Cole Fire, page 6
“I want you to look around this beautiful park, look around at all these people here. Death walks among us. I don’t mean like in some ghost story, no spooky heebie-jeebies foolishness. I’m talking about the pain and sorrow that grief has etched across many of the faces I see today. Loss is a pain that comes to all; how we deal with it is a gift of God. Listen to me, turn your eyes inside and you’ll feel His big arms around you. Take heart because day by day you find comfort in knowing the Truth is with you.
“Now, I got a word or two for those of you sitting in the back, shakin’ in your boots and afraid to speak to the person on your left or your right. Those of you who slipped in with the crowd and let the pushy ones get past you, getting all the seats up front, listen to me! You guys are the ones this is for. You’re going to be the ones who will carry on for me. You’re the ones who will bring what this world needs, wants, really, and you guys are the ones who are like aloe on a sunburn, a soothing presence in a world gone crazy. I’m telling you, this world is yours because you will be the last ones standing when the rest of the crazies have jumped off the cliff.”
To the right of where Jesse stood came a gut-wrenching scream, like a primal animal howl; the deep fluid tearing of vocal cords sent a cold wave of fear through the crowd. Cole turned just as a man with dreadlocks and a matted beard leapt into the crowd. Filthy, mud-covered and completely naked, the man began to dance and twirl and scream, head back, jerking and twitching spasmodically. His eyes were rolled back in his head and the whites had a yellow jaundiced cast.
“Touch God, touch me!” the man screamed. “What are you, Jesse Monday? Are you God’s chosen one? The Messiah? A prince of the Kingdom of God? Are you God’s Son?” The man threw himself on the ground and began rolling and kicking at those around him. People scurried and jumped up from their blankets. Mothers grabbed their children and held them close to their breasts. Several men tried to grab the man but he fought loose and spit and screamed at them.
Without notice, Jesse made his way into the crowd and stood no more than ten feet from where the crazed man spun, arms outstretched, and howling like the very soul of madness. As he moved into the crowd, Cole slipped a few feet behind Jesse and followed him to see just what he would do.
“You need to be still,” Jesse said softly.
The man instantly stopped spinning around and faced Jesse. “What have you to do with me?”
“You are possessed by an evil you have no defense against.”
In a completely different voice than before, the man screamed. “We know who you are!”
“You have said enough.” Jesse stretched his hand out toward the man. With eyes closed he began to say something so softly Cole could not hear.
Moments before, the man was an energy force of noise, sinew and fierce violent movement. He now stood perfectly still, his hands folded and covering his groin. “We do not fear you, Jesse Monday,” he growled.
“Release this man and be gone.” The voice that came from Jesse was deeper and projected far beyond where the man stood.
A large flock of seagulls, hopping and fluttering just beyond the edge of the crowd near the trash cans along the tree line, began to squawk and scream. Several attacked each other. Then, as with one set of wings, the flock took off and soared high into the afternoon sun.
The man once full of rage and uncontrollable movement fell limp upon the grass.
“What is your name?” Jesse said, kneeling next to where the man lay motionless.
“David,” the man said in a calm voice.
“Someone get our brother David a blanket.” Jesse spoke to a group standing just beyond the man. “David, I want you to go home. Get cleaned up. Your family misses you.”
A woman in the crowd draped a quilt over David’s shoulders. With gentle, non-threatening movements David crawled toward Jesse. As he reached where the preacher stood, David lay face down and began kissing Jesse’s feet.
“No need for that. Get up and do what I asked. Go home.”
David stood and looked Jesse in the face for a long moment, then, without a word, slowly walked through the crowd and across the grass to the trees and disappeared. Jesse walked back to the stage, and as if nothing had happened, he began to speak right where he had left off.
“There are those of you who came here with the purest of motives. You long to be clean, to live clean and long, to do what is right. I want you to understand clearly you will get what you want. Your hearts and minds know your desire is real. Like food and water, you’re sure you cannot survive without knowing truth. You don’t have to worry about what is to come because you’re already on the right path. Can you feel it? Your needs and the deepest longings of your heart are being met.
