The Pecock 1381

Jeffrey remains with his arms around the shoulders of his husband, leaning from behind the chair and head bent over his right shoulder as though he is trying to locate a missing coin. "What are you going to do?" says Jesús. And it is clear that they are both struggling to hold it together. "It's going to be one day at a time", sighs George weakly. "One step at a time." "And there is also you Francois", says Jeffrey. "it's only now sinking in how lucky we are to have you here with us. That we needn't go through this alone." "Nor I", he says. "You have also had to leave", says Jesús to Francois. "I broke the seal of confession", he says. "The murderous bastard who slaughtered my father in Rwanda had the nerve to come to me for confession. I refused. And it was something so dark and ugly that I couldn't hold it in", he says, containing himself, but it is clear he is trying not to sputter out the rage that still smoulders. "Those fucking miserable vultures in the Vatican, and the stupid fucking archaic rules they impose on us, the same rules that they break every single fucking day of their blessed hypocrisy." "Thank you, Chris", says Jeffrey", for inviting us to be with you here, in your father's house. "Yes, thank you Chris." says George. "Thank you Chris", echoes Francois." And now it is clear and official. I am baptized "Chris"...

The Peacock 1379

"You both have husbands", says Jesús. I didn't know. Are they here." "Yes, Jesús", says George, now laughing very wickedly. "Both our husbands are here." "Are they here in this house", i haven't seen them since I came here." "You are looking at both of them." "Not Carl, not Francois." "Us" says jeffrey, getting up from his chair and putting both arms from behind around his husband. "George and I got married six months ago. We can no longer be priests. We can no longer be Catholics. We are excommunicated. Thrown out. Barred for life." "That is so horrible", he says." "That we're married", says George. "that they would excommunicate you for loving each other. That is so horrible." And now, both George and Jeffrey are looking very grave and solemn, as though for the first time their mask of joyous mischief has slipped, and now the real face of real pain is emerging...

The Peacock 1378

"Who's gonna tell him", says George with a most wicked grin. "I'll begin", says Francois. "You see Jesús, until very recently, the three of us, George, Jeffrey and I, were all Roman Catholic priests. And now we are all excommunicated." "Excommunicated from Mother Church", he says, gasping. "What crimes did you commit." "Before we answer that question", says Jeffrey, "Please tell us, are you still a faithful communicant with the church." "I don't understand the question. My English." Says Carl, "We mean, Jesús, do you still attend mass?" "Yes, sometimes." "when did you last go to confession." "Maybe two years ago." "but you would still call yourself a faithful Catholic", says Francois. "Oh, yes." "George and Jeffrey both had to leave the church because they are both married. A priest who gets married is automatically excommunicated." "I didn't know you both had wives." "Husbands", says George, now with a very wide and mischievous grin on his face. Jeffrey and I both have husbands..."

The Peacock 1377

"What is she like?" says Jesús. "She looks like a librarian. But if I didn't know she was trans, I would have had trouble guessing", say I. "But I also know that there is something about the ageing process that gradually erases gender in people " "She looks pretty authentic", says Francois. Says Carl, "i would like to know how she juxtaposes transitioning to female with her sense of having no gender. is there more about that in her book." I guess I can read a bit more. But then it's sleepy time. "Philip did want to know why then, I would transition, knowing that like him, I really had no sense of gender. And that has been a difficult question to answer. i eventually told him first in a couple of letters, but later in person when we started having coffee together in Toronto when he moved there to pursue his dance career, that this has been for me one hell of a learning curve. As for my many care and service providers. I came to realize that all of us had been confusing my sense of androgyny with really wanting to be femañe. Except for one salient little detail. I identified totally with being a woman. Even though I don't have a uterus, neither have I ever menstruated, I have at some level always felt that I should and that somehow I ought to. And yet, to this very day, if I close my eyes and try to imagine my body, there is nothing that will mark me as having gender. I simply am. " "You say she is a priest" says Jesús. "Anglican priest", says Carl. "She would never be permitted in the Catholic faith." "Lucky her", says Jeffrey.

