Peter: The first cup is for this rascal, Lazarus! His
body was already infested with worms, and yet, God gave him back to
us – fat as he always was. Praise God!
Old
Man: Praise Him and bless Him, for he has given us
eyes to see what we have seen! And long live the prophet from Nazareth!
All: Long live the prophet! Long live the prophet!
The “Beautiful Palm Trees” in Bethany, was teeming with people.
Martha and Mary had prepared a big feast in the inn to celebrate Lazarus’
return to life. We all seemed to be dreaming when we saw that big-bellied
man, always laughing, sharing his jokes and devouring two trays full
of food. Peter and I would pinch ourselves every now and then to prove
it was not a dream. Since it was not, we continued laughing and drinking
to the new life the Lord had restored to our friend....
Peter: Not even my beloved Ruphi has ever cooked a lamb
as delicious as this one.
Philip: Do all lambs of the Kingdom of God taste this
good, Jesus?
Martha: Here, have another serving, Philip... and you
too, Peter!... Hey, countrymen, we have more than enough food! And drinks,
too! We can open another barrel if need be!
Mary: Not one but ten barrels! Or even a hundred barrels!
Or a hundred thousand of them! Wine brings lots of happiness! Today
is the happiest day in the history of “La Palmera Bonita!”… Friends,
be our guests!
Lazarus: And tomorrow, we close down!… Ha, ha... at the
rate you and Martha are going, I’ll be dead once again, not of any illness
this time but because of enormous debts... ha, ha, ha.... Holy heavens,
what crazy sisters I have!.... Tell me, Jesus, could it be that the
Lord has taken me out of my grave so I may see how my two sisters could
destroy me in just one day?… Just kidding… just kidding… Ha, ha, ha....
Hey, pour some more wine in the jug and bring me another lamb’s leg.
I’ve been starved for four days!
With gusto, Lazarus laughed and ate all he could. Martha and
Mary had ordered the slaughter of the ten fattest lambs in the fold,
and spent all their savings during the previous months to buy wine,
dates, figs and pastries for the feast. Then they went from house to
house inviting all the village people to the inn....
Old
Man: Well, what can I say, Lazarus? I thank your sisters
for this madness, for this great splurging… I’ve almost forgotten what
it meant to be eating warm food. And the truth is, having a full tummy
comes as a blessing from heaven!
Peter: You’re right, old man Teclo! Eat and be merry!
Mary: It will be more fun if we start the dance now!
C’mon, neighbors, to the patio everyone, and let’s all dance!... Then,
there’ll be enough time to lick more lamb bones!... Who among you guys
plays the “Dance of the Waves?”
Old
Man: That’s my forte! I learned it from my grandfather.
Give me that flute!
Mary: Can you play the drums, Philip?
Philip: I can only play my cart’s horn! Ha, ha, ha!
Mary: And you, Peter?
Peter: Well, I can just knock at my door’s house!
Mary: Let me play the drums! My goodness! I play better
when I’m loaded!
Everyone headed for the patio. The music began to play, and sing,
too. Everybody danced gayly, the men in one circle, and the women in
another. We were all clapping and turning around. Mary was continuously
laughing, dancing and leaping about, going from one side to another.
She was flushed and sweating, greeting everyone and embracing her brother
every minute. Martha was also ecstatic. Their joy had contaminated all
of us....
It was getting dark and from afar Jerusalem had lighted her first
lights when we went inside the inn. There were dates, figs and pastries
left on the table. Mary lighted the lamps that were hanging on the walls,
then again filled up the jugs with wine....
Peter: Life goes ’round like a spinning wheel! Today
you laugh boisterously, tomorrow you weep bitterly! Let’s have another
toast, buddies!
Philip: Exactly! Let there be no end of it!
Then we saw Mary, Lazarus’ sister, leave the table and run toward
the patio....
Lazarus: This crazy and cross-eyed sister of mine, where
could she have gone? Will she disguise herself as the Queen of Sabah?
What do you think, guys? She’s capable of anything… you know… ha, ha,
ha!
At that instant, Mary appeared again. She was hiding something
under her green-striped tunic…
Mary: I tell you, gossip monger, if I had money to
buy the elephants and camels of the queen of Sabah, I would have done
so!... But, I could only afford this!
Mary took out from the folds of her tunic a flask of alabaster,
the size of a squash....
Lazarus: Ha, ha, ha… and what’s that thing, woman?
Mary: Neighbors,
we’ve had been dancing and eating too much! But this is not the end of it! I’ve heard that
in big feasts, not only wine flows but perfumes too… so, here’s the
perfume! It’s the only thing we lack!
With tears in her eyes, and with overwhelming joy, Mary went
to Jesus....
Mary: Jesus! God be with you always, may you have the
best of health, and may you live as long as Methuselah, and may your
mother live long to witness that, and may death not befall to you!
Lazarus: But Mary, what’re you talking about? You’re
drunk!
Mary: Yeah, I’m drunk with joy. And it’s Jesus’ fault.
Bless be the day, Moreno, you set foot in this house! Before, I washed
your feet with water, but now, let me wash them with perfume, like they
do to a great master…!
Mary broke the neck of the flask and poured the oil of nard over
Jesus’ feet. I think that was about half a liter of oil. All at once,
the scent filled the whole inn....
Peter: Blazes! It seems I have the entire garden inside
my nose!
Lazarus: But, silly woman, how much did you have to spend for such a
silly idea?
