by D A Walmsley
“This lot want to hear more about the boss. I keep trying to get them to hear him, but they never have time. Well I thought, why don’t we ride into the centre of town.” He explains his plan to Alphie, who is very impressed with it.
“Just one problem with it though. Do you know what we’re supposed to say?” asks Alphie.
“We’ll think of something, why don’t you try thinking about it on the bike.”
“No chance, all I can think about is not falling off.”
Jude lets Alphie ride into Endor on the back of the gold tourer at a nice steady pace. He looks a lot more comfortable. They ride round the town looking for a good place to stop. It is market day and the town is busy. Jude chooses the town hall steps as the perfect spot. Just the type of place where Jesus would sit and talk.
The bikers gather round and Jude starts talking about Jesus. Soon shoppers stop to listen. Then it’s Alphie’s turn. Jude had to admit, he’s impressed as the young collector talks about a new kind of adrenalin, an ever-flowing one.
* * *
Peter and Thaddy are the last out, they’re heading north towards Chorazin. Peter had a brainwave, he borrowed a felt pen from the back room of the bar and tore off a piece of cardboard from a box of crisps. He then wrote Chorazin in big letters.
“This will help with the hitch-hiking” he proudly tells Thaddy, before saying goodbye to Jesus. “See you later boss.”
“Er, Peter, don’t you think you ought to tell your wife where you’re going?” Thaddy asks him.
“Oh, I completely forgot Ruth and the kids.”
“Don’t worry, I will explain everything,” Jesus reassures him.
Thaddy asks Jesus, if over the next few days, he’ll be able to get a rest, once the twelve are out of his way.
“No, it’s not time for me to rest just yet, I’ll carry on as usual.” He tells the lads that they can go out and not have all the attention of the media on them as he’ll continue his work and this will protect them.
“Okay, so let’s get cracking,” says Peter, setting off once more… in the wrong direction.
“Er, Pete,” Thaddy tries to catch him up, “Pete, where are you going? The best way to Chorazin is the other way, Pete.”
Rather than go the short cut up onto the highway that Thaddy would have taken they end up heading down into the centre of Capernaum. After half an hour of Peter waving his sign at every passing car without success, they get fed up and so they start to walk towards the highway. Thaddy mutters that he wanted to do that from the start.
“Now I can believe what James and John are always complaining about,” he mutters.
Peter marches out in front. If a car doesn’t stop soon, he’ll walk all the way. An ambulance screams past, sirens blaring. Peter is tempted to stick out the sign in case they are heading their way. Ten minutes later they actually catch up with the ambulance. It has stopped outside a house and as they approach, two paramedics are bringing out a woman on a stretcher. She has an oxygen mask on and is hooked up to a heart monitor. Peter sees his opportunity and goes over.
“Can I help?”
The paramedics ignore him.
Peter is not going to let this opening pass him by, so just before the woman is lifted up, he asks her if she would like to be healed.
“I’m Peter, one of Jesus’ team, you may have heard of him, love.”
When the woman stretches out a hand, Peter takes that as a yes.
“Thaddy, get over here,” what does it say we should do on that bit of paper. Thaddy takes the paper from his pocket and reads aloud. Jesus has included a few reminders for them, cue cards of a kind.
“In the name of Jesus…shouldn’t you put your hands on her or something?” Peter shrugs and takes her outstretched hand.
“Where was I, oh yes… and the Father, be healed.” The paramedics think this is a joke and start to load the woman into the ambulance. Peter starts to repeat the prayer but has to stop, “ouch, don’t squeeze so tight woman.”
One of the paramedics looks at the monitor, it has gone to normal. The woman starts to sit up and she takes the oxygen mask off.
“Thank you, thank you,” she says over and over.
“I hope you’re not on commission,” Thaddy says to the paramedics.
To the amazement of Peter and Thaddy and the paramedics, the woman stands up.
“Oh, I feel so much better and, ohh I feel different, what can it be?” she looks down at her feet, “Oh yes, I don’t have swollen ankles any more.”
One of the paramedics has seen the sign Peter was holding and offers them a lift. First the woman insists they should all come into her home where she will get them all a well-earned drink. She also wants to know more about this Jesus person she has heard so much about on the TV. Peter notices that one of the paramedics has written on their call-out sheet successfully treated at scene. What a cheek! But when he thinks about it, well technically it is true, and who would believe it if they wrote successfully treated at scene by a fisherman and an unemployed office trainee, neither of whom has any previous medical training.
When the crew get another call-out to a nearby accident they ask if Thaddy and Peter would like to come along so that’s what they do. Not so much ambulance chasers, rather ambulance riders, plus, Peter might get to turn on the siren!
* * *
James and Nathaniel are covering Arbela, and surrounding towns. It is only a few miles south of Capernaum. They didn’t get off to the best start having only gone thirty feet out of the door when Jesus called them back. John, eager as ever to get one over on his brother, told Jesus that James had failed to hand in his mobile. So while James was emptying his pockets John and Thomas got away first. How did John know that he’s tried to keep his phone? By the time they got out of the door a second time even Andy and Philip were in front, though not for long. As they set off running down the hill into the centre of town, they soon catch up and pass them.