The Peacock 1376

"I guess we'll leave it there", say I. It's near ten, and I am tired. And so appear the others. "No gender", says Jesús, and I can almost hear the gears turning in his head. "Something different, eh Jesús", quips George. "Do I understand correctly", says Jesús. "He has changed from man to woman, and talks to a boy and they both have no gender. So why did he change to woman? it don't make no sense." "Do they talk about this much in Colombia?" says Carl. "Yes, but not much. There is a movement for gays and trans, but many people still very conservative. I know two men named Ricardo, both Ricardo, who moved to the United States to get married. Now they live in Florida. But gay marriage is legal now in my country." "where did you come across this book?" says jeffery. "The author left it here. She was checking in on the Ugandan father and son who were staying here courtesy of the church and left them this book to read. They didn't and just left it here." "She's been over to visit snce", say I. "She came for breakfast with another clergy..."

The Peacock 1375

I didn't know what to say. He fixed me in his gentle green-eyed glare. "I can tell", he said. "I know you are not allowed to talk about it here. But with me you are safe. I am your friend." We began to visit regularly. I would come in just when he was booking off, and we would sit and chat for half a hour. He said that even if he had a boy's body and a boy's name, it wan't adequate for him, yet he is not trans either. He has absolutely no sense of gender or gender identity. This became our secret. We would talk about so many things but we also had and still have this profound soul bond. And I think it's because that even though I have transitioned to being a woman, really, like Philip, I have no gender....

The Peacock 1374

Philip would be hard to define or understand in ordinary terms. He was eighteen years old and working in the coffee shop where he served tables. I had seen him there before but for some reason he chose to sit with me for a few minutes. Staff did have a lot of freedom in this establishment, as in other places of work, since this small town had a very strong sense of community. I could best describe Philip as multi-racial His mother was Metis and his father of japanese, Norwegian and African parentage. He had light coppery skin, wavy dark brown hair and the most wonderful green eyes. He was orphaned at sixteen, both his parents perishing in a bus crash, and having no other family, had been taken in by friends who treated him like a son. He was on the small side, slim and graceful like a professional dancer, and it turned out that he was studying dance. He got straight to the point. "you used to be a man." he said

The Peacock 1373

Two weeks following our first and only meeting, they found Hermione's body near the river, naked with the genitals cut out and placed in her mouth. It turned out she had a life partner, a wealthy businessmn from Toronto who lived with her part time in the town during the summers. He also disappeared, mysteriously, and was never found, nor do we know if he is dead or alive. At least I had solved the riddle about Hermione's key to success. It seems that it would take a devoted sugar daddy to move even bigger mountains than the faith of a grain of mustard seed. The rector henceforth ordered me to have nothing further to do with the indigenous community. Hermione was the only First Nations person who ever attended church, alone, her wealthy partner being consipicuously absent. The local Anglican diosese had had little success in winning over the other indigenous townspeople, though a good number of them did attend the Pentecostal church just up the street. Nothing else noteworthy occurred. I simply assisted with the eucharist, and paid pastoral visits, sometimes accompanied by the rector, but then in my final month I was allowed to go out alone. That was when I met Philip, with whom I am still to this day in contact...

The Peacock 1372

Just two weeks later, Hermione laid claim to my friendship. Hermione is indigeous and two spirited. She said she felt an immediate connection with me and wanted to have coffee with me. It turned out that Hermione was already preparing to transition fully to female. Knowing tha I was under strict orders not to reveal any personal details of my life, one can imagine the struggle that was confronting me. Hermione was tall, elegant...and educated. She said she had a degree in fine arts and art history and was all set to pursue a career with a major art gallery in Switzerland. Where she was also going to undergo transitioning surgery. I simply tried to encourage her to take the path that God was already opening up for her. Of course, I did wonder how an indigeounous, two spiritd transperson in such a small remote community could have overcome so many barriers and hurdles in order to open up for her what would be a rich and gratifying life, and I did feel too shy and awkward about probing further than I had to. We met only once, and then, just days after, she completely disappeared from our lives, from the parish and from the town. The rector shortly after took me aside. He wanted to know the details of our conversation. The rector still does not know that I am trans...

