The Twelve

by D A Walmsley

  “A few Shekels each should cover,” says the old man. “Euros now,” his wife reminds him.

  “Bloody Euros” he mutters.

  By city standards the hotel is small with only twenty or so rooms, but it is renowned for its quality and luxury. Andrew sees a side room with a table where they place their gifts. Before they can enter the reception, the wedding guests must wash their hands. This tradition goes back centuries, where ritual washing was part of everyday life. Though many of them have been forgotten, this particular one was mainly done before eating. As Peter waits in line he thinks this is a nice touch. On the floor is a large stone jar, very expensive looking, probably an antique. As he waits he looks at it. It must hold twenty or thirty gallons. The thing is massive, mind you it needs to be because every person gets clean water scooped from it and poured into a white bowl by an attendant. When it’s his turn he nods in appreciation to the young man as he pours the water. He is given a white towel and the bowl is emptied ready for the next person. Now they are clean they can meet the new bride and groom, who are standing at the other side of the doorway. Then they are each given a glass of champagne by the brides father.

  The room is packed and some double doors at one end of the room have been opened onto the patio, giving extra space.

  “Seen anybody we know?” asks Andrew.

  “Not yet, but it’s hard to tell, there are so many people,” says Peter.

  Nathaniel comes over.

  “Philip got a kiss from Naomi, you should see how red he’s gone.”

  Philip takes his glass of champagne and looks around for the others. As he walks over they laugh. One of his cheeks is still bright red, the same colour as the tiled floor.

  Peter finds this very amusing, “I’m not surprised it didn’t work out with you two, you’ve had an allergic reaction to her.” He laughs aloud. The people nearby turn to look and Philip, in his embarrassment goes even redder but this time on both cheeks. He downs the champagne in one go.

  “I’m just going to get a drink and be in a corner somewhere.”

  “If you see my parents, let me know,” says Nathaniel before Philip disappears through the mass of people.

  “Peter,” says Nathaniel.

  “What, what did I say?”

  “Philip’s still, you know…” Nathaniel tries to make him understand.

  Peter looks surprised. “Really, he’s still… Naomi….why? It’s not like she’s been blessed with looks is it, he can do a lot better than that.”

  Both Andrew and Nathaniel stare at Peter in disbelief.

  “You can’t say that! You’re at her wedding for goodness sake,” says Andrew.

  “Anyway, look who’s talking,” Nathaniel adds.

  Andrew spots the groom’s father whom they do a lot of business with and waves. He is talking to Zebedee and his wife Salomé, James and John’s Mother.

  “Watch S P will you,” Andrew says to Nathaniel and goes over to say his congratulations.

  “Oh, well, seeing as it’s a free bar and the missus isn’t here, I may as well enjoy myself,” says Peter.

  He drains his glass of champagne and heads over to the bar. It’s a crush just to get near, and the staff are run off their feet. He wonders what he fancies, he’s not really the champagne type, or wine for that matter, though it was good the other night.

  “A large glass of red please,” he booms at the bar staff.

  It appeared to be someone else’s turn but the bar staff serve him first. He sips the wine, umm it’s not bad, “Actually make that two, it will save me coming back for a bit. Oh and don’t be shy with the amount, right up to the top this time.”

  When he manages to get back to the others, he notices Philip sitting nearby looking wistfully out at the veranda as a middle-aged woman sitting next to him asks if he’s alright.

  “I will be after a few more of these,” Philip says waving his empty glass and heading once again to the bar.

  “Really, Peter, you’ve got yourself two drinks?”

  “Hey, if you want to queue every-time, that’s your call. Me, I’m just being practical.”

  “His wife’s not here, he’s not always like this,” Nathaniel says to the woman.

  “No, he’d be looking for the buffet, hey S P,” says Andrew, who has just come back over.

  “Buffet, where? I really should eat if I’m drinking you know.”

  Philip returns from the bar holding a bottle of blue WKD.”

  “If you want red wine, tough, it looks like Rocky over here has finished it all off.

  “Hey.”

  “We know each other,” Philip tells the woman.

  Peter smiles as the woman introduces herself as Mary, a relative of the bride. Then she asks where they are all from.

  “Capernaum,” Peter says with pride.

  “Oh Capernaum, my son has just moved there, you might have met him.”

  “I doubt it, it’s a big place, what’s his name?”

