The Gospel According to Luke (21 page)

He put his clothes in the washing machine, placing the clean load in a wicker basket he found on the window ledge. He would have to cover himself before he could hang out the washing, which meant finding something of Aggie's to wear. He laughed out loud and resolved to keep laughing until he was dressed and could focus again on the washing.

He went through her closet, laughing so hard he was occasionally forced to sit down on the bed and hold his stomach. Her jeans and trousers were ludicrously long and her shirts all pulled across his back or bulged across his chest. There were several dresses and skirts but wearing those would not have been funny; it would have been depraved and whatever he'd done last night and this morning, he was not a pervert. He
stalked out of her bedroom and stormed through the house opening and closing doors until he found the linen cupboard. He grabbed a candy pink towel and wrapped it around his hips, and then chose a set of pale blue and green striped bed linen and took it back to the bedroom. As he fluffed and placed the final pillow, he glanced at the clock and saw it was eleven-twenty.

He was just pegging up the last of the washing when he heard Aggie's laughter. He turned and saw her leaning over the balcony, her face a picture of joy. ‘I must have died and gone to heaven,' she called out. ‘There's a gorgeous half-naked man doing my housework.'

‘Send him over here when he's done,' came a voice from over the fence.

Aggie laughed and ran down the stairs to meet Luke halfway. He crushed her against the railing, kissing her mouth and burying his hands in her hair. She kept laughing through his kisses, and after a little while, he was laughing too.

A television news van had beaten Aggie to the clinic and she was caught off guard with a question about yesterday's shooting. She answered as best she could on a moment's notice, saying it showed the disgusting depths that anti-choice protesters would go to. She went inside and drew the recently-purchased curtains over the front window.

When she fired up her computer she found a fresh stream of hate-filled emails:
Abortion War Death Toll. Abortionists – 1, Innocent babies – millions. Let's even the score.
There was also an email from Simon.
Ag,
it read,
V. worried about you in light of Adelaide incident. Hospital admin has doubled security – suggest you do
same. Simon. P.S. Monday's meeting was a great success. Request follow-up at your earliest convenience. xxx

Aggie smiled as she replied:
Dr. Keating, No need to worry. The police and media are everywhere. Agree that Monday was a success but must regretfully decline your request due to recently arranged merger with more favourable party. Rgds, A.

The reply came within minutes:
Congrats. Would be obliged if you kept me in mind for future vacancies. Casual or contract work preferred. Simon. P.S – I'm serious about security. Terrorists love an audience + copycats are a concern. Be careful! xxx

The incoming stream of quasi-death threats quickly chilled the warm glow Simon's emails had given her. The noise from outside was getting louder too. ‘Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places like the first apostles, who preached in the cities and villages,' came the megaphone-distorted voice. ‘This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel. It is the time to preach it from the rooftops.'

Aggie went to the door and opened it just enough to put her head around. She could see that the dented tin megaphone of days past had been replaced with an enormous red shiny thing plugged into some kind of amplifier. The noise was fantastic. ‘The Gospel must not be kept hidden because of fear or indifference,' the man hollered. ‘It was never meant to be hidden away in private. It has to be put on a stand so that people may see its light and give praise to our heavenly Father.'

‘Fuckers,' she mumbled, slamming the door. The phone rang and she braced herself to give the stock answer about sympathy to the family if it was a reporter, and grabbed a pen to quickly note the number on caller ID if the call was abusive.

‘Well, hi Aggie,' came the chirpy voice.

Aggie knew instantly who it was but was so surprised she needed time to compose herself. ‘Who is this?'

‘Oh, sorry. It's Belinda.'

Aggie was silent, trying to remember if Luke had said anything about what he'd told the others.

‘Belinda Swan. From across the street.'

‘Oh, right. Hi.'

‘Pressure's really on over there, huh? Greg said he saw a Channel Ten van?'

‘Yeah. I'm actually pretty flat out, Belinda, so . . .?'

