- Chapter 20 -
Revelations
The sun was shining when Jesus woke up from a well needed rest. The rain had finally stopped and it would pave the way for a week of complete sunshine and warm temperatures. There was only a few weeks left before school started and Jesus was taking full advantage of it.
He didn't linger in his room for long, he felt compelled to apologize to Martin for his bratty behaviour the night before. He knew the feeling of entitlement was wrong and wanted to express this to his guardian.
The house smelled of fried eggs and bacon and the aroma flirted with Jesus' hunger. He hurried down the stairs and into the galley kitchen when he noticed Martin wasn't alone.
His guardian was in a heated discussion with Madonna Riviera. They hadn't notice Jesus. He spun backwards and hid from view, listening in on their conversation.
"...and Elizabeth. They didn't want him to be part of this, Martin. I did what I had to to secure the players in the prophecy. That was long ago, you know I have changed since then. My loyalties lay with Jesus and with you." Madonna said. Jesus found it odd to hear this woman defend herself. He remembered her being more stern and tenacious.
"We need to fix this. I can't let my friends live like this; that is their son, Madonna!" Martin answered, his voice firing up with anger. Ironic that they could express such emotions but they so desperatly wanted Jesus to oppress it.
"I can't change it, Martin. What is done is done. You have to accept that, there's nothing I can do. If we change it now, if we bring Jonathan back to his parents, he will never meet Jesus."
"And what would be so bad about that?"
"Jonathan will enlighten Jesus, share his wisdom of peace. His message alone is what will shape Jesus to become the man he needs to be."
Their was silence in the room. Jesus tried not to stir too much.
"He will be downstairs any second now. It would be best if we continue this talk some other time, Madonna."
This was his cue. Jesus ran his hand through his thick curly blond hair and walked inside the kitchen. He acted surprised when Madonna smiled at him. She was always so dressed up, Jesus noticed. Her shining fair hair was pinned up and she had a lilac headband keeping it in place. She wore a summer dress that seemed white at first but when Madonna got up from her chair to leave, purple hues could be seen in the creases.
Madonna kissed Martin on the cheek and patted Jesus on the shoulder as she passed by him and towards the entrance. Jesus waited for Madonna to be out of the house before adressing his uncle.
He took a seat at the table just as Martin slid a plate full of food in front of him. There was a scent of cologne that came from his uncle. Jesus noticed Martin was dressed up in a black suit and tie. His naturally frizzy and wild hair was slicked back, giving Martin a very corporate stature. His apology speech was placed on the back burner.
"What's with the get-up?" Jesus asked, curbing his desire to laugh.
"I have an interview for a job today" Martin answered, sitting down across from Jesus.
"Cool. What are you going to be this time? A clerk, a mechanic?" Jesus queried. During their years on the run, Martin had held many different jobs and excelled at all of them.
"Actually, It's a job at the Agency"
That didn't really surprise Jesus at all. He expected Martin to settle down once they were in Bethlehem. Once he saw Madonna inside their house, he quickly understood what would happen next. Martin would have to join the Agency. They would protect Jesus until he reached maturity and then they would unleash him to the great country of Jerusalem to spread the good news of hope, love, and respect.
"It's time I tell you about my history with the Agency, Jesus."
"Their was a time," Martin started, sliding his plate to the side, "when the Agency and the Sicarii were known to the public. It was a time of war. Your grand-parents died defending our home and their children. The same night they died, we were divided. Uncle Malcom and your mom were too young to join the Agency so they were taken away to live with Agents."
"Your uncle Michael and I travelled through Jerusalem in various training camps. I rebelled, of course, as would any teenage kid with anger," at these words he paused and smiled at Jesus. "I met a very beautiful young girl who challenged my views and eventually my loyalty to the Agency. She was very deceiving and manipulative and managed to pull me into her circle. All along though, she was an Agent and she was testing me."
