It was almost Easter time. But Sunday was still a couple of days away – today was Friday. Good Friday to be exact. Ponch was sitting in the break room when Grossie came in and sat seguinte to him.
"I brought you something," Grossie said.
"Aww, you didn't have to buy me this!" Ponch said, as Grossie handed him a big, fat, chocolate bunny.
"I know, but it's Easter," Grossie replied, half-smiling.
"It's only Friday," Ponch pointed out.
"Well, some people do celebrate Good Friday. In fact, in some countries they even perform rituals in honor of jesus Christ."
Ponch began removing his chocolate bunny from its box. "Oh, what kind of rituals?"
"People in the Philippines carry out the re-enactment of the crucifixion of Christ every Good Friday. I've been doing some research on the subject and I got me wondering…Would you be willing to be a participant, Ponch?"
Ponch's eyes widened a bit. He drew back a little at the surprise of being asked such a strange question. "Me? Why would I want to do that?"
Grossie shrugged. "I dunno. But you remind me of those Filipino devotees, Ponch. Maybe it's because you have the same coloring."
"Pfft. Same coloring," Ponch scoffed, taking a bite of his bunny.
"I could even see you playing the part of Jesus," Grossie went on, smirking.
"Nah, it wouldn't work."
"Why not?"
"For one thing, I don't want to be crucified…I hear it hurts."
"The ritual isn't as bad as it sounds," Grossie explained. "The whole process usually goes like clockwork. All you have to do is strip down to your unmentionables and let the soldiers knock you around for a while."
"Yeah, okay." Ponch bit another piece off his bunny. "And what happens after I get beaten senseless?"
"You know how the story goes," Grossie said. "Next you'll walk down the street, carrying a makeshift cross, and have the crowd throw stuff at you. And in the end, they'll nail your hands and feet to the cross."
"Ouch," Ponch shuddered. "They don't use real nails, do they?"
"Yeah, I believe so."
Ponch winced and shook his head. "Gee, you couldn't pay me enough to do that."
"I can assure you, it's perfectly safe. You'll only be on the cruz for several minutes. They use strips of cloth to support your weight so nothing tears. They also have an ambulância waiting nearby in case there's any need for medical attention."
"Really? So there's nothing to worry about, right?"
"Of course not. I mean, there's every chance in the world you won't get your eyes pecked out por birds. And maybe you won't throw up due to exposure from the elements. And it's possible you won't pass out from too much blood loss. And it's very likely that you won't feel the need to urinate or defecate…and…and maybe I should stop talking."
Ponch glared at him briefly before taking another chomp of the Easter candy. "Like I said…I'm never doing that."
"I didn't think you would," Grossie admitted. "It was just an idea."
"Well, don't get ideas like that," Ponch said. "We don't have to crucify ourselves to be able to appreciate Good Friday."
"Yeah…just like we don't have to eat chocolate bunnies to appreciate Easter, right?" Grossie asked, teasingly.
Ponch chewed his bite slower. He then put the half-eaten bunny back in the box and wiped off his mouth. He glanced over at Grossie, who was grinning at him and making him feel weird. "What are you looking at?"
"Oh, nothing," Grossie said, as he stood up and headed for the door. "I should be going now anyway. Happy Early Easter, Ponch."
"Yeah, same to you."
The End
"I brought you something," Grossie said.
"Aww, you didn't have to buy me this!" Ponch said, as Grossie handed him a big, fat, chocolate bunny.
"I know, but it's Easter," Grossie replied, half-smiling.
"It's only Friday," Ponch pointed out.
"Well, some people do celebrate Good Friday. In fact, in some countries they even perform rituals in honor of jesus Christ."
Ponch began removing his chocolate bunny from its box. "Oh, what kind of rituals?"
"People in the Philippines carry out the re-enactment of the crucifixion of Christ every Good Friday. I've been doing some research on the subject and I got me wondering…Would you be willing to be a participant, Ponch?"
Ponch's eyes widened a bit. He drew back a little at the surprise of being asked such a strange question. "Me? Why would I want to do that?"
Grossie shrugged. "I dunno. But you remind me of those Filipino devotees, Ponch. Maybe it's because you have the same coloring."
"Pfft. Same coloring," Ponch scoffed, taking a bite of his bunny.
"I could even see you playing the part of Jesus," Grossie went on, smirking.
"Nah, it wouldn't work."
"Why not?"
"For one thing, I don't want to be crucified…I hear it hurts."
"The ritual isn't as bad as it sounds," Grossie explained. "The whole process usually goes like clockwork. All you have to do is strip down to your unmentionables and let the soldiers knock you around for a while."
"Yeah, okay." Ponch bit another piece off his bunny. "And what happens after I get beaten senseless?"
"You know how the story goes," Grossie said. "Next you'll walk down the street, carrying a makeshift cross, and have the crowd throw stuff at you. And in the end, they'll nail your hands and feet to the cross."
"Ouch," Ponch shuddered. "They don't use real nails, do they?"
"Yeah, I believe so."
Ponch winced and shook his head. "Gee, you couldn't pay me enough to do that."
"I can assure you, it's perfectly safe. You'll only be on the cruz for several minutes. They use strips of cloth to support your weight so nothing tears. They also have an ambulância waiting nearby in case there's any need for medical attention."
"Really? So there's nothing to worry about, right?"
"Of course not. I mean, there's every chance in the world you won't get your eyes pecked out por birds. And maybe you won't throw up due to exposure from the elements. And it's possible you won't pass out from too much blood loss. And it's very likely that you won't feel the need to urinate or defecate…and…and maybe I should stop talking."
Ponch glared at him briefly before taking another chomp of the Easter candy. "Like I said…I'm never doing that."
"I didn't think you would," Grossie admitted. "It was just an idea."
"Well, don't get ideas like that," Ponch said. "We don't have to crucify ourselves to be able to appreciate Good Friday."
"Yeah…just like we don't have to eat chocolate bunnies to appreciate Easter, right?" Grossie asked, teasingly.
Ponch chewed his bite slower. He then put the half-eaten bunny back in the box and wiped off his mouth. He glanced over at Grossie, who was grinning at him and making him feel weird. "What are you looking at?"
"Oh, nothing," Grossie said, as he stood up and headed for the door. "I should be going now anyway. Happy Early Easter, Ponch."
"Yeah, same to you."
The End
