Girardi Family Dinner
Joan put her mind off of the man who had sat with her on her shift. His story was engrossing and interesting and everything else, but she had her own worries. She had agreed to provide direction and information.
But she still had exams and her life and her assignments from the Almighty. And Ryan Hunter was her biggest assignment ever.
Harry had volunteered his help, but she knew it would be weird if she was regularly seen with a strange man who had suddenly appeared. So, she directed him to Lily to pitch in on cleaning up at the Church. That would occupy him long enough for her to get through exams.
She put it out of her mind and made her way home. She REALLY needed to buckle down for her AP Physics final.
Harry found the Church that Joan described. It was sitting there, large and hurt. To his eye, the spiritual pain of the building was almost palpable. He made his way inside.
He noted that there were several people working on cleaning several surfaces which showed the evidence of vandalism. Pieces of damaged art were being reverently packed in boxes, maybe to be repaired or buried – he didn't know if Catholics had rituals for such things or not.
Some were working on removing the graffiti that had been sprayed on the wall. Most of the marks were random lines, although some were obviously attempts to paint obscene images using spray paint: Rough pictures of male and female body parts.
He made his way up to the alter area, where most of the damage was centered. There was one man who was obviously in charge. The sadness that rolled off the man was almost palpable, but he was surprised to feel no anger, no hatred.
Harry wasn't familiar with many clerics or priests, but those he often ran into were just as fallible, just as human as any others he ran into. To find a man who truly seemed to follow the Christian precept to throw away hatred was … surprising.
He walked up to the man. The man greeted him with a calm and welcoming smile. "Can I help you?"
Harry replied, "I was told that there was a 'Lilly' who was helping to coordinate the repair efforts?"
The man looked intrigued. "She's a volunteer who helps out from time to time with various parisioners and services." He held out his hand. "I'm Ken Mallory. This is my parish."
Harry shook his hand. "Harry Planter." Harry Potter was a popular fiction character in this universe and the card Flute had provided in the wallet gave Planter as his name. "I happened to be traveling through the area and another friend who happened to be visiting introduced me, through a relative of hers, to a girl named Joan. In our conversation, the recent incident at your church came up. I have some time and she told me that I should talk to her Mum's friend Lilly about helping out."
The man's smile grew deeper. "Any help is, of course, appreciated. Did you come to help tonight?"
Harry shook his head. "First I need to find a room locally. I didn't intend on staying past the day."
Father Mallory looked surprised. "So, just to help out, you're going to stay in town?"
Harry shrugged and gave a small grin. "I tend to help out wherever I can. I tend to run into people who need a hand from time to time and I like to do my part."
The good father seemed somewhat impressed. "It sounds like you're a good man. We could always use the help of a good man." The man appeared to think for a moment. "You say Joan Girardi sent you over?"
Harry nodded.
"Well, her Mother is actually one of the people Lilly is helping. I think she might be a good choice for some who could help direct you."
Harry shrugged. It sounded good enough to him.
Father Mallory reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone.
As he made the call, he walked away from the workers so as not the be disturbed. One of the men scrubbing looked up. "Hello, Harry."
Harry waved a bit and replied. "Hi." He then asked, "Do I know you?"
The man smiled a bit and said, "My Grand-daughter dropped off your wallet earlier?"
Harry was surprised. He didn't expect to be speaking to THIS entity again so soon.
"Yeah, Joan freaks out a bit too sometimes. Anyway, I'm glad to see you agreed to help out."
Harry shrugged. "You know my life: A lot of Traveling and a lot of jobs like this."
The man considered that. "Yes. Well, I don't have much to say to you as you seem to be doing fine without my input. But can I make a suggestion?"
Harry looked expectant. The scrubbing version of God stood up to rinse the rag he was using in a bucket nearby.
"Take the offer. Even if it seems reluctant."
Harry was confused. "Offer? What offer?"
The man inspected the bucket even as he replied. "You'll see. You have a tendency to try not to force yourself into unwelcome places. But sometimes, reluctance does not imply disagreement."
