They sat in the common room, following breakfast, as was their
custom, each accepting for the day a task or duty. The others had already gone out into the day,
leaving Sheila, Glen, Michael, Lazarus, Matthew and Adam. This particular grouping had never before
gathered together, apart from the others.
As though each had been avoiding this, forestalling, not wanting to face
yet this inevitability of the peculiar bonds they all shared together. Each had claimed this as a personal quiet
day. Once they were alone together no
one spoke, nor dared get up to leave.
This had been coming. Each knew
it.
Adam sat next to
the white cat, whose fur he stroked absent-mindedly. Also on the couch, on the other side of the
cat, sat Sheila. Matthew was in the next
chair. Michael occupied the entire
loveseat, with his legs up in a posture of repose, flanked by Glen and Lazarus.
“Well”, Glen said
with nervous cheeriness, “Here we are.”
“Here we are
indeed”, Michael said with theatrical emphasis.
“Tomorrow is All
Saint’s day”, Matthew said.
“Which makes this”,
Sheila added, “Hallowe’en?”
“All Hallows Eve”,
said Adam.
“Trick or Treat”,
Lazarus deadpanned.
“Odd that we all
should end up living here”, Matthew said.
Addressing Sheila, “How do you like it so far?”
“Yes. I like it.”
“And how is the
prodigal”, he said, looking at Michael.
“Don’t start”, he
snapped good-naturedly.
“It’s good to have
you back”, Glen said.
“Real
good”, Adam emphasized.
No comments:
Post a Comment