Mary: You’ll get mad at me, so I won’t tell you. Anyway,
this doesn’t happen everyday, my goodness!
Philip: This smells like heaven, yes sir!
Peter: If
perfume is flowing, then let it be so for wine! C’mon, fellas! Let’s
drink to the silliness of Mary!
The feast lasted until past midnight. The neighbors went back
to their houses very contented. The women and some members of the group,
exhausted, had gone to sleep. Soon, Lazarus, Martha and Mary followed
suit. My brother James and I, Judas, Peter and Philip stayed for a while
in the patio, conversing with Jesus… the moonlight had taken over the
stars in heaven, illuminating our faces....
Philip: Hey, what’s bugging you, Moreno? You’ve not uttered
a single word during dinner....
Peter: Yeah? He’s been eating and drinking! He can’t
eat and talk at the same time! Ha! He was busy devouring one sparerib,
while his other hand was ready to put another one inside his mouth!
Philip: I
saw you do the same thing, Peter! I dunno the number of ribs a lamb
can yield, but man, you and Jesus had your plates filled with those
of the entire flock! Ha, ha, haay!
James: You’re
a fool, Philip!… and so are you, Peter!.... Now, this is just among
us, Jesus… Say it, straight to the point....
Jesus: Say what,
James?
Judas: C’mon,
Moreno... now, don’t deny it anymore. We know fully well why you have
been very quiet all along. James and I have talked about it awhile ago.
We share the same thoughts, you see.
Jesus: What’s
all this about? Frankly, I don’t understand...
Judas: All this
splurging, isn’t this a waste of money? Why don’t you render an account
of all that’s been spent. The perfume alone was enough to feed ten families!
James: Or even
more! Damn, we’re no different from those filthy rich we criticize:
feasting lavishly while many go hungry!
Philip: And you’re
the first among them, James!
James: That’s
right, Philip, and this is what makes me furious...!
Judas: By this
time in Jerusalem, a lot of people must have gone to sleep with a grumbling
stomach. But here we are, preaching justice, yet gorging ourselves on
good food. Then the expensive perfume.... This is what has hit me, you
know. And you, Jesus?
James: C’mon,
Moreno, speak up. Don’t worry, Lazarus will not know of it, so it won’t
hurt him. But I know that this afternoon’s happening has pissed you
off.
Jesus: No, James,
not me...
Judas: Don’t
tell us you approve of all these wasteful spendings and overflowing
of wine at the tables....
Philip: With
your feet dripping with perfume! Hahahaay!
James: I don’t
find that funny, Philip.
Judas: Neither
do I. In fact, I feel so ashamed having been in that binge.
Peter: Well,
I’m making myself available for the next occasion. Damn it, it’s been
a long time since I danced with too much gusto!
Philip: Next time, it shall be for Pentecost; so you
know now, fellas, let’s all be here!
James: You sure will be, fake rebel. But you will never
see my face ever in this lavish inn.
Jesus: But James, what’s all this about? What has got
into your head, Judas and you... is it something that you ate in the
party?… Didn’t Mary say what it was? A day is a day.
Philip: It only happens once in a blue moon, as they
say, in my barrio!
Judas: What the hell do I care about your barrio? Not
even in the whole country. This is precisely what the rich have to say.
In one day they splurge on what is the equivalent of a monthly wage
of a laborer, just like that… with no feeling of remorse....
Peter: Look, Judas, don’t make matters worse. Martha
and Mary invited the whole neighborhood of Bethany. The party was for
everybody. No one was left out. Is there anything wrong with that?…
Or… aren’t we, poor people, entitled to a little fun, too? Damn!
James: Of course, Peter, but splurging is something
else. Do say I’m right, Jesus…
Jesus: I dunno, James, but I think the happy-go-lucky
are closer to the Kingdom of God than the misers. Yeah, really… now,
don’t you put on that face… I think God is also a little nuts like Mary....
God does not keep too much account of everything, nor make use of scales
and other measurements. What God has, God gives away, as a gift. No
more, no less.
Judas: But Jesus, how can you justify all this, you
who have used up all your spittle preaching justice and talking about
the struggle of men and women who are deprived of even a piece of bread
to feed their hungry mouths?
Jesus: Precisely, Judas, because there are thousands
of them and the struggle is long, so there must be time for everything,
There is time to keep and time to spend.
Peter: That’s what I’ve been telling Nathanael: take
it easy, Nat. Time must take its natural course. Nat is also hard on
himself: he goes from the shop to the house, and back… that’s how he’s
lost all his hair and soon! Hahay! And you’ll suffer the same fate,
James and Judas, since you work day in and day out, without even giving
yourselves a break.
Jesus: Even the best wine, when neglected, becomes vinegar!
Peter: Right,
Jesus. Don’t make things too difficult, buddies. Each day has so much
in store for us, isn’t that right? We just have to open our hands and
take what awaits us for the day. Today, we had a party. So be it. If
tomorrow brings us tears, then tomorrow we weep.
Philip: If
it brings us perfume of nard, then well and good, because my goodness,
we wouldn’t be reeking of onions and fish forever!
Then we all went to sleep, exhausted but happy. As I shut my
eyes, I remembered Mary, Lazarus’ sister, dancing joyfully, laughing,
her whole body profuse with ecstatic glee. I think no one but she ever
understood that the Kingdom of God is like one big banquet.