SCENE THREE
AT RISE: Lights gradually brighten to signify the next morning. SIMON PETER snores wildly. Enter MARY, who gently pushes on PETER.
AT RISE: Lights gradually brighten to signify the next morning. SIMON PETER snores wildly. Enter MARY, who gently pushes on PETER.
MARY
Simon. Wake up. Peter.
SIMON PETER
Huh? (Incoherent mumble.) We’re not going nowhere. (Snore.) It’s not … time! (Snore.) Everything’s alright.
MARY
(A little louder; a little harder.)
Simon Peter. No! Everything is not alright. Wake up!
SIMON PETER
I’m right here! Nothing’s going to … (Incoherent mumble.) Got all the time in the world … (Snore.) … or my name isn’t Simon--
MARY
(Completely over him, and pushes hard.)
Peter! There’s a crowd gathering again! Ready for a fight! Demanding revolution!
SIMON PETER
Get off me woman! (PETER strides toward some bushes nearby, calling over his shoulder.) Where is he?
MARY
(Shocked; confused at PETER’S boldness.)
East side of the slope! Under a small grove of--
SIMON PETER
(While relieving himself.)
Wake him up while I see what’s happening.
MARY
Simon Peter!
SIMON PETER
What? This? (Laughing.) And how many sons do you have?!?
(MARY flees. PETER hurries as voices get louder. Turning around, PETER is at once facing JESUS, MARY and the anxious CROWD fast approaching from opposite directions. PETER feels for sword. JESUS bellows before immediate intersection.)
JESUS
The ONLY reason you’re looking for me is because you’re hungry again! You’re
here because you THINK I’ll feed you! (Softly.) Step aside, mother. It’s fine.
(JOHN and ANDREW rush up to PETER and MARY. PETER discreetly moves them away from JESUS, the CROWD, and the soiled bushes. JESUS gesticulates and the CROWD responds in heated conversation.)
SIMON PETER
What the--
JOHN
Shhh!
SIMON PETER
Don’t even shush me, John.
(PETER, ANDREW, JOHN and MARY snap their heads toward JESUS’ thundering
voice.)
JESUS
Don’t labor so hard for bread that will perish! Labor for that which will never perish!
(CROWD wildly gestures in response.)
SIMON PETER
I don’t believe this! They only want what all of us want! A revolution! Why’s he insulting these people?
MARY
I’m not sure.
ANDREW
Look at their faces!
SIMON PETER
What does this have to do with food?!?
JOHN
Listen! He’s speaking analogies again.
ANDREW
Knowing full well--
JOHN
Most of them won’t understand.
SIMON PETER
A damn word he’s saying!
(MARY swallows a giggle. The focus is on the crowd again.)
MAN #2
(Sarcastic challenge.)
Moses gave our fathers bread from heaven! And they’re all dead!
SIMON PETER
(Under his breath.)
I should’ve laid him out when I had the chance!
JESUS
NO! (PETER’S head jerks.) It wasn’t Moses who gave your fathers that bread! My Father did! The one who gives you true bread!
MAN #1
(Now caught up in the sarcastic frenzy.)
Oh! Well then, please, Lord! Please! Give us that kind of bread. We want only that kind of bread from now on!
(Crowd laughs at Jesus.)
SIMON PETER
(Bracing himself.)
Here we go.
JESUS
I’M the bread of life! He that comes to ME won’t hunger! He that believes on ME will never thirst! For I’M come down from heaven.
MAN #1
(Sneering.)
Is this the same Jesus who came from Nazareth? Whose own father and mother we know? Now, I may be wrong! But, I’m quite sure it is!
MAN #2
His mother’s right there! How can he say he’s come down out of heaven?
MARY
(Whispers.)
He’s walking right into this one!
SIMON PETER
He walks into every one of them. (CROWD reacts violently to something JESUS has just said.) Mary move back! Get ready, guys.
JESUS
I SAID! I said, EXCEPT you EAT the flesh of the Son of Man! And DRINK his blood!
You DON’T have life in you!
(PETER’S hand falls limply from his hip/sword and he stands stunned. No one moves. There is complete silence.)
MARY
Oh, son.
MAN #1
(Incredulous anger; disgust.)
I’ve never heard such a thing! What?!? Have you lost your mind?
SIMON PETER
(To himself; disgusted.)
That’s it.
MAN #2
(To the surrounding crowd.)
How can this man give us the very flesh of his own body to eat?