“You have heard it said, ‘Judge not lest you be judged,’. I want you to take it a step further. Let me tell you a story.” Jesse smiled as the crowd gave a knowing laugh of approval. “A long time ago a wife came to the king after hearing her husband had been arrested.” He paused again. “Now these guys had no three-strikes law. With them it was one strike, you’re dead.
“Please, oh great king, let my man go!” the woman pleaded.
“Why should I?” asked the king. “He has been caught twice stealing chickens. Justice must be served, he must die!”
“‘I am not asking for justice,’ the wife cried. ‘I plead for mercy!’
“‘Your husband doesn’t deserve mercy!’ the king yelled.
“‘Your highness,’ the woman said. ‘It wouldn’t be mercy if he deserved it!’
“‘Then I will show mercy, because there is no one who deserves it less.’ And the king saved the woman’s husband from the gallows.” Jesse smiled at the crowd.
“Remember this, that old king was far richer because of his mercy to the undeserving thief, and the same will happen when you show undeserved kindness.
‘You are people of good hearts and many have marched, and spoken out for peace for many years. I want everyone who hears my voice to remember this simple truth. It is you who are truly the children of God! We as a people have shed too much blood in the name of religion and God. I tell you this; it is not the warrior who spreads the word of God’s love, but the lovers of peace.”
Many in the meadow jumped up and applauded.
As they settled back and quieted down again, Jesse raise his hand and spoke louder and clearer than before. “A lot of you have been made fun of because you came out here today. A lot more of you will be teased, poked fun at, and I’m afraid some will suffer worse. Some may even be beaten up and maybe worse for coming down on the side of what you know to be true. We are about the Truth, and the Truth will truly set you free. But know this, friends; you will be the ones looking down from heaven into the very pit of hell on those who have persecuted you for your faith! Walk in the Truth!”
The crowd seemed to all jump to their feet at once. The cheers and applause were deafening. As Cole looked around, many mixed their laughter and applause with tears streaming down their faces. People young and old embraced, shook hands, patted each other on the back and seemed to bask in the joy of having been together. Around the crowd, though, were those who spoke without smiles. Some covered their mouths and they spoke to those next to them. Many in the crowd began to leave. Small groups around the meadow joined hands to sing and pray. Lines formed, then blurred, and then disappeared altogether as the crowds pressed in to get a chance to speak to Jesse.
A group of men Cole pegged for handlers, followers, or maybe hangers-on, were gathered around Jesse, controlling and directing the flow of people and the make-up of those reaching him. Every so often, someone would be hustled off to the side and “encouraged” to leave.
The tallest of the men stood with his arms folded at the corner of the stage overlooking the meadow and keeping a close eye on the throng of people pressing ever forward to catch a closer look or a word with Jesse. Cole hopped up on the stage and extended a hand to the man.
“Hello, I’m Cole Sage with the San Francisco Chronicle,” Cole said to the man glaring at him, arms still folded. “Okay, we’ll try this a different way. What’s your name?”
“Skeeter Evans and Jesse don’t do interviews.”
“That will save me a lot of asking him questions then. How about you? Will he let you talk?”
“Let me?” Skeeter laughed. “Nobody tells me what to do.”
“So tell me then, what’s your job with the group?”
“I like to think I’m the guy second in charge. I keep things from,” Skeeter paused, trying to be sure he used the right words, “becoming unpleasant.”
“For who?”
“Anybody, but mostly I keep the crackpots away from Jesse.”
“There’s been trouble in the past?” Cole asked.
For the first time Skeeter smiled. “You got your run-of-the-mill crazies; wanna-be prophets and the like. Mostly church leaders are the real problem. Preachers are a real pain, you know, always trying to prove Jesse wrong, accuse him of stuff.”
“Accuse him? He sounds pretty straight forward to me.”