The Peacock 1371

Everyone is seated together here again. Mostly people are looking at their phones, basically pretending that there is no one else here, and likely coping with all the stress and drama today, including Dorothy's meltdown. I alone am reading a book. It is just nine thirty-five. Should I or shouldn't i? Of course, now that it is becoming more clear that I get to carry the burden of leadership, it is going to be up to me to initiate and make suggestions. This has never been my forte. "Why don't you read to us, Chris?" says Carl suddenly. "Jesús, are you familiar with this? It's the autobiography of a transwoman Anglican priest we have been reading together." "It sounds like it could be interesting." "Practicum: i was first placed in a small town parish in northern Ontario, where there is a high indigenous population. The idea was that I must not come out as trans, given how conservative the people there were about such matters. So, for the first time, I could live, not as Karen, formerly Kevin Wilson, transitioning female, but simply as Karen, this nice woman ordinand, soon to become a nice woman priest...

The Peacock 1370

 It isn't that late, and our guests have all gone home.  Sarah with Carol to her townhouse, and Dorothy with Chelsea to her stepdaughter's grandmother's house next door.  Carl and Jesús have volunteered along with George to do the cleaning up, leaving Jeffrey and I in our armchairs.  He is scrolling on his phone, something he hasn't stopped doing since shortly before everyone left  I am thumbing through some more pages of Karen Wilson's autobiography.  I am wondering about reading together, but somehow I don't think anyone has the attention span, not after what we have all been through today.  Let's see, Carl's mama is still very sick in hospital and her friend has just died.  We narrowly rescued Jesús from getting extorted by his Ukrainian slumlord as well as getting his brains smashed out by his baseball bat.  Said landlord gave us the chase then killed himself in the pursuit, and we escaped the scene of the crime and ended up in a pot bakery and café on the Drive were everyone except me got totally baked on cannabis cookies. then back at home for a meltdown from Dorothy and a prematurely smashed piñata, followed by some of the most delicious liqueur chocolates I have ever tasted.  Yes, just another average day in the life....

The Peacock 1369

 The evening has taken on a sombre tone that no one seems able or willing to climb out of.  Twice, while eating bonbons, George has attempted some forced jollity about getting drunk on the liqueur they contain, and Jeffrey has managed to contain him with one artfully hissed, "Please!."  Dorothy seems calmer and has been telling us all about how with Chelsea and her Mom they all started a new life here in Vancouver and how they began their store, Magic, now an iconic landmark in Granville Island.  She seems more tolerable now, even likable.  I would imagine that her annoying behaviour was simply bottled up tears and grief.  Something I know only too well.  And Carol has announced that next week, we are all invited to her townhouse for a private recital she wants to please as with from her baby grand...

1368

 "You miss Mommy, don't you", murmurs Chelsea in Dorothy's ear. Both women appear pale, distressed and forlorn.

"I miss her terribly.  We both miss her", says Dorothy,.calmed to a sustained whimper.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" say I lamely to the two vulnerable sad women.

"Can you put the candies in a bowl", says Chelsea.  "There should be plenty for everyone."

"Yes", echoes Dorothy, "Plenty for everyone."

And I find in the buffet a big cut crystal bowl into which I dump the candies, where they glisten in their individual foil wrappers, purple, green, blue, orange and gold

"Come sleep in the house tonight, Dorothy.  I don't want you to be alone tonight.  I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Yes, that should be fine, Chelsea", she says, now composing herself.  "We'll both sleep tonight in your grandmother's house."

"Candy"? says Chelsea, placing a gold wrapped bonbon into the open hand of her grieving stepmother...

