The Ministry Child: From The Pinnacle To The Pit

Another Papa, A New Era

" Albany, I need your help!" He said.

" Did you make a mess in the kitchen again?" She asked, her gaze met with his own. " We have spoken about this before, Brother. I'm not your housekeeper, you're old enough to clean up after yourself. You're forty-six, I'm afraid to say you're not a child anymore."

" I didn't make a mess in the kitchen this time, Sister." He said before he showed her the hem of his papal robe. " But I tore my papal robe, the Clergy tailor is going to kill me!"

" How did you manage to do that?" She asked.

" It got caught on the main stairway's railing, it was an accident!" He said, he motioned his hands towards his loyal pet. " Michelangelo nearly tripped me down the stairs. My robe's hem got caught on the curl iron part of the banister, then it tore..."

" And what am I expected to do about it?" She asked.

" You can sow, yes?" He asked.

" I can sow socks and buttons onto shirts, but yes I can sow." She replied.

" Can you sow it for me?" He asked, he took her hands in his own. " I hear women are very handy with a needle and thread, they are homemakers. I admire a woman who can..."

" Secondo!" She said, she interrupted her Brother's sentence. " You shouldn't really be saying things like that about women..."

" I'm sorry, Sister. It will not happen again!" He said while he crouched before her. " I will reward you gratefully if you help me, but you cannot tell anyone about my little mishap."

" What kind of reward?" She asked.

" I don't know." He replied, he leaned closer towards her. " What would you like? Jell-O pots? How about some new clothes and shoes? Oh, perfume! I could get you some flowers or take you out for a meal..."

" Don't mention Jell-O pots!" She said with a groan. " You don't have to get me anything, Brother. You're doing enough for me already, I'm grateful you are getting my old clerk position back for me. I may have to decline it seeing has Papa likes having me for his assistant, but there is one thing I would like."

" Name it and it's yours, little Sister!" He said.

" I would like to learn how to drive." She said

" But I taught you how to drive when you were seventeen, don't you remember?" He asked.

" How can I forget?" She asked in an amused tone. " The look on that old woman's face was priceless when you reversed into her market stalls, but Papa didn't laugh when he received the cost of the damages."

" Okay, okay!" He said before he pointed his finger towards her. " I will get Phil to give you some driving lessons after my tour ends. The Clergy can arrange to get you a driving licence, there will be no questions asked. But you will have to tell Papa about it first, he will need to know this time."

" Okay, we have a deal." She said.

" Come on now, let's get moving!" He said.

" What about my lunch?" She asked.

" You can bring it with you, hurry now!" He said.

Secondo's gloved hands slipped away from her own, he picked Michelangelo up from the floor before he motioned to his younger sibling to follow him. He told her that the Clergy tailor was elsewhere around the unholy church for the rest of the day. He said they had the perfect chance to sneak into the tailor's room and use his sowing kit without his knowledge. Albany deeply sighed to herself, she had no other choice to help him since they had made a deal. She didn't want him to get into trouble about his torn papal robe, he had been kind to her lately. Getting to her feet Albany slipped her heels back on, she took her coffee cup and plate from the end table. She followed her Brother through the library and into the hallway, it seemed like her lunch break was over for now.