106. First Guest

Milo has come to visit us. He arrived last night just after Compline. Raiser saw the headlights weaving up the driveway while he was doing the fire watch. That's what we call letting Tapioca out one last time in the evening and taking a walk around the building to make sure candles have been extinguished and everything is locked up. I was in the kitchen pantry trying to get a handle on how long our beans and rice would last us when Raiser came almost running and excitedly saying “Our first guest is here.” A heads-up text message had come in yesterday afternoon on the cell phone Alfred gave Izzy for use on official government business only. “Ya mean I can’t call my girlfriend?” Izzy had asked. “Only if she has sister,” Alfred had replied. What comedians.

The car rolled to a stop. Alfred was driving and he left the car running while he got out and came around on the passenger side and opened the door for Milo. The two came in the side door of the Chapter House and Izzy brought the pair into the living room where I met them.

Milo is a small man and has the look of someone about to have a brick dropped on his head. His shoulders were hunched up around his neck and his chin dipped down toward his chest while he looked up at Raiser and then Izzy and then me and said, “Holy Mother of God, I’m in a monastery.”

“A small one,” I said with a smile as I stuck out my hand in greeting and said “Welcome to Our Lady’s Monastery at West Saugerties, Mr. Milo.”

“Who?” he said and glanced over at Alfred.

“You are Mr. Milo,” said Alfred, “or just plain Milo, if you prefer.”

“My name is Julio,” said Milo.

“OK,” said Alfred, “but JUST Julio.”

“I’m starving,” said Julio-Milo.

And that would be the first problem to attend our initial guest.

“Mr. Julio, “I said, we have nothing but rice and beans at the moment and I can offer you some.” 

The small man looked up at Alfred and said, "What the hell kind of safe house you running here?"

I looked at Alfred and said, “I presume other food supplies will be arriving.”

“At midnight,” said Alfred. He stuck out his fist and put a roll of bills in my hand and said, “Send a posthumous out for burgers.”

With that he turned and left. Back out the door to his car with the motor running and no doubt back to the City and his other “friends.”

Julio said, “I puke when I eat rice.”