‘Right, sorry. Ah . . .' Belinda made a little clicking sound. ‘This might seem an odd thing to ask, but you haven't seen Luke, have you?'

‘No.'

Belinda sighed. ‘Haven't heard from him today at all?'

‘What's this about?'

‘Oh, nothing, nothing. He just seems to have forgotten to turn his mobile on or something and we can't track him down. Never mind, I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later.' Belinda gave an affected little laugh. ‘Sorry to bother you.'

‘No bother.' Aggie hung up, wondering how to feel about this bit of information.

The voice from outside was getting louder, more strident. ‘But the fearful, and unbelieving,' it roared, ‘and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.'

Aggie dialled Malcolm and told him she was locking up and getting out. When he got there he could decide for himself whether it was worth opening for the afternoon.

‘But, Aggie –'

‘But nothing. I can't sit here and listen to anymore fire and brimstone. I've had this shit all month. I'm taking a couple of days off, starting right now.'

‘That's fine, but I haven't even seen you yet. I wanted to catch up.'

‘Later,' she told him. ‘When things settle down.'

Back at home Aggie made waffles with maple syrup and fresh fruit with whipped cream. Luke made coffee and then stood behind her kissing the back of her neck while she finished preparing the food. She told him about her morning, but left out the phone call from Belinda. She would ask him about that later; right now she wanted to enjoy his pink-towelled, shockingly horny presence without the need for serious discussions about the responsibilities he may or may not have skipped out on to be here.

‘So what did you do all morning?' she asked when they were seated at the table. ‘Apart from the washing.'

Luke shrugged and mumbled something that sounded like ‘nothing' through a mouthful of waffle.

‘Hungry?'

He nodded, pouring syrup over another waffle with one hand, while the other spooned a strawberry drowning in cream into his mouth. ‘I don't think I've ever been so hungry in my life. I hope you got more food than this.' He indicated the one remaining waffle and two rockmelon slices.

‘I think you've had quite enough.'

‘No, not at all. Come on, Ag, what else you got for me?'

Aggie stood up. ‘More fruit?' She undid the top button of her shirt. Luke shook his head, smiling broadly. ‘Toast?' She undid the second and third buttons. ‘Cereal?' Aggie backed towards the kitchen, undoing her buttons as she walked. Luke stood up. ‘Or I could make you some scrambled eggs, I guess.' Her shirt was all the way open. Luke was wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘I'd hate for you to be hungry.'

‘I'm full,' he said, coming towards her.

‘But a minute ago you were –'

He kissed her, his hands already working at the back of her bra. ‘Full,' he said.

‘Now we've dirtied these nice clean sheets,' Aggie said, wriggling over to avoid the brand new wet patch.

Luke's smile disappeared. He looked at Aggie with concern. ‘Should we be using something?'

‘Plastic sheets?'

‘I'm serious.'

She kept forgetting he hadn't been doing this for years like normal people. She was so used to being the less experienced partner. ‘Sorry.' She reached across and stroked his chest. ‘It's safe. I'm on the pill.'

Luke was quiet for a long while.

‘Oh, I'm clean, if that's what's bothering you. Matthew and I got tested when –'

‘Stop!' Luke pressed his lips together, his eyes tightly shut. ‘I don't need to know. You told me it's safe, and I believe you. I can't think about you being with other men. To think of anyone . . . It's like a nightmare.'

She rolled toward him, not caring about the wetness under her thigh. She put her head on his chest and was shocked to feel a great sob rip through him. His hand was on her head, stroking her hair but also holding her to him.

‘What would you do,' he asked, ‘if you discovered your pills had failed?'

‘What?'

‘Would you keep the baby?'

‘Depends.'

‘On?'

Aggie pulled herself up so she could see his face. ‘We don't need to talk about this, Luke. I'm not going to get pregnant.'

‘But if you did.'

‘I would do whatever you wanted.'

‘I would want you to have the baby.'

‘Right.' She moved away from him, lying on her side.

‘You wouldn't want it, would you?'

‘Since it's never going to happen, we don't need to worry about it, do we?'

