Short Stories

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...He
went out
and saw a
tax collector
named Levi,
sitting at
the tax office.
[Luke 5:27]
********************
(It is a beautiful
summer's day,
along the seashore.
The rich, heady scent
of sea air is in
everyone's nostrils.
Jesus and His
disciples
have just come
from the region
of the Gadarenes.
They were in the
boat, sailing back
to the shore of
Galilee. It had
been a very
tumultuous afternoon.
Everybody was starting
to feel more relaxed,
as their boat sailed
toward home.)
________________________
(Peter, always feeling
at his best on the sea,
was relieved
to be away from land,
even for a little while.
The townsfolk of the
Gadarenes had been
particularly unfriendly.
Peter glanced, a little
worriedly, over at the new
Disciple, Matthew;
unfortunately,
Matthew was unaccustomed
to sailing upon the moody sea;
his untanned face, used
to the indoors of
the tax office,
was almost as green
as the summer's grass,
that so beautifully
surrounded the seashore.
Perhaps, they should talk
to the Lord, about Matthew:
would the Lord be willing
to heal his sea-sickness?
Peter stood up, a bit,
and moved over to where
their Master was sitting,
contemplating the lovely
afternoon sky. Peter cleared
his throat; he wanted to
keep his voice down, so as
not to be heard by the others,
particularly Poor Matthew.)
"Hm.....LORD?"

[TURN FROM GAZING
OUT AT THE OPEN SEA.]
[JOYFUL SMILE!]
"Yes,
My PETER?"

"Uh.....hm....."

[CURIOUS, ALL-KNOWING
GAZE.]
"Yes?"

"WELL....eh,
I was just WONDERING..."

"What is it,
My Peter?"

"Eh.......WELL.."
(Glance over again,
at Poor Matthew.)
"I was just THINKING...
You know.....MOST of
us have been, eh....."

[SMILE!]
"YES?"

"WELL."
(Clear throat, again.)
"....You know:
FISHERMEN!"

[PATIENT NOD.]
[INTENSE GAZE.]

"And.....uh,
well...we all KNOW..
what, eh...
MATTHEW used to be."

[SLIGHTLY REBUKING
VOICE.]
"I love all
My children,
Peter."

(Peter glanced over,
once more,
toward Matthew.
The green-faced
Disciple was not paying
any attention to them;
he was facing the cool
breeze of the oncoming,
rolling green waves:
his untanned, smooth knuckles
were stark-white against
the wooden edge of the
boat, and he seemed to
be counting the seconds
until they were all safely landed.
Peter grimmaced,
and turned back to their
Master, Who seemed to
be totally unaware of
Poor Matthew's discomfort.)
"No...NO!
I don't MEAN that,
LORD!"
(Whisper.)
"But...You KNOW...."
(Lower whisper.)
"HE'S JUST NOT USED
TO THIS life,
upon the WATER,
and these....
SEA VESSELS,
like the REST of us,
LORD! John, and
JAMES, and I,
have been on the WATER,
almost, since we were
weaned!"

[PATIENT PAUSE.]
[TURN TO GAZE
AT HIS OTHER CHILD,
WHOSE KNUCKLES AT
THE MOMENT WERE
ALMOST AS WHITE
AS THE ROBES,
THAT HIS FATHER'S
ANGELS WORE UP IN
HEAVEN.]
[NOD.]
[TURN BACK TO PETER.]
[CALM NOD.]
"Ah;
yes."

(Curious gaze.)
"WELL?"
(Lean toward the Lord,
again whispering.)
"Couldn't You....
Lord...."
(Glance back at Matthew,
who was now leaning the
wind-tossed hair of
his head over the side
of their boat, as if getting
ready for something most
unpleasant to occur.)
"....Uh...
HEAL him?"

"AH!"
[NOD.]
"Is this what you
wished to TALK
with Me,
about,
My PETER?"

"YES!
YES!"
(Lean forward, again.)
(Whisper.)
"Couldn't You......
DO something?
Matthew is quite MISERABLE!
Just LOOK at HIM!
I don't think,
he can take another
MINUTE...!"

[CONTINUE TO GAZE
AT PETER, INSTEAD
OF TURNING BACK
TO LOOK AT MATTHEW,
WHO WAS NOW LEANING
OVER THE WOODEN RAIL
OF THE BOAT,
AND COUGHING UP
HIS MIDDAY MEAL.
THE OTHER DISCIPLES,
APPARENTLY
EMBARRASSED FOR THE
NEWCOMER,
PRETENDED NOT TO NOTICE.]
"Ah."
[NOD.]

(Peter's voice became
exasperated.)
"Can't You DO
something...
LORD? CAN'T
YOU DO SOMETHING?"

[QUIETLY GAZING
AT PETER.]
"Yes."

(Peter sighed,
with relief.)
"Well! Thank
YOU, LORD!
I'm glad THAT'S settled!"
(Peter's feet moved,
making a creaking sound
on the wooden floor
of the boat:
about to stand up.)

[STEADY GAZE.]
[CALM VOICE.]
"I'm not going to,
Peter."

"What..."
(Peter stops getting up,
and turns to stare:
open-mouthed,
at the inscrutable
Face of his always
Puzzling Master.)
"But,
but....why?
WHY?"

[GENTLY TOUCH
HIS EXASPERATED
CHILD, ON THE
SHOULDER.]
"When I ask
My children
to follow
Me......"
[TENDER VOICE.]
"I never tell
them,
that
it...
will be
easy."
*********************
And
He
said
to
him,
'Follow
Me.'
[Luke 5:27]

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