Everything's Fine?

Mary was cold. It was one of those unusual cold summer nights. It was around 7:30 and about 50° F. And all she had on were dance shoes, tights, a leotard, and a pale skirt. She hugged herself for warmth as she walked around the county of Galilee, the village Nazareth. She forgot her parents and remembered that she would have to take the bus to Sepphoris. But then, she remembered. Her mother kept forgetting to call the bus company about where she was suppossed to be picked up. Mary assumed that she would have to walk...

She shivered as she walked by the seemingly dead fishing docks. Mary didn't like this. There was loud laughter up ahead. She spied some boys who appeared to be at least ten smoking marijuana. By the rips in their jeans they seemed to scream "fishermen's sons." There was another, about the same age who looked drunk as his lit up. His jeans were black, and his camouflage shirt was black and shades of dark gray. Punk. Zealot.

They whistled and shouted at her as though they were in high school. Mary walked faster, away from them.

She soon found herself on poorly lit streets, and could faintly smell cigarettes and more marijuana.

There was loud laughter as some guy on standing in shadow was being beaten. The guys looked like they were going to be juniors or seniors in the upcoming high school year. The one being abused was shoved beneath the street lamp, and Mary could see lines in his face that weren't wrinkles and he had a bit of a receding hairline. No wonder they picked on him, he was a mess. Mary subconsciously walked closer to them, hugging the shadows. The boy was pushed off in the darkness again; he tried to stand up, but ended up skidding into Mary. She fell from the force and him on top of her. He cursed loudly as the glare from a flashlight shined on him.

"Ah, Judas, I see that this may be the only chance you'll be able to lay a girl and walk all over her..." one of them sneered.

"Fuck off!" the boy shouted. He then looked at Mary and helped her up. Her right leg and left elbow was skinned and there were small cuts on her hands.

"Sorry," Judas muttered, "Let me help.." He hesitantly placed an arm around her shoulder and she inhaled through her teeth loudly. Bruise.

Of course, this provoked loud laughter and more taunting aimed at Judas. There were some loud mutterings of "Go to Hell" as Judas escorted her down alleyways.

"Where are we going?" Mary whispered to him.

"The carpenter's."

"Who were the boys beating you?"

Judas was silent for a moment.

"My friends."

"Some friends," Mary mumbled.

The next street had a bit more light and the shout of Judas's "friends" died away. She spied a boy whittling a small piece of wood. His hands had some small scars and calluses. She couldn't see his face, but saw the sawdust and wood shavings on his ripped baggy jeans. He was the carpenter's son.

Judas left Mary and had a short whispered conversation with the boy. The boy nodded and Judas left him. The carpenter's son went into one of the buildings that she now recognized as Joseph's Woodshop. There were dolls, doll furniture, and a small table and chair in the window display. Judas began to walk back down the alley; Mary heard his footsteps and turned to him.

"Wait! Where are you going?" she called to him.

"Back. I'll be fine. You just wait here for him to return..." he continued walking, but slower.

Mary hesitated for a moment, "What's your name?"

He stopped and turned around.

"Judas Iscariot."

"Mary Magdalene."

She looked to see what he thought of her (as if she could tell by the reaction to her name), and Judas continued with his walk, not caring what her name was. He soon disappeared, and Mary could hear faint shouts of laughter from his "friends."

The boy reappeared carrying a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and a small first-aid kit. Mary could see and recognize him now. He was the carpenter's son she gossiped about with her mother. His blonde hair looked golden in the lamplight, like heaven, but, with the dust and bit of wood shavings in his hair, he looked like another kid. At the moment the color of his eyes equaled the shade of denim on the jeans and jean jacket. His white tank top was about a size too big and rather loose. He gestured for her to sit on the sidewalk.

She sat calmly on her sidewalk and her began to gently clean her cuts. It barely stung. She didn't understand why it didn't hurt as much as when she did it herself. He began to bandage them when he spoke.

"What school will you be going to?"

"What makes you think I'm going to school?" She was a bit edgy, she didn't know how she was going home.

"Where do you live?" he tried to ask again.

"Why? Do you want to prove your life is better?"

He paused in his work and his questions to look into her eyes. She averted her gaze and edged away, knowing that he was somehow trying to find a secret.

"The Jewish private school. Solomon Ave." She didn't know why she said it, she somehow felt like she was obligated to say it.

"What's your name?" He began to work again.

"Mary."

"That's cool. My mom's name is Mary." he responded, trying again to make light conversation.

"Magdalene. Mary Magdalene."

He grinned at her and imitated Sean Connery.

"Christ. Jesus Christ."

She giggled and he began to laugh lightly. When it died he spoke rather cheerfully to her.

"There. You're fixed. Solomon Ave's gonna be a long walk, but, hey, you'll make it." he shrugged, and Mary could she that he was trying to be a bit too casual.

"Yeah. So... see you."

"Yeah, see you at school, Mary."

Mary walked back down the alley, and realized that she wasn't cold anymore.