Short Stories

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I, Tertius,
who wrote...
this letter,
greet you
in the Lord.
[Romans 16:22]
**********************
It is a beautiful day in Galilee.
A soft spring breeze is moving
each leaf on the surrounding
trees, with a tender and loving
touch. Underneath one of
these trees sits the Lord Jesus,
and one of His disciples, Peter.
The others have gone into town,
to pick up some more supplies,
before they start toward the
next town. The Lord and
Peter are sharing a light supper
of bread and fruit, and a couple
jugs of fresh cool water, just drawn
from the nearest well. Peter has set
aside a letter, that he is writing
to his cousin, who lives in
Jerusalem.

____________________
[CURIOUS SMILE.]
"What is it, Peter? Haven't
you finished your letter?"

(Slight frown.)
"No, Lord......
but, I have to wait till I
can find someone to take
it for me, anyway."
(Sigh.)

[CHUCKLE!]

(Curious glance.)
"What is it, Lord?"

[WISE GAZE.]
"If only we lived in a different
century, Peter. Your cousin,
in Jerusalem, would have
already read your busy letter."

(Startled look.)
"WHAT?"
(Wide-eyed gaze.)
"What?
What do you mean, Lord?"

[CHUCKLE.]
"It's a very different life,
then. Very different."

(Curious squint.)
"But.....how could my cousin
see my letter....if I haven't
been able to find anyone
going toward her village....
to DELIVER it?"

[GAZE UP AT HIS BLUE
SKY. TOSSES A GRAPE
SEED, TO A LITTLE GRAY
BIRD NEARBY.]
"No, My Peter!
No one would
need to deliver it for you!
No one! Only you."

(Clueless squint.)
"But, HOW.......LORD?
HOW?"

[PATIENT SIGH.]
"It's all done with.....
computers."

"Cah'p.....WHAT?"

[LOVING SMILE.]
"Computers,
My Peter!
[REACHES OVER TO
GENTLY PULL AT PETER'S
JAW, MAKING HIM FORM
THE SYLLABLE-SOUNDS.]
'Kum..`PUU..`trzz."

(Peter rubs his jaw,
slightly embarrassed.)
"'Sounds like another LANGUAGE,
Lord!"

[WISE NOD.]
[GAZE DOWN THE HILL
TO WATCH SOME SQUIRRELS
FROLICKING IN THE GRASS.]
[SMILE.]

(Impatient snort.)
"Hmph! The ROMANS
must have invented them!"

[SMILE!]
"No."

"NO? But, Lord,
the Romans
invent EVERYTHING!"

[SMALL SHAKE OF
HIS HEAD.]
"No, Peter.
Not at all."

"WHO, then?"
(Peter turns to look at
this curious Man, Who
appeared quite suddenly
in his fisherman's life
one day, and none of Peter's
days, since that moment,
had ever been the same.
He is continually filled with
great astonishment, and
awe....and love.)
"You speak in RIDDLES,
Lord! Is this.....is this,
another PARABLE?"

[BURST OUT LAUGHING!]
"No, PETER!"

(Peter laughs alongside
his Friend, and Lord.)
"Well......I don't UNDERSTAND?
The Romans do EVERYTHING!"

[Again, the Lord shakes
His Head. Then, He points
toward the western edge of
the brilliant blue, spring sky.]
"No; these people are from
a far country: very far away.
It is only barely inhabited,
now."

(Concerned glance.)
"Will they make WAR,
with us, Lord?"

[CHUCKLE.]
"No, Peter.
But, they will make some
very wonderful things."

(Thoughtful nod.)
(Toss in another grape.)
"Like these.....`kum`poo`trzz."

[WISE NOD.]

(Pluck the seed grape out
of mouth, and toss it at
the little gray bird chirping about.)
"What will they look like:
these `kum`poo`trzz..?
Are they for scroll CARRYING?"

[CHUCKLE!]
"No! Not at all, Peter!
They look like......"
[MAKE A SQUARE-LIKE
MOVEMENT WITH HIS
HANDS.]
"Like this.
Like this.
And, they will contain all the information
of the world."

"And of the HEAVENS?"

[SIGH.]
[SHAKE HEAD, SADLY.]
"No, My child.
Only of the world."

(Somber voice.)
"Then, there must be evil
in these strange things,
Lord: much EVIL?"

[SOLEMN NOD.]

(Holding a grape carefully
in his hands, and studying it,
with great attention.)
"Then, I'm glad I do not live
in such a time, My Lord.
I am glad for that."

[LONG SILENCE.]
[PATIENT SMILE.]
"Peter? How about if you
finish that letter, to your
cousin? And, I will find
someone to take it over to
Jerusalem for you?"

(Peter suddenly breaks
out of his reverie. He
nods with great astonishment:
touched that this Wonderous
Man would be so interested,
in such unimportant details of his
own small, wretched life.)
"Yes! Yes! I will finish
it, right now! And....and,
thank you, Lord. Thank you!"

[The Lord smiles, and
reaches over to gently
ruffle Peter's scraggy hair.
Then He stands up, stretching
and at the same time, tossing
the rest of his bread crumbs
to the waiting little birds,
down the sloping hill.]
"Finish your letter, Peter.
And, then we will go on."
***********************
For assuredly,
I say to you,
till heaven and earth
pass away,
one jot or one tittle
will by no means
pass from the
law
till all
is fulfilled.
[Matthew 5:18]

________________________
Dedicated to Jeri.

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