Chapter 12 The Red Light

They entered and sat down to another one of Martha's excellent meals. Afterwards, Jeff helped with the dishes and Phineas found Father Ed in his study.

"What did you say to Jeff yesterday?" Bogg asked him.

"Not too much, why?" Father Ed answered.

"He just seems so much better," Bogg couldn't continue, his voice gave away his emotions.

Father Ed nodded and smiled, "I had a feeling he might."

"So what did you say to him?"

"We talked off and on while we sat. He's very articulate and he understands himself very well for someone so young."

"But what did you say to him?" Bogg asked again.

"I told him a little about grief, asked him a few questions and let him fill in the answers. He told me some things about you as well as himself."

Phineas paused realizing that Father Ed wasn't going to tell him what had been said. He also realized that he didn't care. Jeff was okay and that was really all that mattered. Something else too, there was something about Father Ed that Bogg felt he could trust. Here was a good man. So he made the decision not to press any more.

"I wonder what he said about me?"

"I have a feeling he'll tell you himself, eventually," Father Ed responded, and Phineas shook his head and smiled at another non-answer.

ooOoo

The evening was quiet, and Jeff continued to write on the tablet, often erasing and changing whatever it was that he was working on. The following day was Tuesday, and they finished up work on the inside of the building.

"This is amazing, it really looks like a place you could live in," Jeff observed.

"It won't be anything unless I get some financial support from the Bishop," Father Ed replied.

That evening, the Bishop rang the bell at 7 PM and entered Father Ed's study. Before they could get started, Jeffrey entered and interrupted.

"Bishop, I think the reason you won't give support to Father Ed's orphanage idea is that you don't understand that a home can be a lot of different things to a lot of different people," Jeff began.

"Now really son,"

"No, hear me out!" Jeff raised his voice and the Bishop glanced at the priest, then nodded.

"Okay," Jeff began, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the paper that Bogg had seen him writing on. "Bogg and me, we travel around a lot... a lot. And this is my idea of home," and he handed the paper to the Bishop and stared at him expectantly.

Bishop Harty unfolded the sheet and began to read.

ooOoo

The Bishop read the paper to himself while Bogg and Father Ed exchanged looks and Bogg shrugged. Jeff's eyes stayed on the Bishop, and when he finished reading, he stared back at the child.

There was silence in the room as the Bishop sat thinking. Finally he sighed. "I was considering approving your project before, but I couldn't make a final decision. It could have gone either way. I guess this is just one more reason you should go ahead."

Father Ed straightened up, surprised, "you mean you'll fund it?" he asked in disbelief as Phineas caught Jeff's eye and smiled in the background.

The Bishop nodded "yes, I'll fund it," he answered as he stood up. He turned toward Jeffrey and handed the paper back to him. "Thank you for sharing this with me," he said and then left.

Father Ed leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes, "I can't believe this, meeting you two is the best thing that's happened to me in a long time. What was on the paper?"

Jeff smiled at him and shrugged while Bogg took out the omni and opened it. When his smile fell, Jeff moved over next to him to see the omni too, a red light.