1927

"I suppose" says Kenny, "This would be as good a time as any to explain a few things to you, Christopher",  "That is, if the others are okay about it." "Go ahead Kenny", says Carl.  "We're all ears." "As you know already, I have been presumed to be dead these past twenty'five years.  And what a shock it must be for you to suddenly see me alive." "This has been all very unexpected, Kenny", say I.   "And I hope you don't mind but I would like to ask you some test questions.  It isn't that I don't already believe you, but..."  And I am trailing off awkwardly. "I understand perfectly", he says.  Perfectly." "Well, to begin, how did we first meet?" "I think you were just about to turn seven, Chris.  Your father, while shadowing a friend with a ministry to hookers in the West End, came to know me.  I believe you were visiting an uncle and aunt who lived in the neighbourhood.  Jim and I took a sudden mutual liking, and soon, on a regular basis you guys were both looking for me on my favourite corner, where I was usually working as Cassandra. I remember how folks in the church were having a collective heart attack and that he was corrupting his little boy, but Jim always had way more itegrity than all those hypocrites put together.  I became a regular presence at your table and even started visiting St John's with you, but the church hypocrites were just too much for me to cope with so I went back to drugs and hooking. But then, when you were fifteen, Jim invited me to live with you guys, and it was like I had died and gone to heaven...."