The Peacock 1367

 Dorothy is seated on the couch, flanked by Carol and Chelsea, a look of horror having seized her face.  Then she says in a flat and toneles voice, "My piñata"  George, Jeffrey, Jesús and Carl, have all been scooping up the scattered candies.  And now Sarah gets up off the chair, kneels down and begins to pick up the broken pieces and shards of the fallen piñata.  I run into the kitchen and pull a plastic bag from under the kitchen sink.  Back in the living room, I hold out the open bag

"You guys."  No one seems to hear me at first.  Then, I shout, "You guys!"  They all stop except for Jesús, who wants to harvest the very last of the fallen bonbons.  "You too Jesús."

He looks up at me stupidly from the floor.  "In the bag, every last one of the candies.  Right now. "  And they all obey without cavil.  

"Dorothy", say I, presenting her the bag, "I am so sorry for what just happened.  here are all the candies that were in the piñata.  She holds the bag on her knees and suddenly starts weeping, a thin keening wail ascending from her mouth. Chelsea and Carol both support her with arms around her shoulders.  Slowly she gathers herself.

"I am so sorry for all the fuss I just made.  "i am so dreadfully sorry", and she begins to convulse with sobs. François has just brought her a glass of wáter.  I am crouched down in front of her.

The Peacock1366

 From Dad´s tool drawer in the kitchen I have been able to source everything, hooks, nails, string and a hammer.  Dorothy seemed to be expecting that we would provide everything.  With help from Francois and Carl, and much coaching from Dorothy, for whom the piñata must be suspended just-so (I think I already dislike her).  And there it hangs in the living room, like an ostentatious, mutant Christmas star, waiting to be smashed to pieces.

"I brought blindfolds", says Dorothy.

"We are not blindfolding anyone", say I.

"but we want the experience to be authentic."

"But we are not having any broken ankles or bruises in this house."

"It cannot be done without blindfolds", she reiterates.

"It is being done this time without blindfolds."

"And who died and made you God."  And it is clear the dislike is very mutual.

"This happens to be my house you are in."

"Typical toxic male patriarchal bullshit."

And now I have snapped.

"You may leave now." The words have escaped from my mouth in a quiet roar.

"Not without my piñata", she grumbles, almost in a whine.

Francois climbs up on a diningroom chair with scissors.  The piñata crashes to the floor and shatters in countless pieces and now we are all scrambling to scoop up the liqueur chocolates like treasures found surviving in the ashes....

The Peacock 1365

 "Who are you to speak to me like that!"

"I am the director of this fledgling community, if you must ask."

"Says who?"

"How many guesses would you like?"

Now we are both silent, as though both absorbing the impact of my last statement, because to this moment, I have never imagined myself as director or leader of anything.

"You're right", she says suddenly.  "how could I have not seen it?  Especially the way you handled everything today.  only God's anointed leader could have acted with such wisdom and integrity."

"I didn't even know it", say I.  "Only now."

"Hey Chris", calls Carl from the living room.  "We need your help stringing up the piñata..."

The Peacock 1364

 "No."

"But please think about it.  This guy needs help.  He could be in danger."

"He puts people in danger.  Sorry, not going to happen."

"Could you please pray about it, discuss it with the others?"

"We are already unanimous.  and I cannot in good conscience put you in that kind of danger, Sarah."

"I want to help him.  I could help him."

"Get over your self-importance.  And anyway, he will probably find his way back here.  we are not done with him yet.."

"He was calling out to me for help."

"And you believe him."

"I have to.  When I came to Christ it was with the understanding that I was to turn nobody away."

"And once you have learned your limits, perhaps then you will also learn some humility..."

The Peacock 1363

 "Carl thinks he's Nephilim."

"What would that be?"  I have just returned from the kitchen with two cans of aranciatta rossa and a couple of glasses full of ice.

"a hybrid half angel and half human.  it's based on a sketchy account in the opening chapters of Genesis, just before the Flood, when the so-called Sons of God came down to earth in order to breed with the so-called daughters of men, in order to produce a race of supernatural beings, giants, all bent on evil and destruction.  Apparently they were all wiped out in the Flood."

