a mental illness.  From what I know so far is he is going to be shipped back to Sweden, absconded by the authorities and placed under very tightly supervised forensic care for a while.  But we are still not done with him yet I'm afraid.  That Lindstrom guy has more loopholes at his disposal than a highly experienced lawyer.  Anyway it is my bedtime, as I said, though one day later.  Mind if I have another piece of cheese before I turn in?"

"By all means, help yourself", say I...

The Peacock 1215

 "This is good", says Carl.  "Who would ever have thought of combining extra old cheddar with honey.  But it works."

"I got the idea from Aaron.  The day after I arrived at the mansion, after breakfast he mentioned it, and courtesy of your sister, we all gave it a try.  It was very good."

"Speaking of whom, he appears to have disappeared", says Carl.  "But I imagine he s still writing us from wherever he is."

And suddenly, Aaron appears at the table, occupying the one empty chair.  "Excuse me for popping in unannounced like this", he says laughing.

"Sh", say I, "you'll wake the others."

"They won't even know that I'm here", he says, pointedly lowering his voice.

"And where the hell have you been", says Carl.

"I've been here and I've been there, and I've been in-between."  Aaron slices a generous piece of cheddar, dollops some honey on it, eats it in almost one mouthful, then says, "Well, lovely seeing you all, now it's near my bedtime so I must be off.  Ta-ta".  And now he is gone...