THE CARDINAL

'Be careful,' she said as I climbed up onto the wall the top embedded with sharp pieces of glass.
The plastic corrugated roof of the neighbour's lean to at the back of his house was vibrating in time to the music had woken us in the middle of our social dreaming.
'Oi, what the fuck you think you're doing?' shouted the neighbour as he ran from deep in his house to the back door he opened and said, 'The police are outside. I called them when I heard you were coming.'
The children helped me off the wall before running along the dark alley to the front of the house where by the blue flashing lights of several patrol cars I saw them attack the police.
'You're coming with us,' said an Inspector grabbing my arm.
Behind him I saw the children cuffed, under arrest.
'Let me talk to the Cardinal,' I said. 'I've met him, I know him.'
The Inspector let me go. I made my way through the crowd had gathered, passed Derek who was on a break from filming Criminal Minds, turned left up the lane to wasteland where the Cardinal had last been seen in robes and a crown.
A man, hands in the low pockets of an olive green cardigan, walked towards me: The Cardinal.
'I need your help,' I said.
A word from him and the police let the children go. I made sure Derek's son was safe before joining the others walking a path lined with young trees.
Not before too long we came to an old well maintained house adjacent to a church through a large window at the front of which I could see a crucifix, collection plate, a trapeze artist waving.
Soon it was time to leave.
The Cardinal carried a tray, on it four glasses, a bottle he opened with a corkscrew.
I thought this might be the last time I saw him and felt like crying but he filled the glasses, gave one to me, raised his, made a toast: Nice to meet you, he said, someone I know will be a good friend for life.
My turn, my toast - Thank you for helping, I said, in a situation I needed your help.