Harry considered the man … well, the deity. "Any other suggestions?"
The man looked at him and turned away to go clean the bucket. He absently waved as he made his way out.
Harry considered the enigma that was God. Joan had been pretty accurate in her descriptions.
Harry sat nervously in the passenger seat of Kevin Girardi's car. When Helen was contacted by Father Mallory, she was taken aback a bit by the report that Joan had sent the man. She didn't know him.
She had decided that she wanted to meet the man and get her own take. There was already enough people around Joan that made her nervous – she didn't need any more. Considering that he appeared to be a good Samaritan, she withheld her suspicions enough to suggest he come eat with her family and then she would direct him to a motel or something.
She wanted her husband to weigh in on the man too.
So, as her son would be driving past the area to come home for dinner, she had called him to ask him to pick Harry Planter up and bring him home.
Kevin was mildly interested in meeting whoever this stranger was – Kevin was curious and gregarious by nature: He liked meeting new people and getting their story.
Harry shrugged in response to Kevin's question. "Just in the area and decided to help out."
Kevin's curiosity was nowhere near sated. "How did you come to be in the area?"
Harry smiled. As far as reporters went, the man was far more pleasant than most. "I'm kind of on a personal journey." He paused for a moment to consider how to word it. "Er. Have you ever heard of walkabout?"
Kevin thought about it for a moment. "I think I heard it in a movie one time. That's in Australia, right?"
Harry laughed. "Yeah. Well, the natives in Australia tend to take a few months to walk around and live as things come up – kind of a spiritual journey. You could say I'm doing a similar thing but instead of the outback, I move through different countries and communities playing it by ear as I go."
Kevin thought about it. "Wow." He paused a moment and asked, "How do you live? Make money?"
Harry sighed. "Money's never been a big issue with me. I inherited a decent amount from my parents. And I don't tend to spend much."
Kevin decided that he'd ask more when they were eating.
Will watched as this strange man sat at his family's table and easily talked to everyone there. His wife had called him and asked him to give his take on the man. So far, he seemed alright – but then again, Sam Wyatt had seemed alright. Lucy Preston had seemed alright at first – even if that changed rather quickly. He was not a man to take chances.
Finally, at an opportune point in the conversation, Will asked, "So, how long are you in the US for anyway?"
Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure."
Will tried to be casual as he asked, "When is your visa up?"
Harry looked thoughtful and then pulled out his wallet. "You know? I've never thought about it." He reviewed his wallet and passport and then asked, "What's the date again?"
Everyone was surprised. "You don't know the date?"
Harry shrugged with that small smile. "I tend not to pay attention." Harry handed his papers over to Will. "Want to check them out?"
Will accepted the items and then looked them over. He looked at Harry and then asked, "You mind if I make a phone call?"
Harry shrugged and grinned. "It's okay by me. Have to make sure I'm not some Psycho, after all."
Joan squawked. "I told you! The person who introduced him I trust completely! How can you …"
Harry interrupted Joan with a "Hey!" Will looked curiously at him, wondering how he would handle this. "It's okay, Joan. It's not unexpected."
Joan looked aghast. "How can you just accept people questioning your character when you've done nothing wrong! You even volunteered to help at the Church!"
Harry just smiled and replied, "Have you ever heard the Russian Proverb, 'doveryai no proveryai'?"
She shook her head, not having calmed down a bit.
"It means, 'Trust, but Verify.' Your Dad doesn't know me. You really don't know me – even if you and I BOTH trust the person who introduced us. He's just a father watching out for his family. Nothing wrong with that. And if he has more resources to do so than most fathers, there's nothing wrong with that either."
She agreed to the idea in principle. She still looked put out, though.
Will suddenly felt much more friendly toward this strange visitor. He nodded his head and excused himself so that he could make his call.
Harry wasn't worried too much about Will's check. If he knew Aphrael – and he did – there would be sufficient evidence of his existence so as not to warrant more attention.
So, he continued his conversations with the rest of the family even as Will was absent.