  “Jesus, I’m sure you’d all get on.”

  They all look at each other. No, it can’t be, can it?

  “He wouldn’t be from Nazareth would he?” asks Peter.

  “That’s right, I knew you’d have met him.” Mary looks round the room, “he’s around here somewhere.”

  When she can’t see him Nathaniel suggests he may be getting a drink.

  “He’d better be quick, if they’ve run out of red wine already I don’t hold out much hope for the white. Hope he likes this stuff,” Philip waves the bottle and puts out his tongue, which has turned blue.

  Mary gets up and goes to the middle of the room. The lads all watch, trying to see where she goes. “There, in the middle, hey it is him,” says Andrew.

  They can see Jesus shaking his head as Mary talks to him. There are too many people and they lose track of them.

  Peter clears his throat, all three know what’s coming… if he was in charge…

  …“If I was in charge this would never have happened, I would have made sure there was more than enough. They knew how many people had been invited, if they all drink x amount of glasses each, spread over y amount of hours, now add into the equation z that people drink more of one than the other…. take… into…account…p…”

  “Well you’re not, but Jesus is here. Why don’t we see if we can find him?” Andrew suggests.

  There are more people than ever crammed in and they can’t see him so they go out into the reception area. Nothing! Andrew points out a waiter struggling to move the stone jar.

  “Need a hand with that?”

  “Please, it’s really heavy, even though it’s now empty.”

  “What are you doing that for anyway?” Nathaniel asks.

  “Someone needs it in the kitchen.”

  Andrew grabs hold and helps carry the jar as Philip holds the door open and they enter the kitchen. Peter and Nathaniel follow them in.

  To the lads surprise they find Jesus and Mary there.

  “Just there will be fine” says Jesus.

  Peter is a little put out as Jesus doesn’t seem to recognise him. Jesus seems preoccupied and orders a waiter to fill the jar up with water from a stainless steel sink using a retractable hose. Peter notices that another waiter is also filling up a second stone jar with water. He counts six jars altogether, including the one that’s just been brought in.

  “That’s it, fill it right up to the brim.” Jesus tells the waiter.

  Mary turns to the lads and gives a knowing smile.

  When all six jars have been filled, Jesus tells the waiters to draw some water out and fill one of the glass carafés they have got out. A waiter dips what looks like a large ladle into the jar and fills up a carafe, but as the water pours into the carafé it’s turned a deep red.

  A waiter smells it. “Impossible!” he says, and offers the others a chance to smell also.

  “Take it to the bridegroom, for his approval,” Jesus tells them.

  The waiters look at the bar manager for c
onfirmation. Jesus hands a glass to the bar manager, who pours some of the liquid. He drinks it in one.

  “Well, what is it?” asks Peter.

  “It’s amazing!” Says the bar manager and pours himself another glass. He now hurries the waiters to refill more carafés and take them to the bridegroom and to the bride’s father. Quickly the waiters fill up more of the carafés and make sure everybody has a drink who wants one.

  They all watch from the doorway of the kitchen as one of the uncles of the bride stands up on to a raised step and taps his glass to get some quiet. The whole place slowly falls silent as the man is a retired naval officer and very respected. When it gets as quiet as it can be with so many people, he begins.

  “Firstly I’d like to thank everybody for attending this great occasion.”

  He turns to his brother.

  “To my brother and to the bridegroom and his family. I have been a guest at many great banquets in my time and dined with some of the richest men and women in Israel. On each occasion they serve their best wine first, then, when I’m nice and drunk, er..” he pauses for effect and some laugh, as does Peter. The man continues, “when the guests have had plenty, they serve the ordinary wine. But you, he turns and looks at both families, you have kept the best wine, and I mean the very best I have ever tasted, until now.” He steps down to applause.

  Jesus and Mary have left the kitchen, having followed the waiters into the main room. The lads in the doorway watching, go back into the kitchen. Two more waiters are busy filling up more carafés. Peter takes a glass and dips it into one of the jars. He smells it, like he knows what he’s doing, then takes a drink.

  “What’s it like?” asks Nathaniel before he too tries some.

  “That is the best wine I have ever tasted, ” Peter tells him.

  Andrew and Nathaniel both take some, “Wow, that is so good,” they both say.

  Philip, still holding his WKD, pours it down the sink and grabs a glass.

