The Bishop - Chapter Nine: "Young" Tony

 Chapter Nine: "Young" Tony

"Young" Tony and Archdeacon Fulman were old friends.  Their friendship began back in the days when "Young" Tony might legitimately have been considered young, at least by the standards of the world.  The moniker stuck because now, even in his early forties, he was still young by church standards.  But back when he was  young we was given that name when he was a bookseller at the Diocesan Book Room, to distinguish him from "Old" Tony, an ancient Book Room clerk who had worked there for nearly fifty years.  "Young" Tony had trained as an archivist but had been unable to find a position in his chosen profession.  Fortunately, the Venerable Dr. Major, the manager of the Book Room and taken pity upon him and hired him as a clerk, a position in which he remained for fifteen years until the late Bishop Temperance Verity closed the Book Room in one of her cost-cutting rampages.  Yet, "Young" Tony was seen as a man of great merit and promise, he was well liked, and when the time-worn (and senile) Diocesan Archivist was put out to pasture, "Young" Tony was offered the position into which he moved seamlessly.  

Archdeacon Fulman, with whom we are well acquainted from previous instalments in this little series, became an intimate friend of "Young" Tony back in the early days of the latter's bookselling career. The Archdeacon (although he was simply "Father Fulman" in those days) would make weekly visits to the Book Room to pick up church supplies such as candles, service bulletins, hosts and wine, and of course, the latest interesting works of theology.  He always sought out "Young" Tony because he was affable and friendly.  He was knowledgeable, too, as were many other members of the staff. However, the staff of the Book Room, while known for knowledge and expertise were not especially known for their friendliness. In fact, it was often said that to get a job in the Book Room, one needed to be clinically anti-social. In this respect, "Young" Tony was an anomaly.  He smiled. A member of the Cathedral staff approached him two months into his employment in the Book Room and said, "You must be the new guy...you're smiling.  How did you get hired, anyway?"  Yet, "Young" Tony never stopped smiling during all his fifteen years as a bookseller. He liked bookselling, he liked helping others find the resources they needed for their ministry, and most importantly, he liked people. He was gentle, likeable, and quite frankly, a breath of fresh air in that stuffy old Book Room. This is what led the Archdeacon to always seek him out on his weekly visits.  Soon, they struck up a friendship and Tony would take his break to coincide with these visits. After a few years they were having lunch once a week, and occasionally hanging out socially.  They became good friends.  When Tony moved to the Diocesan Archives, those weekly lunches continued, and when the Archdeacon took on Maddie as his curate, she would sometimes join them.

Tony had immediately felt attracted to Maddie when they first met. Although she was twelve years his junior, there was just something about her that he admired so deeply and found so engaging. She was strong and self-confident, perhaps traits he himself lacked.  Like him, she was smart.  She had a wicked, perhaps irreverent, sense of humour. They formed a quick and easy friendship.  They would often spend time together without the Archdeacon as they became friends, and Tony wondered if they might be able to be more than friends.  Yet, that hope was dashed when he took the Archdeacon aside one day and asked his advice about perhaps asking her out on a real date.  To Tony's surprise, his inquiry with met with a prolongued pause. 

"Tony," he said at last, "How shall I put this? Well, I may as well just say it...I don't think she's into men."

"Oh," breathed out Tony with a mixture of surprise and disappointment. Perhaps he was just not that worldly, but he really hadn't considered that Maddie might have been gay. "I see..."

"Now, perhaps I shouldn't have told you that ... I mean, it's probably not my place ... it's not like it's a secret or anything... she's open about it, in a manner of speaking ... I don't think anyone in the parish knows." The Archdeacon was fumbling about. 

"Yes, it was probably her place to tell, but..."

"But I didn't want you to, well, feel embarrassed."

"No...no...thank you. I won't say anything. I'll let her tell me, if she chooses, but thank you. I do feel a bit foolish anyway."

And that was pretty much that.  Tony never spoke if his interest in her again, although his attraction to her never went away.  Yet, they remained good friends, and after the Archdeacon moved to England, Tony and Maddie continued the tradition of the weekly lunches. They enjoyed each other's company, and he became her greatest confidant -- one much needed as she embarked on her own ministry at Hampton's Corners and had to deal with the likes of Judy Jumblejump.  In "Young" Tony she had a faithful friend and a true champion. However, there was always a little bit of him that wanted to be more to her.

..."The Bishop" returns tomorrow...