The Peacock 1326

 Right now there is someone approaching.  He is wearing a simple collarless white shirt and blue jeans.  Very young, a boy.  It is the kid, or the Jesus kid.  He approaches my side of the car and I roll down my window.

"Give me the evidence.  Right now", he says softly, his bright green eyes shining like beacons on the high sea.

"What?"

"The baseball bat and the key.  Give them to me right now.""

Jesús hands me the key which I give the boy, followed by the baseball bat.

"The man who sought to harm you will be visiting at my table tonght", says the boy.  "now please go, while there is time."

"But", say I.

"Now leave this place."  And as though the car has taken on a will of it's own, we are suddenly taking another side road, already well away from the scene of the accident while we hear the pulsating howl of sirens...

The Peacock 1325

 We are almost in Queen's Park, when I see a black SUV looming ahead, blocking our way on the side street I have taken.

"Oh my God", says Jesús.  It him!"

"Did you give him his keys", says Sarah.

"Shit, I forget" says Jesús.  And the Ukrainian's baseball bat is still on the floor at Carl's feet.

"better give him what he wants", say I , stopping the car, but before I can remove my seatbelt, the SUV is suddenly advancing on us, picking up speed and momentum.  He means to crash into us.  I back up,frantically seeking an exit.  he stupidly swerves and now the sickening crunching sound of metal on metal as he crashes into a street light.

There is nothing, no movement from the vehicle.  We advance closer and, yes, he is slumped over.  Sarah is already calling 911...

The Peacock 1324

 Carl has gone in with Jesús to help him get all his belongings while Sarah distracts the Ukrainian landlord and I stand sentry with the baseball bat.

"Who are you?" he says to Sarah.

"I am a librarian at the public Library, on leave right now during covid. I also have a minor in law, and I used to work in tenancy support, so I know all the laws, and you do not have a legitimate case here.

"How come Canadian women so bossy.  Ukrainian women much better.  They obey husband.

"I am not married."

"How come you not married.  You need good husband.  might be too late, you get old now."

"I've already been married", she says tactfully.

"And now you divorce.  How come Canadian girls no keep their man."

"I am a widow", she says, choking back emotion.

"How come you no find other husband, since your husband dead now."

"I was married to a woman", she says, just as Carl and Jesús are coming out.  They are each carrying two plastic garbage bags full of our Colombian friend's earthly possessions.

"That's all you need to know for now", says Sarah as we are all headed back to my car.

"what about his baseball bat", says Sarah

"I´ll drop it on the next corner", say I.

"Well done", says Carl.  "We don't need that goof smashing your windows....

The Peacock 1323

 Through the open door there is the roar of shouting in heavily accented English.  But it isn't Jesús and the accent is decidedly Slavic.    The landlord is blocking the door with his back and wielding what appears to be a baseball bat.

"You pay me rent!" he bellows.  "You pay me full rent for next month or I smash out your brain!"  Carl yanks the bat from his arms and tosses it over to Sarah who hands it to me.  It is Sarah who is doing the talking.

"Excuse me, would you kindly explain why you are threatening our friend with a baseball bat."  She sounds calm, but clearly is not about to take prisoners.

"Who are these people?" shouts the landlord, still almost screaming.

"We are his friends", says Carl, "and he is going to be living with us."

He turns around.,  his face is round with hard looking dark eyes, a pudgy face that hasn't been properly shaved in several days, and a very bad, greasy comb over that is coming loose.  I can smell alcohol.

Waving his arms dramatically he shouts, "I come from Ukraine three year ago get 'way from dis kind bullshit and now tis stupid little foreigner cheat me.  Cheat me.  Cheat me!" his voice ascends to a high pitched squeal.

"Has he paid this month's rent?" says Sarah.

"Yes", says Jesús, standing as far away from him as possible.  The apartment appears dark and dingy, shabbily furnished.

"You no give me one month notice.  You owe me one month rent.

"He owes you nothing" says Sarah.

"You shut up, dumb stupid bitch."

"this is an illegal suite,  the tenancy laws are not binding in this case.  He is free to go..."

The Peacock 1322

 The drive has taken us through Richmond to the Queensborough Peninsula where we cross the bridge into what is properly New Westminster. Suddenly Jesús says", I live nearby with Marla, but today I can move out.  I have only to pick up my clothes.  We stop here please?"

"Where, exactly?" say I.

"And Jesús says, Right here please."

"The house is a stucco, box-shaped structure built in the 1960's, much like the fabled Vancouver Specials.  While Jesús unlocks the basement door, a middle aged white man comes from the back of the house and stops him.  We can hear him shouting at Jesús as he gesticulates wildly.  Jesús tries to ignore him and proceeds inside the house.  The man, presumably his landlord follows him.

"I don't like the looks of this", says Carl, opening his door."

"What are you doing?". say I.

"I'm going with you "says Sarah, stepping out of the car, leaving me little option but to follow them...

The Peacock 1321

 "I imagine there are", says Sarah.  "Hey, these blintzes are spectacular!"

"So, what's our next stop from here?" says Carl.

"Beats me", say I.

"I would love to see the house you bought", says Sarah.

"That could be arranged", says Carl.  "But Chris is our chauffeur."

"Are you buying gas?"

"Deal."

The Peacock 1320

 It is especially hard when it is your mother", says Jesús, who has finally put down his phone in order to eat.

"Jesús", say I suddenly, "We do have a rule here.  We put away our phones during meals together.  No exceptions."

"I am sorry", he says, slipping his smartphone into his pants pocket.  

"It's nothing at all personal", says Sarah"

"iI understand."

"Where do these friends of your mom's come into the picture", says Sarah.

"they were both leaders for decades in an American evangelistic missionary society, called Youth with a Mission.  there was some controversy building around their style of leadership so, in their base in Switzerland they bailed and found themselves on my mother's doorstep."

"Where are they from", say I.

"straight from Wisconsin."

"Which city."

"I don't know.  Are their cities in Wisconsin?"