truly our brothers' keeper

"st. clair..."

"AH! Reverend st. clair, dear doktor...i'm a member of the ministry now."

"yeah, listen..."

"you don't fuckin' believe me?"

"about what?"

"i'm a minister."

"yeah..."

"i'm not fuckin' kiddin'...this isn't some kind of sham...i'm a legitimate man of the cloth. i didn't choose this, it chose me!"

"it's not polite to go around fuckin' with religion."

"i'm not, my son. well, maybe just a little...look, don't put it like that. it doesn't sound so good when you put it like that. i thought that..."

"yeah fuck off."

we round the bend and step confidently off the sidewalk. there is no talking here. the red bricks of these walls are wet...spot the sun's light through the fog in this city. the hard cadence of imitation leather footsteps rises quickly and finds us in the alleyway, turning...

"...i finally caught up with you," the man says between breaths, "i have to talk to you! you're a man of the cloth..."

"you see," i say to the doktor, "you see! you thought i was kidding." i turn to the man...he has been in the rain. his glasses are broken, his hair is a mess, and his hands shake like restless birds at his sides. "yes, my brother..."

"Reverend, i seek forgiveness," he said.

"my son, be still, tell me..."

"oh for fuck's sake...you really are serious, aren't you? you're a cold, evil, darkness, black magic motherfucker," the doktor said.

"Silence! can't you see i've work to do here?"

"oh no...don't let me stop you. i'll be over here, way outta the way of the lightning bolt."

i turned. "my son, continue..."

"oh Brother st. clair...i don't know how it's come to this...i had in my heart what i thought were the purest intentions...but i think i have been deceived...oh my..."

"STOP YOUR CRYING! IT IS WOMANISH! now...up on your feet!"

"oh Brother st. clair...how can i ever be forgiven? i feel that all the waters of the Earth could not wash these hands clean...everything they touch...defiled...oh what have i done, what have i done..."

"my child, be still. come clean."

"Reverend, i vote republican..."

"oh my."

"yes...you see! and that's not all! oh no! i have a copy of rick santorum's book...and it's AUTOGRAPHED!"

"yo st. clair, you know what a santorum is?"

"I'VE GOT NO TIME FOR THAT NOW! YOU," i turn away from the doktor, "YOU...continue."

"Brother, you know the republican national committee meeting?"

"go on."

"Brother, i helped bring that here!"

"oh my goodness."

"i told you...oh...I TOLD YOU...i told you...why...oh why...oh why..."

i walked to a downspout in the corner of the alley. it was spilling rainwater onto black pavement. i washed my hands and looked at the doktor. we knew the business was about to get ugly, but such is the profession of ours.

"my son, i'd like to introduce you to the doktor."

"yeah...introduce that motherfucker to me."

"Oh Reverend, thank you, thank you! do you think he can help? what is he a doctor of?"

"Yeah...what the fuck are you a doktor of?"

"abberant behaviors."

"fascinating."

"yeah...hey you, douchebag, you're coming with me!"

later, between the screams of that filthy little weasel, i heard him moan, "st. clair, i thought you were a man of the cloth?"

i didn't respond. he should have known that while i may be a man of the cloth, i am a man of God first.