I was coming in the back door of the Chapter House when Cat ran up to me and said I had a call on the old kitchen wall phone.
"It sounds like Agnes," Cat said.
It was indeed Agnes.
"Hello, Jesse," he said a weak voice. "I asked to speak with the abbot and I'm pleased to find it's you."
"I'm not pleased," I said, "but how are you and where are you?"
"I'm in Sloan Kettering in Manhattan. I ... I'm sick," he said.
"Well, I'm sorry Agnes. How bad is it?" It's not that I was stunned. I just could not think of anything to say.
"I'm dying, Jesse. I have cancer of the prostate."
"Did they say how long?" I asked. That may seem insensitive, but it was the first thought that occurred to me.
"Months," he said. "Maybe more. But I'm a late stage alcoholic. I may die of that first, who knows?"
"What can I do, Agnes? I'll come down to see you."
"I want you to bring me home, Jesse," he said.
"To Ireland?" I asked.
"No, to West Saugerties. Fermoy doesn't want me. I've asked."
"Saint Anne refused to take you in? A Brother?" I said.
"There's a long history between us," he said.
After I hung up with Agnes I called Fermoy, but M&M would not allow me to speak with Saint Anne.
"What the hell are you people thinking over there?" I all but shouted. "Why won't you take in Agnes? You're trying to kick us out of here and at the same time you expect we'll take in a sick monk?"
"We didn't ask you to shelter Agnes," said M&M.
"Well, you certainly know it's the only other place he can go!" I said.
"I can't continue this conversation, Brother Jessica. Our lawyers have advised against us speaking with you."
"Why?" I asked.
"We're opposing litigants," M&M replied.
"You're fucking idiots," I said and slammed down the phone.
Home By Another Way - James Taylor
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