“There is a lot of talk about some of the things he’s done, so-called healings, stuff like that. Wouldn’t you think that they would welcome someone like Jesse? But no, sir, they are always trying to pick a fight. Other day a priest came up and told Jesse he was going to hell. Imagine, Jesse, going to hell. He’s the new Christ.”
There it was. This was what had been suggested, argued about, and was the center of the whole Jesse Monday controversy. Now Cole heard it from his number one man.
“Let me ask you something, Skeeter.” Cole was going to tread lightly. “When you say the “new” Christ, do you mean like a replacement for Jesus, or Jesse is Jesus come back for a second go-round, or what?”
Skeeter unfolded his arms and turned to face Cole. His skin was tanned and heavily lined. The circles of sunglasses showed in the lighter skin around his eyes and seemed to deepen their blue. “So what’s your angle? Cult Rises in the City by the Bay? Would-be Messiah Deceives Followers? Second Coming? Of what? You guys are all alike, trying to tear down the good Jesse tries to do.”
“For being the right hand of such a positive guy, you’re a real barrel of grump. What about all this ‘Truth’ stuff? Seems to me a little truth around here would help your cause. You can’t even give a straight answer.” Cole shook his head. “My angle? Trying to get a look at the real Jesse Monday. It would seem to me that you do such a good job keeping the press away that nobody knows who he is. Seems to me you would want an accurate portrait of the man who would save the world.”
“And who is going to do this accurate portrait? You?”
“Yeah. So, how about this? If you don’t let him do interviews, just let me hang out with you guys. Let me see what’s going on from the inside. Unless you got something to hide.” Cole waited. He knew the first one to speak was the loser in this negotiation.
“First off,” Skeeter began.
Cole had him.
“Nobody speaks for Jesse but Jesse. I just try to keep things plumb. Second, there is nothing we hide from anybody.”
“So you’ll let me tag along for a while?”
Skeeter stood for a long moment, studying Cole. “We don’t need publicity. People, that’s what gets the word out. So don’t play like you’re doing us any favors. The most important thing you could do would be the first person in the media to tell the truth.”
“What is the truth? As you see it, Skeeter?”
“The Truth is in all of us, Jesse shows the way to it. He is God’s earthly manifestation. Jesse is the one mankind has been waiting for.”
“Like Jesus?” Cole pressed.
“Jesus, Jesse, Jesse, Jesus—they are one and the same. God is one, you know? Jesse didn’t ask for this anointing, it was his from birth. Okay, I give you there are a lot of parallels with the other Savior. This time it’s different.”
“How’s that?” Cole needed to get closer to the core beliefs of this new “Savior.”
“This time peace will come from Jesse’s words. Wars will end, hatred, bigotry, racism, all those ‘isms’ will cease to be. And Truth will rule.”
“Nice idea. Noble, lofty, goals.” Cole paused. “Why Jesse, though? What makes him the one?”
“Prophecy. Jesse is prophecy fulfilled. Isaiah 11:10 says ‘He will include and attract people from all cultures and nations.’ You ever seen such a mixed bag in your life as this bunch here? You think this is an accident? Isaiah 52:7 says ‘He will be a messenger of peace.’ The Truth brings peace.”
“Okay, but it seems to me you can apply that to any spiritual leader or rock star, even. I mean, you quote Isaiah but I seem to remember something about a virgin birth, the lineage of King David, being born in Bethlehem. Unless I got it all wrong, Jesse isn’t even Jewish, which is a major prerequisite for being the Messiah.”
“Jews!” Skeeter nearly spit the word out. “History was robbed of the true meaning of the ancient scriptures by the Papists who did the so-called translations. There were no Jews before 400 A.D.! All this ‘God’s chosen people’. In the original text it doesn’t say ‘chosen,’ it says ‘separate’ or ‘put aside.’ They were the unwashed, unwanted Semite tribes, always trying to stir up trouble.”
“So, Jesus was what, then?”
