Part Eight
(three years later)
"We should take them by surprise," Simon explained, caressing the machine gun, feeling its cold metal surface under his fingers. Simon, Andrew, Thomas, James and Bartholemew stood in a close group, conversing quietly. Each held a gun or small knife and a beer bottle.
Simon watched the rest of the twelve, Jesus and Mary closely. None suspected what the small group was up to. "Jesus will be so much powerful after we attack," Simon exclaimed, anticipation rising in his voice. He looked at the others with wide blue eyes full of passion and enthusiasm. The others looked just as excited.
"When," Thomas asked.
"Tomorrow, after Jesus enters the city. Wait for my signal," Simon told them. The five men hid their weapons and went back to the rest of the group, as if nothing had happened.
Simon sat alone, on top of the metal scaffolding, late that evening, deep in thought. He didn't hear someone come up and sit beside him.
"I know what your planning for tomorrow, Simon," Judas told him. "I think you should seriously reconsider what you're going to do."
"No one cares what you think, Judas," Simon snarled, taking a swig from his beer bottle and a long drag from his cigarette. Judas chuckled softly and shook his head.
"Oh, Simon, if only you weren't so brainless," he sighed.
Simon turned to glare angrily at him. He grabbed Judas' leather jacket. "Don't you dare insult me again," he whispered menacingly. "Or I'll."
"Or you'll what?" Judas challenged, grinning widely. Simon shoved him away and continued to look down at the city, covered in darkness. In the very far distance, Simon could faintly make out Cana. It was only a short trip, but seemed so distant to him. He missed his family deeply, although he never showed it and he missed Leah. He felt a sharp pain inside him whenever he saw one of the disciples with their women. He missed touching Leah, holding her, kissing her and lately he found himself thinking about her every waking second. It was frusterating when he needed to think about other things, like the Romans invading the city and trying to defeat them.
Simon turned to see Judas still standing beside him. "What's her name?" he asked, surprising Simon.
He grinned slightly. "How can you tell that's what I was thinking about?" he demanded.
"You get this look on your face like you're really depressed. I know only the opposite sex can make a man feel that way."
Simon sighed and avoided Judas' intent stare. "Leah," he answered simply.
"How come you never mention her?" Judas demanded.
"Why the hell do you care, Judas?" Simon snapped. Judas shrugged.
"Because I want to know," he replied. Simon puffed on his cigarette again and exhaled slowly.
"Hurts too much," Simon admitted. "I miss her so much, and I can't let myself think about her."
"If you miss her so much, how come you left her in the first place?" Judas asked. Simon turned and looked at him, a serious expression on his face.
"I have .problems...." he murmured. Judas laughed quietly.
"Don't we all!" he exclaimed. Simon turned and showed him the marks on his arms from using needles.
"I'm an addict," he said. Judas looked shocked.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
"It's alright," Simon told him. "No one's fault but mine. She was really mad at me, and I wanted to join the zealots. We just wanted different things."
"You wanted each other," Judas said. Simon just shook his head and continued to stare down at the city below him.
"That's only one thing," he snapped.
"Did you want to marry her?" Judas demanded. Simon shrugged and looked annoyed.
"I don't know! I was seventeen years old, I didn't know what the hell I wanted!" Simon dropped his cigarette on the ground and took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He was about to light another one, when Judas grabbed them from him.
"What the fuck are you doing, Judas?" Simon snarled. Judas threw the pack of cigarettes over the railing. Simon turned and moved to punch Judas.
"Simon, I'm only trying to help you!" Judas exclaimed.
"I don't need your help," Simon snapped, turning to walk away. Judas decided to let him go.
That kid doesn't know what he's doing, he thought to himself.
"We should take them by surprise," Simon explained, caressing the machine gun, feeling its cold metal surface under his fingers. Simon, Andrew, Thomas, James and Bartholemew stood in a close group, conversing quietly. Each held a gun or small knife and a beer bottle.
Simon watched the rest of the twelve, Jesus and Mary closely. None suspected what the small group was up to. "Jesus will be so much powerful after we attack," Simon exclaimed, anticipation rising in his voice. He looked at the others with wide blue eyes full of passion and enthusiasm. The others looked just as excited.
"When," Thomas asked.
"Tomorrow, after Jesus enters the city. Wait for my signal," Simon told them. The five men hid their weapons and went back to the rest of the group, as if nothing had happened.
Simon sat alone, on top of the metal scaffolding, late that evening, deep in thought. He didn't hear someone come up and sit beside him.
"I know what your planning for tomorrow, Simon," Judas told him. "I think you should seriously reconsider what you're going to do."
"No one cares what you think, Judas," Simon snarled, taking a swig from his beer bottle and a long drag from his cigarette. Judas chuckled softly and shook his head.
"Oh, Simon, if only you weren't so brainless," he sighed.
Simon turned to glare angrily at him. He grabbed Judas' leather jacket. "Don't you dare insult me again," he whispered menacingly. "Or I'll."
"Or you'll what?" Judas challenged, grinning widely. Simon shoved him away and continued to look down at the city, covered in darkness. In the very far distance, Simon could faintly make out Cana. It was only a short trip, but seemed so distant to him. He missed his family deeply, although he never showed it and he missed Leah. He felt a sharp pain inside him whenever he saw one of the disciples with their women. He missed touching Leah, holding her, kissing her and lately he found himself thinking about her every waking second. It was frusterating when he needed to think about other things, like the Romans invading the city and trying to defeat them.
Simon turned to see Judas still standing beside him. "What's her name?" he asked, surprising Simon.
He grinned slightly. "How can you tell that's what I was thinking about?" he demanded.
"You get this look on your face like you're really depressed. I know only the opposite sex can make a man feel that way."
Simon sighed and avoided Judas' intent stare. "Leah," he answered simply.
"How come you never mention her?" Judas demanded.
"Why the hell do you care, Judas?" Simon snapped. Judas shrugged.
"Because I want to know," he replied. Simon puffed on his cigarette again and exhaled slowly.
"Hurts too much," Simon admitted. "I miss her so much, and I can't let myself think about her."
"If you miss her so much, how come you left her in the first place?" Judas asked. Simon turned and looked at him, a serious expression on his face.
"I have .problems...." he murmured. Judas laughed quietly.
"Don't we all!" he exclaimed. Simon turned and showed him the marks on his arms from using needles.
"I'm an addict," he said. Judas looked shocked.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
"It's alright," Simon told him. "No one's fault but mine. She was really mad at me, and I wanted to join the zealots. We just wanted different things."
"You wanted each other," Judas said. Simon just shook his head and continued to stare down at the city below him.
"That's only one thing," he snapped.
"Did you want to marry her?" Judas demanded. Simon shrugged and looked annoyed.
"I don't know! I was seventeen years old, I didn't know what the hell I wanted!" Simon dropped his cigarette on the ground and took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He was about to light another one, when Judas grabbed them from him.
"What the fuck are you doing, Judas?" Simon snarled. Judas threw the pack of cigarettes over the railing. Simon turned and moved to punch Judas.
"Simon, I'm only trying to help you!" Judas exclaimed.
"I don't need your help," Simon snapped, turning to walk away. Judas decided to let him go.
That kid doesn't know what he's doing, he thought to himself.