Father James

Posted on Thu Jan 15th, 2026 @ 10:55am by Cassandra Lennox & Maureen Lennox & Father James Aldridge

1,829 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Safe Harbour
Location: Saint Augustine's Church, Thistledrift, Yorkshire, England
Timeline: 04 December 2012 0900 hours (9am GMT)

Father James Aldridge was sitting in the kitchen of the rectory sipping coffee from a mug with the Church of England emblem on one side and the words 'What Would Jesus Do' on the other side. It was a cold, wintery morning and he was reviewing his daily to do list.
There were a few people scheduled to stop by this morning and then an afternoon session of the Town Council this afternoon with the major issue being several newcomers arriving in Thistledrift recently.

Father James stood and went to the stove where a steel coffee pot rested. He was in the midst of pouring coffee into his mug when a knock on the door to the outside occurred. He wasn't expecting anyone this early. "Come in, door is unlocked."

Cassandra hated the walk from her cottage to the rectory but she could not deny her mother an escort nor the fact she had some items for him. She was just glad he was there and not in the church or the hall. She smiled at the familiar voice and stepped inside stomping her boots as she did. “It is just us Father.” Maureen called gently.

Father James gave both Lennox women a warm smile as he held aloft the coffee pot. "May I interest either one of you to the finest organic suspension ever devised?"

“Please, Father,” Maureen said, shaking off her coat. Cassandra was slower, she was flagging already, but she carried the box easily into the roo,m putting it down in the side before she looked at the coffee.

“If you do not mind, James,” Cassandra said, hanging her coat up.

Father James poured two more mugs and met the ladies at the table, setting a mug down before each of them. He gestured to the little center basket with packets of powdered creamer, sugar and non sugar sweeteners. He finally took a seat after Maureen and Cassandra sat down. "What brings you both to the Rectory at this early hour on a wintery morning?" He took a sip as he awaited their response.

"Well, I brought you the requested items," Cassandra commented, pointing to the box she had put down, but it was her mother who wanted to come so early.

"There are 2 newcomers," Maureen said. "A lovely young man and a man this one found in Dunsbrough." Maureen was not sure what to make of two new people after months of no one new.

Father James nodded his head slowly. "I heard. They will both need to be vetted by the council at our weekly this afternoon. I understand that the young man is staying with Lola. What about the man you picked on the foraging run?"

“Blackthorn Inn,” Cassandra commented. He was either staying there or he was going to one of the dormitories but he chose having some privacy. The pub was closed after the outbreak and was now used for daily meals

"What do we know about the men? Where they're from? Where they've been recently?" Father James was generally a cautious person when it came to protecting Thistledrift. He glanced back and forth between Cassandra and Maureen. "I believe you both have met the young man. What's your impression about him?"

"One is a courier sent to the village from a friend of mine, and the other is a traveller who has just been surviving," Cassandra said, finally taking off her gloves and wrapping them around the mug, savouring the heat from the mug. Maureen smiled a little at her daughter. "The courier would be a good fit if we can find him a role, and the Traveller, I think, needs a little time to adjust to people, but I will leave it to them to tell their travels and where they have been."

"We'll determine what each man is capable of at the Council meeting this afternoon." Father James paused a moment before focusing on Cassandra. "So how was the foraging expedition?"

Cassandra got up and grabbed the box off the side, and put it in front of the elder man. "You tell me, James." She suggested smiling a little. Maureen frowned at her daughter and her inability to call the reverend something more respectful than his first name.

Father James looked at Cassandra for a moment before inspecting the contents of the box. He found two tins of coffee and a box of chocolate bars. He looked up at Cassandra and gave a content sigh. "Thank you Cassandra."

“I pay my debts and then some.” The woman said grinning a little as Maureen looked more flustered. “Do not eat all the chocolate all at once.” She teased.

“Cassandra,” Maureen murmured rolling her eyes.

Father James looked between mother and daughter. "And then some." He made a slight chuckle. "So what's your price for the chocolate bars Cassandra...or do I really want to know?"

“Time will tell, padre.” She teased him about what the crew of the Europa did. “But I believe that is my moment to escape and actually check other things over before our meeting at 2 pm.” She stood and decided she could leave her mother to her own bothering now that she had delivered what she needed to.

