Chapter 12 - Father McKenzie's Church of Lost Souls

-4 years to singularity

"Eleanor Rigby" it said on the small cross. Father McKenzie stood over her grave performing the funeral service. He & the grave-digger, John, a handyman serving his probation, were the only ones present. Wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave he finds himself disappointed. A priest can't save any new souls for the Lord, if they don't arrive. "Sewing my socks would have been more productive than writing that sermon." he muttered to himself as he walked back to the orphanage. Maybe he could alter it's content slightly & use it for Sunday? Heaven knows the children could use a good lesson in the ways a family should be.

Upon returning, Father McKenzie heard the telephone ringing from outside his office. As he opened his office door, the phone stopped mid-ring. He takes off his scarf & hat placing them on the tall coat rack. As he begins to unbutton his coat, the phone begins to ring again. With 2 buttons to go he stops to pick up the call. "Saint Kevin's Parish, this is Father McKenzie, how may we be of service to you?" he said with perfect phone etiquette. "Good morning Father McKenzie, my name is Father Ramirez. I'm glad I could get a hold of you today." said the voice on the phone. Father McKenzie knew he'd heard that name before. Where from? "Yes Father Ramirez, what can we do for you today?" Father Ramirez coughed and cleared his throat. "I've just been on a mission of grave importance to that of the Holy Mother Church. Have you heard about the cat/girl from Korea?" That was it, "Yes, you were with the UN delegation?" "Correct," he assured, "Kim Jong-un as you know has stepped down, but the question of the girl still needs to be resolved." Father McKenzie swallowed. He knew what Father Ramirez was going to say before he even began speaking. "The Lord works in mysterious ways." Father McKenzie let slip from under his breath. "What was that Father McKenzie? Are you paying attention to me?" "Indeed I am! When will you be arriving?" the frustration in Father Ramirez's voice was now apparent. "I just said, we will need a place for her by this weekend. Expect us Friday night, & be at the airport to pick us up at 8pm when our flight is due to arrive! Gate 12. Have you got all that, Father McKenzie?"

"Yes, Father Ramirez, Gate 12, Friday night. I won't forget." Father McKenzie heard a loud purring through the phone. "I'll see you then." were the last words Father McKenzie heard from Father Ramirez as the phone cut out. "17 Boys, 14 girls, & new pet cat." he muttered to himself as he unbuttoned the last two buttons of his coat.

Flopping into his chair, he doesn't even bother to take his coat off, before reaching to the 2nd drawer. "Is this your idea of a joke oh Lord?" he says as he pulls out the bottle of whiskey & a glass. Filling it, he continues his prayer, "For my disappointment after the Rigby funeral? Be careful what you wish for, aye?" he gulps down the contents of the glass & begins to pour a refill. "Whoooo! Argh, is that it Oh Lord? Sending me a calm before the storm? & for not appreciating the peace, you give me a harder job then save souls who want to be saved? Let me guess...." he throws back another. "AHHHH I'm going to be the one who has to take this Cockney flower girl and make her presentable even as she uses a litter box?" laughing to himself & refilling the glass a third time cause him to get a hot flash. Slamming the bottle down on his desk as he stands. Taking off his coat would have made him look ridiculous to anyone watching, as he fumbled to the coat rack. Frowning at himself, he returns to his desk & stairs at his glass for a long while. Finally he reaches for it & drinks it all down. "I've barrly been able to civilicze my current charges. Bunch of hipster babies." he hiccups. "Damn generation of denialists. Deny being hipsters even though I likely never heard of their music. Deny the consequences of sex. Deny parenthood. Hell, they even deny the Holy Spirit." a fourth double goes down his gullet, "Not that I blame them for it, their parents were too busy denying your son & rudimentary physics on the internet about 9/11. It's no wonder the damn hipster generation denied they were even hipsters. Ha, not like there's anything to be proud of, in being hipster anyway." He puts the bottle & glass back on his desk, after a 5th. "Friday, Gate 12, 8pm....." he wrote largely & sloppily on his giant desk calendar. "Let the cat out of the bag. Ha!" he thought he was so clever, when he was this drunk. "Psssss, PssssssPsssss psssssssh" he started making cat call sounds, while swiveling his hips back & forth, which made him slouch under his desk. He closed his eyes on this cold & rainy Tuesday afternoon. Just before passing out, he whispers "Herr kitty kitty?" Giggling to himself, he shits his pants as he loses what was left of his consciousness.

***

"This will be your room, there were an even number of girls here until you arrived. If anymore come, you won't be alone here, however, you're the first new girl in 6 years, so you may as well enjoy the space while you have it." said Penelope.

Vedren slinked into the room, her caution was matched only by her curiosity. It was painted white. Thankfully there was one large window in the center of the room, with luck, it would be facing south for the most amount of light, and it should shine right on the bed to keep it warm. The brown wood, everywhere, was less than basic. There was no pink, or blue, or purple, Vedren missed those colors. This was so drab. It was almost painful to her eyes. She missed her palatial home & she missed Great Leader. He was always so nice to her, except those couple times. Vedren knew she would never see the deposed ruler ever again, but she was told she would make new friends here.

(Thank you for reading. Please rate & share!)