"I'm not sure what to make of that."

"He was sent to the island, where he encountered the kid Jesus, who cared for him for some time, but apparently didn't cooperate, so that when he left he was going to be causing more harm.  And he has."

"I want to see him", says Sarah.

"You can't be serious."

"Chris.." and now Sarah as well as Carl is calling me Chris..."  Could you please give me your ex-wife's email, i want to see if she could put us in contact..."

The Peacock 1362

 "How long ago?"

"It would be the day before you arrived. In the morning, when I was on my way to work in the gardens, I saw this tall handsome blonde man standing idly in the driveway.  I approached him with some caution and asked what he wanted.  He stood very tall, kind of glaring at me, then he suddenly looked very unsure of himself. All he said is "you are a high priestess.  And one day you will help me.  Tomorrow arrives your new friend.  Together you can help me."  Then he walked away towards the road.

"and that was it?"

"That was it."  After swallowing another morsel of ratatouille, Sarah says, "I was wondering, Christopher, could it be that he really isn't a danger after all?"

"What do you mean?"

"I thought he looked fragile.  Like he was appealing for help.  Well, he was asking for help.  I was wondering..."

"Wondering what we might do for him?"

"I never thought of it."

"You said he was hospitalized more than once.  mental health.  He must be fragile.."

The Peacock 1361

 "This monster is after your brother-in-law.  Perhaps you could fill in a few blanks for me.  First, I didn't know you were married.."

"Was married.  My ex-wife, Greta, has been back in Sweden for years now and is also in collaboration with Sven Lindstrom, this monster I was telling you about.  Erik, her brother, and I have always been close, and he just arrived here a few days ago to escape from his sister and Sven because they want to completely control his life, but Lindstrom flew out here against covid protocols, and fortunately they tracked him from the airport then took him into custody before he could do any harm here.  We just heard on the news that he has just been flown back to Sweden where he is in forensic custody.  even though I called him a monster, he appears quite presentably human, actually he is a filmstar gorgeous, taller than average Swede who never seems to age.  I met him myself back when I was around twenty or so, when he was trying to get my friend Kenny under his power, but Lindstrom had a mental health collapse and ended up several weeks in the mental hospital in the medical centre of the campus here.  i visited him with Kenny

"Was he ever at the mansion?"

"Yes.  Several times over the years."

"I believe I did see him, once.  I talked to him..."

The Peacock 1360

 More fool you."

"And just what do you mean by that."  and now Sarah is taking the chair of the grand Inquisitor.  Something she seems to be rather good at.

"Last weekend, at the mansion, were you present when Jason was telling his story?"

"I seem to remember that he was a stage actor, and at a party met some guy who took him on a little holiday to an island near Saanich."

"And that's all you remember?"

"Well, I must have dozed off, or blanked out or something.  But no I don't remember."

And now I have to recount to her, in exasperating detail:

"He found his way to a large mansion at the top of a hill on that island where he was cared for by a beautiful teenage boy.  This kid took care of him, looked after him, and taught him for several weeks before he returned home.  He had forgotten everything that had happened to him, until just that same day when he told us what he remembered.  In the journal of my friend Kenny, now deceased, he wrote about this scary entity that was stalking him, this being that was part angel and part human, and extremely flawed, and he told my friend about having been on the same island, in the same mansion and accompanied by the same teenage kid.  Then last night, when that same monster had found his way here from Sweden in order to abduct my brother-in.law, and tried to break into this very house, I was asleep and dreaming on the couch of that same kid.  And then this morning, while having coffee with Chelsea next door, she said she heard the commotion, looked out the front door, and that very same kid approached her and gave her a rose.  And then there is today.  So, what else do you want me to tell you...