Father James chuckled at Cassandra's use of the Spanish word for father. He responded in Spanish as she exited the Rectory. "Ve con Dios Señorita Cassandra." He turned to Maureen. "May I get you another cup of coffee?"

"You always go Spanish when they all call you what a chaplain in the armed services is called." Maureen smiled fondly. "I would love another coffee." She admitted, the morning had been slow as Cassandra had woken later than normal after the adventure for supplies but she was certainly happy for more caffeine.

Father James retrieved the coffee pot from the stove and refreshed both their mugs. He sat back down at the table. He glanced at Maureen. "You seem to hold the Frenchman in high regard. Did he really make that good of a first impression?"

"He did," Maureen admitted with a nod of thanks as she started to fix it how she liked her coffee. "Some people you can tell straight away that they are good people, whilst others are not so much, and you can see the undercurrent of the bad thing that has seeped in and made them not suitable for our community. I could see that in him straight away." Maureen admitted sitting back with her sweetened coffee and look deep into it.

Father James sipped his coffee as he listened to Maureen. "I spoke with Travis and his children. His son said the young man fought off a hundred of the Living Dead to rescue him and his sister. His sister claims it was no more than twenty though. Not sure what to believe. I suppose we'll find out this afternoon."

"I am sure it is closer to what the girl thinks," Maureen said, smiling a little over her coffee. "But he was a good house guest, and nothing seems to have happened overnight with Lola." She was not a fan of putting the man there, but the doctor had insisted.

Father James sighed softly. He wanted to believe the newcomers were good people. He just wasn't sure what to think anymore considering the state of the world they lived in now. "Your honest opinion. Should we welcome the strangers into our community?"

"If they have something to offer, yes, but I do not believe there are many people left roaming the country now. Resources outside are getting harder to come by, and we send groups further and further away each time." Maureen sighed. "The Bible speaks frequently about caring for refugees, foreigners, and sojourners—those who are displaced, vulnerable, or without a homeland." She reminded them both for a moment.

Father James sat still, staring at his coffee mug. "Seems to me that you've already made up your mind." He turned his gaze on Maureen. "We have to consider our own first in this matter. Can we afford to grant Christian charity to strangers and still survive as a community?"

“I will hear their stories and answers just like anyone else but community can never thrive and survive without out opening their gates to people from time to time.” Maureen answered smiling kindly. She sipped her coffee before pushing on. “Do you have any other concerns to bring to the table?” She wondered.

Father James sighed. He had many concerns actually, but none he wanted to discuss at the moment. He picked up his notebook and gave it a little waggle. "Right now. My major concern is picking out the Bible passages for Sunday services and writing my sermon."

“Well it is the first Sunday of advent you would think it would be easy.” Maureen teased finding it easy to follow his lead and shift the subject to something much nicer and less heavy. Service and sermons were something she enjoyed listening and providing assistance with.

Father James gave her a warm smile and nodded. He could always count on Maureen to give him sound advice when he was stuck on deciding what sermon topic to give. He reached across the table and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You are, as usual, right. Thank you Maureen."

The woman smiled and squeezed his hand back. "I try." She commented. Church had been the thing that had kept her sane and had kept her moving when she had been left alone by her husband's heart attack and Cassandra had not having yet returned.

Father James felt a familiar tug on his heart as Maureen squeezed his hand back. He released her hand and rose to fetch the steel coffee pot from the stove. "How about we hammer out a sermon topic as we have one more cup of coffee." He had needed a moment to gather himself. It was becoming more difficult every day to keep his true feelings for Maureen concealed. She was truly a remarkable woman. He had witnessed her kindness an compassion over the last year whenever she joined him in consoling a member of the community who had lost a loved one.

Father James turned back to Maureen once he felt his expression would not betray his feelings. He held the coffee pot aloft.

“I believe I have time before I have lunch duty at the school.” She might have been retired before the zombies came but now every man, woman and child worked for the community in same way. Maureen loved nothing more than being the lunch lady at the school. It gave her a chance to keep an eye on all the children in the community as well as allowing the teachers and support staff an hours reprieve.

Father James refilled both of their mugs and took a seat at the table. He opened his notebook and picked up his pen. "Let's get started then."

 

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