Thursday 5 October 2023

The Peacock 1021

 My mother was pregnant with me when she came here as a refugee from Rwanda during the genocide.  My father died in the genocide.  Years later, at the monastery, as a freshly minted priest, I was hearing confessions from a Hutu gentleman who killed my father.  He was not repenting for murdering my father, but wanted absolution for helping torch the Catholic church where my father with one hundred other Tutsis had sought refuge.  I told this gentleman that I could not give him absolution, that he must return at once to Rwanda and make his confession to a Tutsi Catholic priest.  Then I told him to get out and given that it was my father that he murdered, that if I ever saw him again I would kill him.  One thing led to anther, Carl rescued me from the monastery, and now I am here with Carl and Christopher.  Have you met Carl?"

"No, I  haven't." says Eric.

"Hey Carl", calls Francois.  "Come and meet Erik."

"Yeah, I'll be right there", he says from the living room.  Carl pulls up a chair on my left.

"You would be Erik", he says, leaning towards the screen.

"Yes", sys Erik, his eyes widening, then narrowing.  "You're...Carl?"  And I can already tell this is not going to go very well...

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