FIRST PLACE
Bible
By K.I.M.
Burbank, California
to the back. of the bus. with the sinners. i
sit.
because that is where. they. sit.
the sinners. that is.
& so do. i.
me. with my bible.
my big. black. bible.
h.
o.
l.
y.
(space)
b.
i.
b.
l.
e.
it is amazing what a. bible. can do.
carry one.
& you will see.
my first time:
in the back of the bus. bible. on my lap.
man. across from me. staring. at my lap. just staring.
& squirming. & staring. & squirming. & staring. & searching.
around. & 'round. back. & forth. up. & down. squirming. staring.
searching. squirming. staring.
ding.
stop requested.
&. don't you know. that man jumped up &.
ran.
off that bus as if a thousand hounds from hell were nipping at his very heels & as
if. two. thousand hounds of heaven were nipping at. theirs.
yeah. go heaven.
& i never even uttered. a word.
no. not one.
& then.
there was the time:
almost empty bus. not my usual time. late morning. weekday. school day.
& two kids. across from me.
one. gave a sly look to. his friend. & pulled out. metal.
& started scraping. scraping. scraping. scraping right on. my nerves. vandalism.
right in front of my very. eyes. like i wasn't even. there.
so i said.
"excuse me. but. what are you doing."
& he. glanced at me & said. nothing.
so i said.
"what are you. doing."
& he said.
"i'm scratching. my. initials. what's it to. you."
& i said.
"how about i. go tell. the driver."
& he. shrugged. & said.
"the driver doesn't care."
so i said.
"the driver might not. care. but. i. care."
"so."
"so."
"so. what are you going to do. shoot me."
"oh. i couldn't do. that. i'm a. christian."
& i paused.
for effect.
& said.
"but i might. hit you. with my. bible."
& he. looked. at my lap. for the very first time.
& he looked at me. & he looked at his friend. & he looked at my lap. & he
looked at me. & he looked at my lap. & he looked at me. & he put
his piece of metal. away.
ha.
& they got. off. at the very next stop.
although. i don't think it was. their. stop.
if you know what i mean.
& then.
there was the time. i was riding the bus. as per usual.
straight to the back with the. you. know. who.
it was almost empty. except for. two boys.
big boys. really. big boys.
across the way.
i paid them no. never mind.
in the corner. by the window. i sat.
my bible. slipped down. beside me.
the boys. glanced at me. at each other. said something in spanish. & moved
over by. me.
one in front.
one beside.
trapped.
"hi."
"hi."
"i'm carlos. this is miguel."
miguel nodded. carlos pulled up his sleeve.
"see this?"
"yeah." i said.
so what. i thought.
"what does it say." i asked.
carlos frowned. "18th street gang." he smiled. "you know about
us."
no. "not really. am i supposed to."
"we're famous."
"oh. sorry. i don't watch. tv."
"oh."
"are you bad."
carlos grunted. miguel laughed. carlos smiled. said something in spanish to miguel. & slid
a little closer.
to me.
"where you coming from." carlos said. while looking me. up. & down.
"well. as a matter of. fact." i said.
& smiled. & slid my. bible. onto my lap.
"i'm coming from. church."
carlos leered at my lap. started. stared. blinked. frowned. stared. started again.
looked at me. looked at miguel. & slid a little.
away.
"oh."
pause.
"we've been smoking primos." carlos said.
"what's a primo." i asked.
carlos. frowned. & glanced at miguel.
"don't worry. i'm not a narc." i said.
"you tell her." carlos said.
"it's a cigarette. with cocaine inside." said miguel.
"oh. well. you don't look. high. to me." i said.
a man sat. down. across the way.
"we. don't go to. church." carlos said.
"okay." i said.
"they don't allow. people. like us." he said.
"the church i go to is full of. alcoholics. drug addicts. prostitutes. gypsies.
tramps. & thieves." i said. "my kind of. people."
i smiled.
carlos glanced at. my lap.
"where are you. going." he said.
"to the mall." i said. "i need to. shop. for my dad's birthday."
"oh. that's cool."
"yes." i said. "i love my dad."
the man. across the way. started to squirm. his eyes darting to the boys. & away.
to the boys. & away.
"i think. you make people. nervous." i said.
"why?"
"look at. that man."
we all. looked.
the man. flinched.
"why would you want to. scare. people. like that."
the boys looked at me.
"i don't think you're that. bad." i said. "underneath."
"what." carlos said.
"look at. him. do you know what. miguel. means." i asked.
"no."
"miguel means: he. who is like. God."
"oh."
"just like the archangel. michael. how can he be. bad. with a name like.
that."
carlos looked at miguel. miguel looked at carlos. miguel shrugged.
i smiled.
"well. here's my stop." i said. "good bye."
ding.
stop requested.
"uh. good bye." carlos said.
"it was nice meeting. you. & miguel too." i said.
i stood. & shook their hands.
"uh. yeah."
"dios le bendiga." i said.
"thank you." they said.
& then i. turned &. slipped away.
just like that.
&. wouldn't you know it.
i lost that. bible. the very next day.
Copyright (c) 2003 for the author, all
rights reserved. |
