Brian’s Spiritual Delivery Service
They cruised into Parkville, and headed towards Third Street.
“What are you delivering?” asked Allison. “Or is that, uh, a secret too?”
“You’ll see,” said Brian with a mischievous grin. “Hey, how’s your sister? I saw her at the thing the other day. I heard she got married, is that true?”
“Yeah,” said Allison. “But it didn’t last. They divorced last year. She’s with Stan now.”
Brian raised an eyebrow. “Stan? You mean Stan Stupinsky?”
“Yeah.”
“He used to date Leigh, didn’t he? I remember, I remember. They used to give me a hard time, him and his friends.”
“Me, too,” said Allison. “Do you remember, we’d hang out and they’d make jokes. Like we were a couple.”
“Heh,” said Brian. “That wouldn’t be such a big deal now, right? Just another straight pair.”
“Right,” said Allison. She remembered a second too late, and coughed out a tiny, forced laugh.
They pulled onto a narrow, shady street. Brian checked the address written on a little card he pulled from his shirt pocket, and parked the van in front of nondescript ranch house. He sized Allison up again. “Hm. Maybe it’d be best if you waited here. No offense, it’s just that this can be a delicate moment.”
“Sure,” said Allison, feeling a little hurt.
Brian grabbed the book-shaped package and swung out of the van. Allison sighed and dug her cell phone out of her purse. Maybe someone had sent her an email. Nope.
Someone knocked on the window; she jumped. “Hey,” Brian said. “Sorry. Come on with, it’s okay.”
Allison suddenly wanted very much to stay in the van, but followed Brian up to the door. He knocked. A young woman answered.
“Lucy?” She nodded. “I’m Brian, this is my friend Allison. Look, this is for you, and there’s a letter that comes with it. I’ll tell you right off, it’s nothing easy.” He handed her the package. “I knew the man who sent it, and I’ll be glad to wait right here and answer questions if you need me to.”
“Who is it from?” she asked suspiciously.
“Your biological father,” Brian answered. “I met him in California, and he wanted me to give this to you…”
—
They spent an hour with Lucy, as Brian told her some stories about her father, and how he had cared about her even though he never knew her. The package was a photo album of his life. He had no one, Brian explained, to give it to. He regretted so many things.
Allison sat quietly and listened as Brian spun the tale of the man’s life and woes. Lucy was reduced to tears by the end, and Brian held her hand while they prayed together. Allison, moved, even joined in.
When they finally left, Allison was nearly in tears herself. She got back into the van. “So you really knew that guy, huh?”
“Nah, not really,” said Brian, shrugging. “I mean, I knew him a bit… I met him right at the end of his life. He asked me to take this, and he told me his story.” He grinned sheepishly, for a brief moment the Brian whom Allison had known years ago. “I may have made some of the stories up, or embellished a bit. But I did what he asked. I brought him to her.”
“…And this is your job? This is what you do?”
“Well, no and yes. It is what I do, it’s my calling. It’s the ministry I was put on Earth to do. But it isn’t my job. I don’t get paid for it.”
“Then how–?”
Brian shook his head. “I deliver other things. Better you don’t ask what.”
“Ah,” said Allison, looking like she understood.
“Hey,” said Brian. “Want to go get some lunch? I’m completely starving.”
