AZOTUSLAND chapter Fifty
Things slowed up around 1:30 the next day, an overcast day with especially dark clouds.
Jim had posted a notice on the main website and also dropped some suggestions to a few regulars. When he had spoken to Ted he looked up angry and said, "that man is a quack Jim and you know it. Let him have what he deserves?"
"What if you get what you deserve Ted?"
"I take a godly life seriously," Ted said seriously. "And that comes from having correct doctrine. Tanka wouldn't know correct doctrine if it hit him in the face, or he'd try and smoke it," he said with disdain.
"No one has correct doctrine Ted," Jim said without sympathy. "Go smoke 1 Corinthians 13:12." Then Jim left him to sort it out.
"Damn I hate doing that," Jim muttered under his breath. Citing "proof texts" was a losing proposition, even with Fundies. It was like a mouthful of milk gone bad and it ran against the whole intent and flow of those first century narratives and letters. He went out on the deck and took in some cool air. It was deserted because it was so cold but Jim enjoyed it for a moment.
What about Ted made him angry? Was it just his intolerance? Jim figured no. It was that Ted reminded him of himself twenty years earlier. He thought how he had eviscerated even his own professors in college with his airtight logic. He didn't love those men and women, he just wanted to best and humiliate them in the name of "Truth."
Looking over the edge he sighed heavily and turned and went back in. Ted was reading the Corinthian passage with a stern look on his face, just as Jim might have all those years ago...looking for a way to fix Jim's ass rather than seeing the deeper beauty that was in those words.
"I am sorry Ted," Jim said looking down on him.
"Sorry for what Jim? "Ted replied tersely. "Scripture is scripture and is profitable for teaching, training, reproof..." and on he went for awhile.
When he was done, Jim said "I am sorry for being rude and unloving. I am not your enemy."
"You don't act like a brother Jim," Ted said with a slicing glance.
"Well just then I did not, that's true and I apologize. Can I make two suggestions Ted?"
"Sure, free country."
"First, even if I was your enemy then please consider the words of Jesus who asked us to love our enemies."
Ted rolled his eyes, but kept silent after just an "and...?"
"And please read the whole chapter there, and maybe the chapter before it and the one after. Get the whole flow of what Paul is saying to the community in Corinth. It's a revolutionary vision of faith, hope and love and should not be relegated to wedding ceremonies. That was not it's intent. And it's why we are leaving in ten minutes to visit Rev. Tanka. I hope you will reconsider and come with us.
Ted shook his head and looked down, but he did turn back to chapter 12 and start from the top.
********
"Manfred can you bring the car around?"
"Oh No Sahib! It's blowed up!"
"Are you fucking with me Manfred?"
"A little," Manfred said and giggled before running of for the Jeep keys.
Jim laughed. What would he do without Manfred?
Roo, ever the suffragette for Azotus took over the controls (not that she didn't already have them). She, Hans, and Ward closed up the lower room and shifted upstairs.
In the parking lot Manfred waited in the car as people assembled. Maugham and Martine were huddled together waiting for Renata and Rand to arrive in their Honda. Jonathan piled into the Jeep along with Maurice, Ian, and finally Jim. Alice and Fred showed up five minutes later, and Templar's noisy Volvo came pulling up and Jonathan jumped out and said "I'm going in that 007!" in his best "Q" voice.
Jacob and Delphia were once again somewhat of a tentative item. They had agreed to meet at the hospital at 1:30 or so. Andy had sent a card even though he had never met Tanka, just smelled smoke outside the IC that he figured was his.
It had started to rain very lightly as it does in the area...a fine mist that is not unpleasant until after ten minutes. Martine looked up at Maug in his dark black jacket and the three braids down the side, he looked like "Strider" for Tolkein she thought, only taller. Rand and Renata were still missing when Ted came around the back with his big white Suburban, and Maugham and Martine walked over to get in. Just before they did, Maug flung his hair back and glared at Jim, then smiled.
Just before they took off, Dave from the Zen Meditation Center arrived with two friends, and they all caravaned down the main drag. The talk on the way down was pretty jovial as more wipers were needed and it started to pour.
In the parking lot, which was lighted and covered they convened.
