Finding Jesus?, posted by Josh
Prompt: I'm sitting on the bus, minding my own business, when...
I notice the man sitting next to me with his long dark hair and a similar beard, wearing old tan robes.
“Um, excuse me,” I say to him, a bit embarrassed. “I’m sure you get this a lot but, well, you’re not Jesus, are you?”
The man looks at me with contempt and answers with a quick, “No.”
“Okay,” I say, going back to my magazine. But I can’t help myself. “I mean, because you just really look like him.”
“Yeah, yeah, our lord and savior. I get that a lot. I’m not him.”
“It’s just that it’s really an uncanny resemblance.”
“My name is Alex, okay? Not Jesus. Can’t a guy like to keep his hair and beard long and wear old robes? Is that a crime?”
I hold up my hands, palms out. “Hey, sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.” I go back to my magazine.
Out of the corner of my eye I notice Alex has a water bottle between his legs, filled with a dark red liquid.
“I really don’t mean to bother you again,” I say, and I hear Alex let out a sigh. “Is that, um, is that wine in your water bottle?”
“It’s that fruit flavored water, okay?”
“I mean, ‘cause it’s in a Fiji bottle.”
“Yeah, I buy those little packets of Crystal Light that you pour in the bottle and then you shake it up. That’s how I happen to like my water. Is that okay with you?”
“It’s fine. I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean anything by it.”
Alex lets out another sigh and looks up to read the ads above us, avoiding my gaze. I look around the bus, glancing back at Alex and whispering to him, “’Cause you know, if you are him, you can tell me. It’s totally cool. I mean, I’m not one of those people who’s gonna run out and sell the news to the Enquirer or something. I’m like a vault. I can keep a secret.”
Alex gives me a dirty look and then gets up and moves to a different part of the bus.
I nod to myself, silently recovering from my snub, and go back to reading my magazine.
So much for finding Jesus.
I notice the man sitting next to me with his long dark hair and a similar beard, wearing old tan robes.
“Um, excuse me,” I say to him, a bit embarrassed. “I’m sure you get this a lot but, well, you’re not Jesus, are you?”
The man looks at me with contempt and answers with a quick, “No.”
“Okay,” I say, going back to my magazine. But I can’t help myself. “I mean, because you just really look like him.”
“Yeah, yeah, our lord and savior. I get that a lot. I’m not him.”
“It’s just that it’s really an uncanny resemblance.”
“My name is Alex, okay? Not Jesus. Can’t a guy like to keep his hair and beard long and wear old robes? Is that a crime?”
I hold up my hands, palms out. “Hey, sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.” I go back to my magazine.
Out of the corner of my eye I notice Alex has a water bottle between his legs, filled with a dark red liquid.
“I really don’t mean to bother you again,” I say, and I hear Alex let out a sigh. “Is that, um, is that wine in your water bottle?”
“It’s that fruit flavored water, okay?”
“I mean, ‘cause it’s in a Fiji bottle.”
“Yeah, I buy those little packets of Crystal Light that you pour in the bottle and then you shake it up. That’s how I happen to like my water. Is that okay with you?”
“It’s fine. I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean anything by it.”
Alex lets out another sigh and looks up to read the ads above us, avoiding my gaze. I look around the bus, glancing back at Alex and whispering to him, “’Cause you know, if you are him, you can tell me. It’s totally cool. I mean, I’m not one of those people who’s gonna run out and sell the news to the Enquirer or something. I’m like a vault. I can keep a secret.”
Alex gives me a dirty look and then gets up and moves to a different part of the bus.
I nod to myself, silently recovering from my snub, and go back to reading my magazine.
So much for finding Jesus.
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