"The thing about this house", says Glen, "Is you can never leave. It takes possession of you. When I arrived here on the doorstep ten years ago, I was sure I would only be here a few weeks I had some job interviews lined up, and there were some friends ready to give me a room in their house in New Westminster. But I just stayed. Others from the community joined me, and we were already so used to each other after a decade or more together that we really didn't want to separate."
"You became habituated to each other."
"We really loved one another. We still love one another. We don't want to separate. We want to grow old and die together. All of us. That is how strong the bond is. I was all set to move on, but along came Lazarus and Adam, who themselves are completely inseparable. Then Michael with his mother Sheila and Matthew We couldn't imagine going it alone, or at least not without one another I suppose the popular word for it is codependent, but so what? That is just the language of selfishness. We were, we are, united by God's love. So, I suppose you could imagine that we became the core of the community here."
"Doug must have been a kind of a wild card."
"More like an atomic bomb."
Glen appears to be done with speaking for now His head is quietly bowed over his coffee and I am searching quite lamely for any words I could offer. I feel completely helpless, completely useless, but this man needs consolation, or comfort anyway, and I don't think he is seeking it from ne, which is just as well, because I really have nothing to give right now.
"There you are, Glen, I've been looking all over the house for you" The voice belongs to an old woman I have never seen before.
"Oh, good morning, Sheila", he says without looking at her...
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