Children of God

Chapter Five

Al

We were called in front of Robert. Joe and I.

We were standing in the study of the beach-house. It was a built on room, with a nifty trapdoor. There was an old desk in the corner. We stood in front of it,

“Boys, I’d tell you to sit but as you can see, we have no chairs.” Robert sighed.

“Why did you want us?” I asked.

“There’s no two ways about it, fellas. You’re fired. You have no more use. You can stay in the family but you won’t be attached to anything.”

I sighed, but Joe smiled.

“Been considering retirement.” he said. Robert nodded.

“I think part of retirement is that you retire from a paying job, Joe. Listen, dinner, and I mean dinner, in ten minutes.”

He left. I looked at Joe.

“This means we don’t have as much of a ship to go down with.” I said. Joe rolled his eyes and walked outside. I joined him.

Outside was just a barrage of sea-smell. Gulls chirped overhead. Waves rolled in along the dusty sandy shore. I had another cigarette. Marie was outside, sitting in the sand. Joe sat next to her, and so I walked over and sat next to Joe.

“I managed to go into town,” Marie said, staring into the distance, “got the paper. Look at the obits.”

There was a newspaper out in front of her. I picked it up and flicked through it. Got to the obituaries.

“Jesus Christ.”  I sighed. I showed Liam’s obit to Joe.

“As much as I hated the guy, I repeat your sentiment.”

Marie sighed.

“I’m gonna leave. Soon.” she muttered. Joe looked at her.

“I’ll go too.”

I looked at Joe.

“I’m alright.” she said. Joe shook his head.

“I just got fired. I have nothing left. If I stay, all I’ve got left is a life that isn’t worth it.”

“Joe, I’m-”

Joe sighed.

“Marie, listen. Life and love,they aren’t about both people  feeling the same. Life, and love, they’re,” and then he gave a look to me, “they’re about both people feeling different and learning that that sometimes means they’re the same.”

She gave him a bewildered look.

“That-”

“Makes no sense. Yeah, I know. But run with it. Make it make sense. Make me make sense. Please.”

And then, slowly, they kissed. I looked away, lit another cigarette, looked back inside. The glass of the house reflected against the sunlight. Glared at us. I sighed, tapped Joe on the shoulder.

“Ten minutes are up.”

We all got up, and went inside. Joe and Marie held hands. They stopped as soon as they entered the room.

It was an old table,  big and rectangular with plenty of space. There were three seats left for us; I sat next to Patrick, Joe sat next to Leo and Marie next to her brother. Robert sat the head of the table. He held his hands together.

“Dinner’ll be two minutes. I called us all together for some news.” he said. He stood up, and walked around the table.

“As you guys know, we’ve had some trouble. Moles and all that. We lost a friend, two friends actually. I read the papers, found out Liam Monroe was found full of lead on the side of the road. Well, I’ve got to say it: I know who the mole is.”