The Ministry Child

A Lonely Life

A Lonely Life

Chapter 10!

September 1988

Albany gazed at the candle burning in the middle of the dining table, she watched the flame flickering. There was only two places set at the table, but one space was still empty. Papa Nihil hadn't turned up for his dinner yet, he was still in his office. It had been this way for months, she always sat alone in the kitchen at meal times. Her Brothers had moved to Los Angeles, her Father was always working. The ghouls were elsewhere around the Ministry, she had no company but her own. The only time she had company was when she did her school work with Phil, she had nobody talk to anymore. Sighing to herself she looked down at the bowl of soup in front of her, it seemed like she would be eating alone tonight. Taking her spoon Albany stirred it around her bowl, it smelt pretty good. The ghouls had made Minestrone soup, it was homemade. Thick and full of vegetables, there was fresh baked bread to go with it. She watched the steam raising from the bowl, it was still warm even if she had been waiting for her Father for over fifteen minutes. She began to eat her dinner, but she noticed dark smoke creeping down the kitchen's wall. It wasn't long until Phil emerged from the dark unseen doorway of the wall, his face always hidden behind a mask he wore his Ministry uniform with pride.

" Hello, Phil." She said.

The ghoul winked at her before he approached the stove, he took a bowl from the cupboard and turned the stove on. He was reheating the soup for Papa Nihil, her Father ate most of his meals in his office these days. He was constantly working his days a way. Albany carried on eating her soup, she soon had an empty bowl in front of her. Getting up from her seat she took her bowl to the sink, she watched the ghoul ladled some soup into the bowl. Her gaze caught the ghoul's attention, he gestured towards the pot. He was asking her in his own way if she wanted seconds.

" I'm fine, but can I take the soup to Papa?" She asked.

The ghoul looked at the bowl in his hand, he thought for a moment before he nodded his head at at her. He held one of his fingers up at her before he got a napkin from a draw, he then wrapped it around the bowl. Albany carefully took the bowl from him, he booped her nose before he went to tidy up the dining table.

Albany left the kitchen, she carefully carried the hot bowl of soup down the hallway. The unholy church was silent, there was nobody around. Most of the Clergy offices were on level two of the unholy church, she had visited them a few times with her Father over the years. But she was never allowed to visit them alone, she was too young for Clergy business. Turning left she kept walking, the colourful lights guided her way. Stopping outside of an open doorway she peered into the office, her Father was busy with paperwork. The room was lit with just a lamp, the window's curtains were drawn. She knocked on the door and waited for him to invite her into his office, she soon caught his attention. She waved her fingers at him, he gave her a smile before he beckoned her inside.

" Hello, Papa." She said.

" Hello, little one." He said, he turned his attention back towards his typewriter. " Is there something you need? I'm busy right now."

" I brought you some dinner." She said before she approached his desk. " It's just Minestrone soup, the ghouls told me it's soup weather now. I still think it's too warm for soup, but it's still good."

" Thank you." He said, he motioned towards the window. " Just place it on the cabinet near the window."

" Don't you want to eat it at your desk?" She asked.

" I don't want to mess up my paperwork." He replied.

" Okay." She said.

Albany carried the hot bowl of soup over to the cabinet, placing it down on the side she soon noticed a plate of untouched food already there. It was the risotto the ghouls had served for lunch, it seemed like her Father hadn't ate his lunch again. It had been the same has yesterday, he hadn't been eating properly lately. Looking over at her Father she sighed to herself, there was an half empty glass of whisky on his desk. His liquid meals, he preferred them more than the meals he had prepared for him by the ghouls.

" Why didn't you eat your lunch?" She asked.

" Oh, I forgot about it..." He replied.

" You did the same thing yesterday, and the day before that." She said, she carefully picked the bowl up from the side. " Stop working and eat something, I don't want you fading away into nothing."

" I'm not a ghost yet, my child." He said.

" Papa, please don't say that..." She said with a sigh. " It's not funny, your jokes are not funny!"

" Okay, okay!" He said before he pulled his chair away from his desk. " I will eat the damn soup, but let me tidy my desk first."

" Can I help?" She asked.

" If you must." He replied.

Albany placed the bowl on the desk, she moved some folders and took the whisky glass from the desktop. She hid it behind her back when Nihil returned to his desk, he gathered the rest of his folders before he put them in the desk draw. She back away from him, reaching the curtains she hid the whisky glass behind them. She then sat down on a chair near the bookshelf. Pulling her knees to her chest she picked a random book from the shelf, she flicked through it's pages while she slyly kept her gaze on her Father. But their gaze soon met, the expression on his face was blank.

" Why are you hanging around my office?" He asked. " Don't you have homework? Surely you have better things to do instead of sitting here with me. Go and play with your toys."

" I'm thirteen, I don't play with toys anymore." She replied.

" You're thirteen?" He asked.

" Oh Papa, you're not getting forgetful already are you?" She asked.

" No, I just forget sometimes how fast you are growing up." He replied with a slight smile. " But you don't have to stay here, go and have some fun."

" Do you really want me to leave?" She asked.

" Only if you want to go." He replied.

" I'm fine here." She said with a smile. " I'm just a little bored, I've got nobody to talk to since Sister Christina left the Ministry."

" Would you like another nanny?" He asked.

" I don't think we're allowed to have anymore nannies." She said before she placed her feet down on the floor. " Secondo told me you have a habit of sleeping with them, is it true? He told me that when he visited in May. Something about the Los Angeles Ministry blacklisted you again, did you sleep with Sister Christina? She wasn't even your type, but she was pretty and top heavy is what Secondo called it. I was told by him that you liked blondes."

Nihil nearly choked on his soup, his mismatched eyes focusing on his youngest child he looked horrified at what she had just said to him. Albany stared blankly at him, she dared not speak in case she got a scolding. She had only repeated what she had been told by her Brother. Secondo had told her many things about their Father and his bad habits, she knew more about his past than he realised. Her Father cleared his throat, wiping his mouth with the napkin he got up from his seat.

" I will be talking with Secondo when he visits next month." He said with a sigh. " You should leave now, little one. I think you should get ready for bed, it's getting late."

" But it's not 8pm yet..." She said.

" An early night will do you good." He said before he walked around his desk. " You can take the book with you, goodnight."

" Okay, Papa." She said.

" Just one more thing before you go..." He said.

" Yes, Papa?" She asked.

" Will you close the the door behind you." He replied. " I don't want to be distributed for the rest of the night."

" Okay..." She said.

Albany got to her feet, her fingers curling around the book she ventured forward. Her Father stopped her halfway, his hand resting on her shoulder she had no other choice but to look up at him. His mismatched eyes were harsh, his height against her own was intimidating. She gulped hard, she had no idea if she was in trouble for what she had said to him, but his features soon softened. A smile crept across his face. He told her not to listen to her Brothers anymore, she should only listen to her Father in the future.