#48 Appreciations

"You Gun Bearers don't really like to talk on the phone that much do you?" asked Congressman Vasquez as he walked into the closed down Chapel.

Simon Refing sat in a pew gazing up at a broken stain glass window depicting St. George battling a Demon. "Not really," Simon replied, "if we do, we like to keep it brief and its usually to figure out a place to meet and converse."

"Does meeting here hold any significance?" asked Vasquez.

"You ask because you already know the answer and you want confirmation, but we both know your answer is correct."

"So the reason you helped me was because you had a spiritual awakening, realized that what you did was wrong, and returned to the crime in order to right it?" 

"More or less."

"How is that?" asked Vasquez as he took a seat in the pew behind Simon.

"I dunno what I had, Congressman. I dunno what it was but somethin in my gut told me I needed to fix some things."

"Well whatever it was... thank you."

"Don't mention it."

"I don't know what you did, and frankly I don't wanna know. But the guy with the photos couldn't be reached, and Congressman Mallard withdrew his statement and is now looking at his own charges."

"I said don't mention it."

"Yeah, well, I guess words can't really describe it anyway," said Vasquez.

The two men sat and looked at the decaying house of God for a few minutes in silence. Eventually, Congressman Eric Vasquez sighed, stood up, and walked out. Simon was once again alone.

"I know you're there," said Simon. "I can feel you now. I couldn't before. I don't know if you took one step forward and entered my zone of awareness, or maybe I'm the one that took a step and entered yours. That was it though wasn't it? Right now Gillingham is receiving all the details of my steps to clear Vasquez's name. In an hour a plan will be made to see my head on a stick. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I only got one chance to correct all the mistakes I made. But I feel like helping that guy was a pretty big one. I think I really fixed my screw up. Just do me one favor though. I know, I know, I ain't got no right asking for no favors, but just take care of Jacquie for me. He's under Gillingham's thumb good and tight and its because of his family that he's a Gun Bearer. Just help him see the light. Maybe I'm doomed to Hell but he don't have to. He doesn't deserve something like that, not for just trying to take care of his family. I guess this is the part where I say 'amen,'" Simon paused for a second and stared at the stain glass, "Amen."