LOOK BOTH WAYS
10
I am a stranger and I invite you in, he smiled, as he opened the door, quickly, upon which she rested the weight of her back. She fell backward a little then righted herself and stood up.
‘Wonderful!’ She grinned. ‘How did you get in?’
‘The door wasn’t secured very well, I guess.’ He answered. She pushed quickly past him and began searching inside the small building. The air about his face carried her wafting female fragrance. He closed the door and followed, smiling softly.
I will drink deeply of the fruit of your vine, he thought stirringly—now that the kingdom has come.
‘Yes!’ He heard her shout as she entered a room well ahead of him.
He followed the sound of her chuckling.
‘Thank God!’ She said smiling, as she pointed with a wide sweep of her right arm to the wall of open showers.
There were no cubicles. It was a communal bathing area, he figured, that must have been used by the workers who had once lived on the site.
‘But do we have any water?’ He asked with a grin.
He chuckled inside as he watched the smile vanish from her face, as if wiped with a magic cloth, invisible. She gave the brief appearance of somebody that had won the lotto, and then had been told it was a mistake.
Then her brow furrowed. She spun on her heels and stepped up to the nearest shower, then reached forward to the wall and quickly turned one of the taps. The piping groaned and the tap coughed, but nothing came out.
‘Oh, no!’ She said loudly, her voice full of disappointment.
She let go of the tap she had been holding and grabbed the one beside it then quickly twisted. Again the invisible piping groaned somewhere else in the building and the showerhead coughed, once, twice, and then three times, but no cool water came out. And then, in a loud rush, it did.
‘Yes!’ She shrieked excitedly, as she stood grinning like a Cheshire cat, while they both watched the muddy-coloured water leave the rusty showerhead in fits and starts before finally calming down to a steady flow of clear-coloured liquid.
‘Oh, yes!’ She shrieked again.
Then she turned and beamed at him as if she had just found a treasure she had searched for all her life. Her strong teeth shined a brilliant white against the contrasting backdrop of her dark African-American face and features.
He smiled back at her, nodding in silent agreement and acknowledgement of her new-found happiness. He inhaled deeply and grinned at himself. He could certainly use a shower. Puzzled, he then watched her smile slowly fade away, as if going out with the tide of her joy. Her gaze dropped from his momentarily, along with her chin slightly. When she looked up again her gaze was no longer joyous. It was full of suspicion.
‘Ladies first,’ she said, as if talking to a servant and not smiling. ‘Wait outside. I’ll call you when I’m done.’
He nodded and turned away, walking to the door and through it. Then he closed it behind him. He puzzled when he heard her dragging something across the floor. It banged up against the door. His smile returned, but it was a sad smile, a soft smile.
For your need I have come to you, he thought sadly—and I will wait for you forever. I will not leave you again, but beware of how you treat me. I will always forgive, but this time, I will not forget.
He turned and looked at the closed door, aware of his clothes sticking to him on almost every square inch of the skin of his body.
This time I do not come to fulfil the scriptures, his mind thought idly, as his gaze rested steadily upon the closed door—I come to live and to love, in you and with you that you might know I am like you in nature and soul. You are my twin, as I am yours.
He took off the suit-coat and dropped it to the floor.
When you love me, he thought, as his fingers began undoing the buttons of his shirt—you will be loved by my Father and by me. We will make our dwelling of heaven within you in the house of your heart.
His fingers let the sweat-soaked shirt drop on top of the coat. The air around his bare body was hot. He heard her singing as she bathed herself. His hands reached for his belt, as he kicked off his dusty shoes. His trousers dropped to his ankles. He stepped from them where they fell.
You will worship me within your own reality, the thought gently came to him as he reached for his underwear—then you will know I have truly come again; for this time I seek no sacrifice, only love; for I had died before you had truly loved me, even though I loved you.
He glanced down when he felt his maleness flex strongly. Then, hot, naked, and smiling softly, he looked both ways then stepped up to the barricaded door and pushed it forcefully.
No force is able to keep even the strongest of my sheep from me, he thought when his even gaze met hers in her fright. Instantly, she became angry and indignant. She turned side on to his view, covering her breasts and glaring at him.
There are many sheep, he mused, as he kicked the door forcefully closed behind him—some that will belong to me, and some that will still choose to remain outside the fold. I will gather them as well so that they, too, will rejoice at the feel of my voice in their hearts and will become members of one great fold, and with only one shepherd to care for them night and day.
‘Oh!’ She gasped angrily and indignantly at him as she stood beneath the running water and side on to his view.
He stood quiet and relaxed, with his hands behind his back. They held the thick leather belt from his trousers.
‘Ladies first, remember?’ She said with attitude.
His jaw set firm, yet inside he smiled at her conditioned woman’s fear while sensing her natural female’s joy at the unexpected reality of being taken. His body flexed strongly again. He saw her gaze drop briefly then quickly look back up at him again. She saw and he knew she had seen. And he knew she knew he had seen her see.
‘Ladies first!’ She repeated in a hostile tone while he stood quietly and watched her woman tremble with fear and trepidation. Yet, the female in her eyes looked both ways, then back at him.
The bread that I offer you this time is not my living life, which I once gave for the life of the world to live, he thought calmly, amidst the sounds of her woman’s anger and fear both. It was the bread of life come down from heaven that you might feast on spiritual food but you did not feast and you let me go from you too soon. Now I have come and you will dine well.
Then he smiled deeply and stepped forward toward her.
This 7th time, he thought firmly—I have come to start a fire in all.