“Most of what you call the New Testament was a fairy story of a prophet that they so desperately needed that the so-called ‘Jews’ grabbed onto the stories and blew them all out of whack. All these stories of Jesus of Nazareth and of Muhammad and Buddha are only intended to pave the way for the Anointed King, and to prepare the world to worship God together. You want a quote? How about this one: ‘For then I shall turn a clear tongue to the nations to call all in the Name of the Lord and to worship him.’ That clear tongue, that messenger of God’s final truth, is Jesse Monday.”
Cole smiled and tried not to let his thoughts show on his face. “So Jesse is God.”
Skeeter shook his head. “Everything for the nonbeliever is so easy to put in a box.”
“Take a mighty big box to put God in,” Cole offered.
“What would you call one who has power over the demonic spirits, over disease and death, and even over the forces of nature?”
“That’s a lot to claim. Are you saying that description fits Jesse?”
“You just saw him cast out demons and send them to that flock of gulls. His healings have been witnessed time and again.”
“David, the mentally ill guy Jesse calmed down, was possessed? And when the gulls flew off so did the demons? That’s a bit of stretch, but okay. Power over death, really?” Cole was not going to let this claim go unchallenged.
“The time will come. It’s not time quite yet, but it will come.”
The men controlling the crowd began to circulate. Cole could hear them telling the people waiting to see Jesse that they might as well go home, Jesse would be leaving shortly. A few turned and moved away from the crowd, a few used the opening to press closer.
“Tonight we’re having dinner at the home of some friends. If you really are looking for the Truth, you’re welcome to come. I am taking you at your word. No interview.” Skeeter’s words were more of a warning than a statement of fact.
“Agreed. I just want to see Jesse off the stage and with friends.”
Skeeter wrote something on the back of a business card and handed it to Cole. “Here’s the address. We eat at six, nothing fancy, but you’re welcome to join us. God isn’t mocked, you remember that.
* * *
The home of Miki and Mini Morgan was wedged between two empty flats on a very short side street off Pacheco. The twins were very petite, almost fragile in their build and demeanor, yet open, friendly and very welcoming. The house was clean, and though the furnishing seemed sparse, there was a feeling of a home well used. Above the desk in the entry way was a photograph of a severe looking black man and an Asian woman with long straight hair, who immediately made Cole think of the Mona Lisa.
“Our parents,” a small voice said from behind Cole. “I’m Miki, welcome to our home.”
“A handsome couple,” Cole said, turning to face his hostess. “Thank you, nice of you to open up your home this way.”
“We would do anything to advance the Kingdom. How long have you been a believer?” Miki said, turning her head in a slight angle.
“I’m not sure you would call me a believer. I’m Cole Sage. I’m a columnist with the Chronicle.
“Oh, you will be,” Mini said, entering the room. “We were Radical Berkeley Atheists until we heard Jesse. Then it was like we could see, taste, smell, and nearly touch the Truth. You’ll see.”
“It seems like quite a jump from not believing, to having a man over for dinner who claims to be God,” Cole inquired.
“Not so much a jump, Cole, as it was a step in the right direction.” Miki giggled at her own joke and Mini joined in. “Come join the group.”
Down a short hallway Cole could hear laughing. He took in as many of the pictures lining the hall as he could as the twins led him to a large dining area.
“Everyone, this is Cole. He will be joining us for dinner.” Mini offered.
Cole nodded and gave a variety of greetings to those around the table.
“You made it,” Skeeter said. Cole detected a slight challenge in Skeeter’s tone.
“I’ve never been one to pass up a dinner invitation.”
“Mr. Sage is a journalist. He’s here at my invitation. He’s just going to hang out with us for a bit and hopefully dispel all those rumors of secret handshakes, animal sacrifice, and orgies.” Skeeter’s attempt at humor bore a razor-sharp edge that reinforced Cole’s earlier impression.
Jesse Monday stood and offered Cole his hand. “Skeeter’s sense of humor tends to be a shade on the nasty side, Mr. Sage. I hope your time with us will be productive. We have nothing but love for you and want you to feel you are one of us.”