As James runs passed them he shouts,“hey, Andy, you seen John?” He didn’t hear a reply, though Philip did shout something back.
Nathaniel, not being as fit as James, was out of breath when they got into the town centre. As he’s doubled over trying to regain the use of his lungs, a voice from a passing car calls out to them.
“Losers, losers.”
They look around and see Thomas and John sitting in the back of a car. John has the window down and along with calling out is making the L sign on his forehead with his fingers.
“Losers, losers.”
“I don’t believe it, they’ve got a ride already,” says James.
He urges Nathaniel to hurry up and while his partner is still recovering he taps on a parked car’s window and asks if he could have a lift. The driver isn’t all that pleased to be asked and points to a bus stop. James says that is no good, as he isn’t allowed money. The driver doesn’t hang around long enough to find out why. As James watches the car drive off, his attention is drawn to a row of bus stops around a hundred yards away. He is curious to know why there are so many people gathering round one particular bus. One person looks like the driver.
“Come on, let’s see what’s happening over by the bus stop,” he tells a recovering Nathaniel.
As they get nearer to the bus, it becomes apparent that there is someone inside. James pushes through the group of mainly pensioners and students.
“What’s happening?” he asks the driver.
“We were just setting off when this lad started to freak out,” he points, “look.”
The young boy of about thirteen is banging on the windows and shouting.
“This is the boy’s mother,” the driver introduces a woman standing next to him.
“His name is Steven,” she says, “the doctors say he may be schizophrenic. He has taken his medication, and he is usually fine, but the moment he stepped on the bus he had one of his attacks. No-one can get near him when he’s like this, so the driver kindly evacuated the bus and I’ve called his doct
or.”
“He could injure someone,” the driver adds.
“I don’t know if you recognize us, but we are members of Jesus the Miracle Man’s team,” Nathaniel says, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Do you mind if we go in and help the lad?” asks James, winking at a young girl.
“If it’s okay with you,” says the driver to the boys mother.
She nods,“be careful.”
The driver opens the passenger door and James, followed by Nathaniel steps into the bus.
Steven is now sitting down half way up the bus. He is rocking backwards and forwards and has a spaced out look in his eyes, but the moment Nathaniel and James begin to move towards him he becomes agitated and his rocking gets faster, more violent.
“Get away, leave me alone Jesus, Jesus please leave, please leave”.
“Is this a healing or do we cast out whatever’s in him?” asks James.
“I’d go with a healing,” says Nathaniel.
“I think he’s possessed, I’m gonna go with a casting out.” James counters.
“Oh, so you know what to do right?”
“No, not really. What does it say on that piece of paper?” asks James.
“I don’t know, I didn’t bring it with me.”
“Right! neither did I.”
“Well, what would Jesus do?”
“I don’t know, but if I had my mobile, I could’ve asked him.”
They stop a few seats away. Steven, still rocking and shouting avoids any eye contact with the lads. James can’t decide what to say “Er.”
“Do you want me to do it?”
“No, I’ve got it. You can do the next one.”
“Alright Steven.”
“Get away, Jesus.”
“No, I’m not Jesus, I’m James. But I am from Jesus’ team.”
“Leave me alone Jesus.”
“Er, I think I should pray, right?”
Nathaniel nods.
“OK, er God, it’s James, I pray that whatever is wrong with Steven is healed. If it’s an evil spirit, whoever you are, leave him alone you bastard… Amen.”
Both James and Nathaniel watch and wait to see if anything happens. To their surprise Steven stops shouting and gradually stops rocking. He looks James and Nathaniel right in the eye and as if they are just fellow passengers, nods an acknowledgement and then looking all around and out of the window asks. “Where’s the driver? And what’s my mum doing outside?”
Nathaniel waves her in, and whispers to James “Don’t think I’ve ever heard Jesus use those words before!”
Steven’s mother runs the length of the bus to her son and puts her arms around him hugging him as tightly as she can, then smothers him in kisses.
Some of the other passengers also get on, as does the driver, who makes a point of coming over to Steven to see for himself the young lad’s transformation. To James and Nathaniel’s appreciation he offers them a free ride, but only if they tell everyone more about their boss.
* * *
I bet Matthew got a right kick out of telling us all what to do, Simon thought, as they set off on their mission. A kicking’s just the thing he needs. Nice and simple, a warning that if he doesn’t disappear he could expect a knife in his back. Yeah that’s it. Trouble is, with this guy it’s never that simple. He wouldn’t take the hint, and now with Jesus encouraging him why would he? The thing that Simon hates most about Matthew, more than anything, more than his job, more than the people he’s hurt, more than the ruling Union scum, is the fact that Matthew’s surname is Levi. Levi, such a strong Jewish name, and here he is, working for the enemy of Israel. When Jesus put them together, he never said a word. He waited until afterwards and then went up to Jesus and asked if he could be put with someone else. “See, no trouble boss, just keep him out of my way.” Jesus looked disappointed and refused, saying he knew what he was doing. This could be the last straw, huh, how many times has he thought that lately? Many times, only for Jesus to say or do something to make him reconsider. Like he knew what he was thinking. This time, this time, it’s like Jesus saying “go on then quit.” There’s no way a piece of shit collector is making me leave.
