Short Stories

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He
[Jesus]
answered,
and
said
to them;
'You
give
them
something,
to eat.'
[Mark 6:37]
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(It is a pretty summer's day.
The grass smells fresh, from a
misty morning rain. The air
is sweet with wild flowers,
and a soft gentle breeze,
and good fellowship.
The Disciples of Jesus
are busy passing out the
Blessed bread and
fish, to all the hungry
people sitting in circles
around the thick grass.
Suddenly, Peter appears
at Jesus' side: scratching
his head, and looking a
bit confused.)
______________________
[SMILE!]
"What is it,
My Peter?"

(Peter squints at the Lord.)
(He scratches his head, again.)
"Uh........"
(He turns, and points towards
one of the groups sitting
in the grass.)

"What is it,
Peter?"
[SMILE.]
"You can tell
Me!"

(Peter turns back
to his Lord.)
(Confused squint.)
"Uh.......I'm just a
little.. UNCOMFORTABLE,
LORD..!

[CALM VOICE.]
"About, what?
Have you finished
passing the bread
and fish,
out?"

(Peter shakes his head.)
"Uh, uh."

[PATIENT PAUSE.]
[QUIET VOICE.]
"Well,
what is wrong,
My child?"

"Well........uh...."
(Peter digs a sandaled
toe in the dirt.)

[PATIENT NOD.]
"Go ON."

"There's SOMEBODY,
over THERE......!"
(Peter sighs discouragingly,
and points off,
in the distance.)

[WISE GLANCE.]
[INTENSE,
CURIOUS GAZE.]
"Are they ILL?"

(Peter squints
thoughtfully.)
"I....don't THINK SO."
(Peter leans closer to the
Lord, and speaks in a
hushed voice.)
"It's just that......"

[CHUCKLE.]
"Why are you WHISPERING,
Peter?"

"Uh.....well,
because....."
(Peter toes the dirt,
again. A little worm
pops up, and squirms
away.)
".....Eh...because,
there's a.....strange
person,
over THERE."
(Peter points toward
one particular circle
of people.)

[NOD.]
"Ah.
I SEE."

(Peter grimaces,
and stares at the dirt.
He sees a tiny bird
hop over, and open
its little beak. The worm
disappears.)
"I've never MET anybody,
like THIS! She is rather...
STRANGE!"

[WISE NOD.]
[PATIENT GAZE.]
"Oh?"

"Well......YES!
I can't EXPLAIN it!
She's even stranger
than that poor FELLOW....
You know: the one,
with the LEGION*?"

[NOD.]
"Hm, hm.
I SEE."

(Peter takes on a
sorrowful countenance.
He watches the tiny
bird hop away: its little
prey in its pale yellow
beak.)
"I WAS MORE
COMFORTABLE WITH
HIM.....THAN,
THIS ONE!"
(Peter continues to watch
the tiny brown bird:
it's being followed
by a tiny, chirping
friend.)
"Her LANGUAGE...and,
her..SPEECH...although,
I seem to UNDERSTAND
it.....even, her
CLOTHES!"
(Peter grimaces.)

[NOD.]
[GENTLE VOICE.]
"You must be
patient with all
My children,
Peter."

(Peter waves his
arms, in an exasperated
way.)
"I'm TRYING, LORD!
I REALLY AM!
BUT......THIS IS JUST
TOO MUCH!
EVERY TIME,
I COME NEAR....
SHE STARTS TO COMPLAIN!"

[NODDING QUIETLY.]
"I SEE."

(Exasperated voice.)
"SHE KEEPS TALKING
ABOUT THE FISH!
..HOW IT'S TOO SLIMY,
AND UNCOOKED!
..HOW IT'S GOT TOO
MANY BONES IN IT!
..HOW ITS GOT A BIG
EYE! AND..IT'S LOOKING
RIGHT UP AT HER!"

[NOD.]
[CHUCKLING.]

"I TELL HER....SHE'S
GOTTA WAIT HER
TURN TO COOK IT!
BUT, SHE JUST GIVES
ME THIS.. STRANGE..BIZARRE,
ANGRY GLARE....LIKE,
SHE'S NEVER COOKED
A FISH, BEFORE!"

[SMILE.]
[NODDING.]
"Hm, hm."

"All the OTHER FOLK...
are just IGNORING HER,
like THEY'VE NEVER
SEEN THE LIKES 'A
HER, EITHER!"

[NOD.]
"Hm, hm."

"WELL, WHAT SHOULD
I DO? I'VE GOT WORK,
TO DO! SHE KEEPS
GRABBIN' ONTO MY
ROBE, AND YELLIN'
UP AT ME: that, she
wants me to get her...
some... REAL fish!"

[SMILE.]
[CHUCKLE.]

(Peter stops shouting,
and begins to whisper
again.)
"LORD?
WHAT'S a.........."
(Whisper.)
"MIZZ'ITZ'PAULS'FISH'...
SCHTICK?"

[BURST OUT LAUGHING!]

(Peter only stares
at his Lord,
Who is just as Puzzling..
as ever. Peter is
even more confused, now:
his face getting red,
with embarrassment. Why
did he ever leave the
FISHING BUSINESS?
Things had been going
along...so SMOOTH!
And...now THIS!)

[JESUS LEANS TOWARD
HIS DISCIPLE. HE
PUTS A HAND ON HIS
FRAZZLED DISCIPLE'S
SHOULDER.
HE SPEAKS QUIETLY.]
"Peter. I want you
to walk back, over there...
and give her a message,
for Me."

(Peter puts a hand to
his stomach. He HATES
confrontations; he'd
rather be alone, right now,
in the middle of the sea
on his fishing boat. But,
that's all past..NOW.)
(Sigh.)
(Sorrowful grimace.)
"What do You
want me to SAY,
to her.......
LORD?"

[JESUS SPEAKS
VERY QUIETLY,
AND FIRMLY.]
"Tell her.....
that the LORD says....
that..if she doesn't get back
into that TIME-machine
of hers.....and high-tail
it BACK to Texas...
she's going to have to
STAY HERE."

(Peter is nodding,
and squinting, furiously:
trying to recall every
single word.)
"Uh, huh.......
uh, huh.........
what's that WORD,
LORD....?
..TE'CCAAHS?
A time...'MAC'TEEN?"

[CALM PAUSE.]
"Tell her......
the LORD says.....
that HE is going to
count..
to...THREE."

(Peter is nodding,
and nodding: wishing
fervently, that he had
something to write down
all the Lord's commands.)
"Uh, huh.....
uh, huh.....
alright......!"

[FIRM VOICE.]
"Now, GO."
[SMILE!]
"Do not worry: you
will remember every
word, that I have SAID."
[JESUS PATS PETER,
AGAIN,
ON THE SHOULDER.]
"Now, GO."

(Peter shakes his
head, in great confusion.
He turns around, and
begins walking toward
the one particular circle of
folk: off to the far right.
He is sighing deeply, and
muttering to himself,
the whole way.)

[SMILE!]
[CALL AFTER PETER:
SOFTLY.]
"TELL HER......
the LORD..
IS GOING
TO COUNT TO...
..THREE."
***********************
And
when
He had taken
the five
loaves,
and the
two fish,
He looked
up
to heaven,
blessed
and broke
the loaves.
[Mark 6:41]


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*[Mark 5:9]

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