"I dunno if they will let us all in at once or not," Jim said.
"What do we do when we get there?" Jonathan asked.
"Well, the first thing is not to do your impression of him Jay."
"Ah man! That's not Coool," Jonathan instinctively did in his best Eddie Murphy/Maurice voice.
Maurice was standing five feet away. Every one got quite as Maurice glared.
"Ah...it's allright MAAAN!" he finally said and the garage echoed with laughter.
As they headed for the door Maurice looked at a sheepish Jonathan and said softly, "I hear that again and I will whip your cracker ass."
Just then there was a a screech of tires as the Honda came peeling in and parked.
"Sorry, sorry!" Rand yelled. "Everybody make it or I need to go back?"
"No worries."
*******
Rev. Tanka was suffering from acute emphysema. There was nothing that could be done for him. Eventually he would simply run out of air. He made off in front of the nurses about how "the Lord" would heal him, but he knew it was not true.
He closed his heavy eyes and as painful as it was he thought back to his days in Sweden as a young preacher. He had such fire and passion for people. Now he was alone. He had not seen his daughter Elise for a decade and the parting had not been pleasant. His wife had left over twenty years ago. Then he heard a commotion down the hall. He could not make out what it was but paid it no mind.
Jim was gently pleading with he nursing staff about the group as a whole being able to go it. It would mean so much and they promised to be as quiet as possible. The nurse was having none of it, until a tall intense man walked from behind a few people and alongside Jim and said "Jean, this is really important."
It was Ted. Jean was his aunt.
She was a bit shocked but said she'd see what she could do.
Jim leaned on elbows on the counter and Ted joined him.
Jim looked over and smiled. "Nice work." Ted smiled back then they both looked forward.
Jean came back and said it was okay but only for ten minutes, fifteen max if he was responding well. She herself would be in attendance.
Just then Jacob and Ked Woman showed up and Nurse Jean rolled her eyes in the back of her head.
The eighteen of them crept quietly down the hall and into Tanka's room.
Jim had posted a notice on the main website and also dropped some suggestions to a few regulars. When he had spoken to Ted he looked up angry and said, "that man is a quack Jim and you know it. Let him have what he deserves?"
"What if you get what you deserve Ted?"
"I take a godly life seriously," Ted said seriously. "And that comes from having correct doctrine. Tanka wouldn't know correct doctrine if it hit him in the face, or he'd try and smoke it," he said with disdain.
"No one has correct doctrine Ted," Jim said without sympathy. "Go smoke 1 Corinthians 13:12." Then Jim left him to sort it out.
"Damn I hate doing that," Jim muttered under his breath. Citing "proof texts" was a losing proposition, even with Fundies. It was like a mouthful of milk gone bad and it ran against the whole intent and flow of those first century narratives and letters. He went out on the deck and took in some cool air. It was deserted because it was so cold but Jim enjoyed it for a moment.
What about Ted made him angry? Was it just his intolerance? Jim figured no. It was that Ted reminded him of himself twenty years earlier. He thought how he had eviscerated even his own professors in college with his airtight logic. He didn't love those men and women, he just wanted to best and humiliate them in the name of "Truth."
Looking over the edge he sighed heavily and turned and went back in. Ted was reading the Corinthian passage with a stern look on his face, just as Jim might have all those years ago...looking for a way to fix Jim's ass rather than seeing the deeper beauty that was in those words.
"I am sorry Ted," Jim said looking down on him.
"Sorry for what Jim? "Ted replied tersely. "Scripture is scripture and is profitable for teaching, training, reproof..." and on he went for awhile.
When he was done, Jim said "I am sorry for being rude and unloving. I am not your enemy."
"You don't act like a brother Jim," Ted said with a slicing glance.
"Well just then I did not, that's true and I apologize. Can I make two suggestions Ted?"
"Sure, free country."
"First, even if I was your enemy then please consider the words of Jesus who asked us to love our enemies."
Ted rolled his eyes, but kept silent after just an "and...?"
"And please read the whole chapter there, and maybe the chapter before it and the one after. Get the whole flow of what Paul is saying to the community in Corinth. It's a revolutionary vision of faith, hope and love and should not be relegated to wedding ceremonies. That was not it's intent. And it's why we are leaving in ten minutes to visit Rev. Tanka. I hope you will reconsider and come with us.
