Short Stories

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For
your Father
knows the
things
you have
need of
before you
ask
Him.
[Matthew 6:8]
***********************
The evening had
finally come. It
had been a long,
hard day; the disciples
were all tired, and needing
of rest. Several of them
still had tiny pebbles inside
their tunics, from the
stoning that the Jews had
begun, in one of the
small towns. No harm
had been done; the Lord
had made Himself scarce,
as soon as the people
had started picking up
little rocks, and whatever
they could find. It
was still the Sabbath.
And, tomorrow, Jesus
would lead His disciples
onto yet another synagogue,
to preach, and heal infirmities.

After they had found
a shelter under the trees,
beneath a beautiful sunset,
they prayed, and broke
bread. One of disciples'
wives had furnished
a sack of bread,
and honey combs; on the
way, the disciples had
stopped to pick fruit;
at this time of year,
the figs were ripe and
delicious.
___________________________
(Peter sighed: grabbing
a bucket from their
provisions.)
"I'm going to go pick
up some fresh water
from the well, and bring
it over, so that we can
all clean ourselves up."
(He picked another pebble
off of his dusty tunic,
with a rueful smile.)
"I don't think.....they
LIKED us very much,
Lord!"

[PATIENT PAUSE.]
"They didn't like...
what I was saying,
My Peter."

(Peter nodded,
setting the bucket
down for a moment,
to stretch.)
"They think You
were saying blasphemies,
My Lord."

[NOD.]
"And, they will ......
for a very,
very long time."

(John, chomping
on a sticky, sweet
honey comb, looked
up: mouth full.)
"HOW LONG,
My Lord?"

[SIGH.]
[GAZE AT THE
BEAUTIFUL HANDIWORK
OF HIS SUNSET.]
[TENDER VOICE.]
"Till Kingdom Comes."

(Silence fell upon
the group, as everyone
turned to stare at their
Master. Peter, shaking
another pebble out of
his tunic, spoke up first.)
"When will THAT BE,
My LORD?"

[SILENCE.]
[GAZING, SORROWFULLY,
AT THE SUN DISAPPEARING
BENEATH THE CLOUDS.]

(Everyone turned to
glance at one another;
their Master was a
Mystery....wrapped up
in a Riddle: surrounded
by a Cloud...like the warm
sun, that was now sinking
into the western sky.)

(Peter grabbed the bucket,
once more. He and John
gave each other a knowing
look. He shrugged.)
"WELL.....I best be GOING."

[QUIET VOICE.]
"Wait, Peter!"

"What is it,
My Lord? Do
You need something..
something, from
the TOWN?"

[SMILE!]
"No. I have
something,
for you."

(Peter stopped,
and walked back
to the spot, under
the darkening
shade of the cool
trees.)
"What is it,
My Lord? I don't
need anything;
I am FULL! Although...."
(He smiles ruefully,
again, and touched his
stomach.)
"......I think I ate too many
of those ripe FIGS.."

[SMILE!]
"Yes....I KNOW."
[HE TOSSED SOMETHING
UP INTO THE AIR.]
"Here; you'll be
NEEDING.. this."

(Peter dropped his
bucket, as he automatically
held out his hands to
catch the small thing,
that was sailing towards
him, in the cool breeze.
He caught it, and hefted
it in both hands, as if trying
to guess how much it weighed.
The object was feathery light,
very white in color, and
round, with an odd hole
in the middle.)
"What is THIS?"

[CHUCKLE.]

(John stopped chewing
on his third chunk of
bread, for a moment.
He held up both hands,
as if waiting to hold
a small baby.)
"Let me SEE,
Peter!"

"Here: CATCH!"

"HEY! You THREW
it, at my HEAD!"

"It's as LIGHT as
a FEATHER! It won't
HURT you!"
(Laugh!)

"What IS THIS?"

(One of the other
disciples spoke up.)
"What IS that,
Lord?"

[CHUCKLE.]
"It's something
for Peter to use....
on his way to the
WELL."

(John hefted
the soft thing,
in his hands.
He sniffed it;
it smelled fresh,
and clean. It
was woven with
something, however,
that tickled his nose.
He sneezed. He took
another sniff....and,
sneezed again,
and again.)
"What is this CALLED,
Lord?"

[SLOW PRONUNCIATION
OF A VERY SOFT,
STRANGE-SOUNDING
WORD: STRANGE AND
SOFT: JUST LIKE,
THE OBJECT ITSELF.]

(John rubbed his nose,
and tossed the irritating
little thing back to Peter.)
"CHHHHAHH...MONNN....
BAHHHT`CHUUUU....?"

[CHUCKLING.]
[HE PRONOUNCED THE
STRANGE WORD, AGAIN,
MOVING HIS LIPS
SLOWLY.]
"CHARR`mon....BATHH`.....
TISSSHHH......OOOOOOO."

(The strange syllables
echoed in the summer air,
as each of the disciples
dutifully repeated them,
trying to mimic their
Teacher.)

[CHUCKLE!]

(Peter frowned. He
needed to leave, but
his curiosity drove him
to speak.)
"But....."
(Shaking his head.)
"WHAT...
do I DO with
it...LORD?"

[SMILE.]
"Here: GIVE
it to Me."

(Toss.)

[CATCH.]
[SMILING.]
[SLOWLY TURN
THE SOFT, ROUND
THING WITH THE
ODD HOLE IN THE
MIDDLE, AROUND
AND AROUND: IT
UNWRAPPED LIKE A
MINIATURE ROLE
OF CLOTH TO BE
USED IN THE MAKING
OF A GARMENT.]

(Everyone watches
the feathery light
material unrolling,
onto the soft green
grass. They stare
at it: squinting,
and frowning,
and shaking their
heads.)

(The Lord gently
gathers up the fragile
material, and tosses
it back to His waiting
disciple.)
"Here you go,
My Peter!"
[CHUCKLE.]
"You will, hm.....
figure it out;
of THAT,
I am SURE."
[SMILE!]

"Well.....if You
SAY SO,
LORD."
(Shrug.)
"WELL....."
(Squint down,
again, at the
little strange
thing in his hand;
his Lord was a
continual Surprise
to him: particularly
His Sense of Humor.)
"I best be GOING......."

(John, picking up
another piece of
fruit, calls out
in the growing
darkness.)
"Will you let
us KNOW....
PETER: AFTER
YOU COME BACK?"

(Peter, now walking
off into the shroud
of darkening trees:
carrying the small
object in the water
bucket, called back.)
"YES! I WILL,
JOHN! I PROMISE!"

(The group falls quiet;
some have begun to
nod off, resting their
heads against the
rough bark of the sheltering
trees; a couple, like John,
are still finishing their
suppers. Their Master
is very quiet, though His
eyes are open:
as if listening to something
far, far away.)

(Suddenly, a shout
can be heard from inside
the dark clump of waving
tree branches.)
"I GOT IT, LORD!
HEY! I FIGURED IT...
OUT! I FIGURED IT
OUT!"

[JOYFUL SMILE!]
[CHUCKLE.]

(Another shout can
be heard, from the
clump of trees.)
"THANKS, LORD!
THANKS!"

[GENTLE LAUGH.]
[QUIET VOICE.]
"You're welcome....
Peter."
[LEAN BACK, AGAINST
THE TREE BARK.]
"You're most
welcome."
[SMILE!]
*********************
All things
were made
through
Him,
and
without Him
nothing
was made
that
was made.
[John 1:3]

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