by David Dwan
“No,” Ross replied with a smile of his own. “Not Mexican, Hauser’s.”
As they reached the bottom of the steep hill the road veered off sharply to the left, Mika slowed the car as they approached and took the corner at a safe pace. The road levelled out ahead of them now and the view either side opened up to reveal the entrance to the village’s large central square.
“Shit! Would you look at that?” Mika exclaimed.
The road leading into the square was lined either side with dozens upon dozens of villagers. A cheer went up as they drove passed them and reached the square itself. People began running alongside the car as it pulled into the open area. Whooping and hollering.
“I think we were expected,” Ross said with no little surprise.
“I thought you said your reception last time was... How’d you put it?”
“Luke warm,” Ross replied.
Mika had to slow the car as they drove to avoid hitting anyone as they swarmed around them, a sea of excited faces peering in through the windows at the duo. She finally brought the vehicle to a halt and turned off the engine.
“After you, padre.” Mika smirked eyeing the crowd. “If this turns into a lynching I want you as a distraction so I can get the hell out of here.”
“Cheers,” Ross replied. He moved to open his door, but someone from the crowd opened it for him.
He was immediately hit by the heat as he got out. Although it was only mid-morning the contrast to the air conditioned interior of the car nearly knocked him back into his seat again.
People in the crowd parted to allow him out. Many grabbing his hand, one after the other shaking it vigorously. He was nearly winded not only by the heat but by the over enthusiastic back slapping he received as he moved very slowly through the throng.
“Thank you, cheers, thanks,” Ross felt like a movie star meeting and greeting his fans at a premier. Here and there, he recognised some of the villagers gathered around him and gave them a nod as he passed. He even gave a hi-five to one of the children he had sent running in terror upon his first visit.
He absently checked his dog collar, no it was still there. Although he had left under better circumstances than he had arrived last time he had not expected this.
He glanced back over to the car, Mika was making her way through the crowd now. Someone thrust a bottle of tequila into her hand and she took a swig.
“I like it here!” She shouted over the hubbub whilst wincing at the liquor.
Ross was about to shout back about the fact it was still way before noon for a drink when he barged into someone. He turned about to apologise when he realised it was no accidental collision. It was a full on embrace.
“Oh, Padre. Estês bien? Le hizo dâno? Terrible, horrible criatura!” It was Gabriela, Hauser’s housekeeper and all round conscience, her voice was wracked with emotion as she hugged the breath right out of him.
“Gabriela, I’m fine, I’m fine,” Ross said returning her embrace.
She pulled away and looked up at him with tears in her deep brown eyes. She held his face in her hands. “Dear, dear boy,” she said in broken English.
“I’m okay,” he assured her softly. “Honestly.”
“Christ Woman! Give the man some air. He didn’t come all this way to be suffocated by your bosom.”
Hauser.
Although Ross couldn’t yet see the German he shouted above the noise of the crowd. “I could think of worse ways to go.”
Gabriela for her part looked at him a little confused and the priest was glad her English was at best limited. Still he blushed and gave her an apologetic shrug.
Mika, still clutching the bottle struggled over to Ross’ side. She offered him the tequila.
“No thanks,” he said. His head was already swimming from the heat.
Finally the crowd parted to reveal Hauser sitting at a large picnic table flanked by Rosa and her daughter Alicia.
“Hauser I presume,” Mika said and took a swig of tequila.
“Who else?” Ross said and moved forwards away from Mika and the crowd, who all instinctively kept a respectful distance, and over to the table. He nodded and gave Alicia and Rosa a wave and they nodded back, smiling warmly.
Hauser began to get to his feet, wincing at the effort so the two woman rose with him and each took an elbow to help him up.
“They saw the show?” Ross asked in disbelief and gestured around him.
“Lord no,” Hauser said as Rosa and Alicia guided him around the table and over to Ross. “Well some did.”
“Did you?”
The German nodded and took a couple of steps away from his two helpers. “I did.” He said firmly.
