Short Stories

---

Feed My
sheep.
[John 21:17]
*********************
(It has been a
very tiring day;
the noonday sun has
long since passed.
Peter is sitting
under a tree;
his head is in
his hands. Jesus
walks over,
quietly,
and sits down,
beside him.)
_____________________
(A hot tear slides down
Peter's cheek.)
(He whispers.)
"I just can't
do this,
my Lord."

[GENTLE TOUCH ON
PETER'S SHOULDER.]
[TENDER VOICE.]
"Tell Me,
child."

(Look up, suddenly:
almost angrily.)
(Louder voice.)
"This....
PREACHING!
And,
MINISTERING!"
(Rest elbows
on knees.)
(Reaches over,
pulling on a
piece of grass.)
(Roughly tosses
the grass, aside.)
(Abruptly,
looks away.)
"It's just...
so HARD!
It's too HARD,
for me,
LORD!"

[GENTLE TOUCH.]
[QUIET VOICE.]
[TENDER VOICE.]
"I know,
My Peter.
I know;
it is very hard.
But,
remember:
Who,
you are doing it,
for."

(Peter's eyes
are now shining,
with tears.)
"Yes,
my Lord."
(Look down.)
(Hastily,
roughly,
wipe the tears
from his eyes,
with the back
of his fisherman's
hands.)
(Long silence.)

[PATIENT SILENCE.]
[LONG PAUSE.]
[SUDDEN SMILE!]
[CHUCKLE!]
"Here!
Look!
I have something,
to show you."

(Wiping tears, away.)
(Bright smile.)
"Yes,
my Lord?
What IS it?"

[TEASING,
JOYFUL GLANCE.]
"Here;
LOOK!"

(Intense gaze.)
(Squint, rather
curiously.)
(A few teardrops
still linger on
his lashes.)
"What is THIS?"
(Whisper.)
"Another....
dead MOUSE*?"

[BURST INTO LAUGHTER!]
"No!
No,
My Peter!
Here;
take it!"

(Fingers the smooth object,
very gently.)
"It's COLD!"

[GENTLE NOD.]
[SMILE!]

(Holding it
in his hand,
as if weighing it.)
(Lowers his
nose to it.)
"It smells...."
(Sniff.)
"WELL....;
it's not DEAD."

[SMILE!]
"No!
It's not,
My Peter!"

(Speaking quietly,
almost to himself.)
(Turns it,
over and over,
in his hands
still damp
with tears.)
"It just feels
so...COOL:
to touch."

[SMILE!]
"Open it!"

(Squinting, intensely.)
"Why....it's....
a BOX! And..
it has, LIGHT!"
(Touching, gently.)
(Rubs his fingers,
over the inside.)
"It scratches
my fingers."
(Rubbing hand,
gently over
its surface.)
But, it doesn't
HOLD anything,
Lord!"
(Look up to
his Lord's Face:
eyes wide,
with wonder.)
"What IS this?"

[PATIENT PAUSE.]
[SMILING!]
"One day,
people will use it:
to talk,
to each other,
Peter."

(Staring, disbelievingly,
at the small, cool
thing in his hand.)
(Holds it up,
to the setting sun.)
"With THIS?"

[SMILING.]
[NOD!]
[CHUCKLE!]
[POINTS TO THE
SMALL OBJECT,
IN PETER'S HAND.]
"And, they will
give over one-hundred,
to two-hundred
sheckles...
over and over,
just, to have it."

(Burst into sudden
laughter!)
"Oh, NO!
NO!"
(Laughing loudly!)
(Gazing, with great
mirth, at his Lord.)
"What... FOOLS!
"But, HOW?
HOW will they
TALK to each
other, with
THIS?"

"With speech:
and,
with their
fingers."
[REACH OVER,
AND TAKES OBJECT.]
[TOUCHES THE INSIDE
OF THE BOX.]

(Squint, closely.)
"Ah;
YES!
I can SEE that,
Lord!
YES!"
(Laughs!)
(Shouts!)
"YES!
YES!
I can see..THAT!"
(Laugh!)

[LAUGHING!]
[CLOSES THE BOX.]
[OPENS IT, AGAIN.]
[LAUGHS, WITH
HIS CHILD.]

(Peter rubs his chin.)
"If only we had this,
NOW, Lord!
We could USE it!
To spread The Word!"

[NODDING.]
[SORROWFUL GLANCE.]
"If only,
My child."
[SLOWLY SHUTS
THE SMALL BOX.]
[CLOSES HIS HAND
ABOUT IT.]
"It were used:
for that."
**********************
You shall
be
witnesses
to Me,
in Jerusalem,
and in
all Judea
and Samaria,
and to the
end
of the earth.
[Acts 1:8]

______________________
*'Cat and Mouse'
story.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE