Saturday 23 January 2021

The Peacock 49

 "So, why did she leave, then?" Carl wants to know.

"All she told me was that now that she had written her thesis, and it was accepted, she had been applying randomly at various universities and institutions all over the world, when a research position in environmental science came open for her in Stockholm.  But our marriage, such as it was, was also finished.  We had only been together eighteen months, lived together one year then made it official in city hall."  

"You weren't really in love with each other, were you."

"No, just sort of habituated to each other.  But I am also sure she felt a real betrayal about me and her brother.  That sort of emotion, it's something primal, inevitable, and Greta was not one to show her true feelings.  About anything."

Carl is looking across, not necessarily at me, but in my direction.  He appears to be weighing my words, weighing me in the scale, only to find me wanting?  I can't understand why he would be smiling, but the smile quickly fades from his face.

"You didn't tell me why you left your wallet with your ID in your car."

"Wasn't that required, for coming here, I mean?"

"Wherever did you get that idea?"

"Father Griffin."

"Let me tell you something about Robert.  First of all, despite everything I have said, I have tremendous respect for him, as a priest and as a man.  And a lot of fondness.  But he really does tend to carry things to an extreme.  It is wonderful how he has devoted his life to all of us in service to Our Lord, but he is one to micromanage."

"Would you say that he plays God?"

"Sometimes he doesn't appear to know the difference..."

  

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