...five of them tried to enter the church of rosa castillo in bogata colombia
the rain was relentless and they needed shelter
but rosie was alone and suspicious
the church was a mess
she was not expecting visitors
except for juan-julian who was expected any second
but that was not to be a meeting of a religious nature
... no
it was to be carnal and take place at the shrine of rosie,
and the shrine of juan julian
noted for his shrine
the church of rosa castillo was closed to visitors
at two oclock on a rainy night
but then rosie thought
what is a church, if not a refuge?
how can I claim to be a church if I do not act charitably
if I am inconvenienced by another's sufferring, then am
worthy of having a church in my own name?
“your light, it was on…”
she told them finally to go around back
she would let them in to the kitchen where they could dry off in front of the oven and have some soup, but where they would sleep would be a different matter - the garage was the most likely possibility but it would be cold and damp.
they thanked her for kindness
rough men all, but considerate and respectful,
"...we have come here for work one explained
but only arrived tonight in this storm and are lost and on foot, just come from a bus that broke down out of town."
then the tap on the door
so light that only she heard
and then only because
she listened for it
eagerly through the rain she heard it
as if on her heart - tap tap
juan-julian
while the five dried
in front of the wood fire that burned in the old stove
rosie slipped quietly from the room and whisked down the hall to the door.
In a swirl of rain and cold air there stood juan-julian and her heart skipped
she beckoned him in and gestured with a finger to his lips to say nothing then with a crook, to follow her quietly down the hall
she led him to the reading room where they finally embraced and kissed wantonly, she soon grew wet from his drenched clothes but their
embrace continued and grew more intense the passion overtaking them in the moment lost
he was desperate and demanding
hardly in control
she was mad for his touch
then from the other room came a sound
the men now warmed and drying,
more relaxed with hot soup in them
grown more boisterous with laughter
their burdens lifted ever so briefly
their bellies full
he immediately broke their embrace
what the hell is that ?
five men in from the storm
laborers sharing soup
and a fire in the kitchen
I am a church
I could not turn them away I
Rosie there are men after me
could these be the men?
No. But why ?
Another romance. A true affair of the heart
But we don’t know if these men...so poor...could be killers...could take your life
A poor man has every reason to listen to such a proposition. Survival would be his first thought, after which nothing else counts
The soul.
The soul cannot feed the man’s family
More laughter.
I’ll ask them to stop - I’ll send them to the garage, stay here stay quiet.
I must get my sleep, I must get my sleep!
They turned to look at her framed in the doorway. A large candle in hand.
Please retire to the garage and sleep well.
There was a long silence that Rosa could not identify.
Was she being challenged or were they simply reluctant to leave the warmth of the kitchen for the damp cold garage? could she blame them? then Juan Julian was at her side. he demanded they leave, he wore only his trousers, his chest was bare. The bullet pierced the naked flesh at the heart and exited from the back.
Rosie feared for life and stepped back to the wall cowering from the next shot!….but there was no next shot.
we came to do our job, it is done. thank you for the soup, we will leave you now.
why? why did you...?
he hurt a woman. no more.
what about juan julian? I am a priest i cannot have a dead half-dressed man in my kitchen and am not strong enough to move him. he is a large man.
he will be removed. he is not your burden.
she blushed, he had been only moments ago – weighing heavy atop her - his life still clinging to her thighs and walls
she turned away as two lifted him and blood flowed from his wound which caused her to scream but lost in the storm the door now opened and the body being carried out into the rain
come back, she thought, come back juan julian back to the bed which is still warm from us
... but chills with a cold blast of wind from the doorway
then the door slammed and it was over
Rosie had the church straightened in an hour. His Blood cleaned, his shirt burned, his shoes too good to destroy, now meant for some poor soul, placed in the vestibule to disappear quickly.
Juan Julian was difficult to lose. She thought of him often after that.
