The Peacock 16

 It is  not at all lost on me that Melissa hasn't yet said a single word, even though she is the subject of her brother's discourse.  But I have heard hardly a single word from her since she drove me here yesterday.  She appears almost comatose, not having moved from her place on the sofa next to the cat, except to prepare and deliver snacks on the trolley.  From time to time she pets the cat, but mostly remains seated, her head down, face obscured by hair and ball cap.  Of course we are a captive, and spellbound audience.  I have never heard this kind of open and public confession, and from a purported retreat director and quasi-monastic like Carl, this seems totally inappropriate  But he is about to continue, drawing a fresh breath, mustering courage, for surely this must be very difficult for him.  

"I knew that I couldn't let Father Griffin get away with anything.  I knew him.  But I first had to prepare a watertight plan before I could actually confront him.  Fortunately, I was studying journalism.  And eventually came just the right assignment.  The perfect assignment. We were asked, each of us, to write about a scandal that we had personally witnessed.  It couldn't have been easier.

"Father Griffin was due to return to our community just at that time.  This would be our third year living there.  I was twenty-one and, Melissa," he says, turning to his sister, "you would have been..."

"Sixteen", she says.  And, is she smiling?  And now Melissa is about to speak!

"You don´t mind Carl, if I give your vocal chords a rest for a few minutes?"

"Nothing would please me better, Mel!"

That's the first time I have heard him call her Mel. or anything.

"That was a really interesting time, for both of us", she says.  "We actually first met Father Griffin while we were staying with that rich banker dude, just after Dad had died and disappeared.  I think we were already there a few weeks, but that was when we both decided it was time to leave.  Right away."  She is now stroking the cat, almost relentlessly.

"I was in the den, watching TV when Father Griffin arrived at the house.  Carl was out on a shopping excursion with our host.  I was already used to being alone a lot, so it didn't seem that weird.  But this guy, Father Griffin, truly creeped me out. He simply demanded that I tell him exactly what was going on.  So this guy, I had no idea he was a priest, he was wearing a T shirt and jeans,  picks up the remote, shuts off the TV, then positions himself in the chair opposite, saying "Now could you please tell me who you are, and what you are doing here?" 

Before she continues, she reaches for a cookie, takes a bite, returns it to the plate.  And now it is clear that the best is yet to come...