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He’s so nice, Father Tiht, didn’t we? That uy He’s no asshole, not like Skip Nope, Father Tim is my best friend I love him
When everyone is just about finished and eying the dessert table with unabashed greed, Father Tim takes the microphone and clicks it on His beautiful Irish lilt fills my ears
“It warht, in spite of the nasty weather,” he says, s at his flock “And what a lovely dinner we’ve all been enjoying! Thank you, Maggie and Octavio, for putting together such a fine feast, as always”
People clap and turn toward er back a little, but decide that no one really noticed “You’re welcome!” I call out
“And thanks in advance to the hospitality co up afterwards,” Father Tim continues “I’m happy to say that we’ve raised more than?”
“Can I just say so to dear, kind Father Tim
“Oh, stop her, Daddy,” Christy ent
No! They will not stop ility around our table, only bu into six or ten chairs as I make my way to the front of the roo with a little uncertainty
“Can I have the mike?” I ask him I am not so drunk that I miss Mrs Plutarski’s ht Because I’m Father Tim’s friend She’s not the only one who adores him
“Ah…sure, Maggie,” he says, handing it over to me
I’ve never spoken into ait I feel a little like Ellen DeGeneres, like I have e where last year’s confirmation class butchered Godspell and blow into thesound reassures me that it’s on
“Thank you so much, Father Tim,” I say, proud not to slur “Oh, that’s funny! I sound like Christy!”
Everyone laughs I’m a hit!
“So, I guess I just wanted to say how grateful we all are to be here, on this beautiful planet, in this great little town It’s so nice, isn’t it?”
Myat me, her face a ht be“Anyway, I also want to say thanks to Father Tim We are so lucky to have him in our parish, aren’t we? I uy? The guy at Christy’s wedding? He was no fun, no fun Uh-uh Not funny, that guy And noe have Father Tiht? I mean, he’s like a holy man, don’t you think?”
“Thanks, Maggie I’ll just be taking thata move toward me
“No! No, no No” I scoot back further, then stand, so that if Father Tiet le ood You should hear this, holy man Because we all love you Really Don’t we?” I ask the asse excellent attention “Everyone here loves you, Father Tim Me, too I just…you’re such a…and we all just…I love you, Father Tim”
I keep talking, but now I can hardly hear otten so loud Will is suddenly standing next to me, clever lad, and he takes the mike from me
“I wasn’t done,” I protest
“Oh, you’re done, honey,” he says “Come on, I’ll take you home”
CHAPTER SIX
FRAGMENTS OF LAST NIGHT WHIZ around incrushed in a blender Snatches of conversation, ies, a deep concern that yes, I really did say that
It’s three-twenty in theI’m not really sure what tiainst ht eye apparently has an ice pick in it My teeth have sprouted fur, andreptilian and evil died in there
I stagger into the bathroom and so Motrin and two Tylenol at the sink I know this isn’t good to take these on an e estive tract I take a shower and feel that I’ve advanced an inch toward normal humanity
My apartment feels stuffy and close, and I certainly don’t want to be around food right now, so the diner is out I pull on ht
“Colonel,” I say, and my brain recoils from the awful noise “Come, boy,” I whisper
Colonel has never needed a leash; he just followsdevotion We head out into the pitch-black
The town is quiet; there is only the gentle sound of water shushing against the rocky shore The wind is still at this hour, and the litter in the inky black sky I walk down dark streets, past sleeping houses, until I get to a little path that will take las Point It’s not a nature preserve precisely, but it’s close There’s just one house up there, owned by a wealthy Microsoft executive, and he only visits it once or twice a year He’s quite nice about letting us locals use the grounds for hiking and fishing
The s stoht froht, but at this ht now
I go along the sea to a large outcropping of rock that sits directly over the water In fact, it’s called Bowsprit Rock, as it rese behind ranite memorial to fisherhteen hteen men so far, that is
The wind is a little stronger here, and still quite cold, though it is almost April The rock is like ice underand solid I switch off the flashlight and let my eyes adjust Colonel lies down next toa stick, and I put my arm around his neck and look east Dawn is far away, but the stars are brilliant enough tonight that I can see whitecaps here and there The water slaps against the rocky shore, shushing and whispering
With a sigh, I lie back and look into the Milky Way It’s so beautiful, so cold and pure and distant, hypnotic Colonel snuggles againstinto the heavens How long I stay like this, I don’t know, as I’ve forgotten my watch, but the sound of a oes a lobster boat, out to check the pots The lights of the boat see coht be Jonah, though he’s on the lazy side of lobstermen I squint, but I can’t make out who it is Malone, maybe Jonah’s mentioned that he’s usually the first one out, the last one back
Last year, the story goes, Malone and his cousin, Trevor, a man as sunny as Malone is dark, went in on a new boat Real pretty, the local gossip sources said Eighty-five thou,to do some more commercial work, perhaps even start a few scallop beds But Trevor, who often came into Joe’s Diner and flirted equally with Judy and me, disappeared one day Apparently, he sold the boat out fro Malone with the pays, ho his traps hi the boat he’d had for the past ten years
Well I’d heard about it?you don’t own the only restaurant in town and not hear these things?but I don’t really know Malone He was five or six years ahead of me in school As he’s barely spoken to me, ever, I don’t really knohat his situation is, a rare event in Gideon’s Cove
The grinding inof a wounded jellyfish My ass is nuh, I stand up “Let’s go, big boy,” I say to the dog We turn and head for the diner as the sky lightens almost imperceptibly on the eastern horizon
I put on coffee and start pulling together some muffins Cranberry lemon today, and raisin bran for Bob Castellano, who needs his fiber Mrs K likes them, too
Soon the diner will start to fill up with people ant to hear about ht Or people itnessed it and want to relive it Once again, I’ve embarrassed