"For some reason unknown, she kept a promise she had made to me before she revealed her true colours. She let me leave the Agency without them ever knowing I was part of it. Years later, I learned she had switched sides and pled allegiance to the Sicarii alongside her colleage, Jenna Crown."
"Times had changed though. The Agency had went underground when the citizens demanded a more stable organization to run the country. When the Mayor took power of Jerusalem, the Sicarii went into hiding as well and became even more dangerous then ever.
"When news of this broke, Michael was now a high-ranked Agent and he mounted an attack on Jenna's estate to retrieve her adopted daughter."
Jesus didn't need for Martin to say it. The realisation had struck him the moment he paused. Jenna Crown was the Agent who had adopted his mother. Michael didn't want his sister to be tainted by the manipulations of the Sicarii, Jesus thought to himself. He didn't know much about his uncle but he didn't picture him as being guided by emotions.
"What happened next?" Jesus was curious to know, anxious even. He always loved hearing stories about his mother, and this one topped all of them.
"Michael took her away. Jenna was out for the evening and the nanny didn't hesitate at the site of a squad of Agents. Soon we were all reunited and eventually relocated here in Bethlehem. Michael continued his work for the Agency. Your mother settled down with Joseph and Malcom continued...well, being Malcom."
Jesus chuckled. He had only seen his uncle Malcom once when he was younger. He remembered his odd style and quirky habits.
"When your mother died I was approached by Madonna who wanted me to watch over you and guide you through life. I never trusted the Agency. I prefer them to the Sicarii, but organized societies often have very corrupt centers. Anyhow, I accept the role with some hesitation, I won't lie. I didn't want to get involved with the Agency again."
"It leads me to this, Jesus. I want you to trust me when I tell you that I will stop at nothing to protect you from those who seek to harm you. I don't want you to doubt what I am doing, even though sometimes I myself may seem uncertain. I want you to be a teenager, Jesus. Don't worry about what we are doing, okay."
Jesus nodded. This was a lot of information to absorb. He wondered if the Agent who had toyed with him was the prophetess that mapped out Jesus' life.
"Who was that Agent woman? The one who turned bad? You mentioned something she did that only one other person can do; Madonna."
Martin sighed. He was getting Jesus tangled in webs he didn't belong in. Martin cleared the table and took a moment for himself, to also clear his thoughts.
"Her name is Anna Simeon. She's Madonna's sister."
His guardian was in a heated discussion with Madonna Riviera. They hadn't notice Jesus. He spun backwards and hid from view, listening in on their conversation.
"...and Elizabeth. They didn't want him to be part of this, Martin. I did what I had to to secure the players in the prophecy. That was long ago, you know I have changed since then. My loyalties lay with Jesus and with you." Madonna said. Jesus found it odd to hear this woman defend herself. He remembered her being more stern and tenacious.
"We need to fix this. I can't let my friends live like this; that is their son, Madonna!" Martin answered, his voice firing up with anger. Ironic that they could express such emotions but they so desperatly wanted Jesus to oppress it.
"I can't change it, Martin. What is done is done. You have to accept that, there's nothing I can do. If we change it now, if we bring Jonathan back to his parents, he will never meet Jesus."
"And what would be so bad about that?"
"Jonathan will enlighten Jesus, share his wisdom of peace. His message alone is what will shape Jesus to become the man he needs to be."
Their was silence in the room. Jesus tried not to stir too much.
"He will be downstairs any second now. It would be best if we continue this talk some other time, Madonna."
This was his cue. Jesus ran his hand through his thick curly blond hair and walked inside the kitchen. He acted surprised when Madonna smiled at him. She was always so dressed up, Jesus noticed. Her shining fair hair was pinned up and she had a lilac headband keeping it in place. She wore a summer dress that seemed white at first but when Madonna got up from her chair to leave, purple hues could be seen in the creases.
Madonna kissed Martin on the cheek and patted Jesus on the shoulder as she passed by him and towards the entrance. Jesus waited for Madonna to be out of the house before adressing his uncle.
