II

Priest comes to a town hotel and entering the lobby calls for service.

Hotel manager comes out and for a moment looks at him examining his face and his clothes.

Hotel manager: Good day priest, how can I be of service?

Priest: Good afternoon my son, I suppose I need a room and good meal if that is possible?

Hotel manager: Of course, this is a house with some reputation, even if it is in a God forgotten town. You just came in time, supper is ready, nothing special, few dishes, but quality matters. As for the room I would suggest number 10 on the first floor, nice view and has a TV.

Priest: Well, that would be just fine, my son, I`ll go up to fresh myself, there is a lot of dust down the road, only I have one question for you.

Hotel manager: Shoot, sorry father, what do you need to know?

Priest: I will need a bank tomorrow, I need to collect some small amount from my modest account, where can I find that Bank, is it near?

Hotel manager: Yes, right behind next corner facing left when you are in front of the hotel.

Priest: Thank you my son, you are so kind.

Priest takes the key and goes toward the stairs, then he stops. He looks at the wall next to him and a group of photos hanging there. Then he turns to a manager.

Priest: Oh, there is one more thing.

Hotel manager: Yes…

Priest: This man in the picture. I think I know him from somewhere.

Manager comes to the priest, looks at the photos and points the finger on one.

Hotel manager: This one father. It is an actor, from some western movies, he died a long time ago. Everyone thinks they know him.

Priest: No. Not him. That one holding the shovel, with the white hat. I am sure I know him.

Then he looks at the manager.

Hotel manager takes a deep breathe, swallows his saliva and starts sweating.

Hotel manager: Hmm, I am not sure, this one?

Priest: Yes, him.

Hotel manager: Hmm, I am not certain, but I could ask some of my friends.

Priest: But why are you having his photo there, and I could be mistaken but I think that that one with the scarf next to him is you, when you were young?

Hotel manager thoughts: He knows, oh, he knows, who he is. What is going on?

Hotel manager: I, I, well he look like me but I…

Priest: Come on be honest, I am God s servant, this is you next to him, you can tell me. Your secrets are safe with me.

Hotel manager: But, but. I. OK that is me, but I can`t I mean, I do not remember, it was so long ago.

Priest: Oh, my son, our past life is something that we cannot forget, no matter how we try. I am sure that you can remember.

Hotel manager turns red and sweats more.

Priest: Oh well, I am tired. Maybe you will tell me about him tomorrow, OK. Think well about it, you have all night. We are all sinners, but we can always remember if we are not sick, you know.

Hotel manager thoughts: He is…, I must take my, oh what now?

Hotel manager: Why sinners, father, I mean what this got to do…

Priest: Look my son I am tired, if you want to tell me OK, if you don’t want OK, but God sees everything and everybody. I am going to my room now.

Priest goes up stairs and in the middle manager stops him.

Hotel manager thoughts: OK think fast. Aha, that is right confession.

Hotel manager: Father, may I have a confession tomorrow?

Priest: Why?

Hotel manager: Well I need one, and you are the priest.

Priest: Oh yes, of course, but can we do it in the afternoon, you see I have one more to confess before you tomorrow?

Hotel manager: Who is confessing?

Priest: Maybe you know him the owner of the saloon down the street.

Hotel manager thoughts: Oh God, we are doomed, I must speak to him…

Hotel manager: Oh, OK father, afternoon is just fine by me, have a good rest.

Priest: Have a nice evening.

Priest goes up the stairs to his room and as soon as the door slammed manager picks up the phone, he dials as fast as he can.

Phone rings and we hear the voice from the other side.

-          Halo! Who is it?

Hotel manager: It is me. When can we meet? It is urgent…

TO BE CONTINUED

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

Vanity And Greed - Skeletons And Skids

         It was a sad spring day, Nobody looked back during rush hour. People were flooding the streets, like river that broke bank protection. No one saw skid row in an old grey army coat sitting by the stone fence belonging to a huge World Bank building down town. On one side there was poverty in it s best, smudged birded John Doe with eyes lost in the distance. On the other side there was a big fat bank, with thousands of neat employees, digging through their papers, tablets, mobile phones. It was like that new brave democratic world was divided finally to masters and their slaves on one side, and on those lost souls with nothing to loose but their freedom to sleep under the boardwalk. Someone would say that this is true face of New York. But I am not sure. I think that this is true face of this sad world.
        Again on some social web page someone put the picture from Africa. Skeleton more than a woman giving jug of water to a skeleton more than a child. Most of those who watched that picture just scrolled on with a mouse down, pretending that they do not see. Few people looked and remembered, and few of them cried. Few showed their empathy and bought some UN postcards that they will never send to anyone. Loneliness, loneliness, loneliness. All around, just loneliness. Most of us do not care, you know, day to day problems, mortgages, loans, pay rates, interest rates, money, banks like monsters waiting for you to come to your knees so they can take your home, your land and make you free, make you in a skid row from the beginning of this story.
       I just truly, really, ask, from the depth of my hart, without any judging or even bitterness, until when? Until when they will load their asses and mouths and noses and eyes, and ears, until when? That load is doomed to come to an end. All those skeletons and skid rows are eating their loaded souls. They will eventually eat them as well. The only thing is that there is nothing in those souls to be eaten. They already traded them for caviar and cars and boats and houses and their huge Bank buildings. Probably the void inside keeps them on the strings of their vanity and greed...

LIFECHASER - ABSTRACT MADNESS

LIFECHASER - ABSTRACT MADNESS

FALSEPROPHET - ABSTRACT MADNESS

FALSEPROPHET - ABSTRACT MADNESS

INVESTMENTS - ABSTRACT MADNESS

INVESTMENTS - ABSTRACT MADNESS

Announcement for my readers 

                 Happy to announce that negotiation started yesterday with two major studios in LA for two of my scripts Immaculate Conception and Soul Resellers. It could lead to original story by credits of full script credits. 
                 Few people are whispering that there are some other interested people but we will see!

Thank you all for reading my blog, soon there will be new plots for new scripts. 



Cheers everyone! 


Mihailo Radosavljevic