Hauser stopped as he reached Ross and studied the priest for the longest time, and the crowd fell silent. He frowned and looked right into Ross’ eyes as if looking for something, some sign of what he had been through. Perhaps, Ross mused looking for something the German recognised in his own eyes.
“I told them all what you did,” Hauser said, still scrutinising him.
“Not sure what I did,” Ross conceded and averted his eyes from the German.
“Hey,” Hauser said putting his hand under Ross’ chin and raising his head back up. “You survived, and that’s a damn sight more than I thought you would. And you helped bring down that travesty.”
“Yeah,” Ross said awkwardly.
Hauser suddenly grabbed a hold of Ross’ shirt and pulled him close and into an embrace. “Welcome home, Shane.”
This won a cheer from the gathered masses and from Mika who clearly couldn’t help herself. She raised the bottle and took a hit before passing it to an old man next to her who gratefully grabbed it and snapped it up to his lips with all the practiced movement of a seasoned drinker.
Hauser finally released Ross and patted him on both shoulders. “You know what this place needs don’t you, my boy? A new priest.”
This started a ripple of whispers within the crowd as those who spoke English translated for the others. Then once the message had filtered through another cheer of approval went up.
“You know of anyone?” Hauser added.
Ross paused to collect himself. “Oh, I’m sure I can think of someone,” Ross said, his voice cracking a little, completely humbled by the offer and the response from the villagers.
He turned to Mika who was now arm in arm with her new drinking buddy. Her face was bright red from both the heat and alcohol.
“This is Mika,” he said. “She’s a good friend of mine, she was at the show, helped get me out.”
Mika saluted the crowd and Hauser with the bottle. “He’s a priest,” she said loudly. “But I sure ain’t no nun!”
Hauser laughed and eyed her freshly dyed blue spikey hair. “I gathered that,” he said. “And that makes you doubly welcome.”
Again the crowd cheered after a slight delay for interpretation.
Alicia came over to Ross and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “The children will have to come up with a new show,” she said brightly. “One with a happy ending this time.”
“I can do the choreography!” Mika offered and pirouetted on the spot to prove her credentials. Which won a round of applause from those around her.
Hauser put his arm around Ross’ shoulder. “Let’s get you into the shade, padre, you look fit to drop.”
“Good idea,” Ross agreed. And they set off towards the cool interior of a nearby tavern.
“We’ve a lot to talk about,” Hauser whispered to him as they walked. “I want you to tell me everything about the creature.”
“There’s not much to tell,” Ross said. “In the end all it wanted to do was die.”
“I should have killed the thing,” Hauser replied with an edge of sorrow in his voice.
“You weren’t to know,” Ross told him as they entered the wonderfully air conditioned tavern. “Besides, in the end it got what it wanted, Michael Davis and oblivion. And I’ve got a new lease of life.”
“And a new family,
” Hauser said and motioned towards a table.
Both men sat down, Ross looked through the open door to see Mika slumping down at a table outside with Alicia and several of the locals. It warmed his heart.
A barman approached and placed two glasses of ice cold water in front of the two men. Ross studied his glass intently, thinking of all those who died at the show.
“Hey,” Hauser said reading his thoughts. “It’s over, time for a new start. Time enough here for you to heal, and also help all of us heal.”
Ross brightened at this. He hadn’t thought of it like that. This wasn’t just an escape from what had happened. This was indeed a new start, a time to heal as Hauser had said not only himself but Mika and the whole village of Santuario as well.
All of them touched by evil, but had lived to tell the tale. He decided then and there that he would no longer dwell on the past, after all there was nothing he could do to change what had happened and he sure couldn’t bring back any of the dead of demon time.
A new play for the kids to learn, one of hope not morbid remembrance. He smiled to himself as he imagined one of the children, perhaps even one of those he had scared half out of their wits when he had first arrived, playing him in the show.
A show Mika would fuss and stress over no doubt. It would do them all good to let the past go but without ever forgetting.
“A priest needs a church,” Ross said and took a sip of cool water.
Hauser looked up at him surprised for a moment then his face softened. He nodded. “That is a perfect place to start.”
END
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