Thursday
I am not sure what happened tonight. Things were going so well.
He came into the City just a few days ago and we were all so up! I mean, everyone was up! You could feel the excitement.
We were pretty near the Passover so we rented this room just to be sure we could get some private space. It wasn’t fancy, in fact it was a bit dirty, so I grabbed a broom and a rag and tried to clean things up a bit. We paid a few coins more for the table and some chairs. No one was quite sure if Mary or the others were coming so we got a few extra seats.
As it was, it was just the twelve of us, and the Master of course. It started off really well; the guys traded stories about the entry into the City, and some of the crazy people grabbing at us. I mean I got poked in the eye, all that crap that they were waving. They even pulled branches off the trees to toss in our way! That’s why I hate crowds! Although in the end it was all good.
We all figured it was a long week, so we’d have a good, holy Passover and crash out. We had the room for a few days. There were some big weeks coming and even Peter had to tell his wife he wouldn’t be home. She didn’t like that at all! The single guys have a little less going on, but we could use a little down time too.
John is the youngest of us. He’s got this real baby face that makes him look younger than he is, so he asked the Four Questions at the Passover table. He can act like such a kid sometimes but Jesus loves him a lot and he’s got a good heart. He’s the kind of guy who will do anything for you and I am glad he’s part of our group. After tonight, we’re going to need him.
Peter was really pretty obnoxious at the table. The Master started washing our feet to explain that we need not be full of ourselves and to serve the lowliest in society. You know, the first must be last sort of thing. (That can be a tough thing to learn I’ll tell you!) Well, Peter pulls this deal that he’s not going to let the Master wash his feet, and Jesus tells him off. Good for Him! Before Judas left, the Master was telling us that one of us would betray him, and Peter, as usual says “Oh no, not me!” Jesus told Peter he would deny him, maybe not now, but someday. It wasn’t a good moment. Peter was really embarrassed. He’s a good leader and holds us together, but sometimes he just doesn’t get it.
Judas walked out of the Seder all disgusted. I didn’t hear the conversation but someone told me it was about betraying the Master. It was quite a scene, and it was then that things got really serious; the Master talking about doing things to remember him and such, breaking the bread, sharing the wine. It was intense and got us pretty unnerved. It was hard to really get what the point was.
We took a walk after dinner to Gethsemane as the Master wanted to pray. He seemed really stressed out so we went with him. It was hard to stay awake after all the excitement of the past week, and I was pretty beat. And it was unusually cold and tough to stay warm. I have to admit, I tried my best but I just couldn’t keep my eyes open. None of us were really in a praying mood anyway.
It was then that those Temple Guards showed up with the priests. What the fuc……sorry, the Master keeps telling me to watch my language, especially around the kids. Come on, the Roman soldiers are bad enough but to have those lackeys of the Chief Priest show up for one of their own people, well, it was too much for some of us.
So it was real chaos. Lots of confusion. Lots of anger. Peter is going down to the Temple to see what he can find out. I don’t like how things are developing though, what with the Master talking about not being around and everything.
It’s hard to imagine how things can go so wrong. Everything was just coming together for all of us. Now Jesus has been arrested and our group is falling apart. I am not sure how this is all going to work out.
I don’t know. I just need to go home and think.
I feel like crying.
© 2013 R.T. Saunders