The Peacock 1359

 Fortunately no one else wants a drink.  Everyone seems more or less happy right now.  Everyone has someone to chat with.  Except me.  I rather like it here at the dining room table, where I can randomly pick at the leftover ratatouille, half of which has been disembowelled, leaving it appearing as something very forlorn and desolate.  And delicious.  Sarah is coming over, but not with her plate.  She pulls up the empty chair next to me.  

"You look lonely"., she says.  And that is like Sarah.  All kindness and consideration for others, even if she ends up having to kill you in the process.  And I am feeling lonely and left out, even though I am not going to admit this to her.

"I thought I should leave Chelsea and Carol and Dorothy to chat together.  They seem to have a lot to say to each other."  And she isn't going to admit it either.  "So good of you to have us over like this.  What, you're still hungry?"

"This stuff is so delicious and look how much is still leftover."

"Don't mind if I do", says she, picking up a stray fork and picking her own sample.

"How are you doing?"

"I'll be glad when this day is over."

"It's been very intense.  We all seem to be living in epic proportions these days."  She thoughtfully gourmandizes on some more ratatouille.  "What happened to the baseball bat."

"and Jesús' keys?"

"It's all over the news."

"I already told you."

"You expect me to believe that some magical teenage kid appeared, 'demanded the bat and keys, disappeared, then somehow put them in that guy's truck then vanished again."

"You're expecting maybe a rational explanation."

"I have a very logical mind..."

The Peacock 1358

 "We're teetotalers",  says Carl . "Dammit!"

"Except for cookies", says Jesús.

"You know the word teetotaler", says George.

"Yes.  I learned it from Sarah, today in the car."

"Yeah, we all got pretty baked", says Carl.

"A thousand pities you didn't save us any", says George.

"Would you like some San Pellegrino with ice?" say I to Dorothy.

"what flavour do you have?"

"Blood orange and lemon."

"I will have the lemon", she says.

"and the lemon you will have", say I, jumping up and heading to the kitchen.

"and the lemon she will have indeed", says Carl, laughing.

"Anyone else..."

The Peacock 1357

 "If you don't like the name, then why are you smiling", says George.

"I have long been in the habit of smiling about things I don't like.  After our shared career you-know-where, I am sure you are among the last of persons who need explaining-"

"Touché", says George.

"whatever are you two talking about", wonders Chelsea.

"Our shared history with the monastery", says Jeffrey, smirking

"Oh yes, that is right.  You are all Catholic priests."

"Ex-Catholic priests." corrects François.

"and we are not discussing this any further tonight", says George.

"Were you excommunicated", asks Dorothy, who doesn't appear to have a great gift for tact.  In fact, I am really struggling about whether I could like her.

"I believe you heard us the first time", says George, who this time is not smiling.

"If you mean the Westminster abbey in Mission, I was actually there on retreat last year with my meditation group", says Dorothy.  "Wonderful place."

"How long have you had your store", says Carl, determined to shut her up about the abbey, the Catholic Church and the priesthood.

"How long would that be, Chelsea?  You were fifteen when we came over here from the UK, and I think we opened Magic just two years later, and right now you would be thirty-four.  So seventeen years.  And of course, I can understand your desire to leave the Catholic Church, because despite the lovely abbey and suchlike, religion is all total bullshit."

"More ratatouille for you", asks Jeffrey.

"Maybe later.  I would fancy a glass of wine if you have any..."

The Peacock 1356

 Dinner is an absolute hit.  Jeffrey has treated us to a ratatouille with tofu and smothered in emmenthal.  He is also responsible for the salad of fresh greens, strawberries and pistachios,, and the broccoli cooked in a spicy peanut sauce.  There is also pasta to be served under the ratatouille.

"Tell us this won't be the only time you cook for us, Jeffrey", says Francois., who has moved with his plate to the sofa where he is flanked by Chelsea and Sarah.

"I could live in this kitchen, Franky."

"That's Francois to you, young man."

"Okay, Mister Fancy Pants.  Francois.  And I do happen to be a decade older than you."

"What did you just call me?"

"Mr. Fancy Pants."

"Hey that works", says Carl with a mouthful of ratatouille.