Ted shook his head and looked down, but he did turn back to chapter 12 and start from the top.
********
"Manfred can you bring the car around?"
"Oh No Sahib! It's blowed up!"
"Are you fucking with me Manfred?"
"A little," Manfred said and giggled before running of for the Jeep keys.
Jim laughed. What would he do without Manfred?
Roo, ever the suffragette for Azotus took over the controls (not that she didn't already have them). She, Hans, and Ward closed up the lower room and shifted upstairs.
In the parking lot Manfred waited in the car as people assembled. Maugham and Martine were huddled together waiting for Renata and Rand to arrive in their Honda. Jonathan piled into the Jeep along with Maurice, Ian, and finally Jim. Alice and Fred showed up five minutes later, and Templar's noisy Volvo came pulling up and Jonathan jumped out and said "I'm going in that 007!" in his best "Q" voice.
Jacob and Delphia were once again somewhat of a tentative item. They had agreed to meet at the hospital at 1:30 or so. Andy had sent a card even though he had never met Tanka, just smelled smoke outside the IC that he figured was his.
It had started to rain very lightly as it does in the area...a fine mist that is not unpleasant until after ten minutes. Martine looked up at Maug in his dark black jacket and the three braids down the side, he looked like "Strider" for Tolkein she thought, only taller. Rand and Renata were still missing when Ted came around the back with his big white Suburban, and Maugham and Martine walked over to get in. Just before they did, Maug flung his hair back and glared at Jim, then smiled.
Just before they took off, Dave from the Zen Meditation Center arrived with two friends, and they all caravaned down the main drag. The talk on the way down was pretty jovial as more wipers were needed and it started to pour.
In the parking lot, which was lighted and covered they convened.
"I dunno if they will let us all in at once or not," Jim said.
"What do we do when we get there?" Jonathan asked.
"Well, the first thing is not to do your impression of him Jay."
"Ah man! That's not Coool," Jonathan instinctively did in his best Eddie Murphy/Maurice voice.
Maurice was standing five feet away. Every one got quite as Maurice glared.
"Ah...it's allright MAAAN!" he finally said and the garage echoed with laughter.
As they headed for the door Maurice looked at a sheepish Jonathan and said softly, "I hear that again and I will whip your cracker ass."
Just then there was a a screech of tires as the Honda came peeling in and parked.
"Sorry, sorry!" Rand yelled. "Everybody make it or I need to go back?"
"No worries."
*******
Rev. Tanka was suffering from acute emphysema. There was nothing that could be done for him. Eventually he would simply run out of air. He made off in front of the nurses about how "the Lord" would heal him, but he knew it was not true.
He closed his heavy eyes and as painful as it was he thought back to his days in Sweden as a young preacher. He had such fire and passion for people. Now he was alone. He had not seen his daughter Elise for a decade and the parting had not been pleasant. His wife had left over twenty years ago. Then he heard a commotion down the hall. He could not make out what it was but paid it no mind.
Jim was gently pleading with he nursing staff about the group as a whole being able to go it. It would mean so much and they promised to be as quiet as possible. The nurse was having none of it, until a tall intense man walked from behind a few people and alongside Jim and said "Jean, this is really important."
It was Ted. Jean was his aunt.
She was a bit shocked but said she'd see what she could do.
Jim leaned on elbows on the counter and Ted joined him.
Jim looked over and smiled. "Nice work." Ted smiled back then they both looked forward.
Jean came back and said it was okay but only for ten minutes, fifteen max if he was responding well. She herself would be in attendance.
Just then Jacob and Ked Woman showed up and Nurse Jean rolled her eyes in the back of her head.
The eighteen of them crept quietly down the hall and into Tanka's room.
posted by Obi-Mac BakDon | 10:24 AM
2 Comments:
Gee...that is awful about Rev Tanka. Very painful illness.
What is kinda neat with Jim is that his spirituality is at his very core and yet he doesn't flaunt, yet he can't deny. Quite a balance you are doing with Jim.
Very nice.
Hey!
Just hit me,Jacob and Ked woman??!
Post a Comment
<< Home