Short Story: “Ecce Homo” (Part 6)

Short Story: “Ecce Homo” (Part 5)

Author’s Note: This short story was written in 2010 or 2011, and is dedicated to my friend F.S.B. The story is titled “Ecce Homo: A Calling.” This is the final part of six parts, which will be posted each Monday of Lent. The previously posted parts of the story are on this Word Document.

(From Part 5) The man stretched out his hand, and the boy took it. And as the man let go, the boy realized the man had put something in his hand.

The man smiled and reassured him: “But, it’s nice to have some direction, too.”

“But, what am I supposed to do?”

END OF PART 5; PART 6 BEGINS HERE

“Well, son: First, you need to go home and get some rest. After that, think about what I told you, what you felt. Consider what you’re being called to. But don’t worry, the right people will get in touch with you soon enough.

“But most importantly, you need to change: change your lifestyle, change your attitude, change the way you think about things; because you can never go back to how it was before, no matter how much you try. From now on, it only gets harder, not easier.”

The boy hesitated, but the man reached out and pulled him into a reassuring embrace and told him, “I believe in you.”

Then, just as quickly, the man let go, but the boy didn’t want to leave his presence. He felt a new life, a new breath, circulating through his body. It was a driving wind that filled his entire being, constantly propelling him forward; and now, he didn’t want to let it go.

“Minute’s up. I need to go,” the bus driver said.

The boy was reluctant, but the man nodded reassuringly and told him, “‘The great work begins.’”

So, the student climbed into the bus and showed the bus driver his pass. She was a little perturbed with him for making her linger, but she could tell by his wet clothes that he had been waiting a while. So, she said nothing.

She did, however, address the man outside, “Are you coming too?”

“No,” the man told her.

The boy turned around and looked back out, “What? Aren’t you coming?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be in touch.”

“I know, but I thought—“

“—Son,” it was the only time the man had ever interrupted him throughout the entire conversation.  “I wasn’t waiting for a bus…I was waiting for you.”

Then, as the bus doors closed, the boy saw the man smile and open his right hand. Unconsciously, he did the same and realized, for the first time, the gift the man had given him.

Short Story: “Ecce Homo” (Part 5)

Author’s Note: This short story was written in 2010 or 2011, and is dedicated to my friend F.S.B. The story is titled “Ecce Homo: A Calling.” This is the fifth of six parts, which will be posted each Monday of Lent. The previously posted parts of the story are on this Word Document.

(from Part 4) “Man, who do you think you are? You don’t know anything about me!”

He had been seen through, exposed. He was rebellious and independent by his nature, and now he had to defend himself against the pressure he was under. The whole time he was shouting at the man, the boy never looked at him directly – only in his general direction. He couldn’t bear to make eye-contact, for fear that he would become transparent to the man’s gaze.

 “Son, look at me.”

END OF PART 4; PART 5 BEGINS HERE

On the surface, the student was unwilling to comply; but, there was some deep part of him that, for some reason, was drawn to look at the man.

Then, the man called him by name.

But, he didn’t just call it. It seemed, more so, that the man breathed the boy’s name to him; and a sweet smell, like perfume or incense, filled his nostrils, and his ears rang with the sound of his name.

And then, he knew.

He knew he was no longer intoxicated. It was a new day amidst the same rainy night. He also knew that he was not hung-over either. All of his senses had returned to their fullest, and his mind was sober and clear. He wished to hide himself, or he would risk being seen in the naked state that he felt he was in.

But, the man placed a hand on his shoulder, and continued to look at him – to look into him.

“It’s time,” he said.

“Time… time for what?”

“It is time for you to leave. Your bus is here.”

The boy, even though his mind was clear, couldn’t understand – until he saw the bright lights of the bus drawing ever closer towards them. It pulled up alongside the curb near their bench, and the doors opened.

“Are you leaving soon,” the student asked the bus driver.

The bus driver, a middle-aged woman, looked at her watch and replied, “This rain has put me behind schedule, so I’m not going to sit here for too long.”

“Can you wait just two minutes, please?”

The bus driver looked at her watch again and told him firmly, “One minute.”

The boy could do nothing but look again at the man, but this time, he could actually see him – see him for who he really was.

“How… how do I know this is real,” he asked, befuddled.

“You just have to have a little faith.”

