Simon of Cyrene

It is the second day.
I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday.
I cried, yes Simon cried.

I couldn’t remember when I cried for the last time. Ribkah just came in, bringing some slices of bread, but I couldn’t eat any.

Yesterday, on the way home, I saw Ribkah’s friends gathering in front of the city hall.
I don’t like them.
They often spend their time doing nothing but talking nonsense. Amazingly, Ribkah was there, too. Ribkah was bewildered by their stories.

“Simon, how are you?”
Ribkah saw me, and dragged me to join her.
“A couple of weeks ago, you were in Jerusalem, weren’t you?”
I nodded.
“Oh, he must have heard about this guy!” a woman added.

“She heard news from Jerusalem about a guy rising up from the dead. Oh yeah,.. He was crucified. It is very strange! I cannot believe it,” Ribkah continued.

“I think it is true, because the tomb was empty,” another woman said.

I don’t know why, but I became quite interested in talking about this guy. I asked, “do you by any chance know what his name is?”

“Jesus, son of Joseph.”

I was stunned.
I was speechless. I softly mumbled, “so, it was true!”

Ribkah asked, “what did you say, Simon?”

***
I was quite tired at that time. I had gone to the country to do some extra jobs. I had to earn more money. Alexander and Rufus were growing up and we needed extra money to feed them. I heard that there were some opportunities in the country, so I went there.

I didn’t realize that I was in Jerusalem already. I was very much occupied with my thoughts. Ah,.. I missed my kids.

I saw a lot of people gathered. They were standing in a line – shouting, screaming. They were angry. Who were they shouting about? I was wondering.

“Crucify him! Crucify him!”

It must be another criminal.
I like Jerusalem. It is a very nice place, very modern, but I am afraid to raise my children here, I thought.
“Crucify him!”

I went to see the crowd. I saw a man, looking very thin. He was bleeding. I saw his back. Ouch,.. he must be hurting. I was stillamazed by what I was seeing when a soldier came up to me.

“Hey you, help him!”

The soldier pulled my cloth, dragged me, and impolitely asked me to carry the cross.
I didn’t mind, really.
I was very sorry for that criminal.
What had he done wrong?

He was walking slowly behind me. I knew for sure he could hardly walk.
I looked back.
He looked at me, too.
I kept asking myself, what has this guy done wrong?

We reached Golgotha. It was quite exhausting.
I passed the cross to this guy. Once again, he looked at me, very deeply.

I walked. I think, I half-ran. I was scared, or afraid.
Then I heard a guy said, “if you are the Son of God, help yourself!”

For the very last time, I looked at him, from afar. He still looked at me, too.

***

Ribkah knocks on the door,

“Simon, someone is looking for you.”
I walk towards the front door and see a man standing in front of the door.
“Are you Simon?” he asked. “I am from Jerusalem.”

I approach him straight away, “tell me more about him!”

(written last week, during Easter Arts Festival - Crossroads Church and this week it is posted on Signal - Crossroads Magazine)