The two men walk along the same road, not saying a word but watching each other closely. Without communicating to each other they automatically head towards the intersection where several roads all merge together, including Cana road.
A small Peugeot pulls up with a man in the passenger seat and a woman driving. The man calls out.“Excuse me.”
Matthew wanders over to the car, Simon stays where he is.
“Could you help us, we are trying to get to Cana, but we seem to be lost.”
“I can, I’m wanting to head that way myself.”
“Oh great, jump in the back. Is that your friend, does he need a ride as well?”
Simon doesn’t, but when Matthew reluctantly slides over, he gets in. Does he really want to do this? No, they should have waited and got in a car with someone driving alone, so at least one of them could sit in the front.
They set off with Matthew pointing the way.
“It’s tricky is this one, really you want to go straight on, but if you do you end up on the one way, heading back into Capernaum. So you need to get in the right hand lane and once you’ve passed these other turn offs, that’s it, good, now you can go straight on. Whoever designed this system needs shooting.”
Simon sits there, looking straight ahead and not saying a word, even when the woman asks him a question. After a few miles the woman says to Matthew, “you look familiar, have we met before?”
“I doubt it, but you might have seen me with Jesus, the teacher.”
“No, that’s not it, it’s your voice, I know that voice.”
The man then adds that his wife is a whiz at remembering voices.
As she’s driving, the woman looks in her rear view mirror studying Matthew. Simon sees her go a deathly pale, yeah now she recognises him. For a second he thinks she’ll just keep quiet, but her husband can tell something is wrong.
“We were, er, never, I mean, always going to pay,” she finally blurts out.
“What?” asks her husband.
The car swerves slightly and Simon is sure they must have had trouble with Matthew before.
“This is a nice car, new is it?” asks Matthew.
“NO!” both answer. The woman’s nerves are making her drive erratically.
Simon grits his teeth, trying not to explode, but even he can’t believe what Matthew says next.
Matthew leans forward, “if you imported through my booths without declaring it’s new, you do know I can legally impound it until you pay import duty on it”.
“Get the cheque book out, get it out.” screams the woman to her husband, who fumbles through his wife’s purse.
“We’ll pay you both, honest, we just thought it would be okay,” the man says, his hand shaking as he tries to write.
“Both. You said both,” blood vessels on Simon’s temples are about to burst.
“You think I’m a collector,” Simon’s breaking point has now been passed.
“That’s it, I’m going to kill you.”
He lunges at Matthew with a punch, then in the small confines of the back seat just starts swinging his arms more in anger than anything. The woman starts to scream, this results in her panicking and losing control of the car. It weaves first left then right before skidding to a stop.
“I’m not a collector,” screams Simon as he throws punch after punch. Matthew grabs hold of Simon trying to stop him. When the car stops Matthew fumbles for the door, opens it and with Simon’s momentum they both fall out of the car.
Now in the middle of the road they have more space and trade blows. Cars are forced to stop as the Peugeot is blocking the carriageway. In the car Simon had the upper hand, but with more space the heavier built Matthew can get the leverage he needs.
“Is that the best you can do Zealot,” taunts Matthew.
&nb
sp; With all his strength Simon goes for him again.
A distant sound of sirens hint that someone has called the police and when they do arrive it takes four officers to prise them apart. They are thrown in the back of separate police cars and taken to Cana’s police station, and placed into holding cells. Matthew is put with several others while Simon at least, gets one all to himself.
The officer pushes Matthew into a cell and slams the door. Simon can hear that Matthew seems to know those sharing his cell.
“Hey, Matt, haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Word is out that you are spending a lot of time with that preacher man.”
“Oh yeah, it’s unbelievable what this guy does and says.”
“You know, we were thinking of checking him out.”
“You should.”
“Maybe this Preacher friend of yours could look at healing this bullet wound of mine.”
Simon tries to work out what is going on in the cell next to him. He sits in silence, nursing his bruised hands and face, half listening and half thinking about what just went on. He lost it, he really did, if he’d had his knife there is no question in his mind, he would have killed Matthew. Now he has to listen to Matthew going on about how good it is to be with Jesus. He hears this other guy mention the wound and he shouts out, “Heal him, go on, that’s why we’re here isn’t it Collector?”
“What?”
“Why don’t you…”
“Yeah, I heard!”
Simon listens as Matthew heals a fellow collector and tells his cellmates all about Jesus. It isn’t long before Simon’s cell also starts filling up with people and although there isn’t anyone who needs healing, he starts to talk about Jesus and the Kingdom. Even the officers listen as they can hear all that is said in the cells.
* * *
“Oh, that was so easy, I never thought we’d get a lift this quick.”
After James’ threat of doing better than him, John made sure that he and Thomas got away first. They sprinted down into the town centre and it only took a few minutes before they found someone willing to give them a lift.
