“You see the bloke with the red and blue cap over there?”
Aaron looked in that direction. “Yep.”
“Well, he reckons he used to be a doctor and he’s telling us about one of his patients. He reckons this patient came into his office and said to him ‘Doctor, doctor, I keep thinking I’m invisible’.”
Aaron wondered where this was going.
“The doctor looked around the room, pretended there was no one there and said, ‘Did someone say something?’”
A chuckle came out of Aaron.
“He’s a good man, but I don’t think he’s a doctor. He’s just trying to relax us because there are some strange things happening in the city at the moment. People are vanishing.”
Chris nodded and started to walk off.
Aaron’s mind started spinning. “Hey, Chris, what do you mean by ‘vanishing’?”
Chris stopped and turned to face Aaron. “It’s like people get transported somewhere and then back again—hasn’t happened to me yet. No one believes them but I do. I reckon someone is testing something.”
“Has it happened to anyone that’s here today?”
Chris had a look around. “Nope, don’t think so, at least those that I’m aware of. Some don’t tell because no one believes them. But then you get some saying they’ve vanished just to get the attention. And they may add an alien green man element to it.” Chris smiled and winked. “No one believes street people; we’re all mad as hatters.”
Mackenzie grabbed Chris on the arm before he left. “Chris, I want you to be extra careful out there, okay?”
“I will, love. You be careful too.” Chris turned towards Aaron, gave him a wink and walked off.
Aaron watched Mackenzie staring at Chris as he walked off. She had a big heart.
Mackenzie turned to Aaron. “I had a premonition. I’ve had a few lately. Maybe I’m tuning into something. I sensed something is going to happen to Chris."
Chapter 10
THE REVEREND WAS OUT on the footpath staring up at the church. It was an old building, one of the oldest churches in the city. A high-rise development dwarfed the church on one side, while open public space greeted it on the other side. Entrance to the park was guarded by two bronzed lion sculptures—some street people claimed to have seen these lions come to life at night-time, prowling around and roaring.
The only prowling roaring lion that the Reverend Peter Thomas knew was his enemy, the devil. But the Reverend was aware of the enemy and he was sober-minded and alert, as his Father had instructed.
The Reverend had reservations about coming to a church in the city considering he was a country boy through and through. Home was the Pilbara district, a massive remote area in the north-west of Western Australia, rich in natural resources. He’d had reservations about coming from such a spacious open place to a cramped city. But he came here to help those attracted by the density of a city, those seeking refuge in the city, seeking to blend in and become invisible, to take on new identities and vanish from their loved ones.
The Reverend reflected on the verse that he studied in his quiet time this morning. It reminded him of his servanthood.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever!
I’m here to serve you Father, he said to himself.
The Reverend commenced his regular morning circuit of the church grounds. He was vigilant about this, not wanting any used needles and beer cans polluting the church grounds, especially at the weekends when the young ones liked to run around on the lawns.
He noticed some egg on his left shoe from a little incident this morning. He wiped it on the grass and continued his circuit. He had found a few empty beer bottles today. As he was picking up another bottle, a movement caught his eye. He turned to see a man crumbled up against the back wall of the church, partially concealed by a red flowering bottlebrush plant.
He moved closer to the person and pushed a branch away so he could see the man better. He tapped him on the leg. “Are you okay, mate?”
The man was startled and stared back at the Reverend. “Who are you?” He pushed his arm out in front of him. “Are you real?” The man closed his eyes and opened them again. He let out a low groan. “No, it’s still there.”
The Reverend said a quiet prayer. “Who’s still here?”
“An angel . . . but he’s moving away at the moment.”
The Reverend thought for a moment. Some of the street people he had come across had lost touch with reality, and this looked like another example. “Can I help you up?”
The man moved his head around, taking in his surroundings. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the grounds of the City Community Church on Ann Street.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m one of the ministers of the Church.” He put his hand out for the man to grab which the man took hold of. The Reverend pulled him up and helped the man regain his balance. “People around here know me as Reverend Peter.”
The man was taller than the Reverend, only by a few inches. His clothing had bits of grass and twigs from where he’d been lying; they both started brushing these things away.
“I’m not crazy. I was pretty scared last night . . . I remember now. I sometimes sleep rough, but something awfully strange happened last night.”
“Would you like to come inside and refresh yourself—I make a nice cup of tea. Or coffee, if you prefer. Probably have some leftover cakes or cookies from the last meeting held here.”
The man nodded.
The Reverend led him inside the church. They walked past all the pews.
“It’s been a long time since I've been inside a church except for funerals and weddings.”