SIMON PETER
(Under his breath.)
Impossible. Unthinkable.
CROWD
Cannibalism! Did you hear that? Disgusting! Who does he think he is?
SIMON PETER
(Thinking out loud.)
All my life … wondering who he will be?
ANDREW
What’s he saying, John?
JOHN
I have no idea.
SIMON PETER
Thought you knew everything.
JOHN
This is beyond all I’ve ever heard.
SIMON PETER
We can kiss those recruits goodbye. In fact, me too! (Turns to walk away.) Bye.
MARY
(Whispers.)
Please … son …
JESUS
(Turning to his friends/mother.)
Does this cause YOU to stumble? The words I have spoken are spirit! Are life!
(PETER whips back around.)
ANDREW
(Under his breath.)
How’d he know? There’s no way he heard—
CROWD
Who ever heard? What is this anyway? Someone eating the flesh? Drinking the blood? Of another man?
SIMON PETER
What is he doing?!?
MARY
I’m still not sure.
SIMON PETER
Why am I here?
JOHN
Shhh!
SIMON PETER
You shush me one more time and I’ll shu--
JOHN
I said Shhh!
(PETER starts to lunge JOHN.)
MARY
Settle down you two! I mean it!
CROWD
That’s a violation! Of the Law itself! An abomination! How can he say such things?
MAN #1
Evil! No surer way to turn people away! This man is evil, I tell you! Evil!
MAN #2
We won’t support talk like this from any so-called leader.
SIMON PETER
(Thinking out loud.)
All my life. A Messiah will come.
CROWD
Yes! And he seemed so convincing! What a shame! Let’s go home! What a waste!
SIMON PETER
(Thinking out loud.)
Wondering who he will be? Why me?!?
MAN #1
I’m out of here! This is the biggest joke! (Stomps near.) Come on! Simon?
SIMON PETER
(Lunges forward.)
Hey! Hear him out! I’m sure there’s an explanation!
MAN #1
Maybe you don’t care about your wife and children, but we care about ours!
SIMON PETER
(Reacts defensively; ready for a fight.)
That’s out of line.
MAN #1
(Ignored the threat.)
We’re sick of waiting for the revolution!
SIMON PETER
(Incredulous.)
And I’m not?!?
MAN #1
We came out here for action, and at no small cost to ourselves! No small cost!
SIMON PETER
(Desperate to stop the crowd from leaving the cause.)
But he fed you!
MAN #1
We didn’t come to hear disgusting words about … about drinking human blood!
SIMON PETER
I know you didn’t! (Lowers voice.) I didn’t either!
JESUS
(To PETER from across the chaos.)
You leaving me too?
SIMON PETER
(MAN #1 tears away.)
How does he do that?!?
MARY
He’s always been that way.
ANDREW
What are you going to do?
SIMON PETER
Do?!
(CROWD flees in all directions.)
JOHN
Why, it’s mutiny!
SIMON PETER
Yet there he stands.
JOHN
With his crew bailing out!
SIMON PETER
Still he stands doing nothing! Nothing!
JOHN
It has got to be a misunderstanding.
ANDREW
Then why isn’t he trying to explain?
MARY
Yes, son … explain … please!
JESUS
(Turns to go.)
What do you not understand?
SIMON PETER
(Exaggerated sarcasm.)
Let’s see--
JOHN
Shhh! (Caught himself.) Sorry.
SIMON PETER
(Wagging fist at JOHN as he walks away miffed.)
Just wait … you just wait.
ANDREW
He didn’t mean we’d have to drink his own blood literally! Surely?
SIMON PETER
I don’t know anything anymore, Andrew.
ANDREW
(Watching PETER leave.)
Where are you going?
JESUS
(From afar.)
Peter?
SIMON PETER
(Slams against a post/tree.)
I said … I’d follow … this man …
ANDREW
But what do you think?
SIMON PETER
(Whips his head toward his friends.)
I think … though half the catch is lost … through a rip in the net … there are other fish in the …
JOHN
(Under his breath.)
He’s staying.
SIMON PETER
And I’m thinking that … (Gets louder; walks back toward friends.) … Simon Peter, son of Jona, don’t run! Ever!
JOHN
You know he’d re-gather those men in an instant if he wanted to.
ANDREW
And we can raise another group easy!
SIMON PETER
(Sits down. Whips out sword.)
No! Not easy. Not easy at all! Like he says … many are called, but few are chosen.
Lights fade as Peter begins sharpening his sword.
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