He took a seat at the table just as Martin slid a plate full of food in front of him. There was a scent of cologne that came from his uncle. Jesus noticed Martin was dressed up in a black suit and tie. His naturally frizzy and wild hair was slicked back, giving Martin a very corporate stature. His apology speech was placed on the back burner.
"What's with the get-up?" Jesus asked, curbing his desire to laugh.
"I have an interview for a job today" Martin answered, sitting down across from Jesus.
"Cool. What are you going to be this time? A clerk, a mechanic?" Jesus queried. During their years on the run, Martin had held many different jobs and excelled at all of them.
"Actually, It's a job at the Agency"
That didn't really surprise Jesus at all. He expected Martin to settle down once they were in Bethlehem. Once he saw Madonna inside their house, he quickly understood what would happen next. Martin would have to join the Agency. They would protect Jesus until he reached maturity and then they would unleash him to the great country of Jerusalem to spread the good news of hope, love, and respect.
"It's time I tell you about my history with the Agency, Jesus."
"Their was a time," Martin started, sliding his plate to the side, "when the Agency and the Sicarii were known to the public. It was a time of war. Your grand-parents died defending our home and their children. The same night they died, we were divided. Uncle Malcom and your mom were too young to join the Agency so they were taken away to live with Agents."
"Your uncle Michael and I travelled through Jerusalem in various training camps. I rebelled, of course, as would any teenage kid with anger," at these words he paused and smiled at Jesus. "I met a very beautiful young girl who challenged my views and eventually my loyalty to the Agency. She was very deceiving and manipulative and managed to pull me into her circle. All along though, she was an Agent and she was testing me."
"For some reason unknown, she kept a promise she had made to me before she revealed her true colours. She let me leave the Agency without them ever knowing I was part of it. Years later, I learned she had switched sides and pled allegiance to the Sicarii alongside her colleage, Jenna Crown."
"Times had changed though. The Agency had went underground when the citizens demanded a more stable organization to run the country. When the Mayor took power of Jerusalem, the Sicarii went into hiding as well and became even more dangerous then ever.
"When news of this broke, Michael was now a high-ranked Agent and he mounted an attack on Jenna's estate to retrieve her adopted daughter."
Jesus didn't need for Martin to say it. The realisation had struck him the moment he paused. Jenna Crown was the Agent who had adopted his mother. Michael didn't want his sister to be tainted by the manipulations of the Sicarii, Jesus thought to himself. He didn't know much about his uncle but he didn't picture him as being guided by emotions.
"What happened next?" Jesus was curious to know, anxious even. He always loved hearing stories about his mother, and this one topped all of them.
"Michael took her away. Jenna was out for the evening and the nanny didn't hesitate at the site of a squad of Agents. Soon we were all reunited and eventually relocated here in Bethlehem. Michael continued his work for the Agency. Your mother settled down with Joseph and Malcom continued...well, being Malcom."
Jesus chuckled. He had only seen his uncle Malcom once when he was younger. He remembered his odd style and quirky habits.
"When your mother died I was approached by Madonna who wanted me to watch over you and guide you through life. I never trusted the Agency. I prefer them to the Sicarii, but organized societies often have very corrupt centers. Anyhow, I accept the role with some hesitation, I won't lie. I didn't want to get involved with the Agency again."
"It leads me to this, Jesus. I want you to trust me when I tell you that I will stop at nothing to protect you from those who seek to harm you. I don't want you to doubt what I am doing, even though sometimes I myself may seem uncertain. I want you to be a teenager, Jesus. Don't worry about what we are doing, okay."
Jesus nodded. This was a lot of information to absorb. He wondered if the Agent who had toyed with him was the prophetess that mapped out Jesus' life.
"Who was that Agent woman? The one who turned bad? You mentioned something she did that only one other person can do; Madonna."
Martin sighed. He was getting Jesus tangled in webs he didn't belong in. Martin cleared the table and took a moment for himself, to also clear his thoughts.
"Her name is Anna Simeon. She's Madonna's sister."
No comments:
Post a Comment