Reasonable People -  Razumni ljudi

            It was a Sunday afternoon. Dust from the road flew along the roughly shaped contours of some old car passing by. Old car with middle aged priest sitting behind the wheel. It was hot like hell. Priest was sweating all over. No use from open windows, just dust gluing his face, making him look like a stone figure after some time. His eyes were focused on the horizon and it’s slowly change of shapes. From the void and desert scenery it turned into a small god forgotten town with its dull white and yellow houses and establishments. Soon priest stopped at the edge of it and just looked into its curly faceless shapes.

         Then he moved on into the center of the town. Main Street was equally dull and tiring. Banners and signs passed by, bank, restaurants, hotels, stores, until he parked in front of a bar, or more likely saloon. He looked at the sign and the door for a while, and finally got out of the car. After stretching which produced some crackling sounds he put his black hat on and went into the saloon. It was just like some scene taken out of a western movie. Only the sound of wind was there to make company to this hard burning sun.

        He came straight to the bar table, cleaning carelessly bar chair and sat facing the mirror behind bar. He looked at his slightly moved collar and put it into place. Bartender did not even notice him. He was whispering something to a blonde sitting at the corner of a bar. There were two other guests in the saloon, sitting by two separated tables and both pretty drunk. He looked at them for a moment with bitterness and the turned to a bartender.

Priest: Good afternoon son. God bless you and your distinguished establishment.

Bartender, turns like someone hit him in the back.

Bartender: Ah, good da… I mean afternoon, hmm, father, right! I mean you are a priest.

Bartender puts on false and polite smile, his mustaches are dancing, and his unshaved cheeks turns red.

Priest: I hoped I can get some drink here. This day looks like purgatory in its worst. I think I saw some rocks melting down the road. How about a nice cold beer.

Bartender automatically takes a big glass and puts it under a beer tap, pulling the handle causing white froth to fall into a glass.

Bartender: What bring you here mister, I mean father? It is not pleasant to travel these days. It is truly hot, like you sad in “peergatory”  right?

Priest: In purgatory, my good man, purgatory is the place where we all come after death, no matter how we died, or how good or bad we were. Every one of those bones buried in the desert by the road near this town is now in purgatory.

Bartender try to put the filled glass in front of the priest, but his hand tremble like a leaf for a moment and he spills the beer slightly. His face becomes red again and he cleans spilled beer from the bar. He takes a big breathe.

Bartender: Sorry about this… How is that, you say? (Bartender thoughts: He knows, impossible. How, Who…)

 Priest: You know, my good man, you know.

Priest drinks some beer.

Priest: Good, cold, fine.

Bartender: What? I don’t know…(Bartender thoughts: Who is he? What the fuck is going on??)

Priest: Well, it is the place where we face our demons, our sins, our bad behavior, our fears at last.

Bartender: Yes. I mean, I know, but I didn’t understood the part with desert and (Bartender thoughts: What know think, fool, think), I mean those what you said bones and desert?

Priest: Simple, all those poor souls buried in the desert, died naturally or violently. They all have to go to purgatory. It is the way to finally clean our sins before God decides our fate.

Bartender: I mean, why those in the desert? (Bartender thoughts: I knew sometime this will happen.)

Priest: Why not. Are there some people buried there?

Bartender: I don’t know. Haven’t heard. Maybe. But…

Priest: There is no but, my friend, everyone has to pay, even me, even you.

Bartender thoughts: Oh here we are, maybe he is reasonable, maybe we could…

Bartender: Yes, yes, father. We are all sinners, aren’t we?

Priest: Exactly.

Bartender: And we all have to pay, right?

Priest: Quite right, my good man. It is big but fair price.

Bartender thoughts: Uh, I must be generous, that is to be expected, uh, God why did you send a priest? Well maybe he will be fair.)

Bartender: Yes, yes, father. Tell me please, how long will you stay here? I would like to talk to you some more. Privately, if that’s possible?

Priest: Yes of course, but why privately when God knows everything, God hears everything.  

Bartender thoughts: Hmmm, he is not easy, well…

Bartender: Well you see, father, I did not confess for a long time, and since you are now here, maybe I could…

Priest: But son, don’t you have a church in this town and your pastor?

Bartender thoughts: Tough barging ha…

Bartender: You see, I am little embarrassed to go there, I mean, it is a long time, it wouldn’t be appropriate, I would like if you could do that for me, please.

Priest: Oh well, OK. I will stay as long as I am needed her. Can you tell me which hotel is nice, with some good food. We will meet there tomorrow. I need some rest, I am human also.

Bartender: Of course, there is a nice hotel one block from here. Just say there I recommended you, they have great meals and clean sheets, and hot water all the time.

Priest: OK my son. I will go there after this nice beer and have a rest. You must be prepared for tomorrow. It is not easy. You must be honest and fair if you want for him to be fair with you.

Bartender thoughts: I will be prepared, must go to prepare it…

Bartender: Yes of course. I will be. Hmm, can you tell me how mu… I mean how big is that confession?

Priest: As big as you can be. More generously you remorse and more you give him, he will be more merciful to your sins, my son.

Bartender thoughts: Smart ass, I must fill the bag over the top ha…

Bartender: OK but, aren’t we supposed to be moderate in life?

Priest: Only compared to our sins, my son, we are to be moderate in sin and generous to give our thoughts and bags of our past sins filled with remorse.

Bartender thoughts: Bags! He knows about bags too. Oh my God. Well what to do, I must do.

Bartender (in modest and sad tone): OK, father, I will come tomorrow. Be merciful.

Priest: God is always merciful. Do not worry, just come and bring your barren to me.

Priest drinks the beer and stands up. Making a sign of a cross over bartender he moves his hand towards the pocket and then a piece of metal flashes into a bartender eyes. As he pulls the wallet out to pay bartender is frozen.

Bartender thoughts: He has a piece. He is professional. God help me please. Better alive and poor then dead and rich. I must pull myself together.

Bartender: Please, father, it is on the house.

Priest: Are you sure?

Bartender: More than sure.

Priest returns wallet into a pocket and gun flashes again.

Priest: Well then, my son, until tomorrow.

Priest slightly touches his hat and goes out of the saloon.

Bartender looks in his way and seconds are like years for him.

Bartender thoughts: Think, think, fast, oh, there is no escape from the fate…  

TO BE CONTINUED

 

Mihailo Radosavljevic