‘I just need to know. Would you want an abortion?'

‘Yes.'

He made a noise like she'd winded him. ‘You never want children?'

‘I'm sorry, but I don't.'

‘Don't be sorry. I don't particularly want children either.'

Aggie turned over and stared at him.

‘I just want us to be clear on this. If you did fall pregnant, obviously I wouldn't want it killed and I couldn't bear to give it away, but . . . I don't think I'll ever be a father. I know it's not up to me, really. If God wants me to . . . well, anyway, I just can't even imagine. I have no idea what parents and children are to each other.'

‘I know.'

‘You do know, don't you?' He pulled her closer. ‘We're so alike, Ag, it blows me away to think how alike we are.'

‘Except for . . .'

‘Yes. Except for that.'

‘Belinda called me this morning.'

His body tensed, but his expression remained calm and interested. ‘Oh?'

‘She wanted to know if I'd seen you.'

‘Oh.'

‘I lied.'

He relaxed. ‘Thank you.'

‘So no one knows where you are?'

‘Not a soul.'

‘Won't they be worried?'

‘Probably.' He leant in to kiss her but she moved her face to the side.

‘When are you going back?'

Luke flopped dramatically onto his back. ‘Sunday, I guess. I'm supposed to be doing the service at the city church, unfortunately.'

‘Why didn't you tell them? What's wrong?'

‘I'm in some trouble. There have been . . . rumours.' Luke sighed. ‘I wish I didn't have to go back. I wish I could just stay here forever. I swear, Ag, if it wasn't for Honey I think I'd –'

‘What?' Aggie sat up. ‘Honey?'

‘Oh!' Luke laughed. ‘I forgot to tell you about Honey! She's with us now.'

Aggie was out of bed and pulling on her underpants in a flash. ‘You are fucking kidding me.'

Luke sat up. ‘Ag, you've got to hear this. It's really a miracle.'

‘I'm listening.' She pulled a T-shirt over her head.

Luke told her how he had come across Honey in the McDonald's, battered and broken. He told her about how she had miraculously decided not to abort her child, and how she had miraculously consented to move into the NCYC for the duration of her pregnancy. By the time he was finished talking she was dressed.

‘It makes me sick that you would take advantage of a pregnant girl from a violent home. And to encourage a girl with no money, no support network, barely able to take care of herself, to have a child is disgusting. You are disgusting.'

‘Aggie, sit down a minute.'

‘No, I won't. You're repulsive.' She ran from the room.

She cleared the remains of brunch from the table and made as much noise as possible, throwing plates hard into the sink and slamming the cupboard doors.

‘I don't understand why you're so upset.' Luke leant on the kitchen bench, watching her fill the sink with water. He had wrapped the pink towel around his waist again.

‘I'm upset,' Aggie said, throwing a coffee cup into the sink and splashing herself with hot, soapy water in the process, ‘because you're an unethical, immoral, slimy, lying, selfish bastard.'

‘But you love me anyway, right?'

‘Fuck you.'

‘Now listen, Aggie, you and I disagree on some fundamental issues and Honey and her child happen to be one of them. I don't –'

‘She's not an
issue
, Luke! She's a kid.'

‘Stop washing up. Come and talk to me properly.'

Aggie wiped her hands, then crossed her arms over her chest and leant on the edge of the sink. ‘I really don't see what you can say to make this better. You've ruined a young girl's life.'

‘No, I've saved the life of an innocent baby, and also saved the mother from a lifetime of guilt and an eternity of suffering. I am absolutely thrilled by how the situation has turned out and there's nothing you can say that will change my mind about it. So you might as well stop sulking.'

He went to the table and sat down. Aggie watched as he foraged through the fruit bowl, discarding apples, oranges and pears, finally selecting a peach which he pressed to his nose, inhaling deeply. He gave a contented sigh and took a bite, closing his eyes as he chewed.

‘Luke . . .' Aggie began but could not finish. He had finished the peach and was licking his fingers. She went to him, letting him put his sticky, dishonest hands all over her.