Short Stories

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I am
the Alpha and
the Omega,
the Beginning
and the End.
[Revelation 22:13]
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(A loud, blustery
knock sounds at the door.)

"COME IN!"

"MORNIN'!"
(A warm thread of
light touches the
room, as Peter opens
the small wooden door.)
"Uh, good MORNING,
Rabbi."

[GENTLE, STRONG VOICE.]
"Good morning, Peter."
[TOUCHES HIS DISCIPLE,
GENTLY,
ON THE SHOULDER.]

"PETER!
LOOK!"
(Mary stretches out
her palm, revealing the
little dark beans, the
Lord had brought them.)
"SMELL!"
"Don't they.....smell GOOD?"

(Stretching forward,
Peter takes a sniff,
and squints.)
"What's THIS?"
(Big, clumsy sniff.)

(Martha sniffs at the
little pile of beans,
in her own hand.)
"It's a new FOOD!
Something to DRINK!"

(The big fisherman
frowns, and leans
forward again. Carefully,
he places two roughened
fingers around one of
the dark beans, and sniffs
it again. Then, he places
it on his tongue.)
"UGH!
ECH!"
(Walks out the door
for a moment, and
spits on the ground.)
"UGH!
THIS tastes TERRIBLE!"

(The sisters fein disgust,
the Lord laughs.)
"They're not for eating,
My Peter."

(Peter steps back inside
the homey room, wiping
the back of his mouth
with one big hand.)
"Ugh!
What ARE these, Lord?"

"They're new, PETER!"
(Mary beams.)
"The LORD brought
them! From the EAST!"

"The WEST.....
Mary!"
(Martha carefully
gathers up the little
pile of beans from her
sister's and her own
palm, and places them
in a little pile,
on their wooden table.)

(Peter's face lights up.)
"AH!"
(Laugh!)
"These are from ........"
(He turns to the Lord.)
".....the KA'PUT'RZ' TRIBE?"

(The Lord chuckles,
good-naturedly.)
"No, Peter.
They are......."

"KA'PUT'RZ?"
(Martha, curiosity
getting the better of
her, also places one of
the dark beans on her
tongue.)
"Uh! GOODNESS,
this is BITTER!"
(Waves away her
sister's hand.)
"Don't, MARY!
You won't LIKE it!
Who ARE they,
LORD?
This tribe,
from the WEST?"

[THE LORD SMILES.]
[HE CLOSES HIS EYES,
FOR A MOMENT, IN
PATIENT AMUSEMENT.]

"Children......."
[SMILE.]
"Children,
they are from the...
(Slowly and
carefully moving
His Lips.)
A....MERRR....I...CAHZ."
(The Lord sits down on
a small rug on the floor;
He motions the others
to follow.)
"It is a place, far...far
to the West. One day,
many people will come
to live there: even,
many children: from the House of
Israel."

(Three incredulous voices
can be heard, at one time.)
"WHAT?"

"NO!
I don't BELIEVE it!"
(Peter's mouth
gapes open wide.)
"The JEWS will live there
LORD?
AND........THEY, too....
will eat these tiny, awful BEANS?"

[BURST OUT LAUGHING!]
"No....no, Peter!"
[CHUCKLE!]

"Let the Lord TALK,
Peter!"

"I was just ASKING!
Why would THEY
want to live with these....
these.....MER'caz?
And.....EAT this bitter
FOOD?"
And.....and, have those
evil KA'PUU'TRZ?"

[CHUCKLE!]
"Yes.....
My Peter!
Yes!"
[THE LORD STANDS UP, AND
GOES TO THE SIDE OF
THE TABLE WHERE
MARTHA HAS PLACED
THE LITTLE PILE OF
BEANS.]
"Watch Me,
children."
[TENDER SMILE.]
I'm going to make
you, each, a little cup:
of KAH...FEE."
[GENTLE NOD.]
[JOYFUL SMILE!]
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I will sow them
among the peoples.
And,
they shall
remember Me
in
far countries.
[Zechariah 10:9]


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In memory:
Mom, first American generation
of Lithuanian Jews,
sitting at the
kitchen table,
with Dad,
kibbitzing,
and
drinking her
first cup
of morning coffee.

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