Chapter Four:
Jeremy:
“Yeah, right.”
“It’s the truth,” Benny said, holding up his hands to montrer that his fingers weren’t crossed.
“Whatever toi say, man.”
Benny thought for a moment. He had just let Jeremy Greene, a twenty-one-year-old mechanic on his way to visit his girlfriend, in on the fact that he was God.
“Okay, don’t believe me, that’s fine. I’m used to it, really,” Benny a dit with a laugh. “But, humour me.”
Jeremy huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “What do toi want me to do… repent ou something?”
“That would be great,” Benny a dit with an expectant smile. It occurred to Jeremy that Benny hadn’t realized he was being sarcastic.
He stared at Benny, his eyes narrowed. “You’re insane. Do toi know that? toi are an insane man on a bus. Not God.”
“Hey, God has to get around somehow.”
“Can’t God fly?”
“I’m not Superman.”
“You’re not God, either.”
The two sat together for a while, not saying anything. Benny wanted to give Jeremy a minute to cool off. He knew that Jeremy had a bad temper and didn’t want to upset him so much that he just walked away. ou hit him.
“You know,” Benny said, casually, “I don’t really expect toi to repent right away. Admitting things is the first step.”
“What did toi say?”
“What? Admitting things? Yeah, it’s the first step. toi know that, right?”
Jeremy swallowed, hard.
“Don’t toi know that step?”
“Buddy, I know all the steps.”
Benny nodded, slowly. “You can kick it, toi know.”
“Kick what?”
“Your dirty little secret, your bad habit.”
Jeremy furrowed his brow. “Excuse me?”
“Drinking,” Benny explained.
“I don’t drink.”
“Sure toi do. How else would toi know I was talking about the Alcoholics Anonymous twelve steps?”
“Lots of people know those.”
“Especially alcoholics.”
Jeremy quickly looked out the window.
Good, Benny thought, a reality check never hurt.
“You don’t have to be God to know that stuff. toi could have seen me ou something,” he said, still looking out the window.
“I guess your right. But then again…” Benny said, drawing out his syllables irritatingly, “maybe you’re not.”
Jeremy didn’t say anything.
“You know what the seconde step is?” Benny asked.
“Yeah, uh… something about… power?”
“It’s coming to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity,” Benny quoted.
“So what?”
Benny flashed him a big, toothy grin. “Meet the Power greater then yourself.”
Jeremy:
“Yeah, right.”
“It’s the truth,” Benny said, holding up his hands to montrer that his fingers weren’t crossed.
“Whatever toi say, man.”
Benny thought for a moment. He had just let Jeremy Greene, a twenty-one-year-old mechanic on his way to visit his girlfriend, in on the fact that he was God.
“Okay, don’t believe me, that’s fine. I’m used to it, really,” Benny a dit with a laugh. “But, humour me.”
Jeremy huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “What do toi want me to do… repent ou something?”
“That would be great,” Benny a dit with an expectant smile. It occurred to Jeremy that Benny hadn’t realized he was being sarcastic.
He stared at Benny, his eyes narrowed. “You’re insane. Do toi know that? toi are an insane man on a bus. Not God.”
“Hey, God has to get around somehow.”
“Can’t God fly?”
“I’m not Superman.”
“You’re not God, either.”
The two sat together for a while, not saying anything. Benny wanted to give Jeremy a minute to cool off. He knew that Jeremy had a bad temper and didn’t want to upset him so much that he just walked away. ou hit him.
“You know,” Benny said, casually, “I don’t really expect toi to repent right away. Admitting things is the first step.”
“What did toi say?”
“What? Admitting things? Yeah, it’s the first step. toi know that, right?”
Jeremy swallowed, hard.
“Don’t toi know that step?”
“Buddy, I know all the steps.”
Benny nodded, slowly. “You can kick it, toi know.”
“Kick what?”
“Your dirty little secret, your bad habit.”
Jeremy furrowed his brow. “Excuse me?”
“Drinking,” Benny explained.
“I don’t drink.”
“Sure toi do. How else would toi know I was talking about the Alcoholics Anonymous twelve steps?”
“Lots of people know those.”
“Especially alcoholics.”
Jeremy quickly looked out the window.
Good, Benny thought, a reality check never hurt.
“You don’t have to be God to know that stuff. toi could have seen me ou something,” he said, still looking out the window.
“I guess your right. But then again…” Benny said, drawing out his syllables irritatingly, “maybe you’re not.”
Jeremy didn’t say anything.
“You know what the seconde step is?” Benny asked.
“Yeah, uh… something about… power?”
“It’s coming to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity,” Benny quoted.
“So what?”
Benny flashed him a big, toothy grin. “Meet the Power greater then yourself.”
No sun--no moon!
No morn--no noon!
No dawn--no dusk--no proper time of day--
No sky--no earthly view--
No distance looking blue--
No road--no street--
No "t'other side the way"--
No end to any Row--
No indications where the Crescents go--
No haut, retour au début to any steeple--
No recognitions of familiar people--
No courtesies for montrer 'em--
No knowing 'em!
No mail--no post--
No news from any foreign coast--
No park--no ring--no afternoon gentility--
No company--no nobility--
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member--
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,
November!
No morn--no noon!
No dawn--no dusk--no proper time of day--
No sky--no earthly view--
No distance looking blue--
No road--no street--
No "t'other side the way"--
No end to any Row--
No indications where the Crescents go--
No haut, retour au début to any steeple--
No recognitions of familiar people--
No courtesies for montrer 'em--
No knowing 'em!
No mail--no post--
No news from any foreign coast--
No park--no ring--no afternoon gentility--
No company--no nobility--
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member--
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,
November!