"No it doesn't", says Francois.  "and it better not stick..."

The Peacock 1355

 "And Chelsea, please forgive my dreadful manners.  I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother."

"Thank you. It didn't really come as a surprise.  She was 101."

"My, how very fortunate that she could enjoy such a long life."

"It's been a lot of stress for Chelsea", says Dorothy.  "It was only three months ago that her mother passed away."

"How dreadful."  And now I can tell that Carol is being genuine.

"She was in long term care with Alzheimer's", says Dorothy.  "So, it didn't come exactly as a surprise."  She says this all very flat and deadpan, as though she is not about to privilege anyone here with the sight or sound of her grieving.

"How very good that you two are going to live together."

"Well, we're pretty used to each other", says Chelsea.

"And I would say we have become quite fond of each other over the years", says Dorothy.

"And it works out well", says Chelsea  "The house is all paid for, but there is the matter of property taxes, which run very high in this city.  Dorothy, have you put up your house for sale, yet?"

"Just yesterday, but I expect some generous equity.  We are going to be fine..."

The Peacock 1354

 "I only started practicing again in the last couple of months."

"You do have a piano."

"A Steinway standup in my grandmother's basement."

"Is she nearby."

"She passed away recently.  I have been getting her affairs in order, with the intention of putting her house up for sale, but I have decided to live there myself, since the place was bequeathed to me in her will."

"Where did your grandmother live?"

"Right next door", says Dorothy.  "And it looks like I will be living with Cecilia."

"And you would be..."

"Her mother's widow", says Dorothy, with a very artfully concealed and rather wicked little grin.

"Oh, I do say..."

The Peacock 1353

 "We had to disarm him and guard him with the bat while Carl helped Jesús get all his stuff.  He wanted a month's rent from him that wasn't owed, especially since it was an illegal suite.  But then he followed us in his SUV and tried to ram us.  
We escaped, and he ran into a lamppost.  A couple of hours later it was on the news that he died in the accident.

"But won't they want you as witnesses", says Carol.

"Apparently, from the news report, no foul play is suspected, plus his blood was full of alcohol."

"How sad.  How very ugly and sad .Very tragic."

"So", say I, eager to change the subject, "you two have finally met".

"Yes", says Carol.  "And I am so delighted to make your acquaintance again Chelsea  And no I never forgot about you.  I only regretted that I couldn't hear you play...

The Peacock 1352

 "It had to be done", says Sarah.

"But, how much money did you spend on those cookies",

"that doesn't matter. Christopher was being obedient, and we should laud him for that."

"But i would have loved to have tried some", says George petulantly.

"Oh get over it, will you", says Francois.  "We really have more important business to attend to."

"How are you, Jesús", asks Carol as he also brings a chair out from the dining room.

"Fine."

"You don't appear fine.  What happened?"

Carl signals to Jesús with his eyes and a nod that it's okay to tell.

"I moved out of my apartment today, so I will be living here for a while."

"It was quite an adventure", says Carl.  "His Ukrainian landlord was all set to bash his brains out with a baseball bat."

"It ended in tragedy", says Sarah...

The Peacock 1351

 "I guess the piñata will be our...dessert?" wonders George from the armchair.

"that should be interesting following our little THC adventure this afternoon", says Carl.

"I beg your pardon", says Carol.  "Did you just happen to say THC adventure?"

"It was my fault", says Sarah.  "We stopped at a new bakery café on Commercial where I thought I'd surprise everyone with some lovely oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies.  Well, we stayed in the café where we must have eaten half the cookies, all of us except for Christopher, and we got pretty ripped."

"You should have heard her sing", says Carl.  "Sarah has the voice of an angel."

"Nicole, the server, sounded pretty good too", say I.

"by the way, the place is called Baked", says Carl, "So that should give you a clue about what's in the cookies.

"You were singing duets with the server", says George.  "Where are those cookies.  Are there any left?"

"I threw the rest of them in the garbage", say I.

"You what!"