Within about 10 minutes, Will walked back in and had a very odd look on his face. Joan was the first to see it. She asked, with some irritation, "What?"
Will very deliberately kept looking at Harry as he said, "I'm kind of surprised to find that we've been hosting a decorated hero and no one told me."
Harry looked at him with complete solemnity and said, "What did you find?"
"When my guy looked you up, a flag was sent out. Imagine the surprise when my guy got a call from the State Department almost immediately. He was told that Harry Planter, Knight Commander, Order of the Bath, was to be given all consideration. And that all inquiries should be sent to that particular office. Of course, when asked, all they would say was that the information on you was classified by the British Government."
Everyone was looking at him with some intensity. Harry shrugged and said, "I've done a few things. Both as a civilian and an Au … a Police Officer. After a personal tragedy, I decided to do some traveling. I thought I left my titles and status far away."
Luke, who hadn't said much, asked, "Titles?"
Harry paused as he considered how to answer that. "A few noble titles I inherited – most effectively obsolete or very obscure. Some titles even predate the Kingdom of England, predecessor to the United Kingdom." He paused and then continued with perfect seriousness, "And I'd appreciate if that information stayed completely in this room. I don't need the attention."
Surprisingly, the most immediate support came from Joan. "I agree. Harry is just a friend who's helping out." She turned to Luke. "Not even Grace. It's none of her business. And definitely not Friedman."
Luke was taken aback. Joan was not someone who appeared to have any sense of circumspection or tact. For her to demand complete secrecy was … shocking.
If Luke only knew.
He nodded reluctantly. "Grace would probably just moan about oppressors and the useless noble class anyway."
Everyone who knew Grace had to fight back snickers, even Helen.
Joan turned toward Kevin, "And no stories. This is private – not for public consumption."
Kevin nodded, even as he considered the man who sat at the family table.
Finally, the dinner had broken up. Will took Helen aside and suggested allowing him to stay on the couch for the night.
As much as she liked the man, she felt nervous about offering. But she didn't voice it. She turned and walked back into the kitchen. "Harry, why don't you stay here tonight and tomorrow I'll get Lilly to help find a room?"
Harry considered her carefully. He could tell that she wasn't totally comfortable about offering and he would normally have refused, but …
He stood and bowed briefly. "My thanks for offering the comfort of your home tonight. I'd normally insist on finding my own accommodations but it has been a long day."
Helen nodded and moved to gather blankets and a pillow. Will, who was making his way upstairs to divest himself of his work clothes, said in passing, "I guess he really is nobility."
Helen considered what she had seen and privately had to agree. He did have a certain air about him.
It was almost 10:00. As the kids had school and everyone had work the next day, 10:00 was close to the end of the day for the house.
Helen took the time to make sure that Harry was comfortable. She gave instructions and directions as to where things were even as she made up the couch. Harry had offered to do it himself, but she insisted.
Finally, Harry - who really did have a good sense of what people were thinking - volunteered, "Would it help if I told you that I am a widower and that I still miss my wife terribly?"
All of Helen's thoughts came to an abrupt halt even as she stood and looked at their guest. "Huh?"
Harry smiled sadly as he said, "I understand being nervous about a stranger in your home, especially with a teenage daughter in the house. I only tell you this because it might relieve some concerns. I happen to be a widower - one of the decorations I got was in an incident where I lost my wife and my whole family and many friends. Even though I've decided to live on, I still love my wife dearly and have to be prodded rather hard to put forth enough interest in the female side of the species to have those urges. Besides, I'm an adult and your daughter is not. You don't have to worry about that."
Helen considered Harry as she processed what he said. She was a bit surprised to realize that he had been pretty spot on with guessing her thoughts - which weren't even that clear to her. She nodded and said, "I'm sorry to hear that. I'll try not to make prejudgements."
Harry lightened up and smiled a bit. "Not a problem." He paused and then continued, "Besides, if I had a daughter like yours, I'd keep an eye out too. I'll even help you to watch all the other men and boys when I can."
Helen smiled. She could just imagine Harry playing a very effective older, protective brother.