The man stretched out his hand, and the boy took it. And as the man let go, the boy realized the man had put something in his hand.

The man smiled and reassured him: “But, it’s nice to have some direction, too.”

“But, what am I supposed to do?”

Short Story: “Ecce Homo” (Part 4)

UPDATE ON “NOT IN INK”:

Dear readers, I need to take a break for a while. The pope’s election on Wednesday threw a monkey wrench into my planned posts for this week; and I seriously need to focus on some projects at work right now.

So, I am going to be taking a “spring break” from this blog for about the next 10 days. I still encourage you all to check the blog, because I am going to be posting some pre-written materials (like “Ecce Homo”) and some posts from guest authors! But, because of my need to focus on work and my travel schedule, I won’t be able to write a new musing each day (which is mostly what I have been doing).

So, this is my rough plan for the next 10 days or so:

• Today, March 15 — “Ecce Homo” Part 4
• Musing/Meditation on Sunday’s Gospel
• Monday, March 18 — “Ecce Homo” Part 5
• ~Friday, March 22 — A guest-author post on “Masculinity”
• ~Saturday, March 23 — A complementary post on “Femininity”
• Sunday, March 24 — Maybe a meditation on the Gospel (???)
• Monday, March 25 — “Ecce Homo” Part 6
• March 26 thru March 31 — HOLY WEEK MEDITATIONS/MUSINGS!! 😀

With all that being said, Thanks for reading the blog!!! 🙂

I have really enjoyed writing these musings, meditations, and misc. stuff for you all — and for My Most Important Reader (a.k.a. God).

Two things I’m asking you lovely readers to do:

• Please pray for my mother, because she is trying to find a new job.
• PLEASE share this blog with your friends and family… and anyone and everyone! It would be really awesome to come back from my “spring break” and see that I have like 300 new followers (Not going to happen, but a writer can dream…) So, again, please share.

I shall keep you all in my prayers, and I ask that you please keep me and my family in yours. Thanks and Blessed Lent!

Author’s Note: This short story was written in 2010 or 2011, and is dedicated to my friend F.S.B. The story is titled “Ecce Homo: A Calling.” This is the fourth of six parts, which will be posted each Monday of Lent. The previously posted parts of the story are on this Word Document.

(From Part 3) “You know, son,” the man said, making eye-contact, “You really believe a lot for someone who doesn’t have much faith.”

That remark struck the boy down in his core. Yet, he still wouldn’t show it. He merely shrugged his shoulders and looked out at the street.

“Have you ever considered becoming a priest,” the man asked him.

END OF PART 3; PART 4 BEGINS HERE

“Tsk, why would I want to become a priest?” the boy said. He was clearly offended by the question. It was almost worse than a punch in the face.

“That’s not what I asked,” the man responded in a voice that was calm, but firm. “I asked you did you ever consider becoming a priest, not if you wanted to.”

There was a long pause, until the boy finally said, “Not really. Maybe when I was younger, ‘cause I went to Catholic school, and they kinda drilled that into us, you know. ‘Become a nun! Become a priest!’ Not now, though. I just don’t want to. Plus, they probably wouldn’t take me. I mean, who’d want me to be a priest?”

“God,” the man said with a smile.

“I already told you, man: I don’t believe in God.”

“‘It doesn’t matter. He believes in you.’”

In the back of the boy’s mind he thought that sounded familiar—like it was from a movie or TV show he had seen once. But, he didn’t respond. He was still churning the man’s previous words over in his head, like an endless drying machine – his thoughts continued to cycle around and around.

“Perhaps it might benefit you to know this: ‘God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called.’”

“Jeez, what are you?” he asked, trying to deflect, “A priest or something?”

“Of a sort,” the man replied with a genuine grin. “I know a lot of them. It’s tough work, believe me, but it is – in and of itself – a very rewarding vocation. And I believe you look like someone who’s up to the challenge.”

The boy stood up. He freed himself from the constraints and the protection of the umbrella and its keeper. He stood in the rain and shouted at the man on the bench.

“Man, who do you think you are? You don’t know anything about me!”

He had been seen through, exposed. He was rebellious and independent by his nature, and now he had to defend himself against the pressure he was under. The whole time he was shouting at the man, the boy never looked at him directly – only in his general direction. He couldn’t bear to make eye-contact, for fear that he would become transparent to the man’s gaze.

“Son, look at me.”