Friday, December 26, 2008

Introducing Phoebe

Phoebe is a lesbian priest with a three-legged dog name God. She's tall and bosomy (a beauty once, now somewhat matronly) with dark blue eyes and close-cropped, salt-and-pepper hair. Her pale skin and contemplative nature can make her seem cold or standoffish, but she has a big heart and generous nature. Her last girlfriend, in tender moments, called her Peachy. 

She's come late in life to the priesthood--she hasn't actually been ordained, not in any official way--but she's felt the calling and figures that's good enough. The only church that will take her, however, can't pay. So she supports herself tending bar. The church isn't actually a church. There's a congregation, but they meet in an old movie theatre, which is fine with Phoebe because she gets to preach in front of an enormous velvet curtain, and all the parishioners get to bring their dogs. 

Plus, she gets to live in the theatre for free. She sleeps in the projection room (which she calls the "wrecktory") and cooks in the concession stand. There's a working sink and a mostly-working refrigerator, to which Phoebe has added a four-slice toaster and electric kettle, converting it--as far as Phoebe is concerned--to a fully functioning kitchen.

The ladies room is adequate for freshening up, but showering was problem until Phoebe discovered that a priest's collar can get you into the university's very up-scale gym--no questions asked.

Of course, there's no yard behind the theatre for God to run around in, which is why Phoebe spends so much time at the Dog Park. (That, plus the fact that Josephine can often be found there.)

 

 

1 comment:

  1. I love all the unexpected juxtapositions in Phoebe's life: she's a lesbian, bar tending, priest, the theater/ church that allows dogs, the converted concession stand kitchen.

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