  Chapter 10

  His footsteps are slow and heavy as he makes his way down for breakfast. Every thud of his bare feet on the wood takes him further from his bed as a half-asleep Jude comes down the stairs. He opens the door to the kitchen to find his parents and their two dogs are already up. As soon as he slumps down at the table his mother starts to fuss over him.

  “Happy birthday, Oh I can’t believe my baby is twenty-one, here are your presents, here are some cards, I think this one’s from your Auntie Mary, you can tell by the handwriting and the cat she always draws on the envelope. I’ve made you egg on toast and a cup of tea, but I can make you coffee. I can’t believe it’s twenty one years ago today. You know I was in labour twenty one hours, Oh and you’re twenty-one, isn’t that a coincidence. Do you want one slice of toast or two?”

  His breakfast is put on the table in front of him and he starts to pick at it.

  “Mum, I’m fine,” he murmurs, still not fully awake.

  “Happy birthday son, you got in late last night,” says his dad from behind the newspaper.

  “Uhh.”

  While they wait for their son to come round, his mum Beth, starts to load the dishwasher and his father carries on reading the paper. Jude has never been a morning person. He eats half of his breakfast and pushes the rest away, and while drinking his tea starts to open the birthday cards. Also on the table are a few presents and when all the cards are open and he is more awake he picks a parcel up. It is quite large and he can tell it must be clothes. Beth stops him, and gives him a smaller box.

  “Why not open this one first? It’s from me and your dad.”

  His father closes the Financial Times and stands up. Jude studies the box and wonders if it could be a watch, only the box is too big for that. It’s also very light, maybe there’s a cheque inside.

  “The only way you’re going to find out, is by opening it,” his dad says, getting a little impatient.

  Jude tears off the paper and opens the box. Inside is a key.

  “You bought me a car?” His bed now holds little attraction.

  “Well, there is something parked outside!”

  Quickly he dashes outside.

  “No way, it’s…it’s,” he’s too excited to speak.

  Parked on the graveled driveway is a V-Rod Harley Davison bike, its silver alloy frame glinting in the morning sun. And with a swooping exhaust, scooped saddle and a top speed of one hundred and forty miles an hour, it looks worth every euro of the twenty thousand his father must have paid for it.

  Jude gets on it, puts the key in the ignition and starts it up. The deep throaty roar of the V-twin 1250cc engine kicks into life.

  “How did you know I wanted one?”

  “You always want the best, right? Like father like son.”

  “It’s unbelievable,” beams Jude as he revs the engine, sending an echo reverberating around the hills and valleys of Upper Hebron.

  His father looks at his watch.

  “If you’re going to open the rest of the presents you’d better hurry up. Just because it’s your birthday doesn’t mean you can be late for work.”

  Jude gets off the bike, and all three go back into the white limestone, six bedroom family home in Kerioth, a small village a few miles north east of Hebron. It’s a very exclusive area, with only a few houses scattered along its narrow winding lanes.

  His father sets off before Jude, in his burgundy Aston Martin, but Jude knows he can’t be too late. It may be his birthday, but he is also the boss’s son and that comes with a pressure. He has a lot to live up to.

  The ride to work just may be the best commute he’s ever done. The sound of the engine, the power as he pulls back the throttle and the looks he gets, makes this his best birthday present yet. He pulls into the private car park behind the offices of Iscariot Insurance Ltd in the centre of Hebron and parks next to his dad’s Aston Martin, revving the engine before turning it off. His father stands by the entrance of the five storey building.

  “Well, what do you think?” asks his dad.

  Jude takes off his helmet.

  “Awesome, the best ride ever, you have got to have a go.”

  “No, it’s fine, I much prefer sticking to four wheels. Just do me a favour, don’t let your mum know how fast it can go!”

  They go inside, riding up the elevator together before going to their own offices. Jude had hoped his dad might give him the day off, so he could spend it with his girlfriend Sarah, but he was never going to ask. His parents had kept hinting that he was getting an expensive birthday present. His older sister had been given a car for her twenty-first and that’s what he’d expected, as he knows his mum has never liked his passion for bikes. Mind you, he has come off his Suzuki Bandit a few times. The last time he had broken his collar bone. His mum and Sarah had both pleaded with him to trade it in and go to four wheels like his dad. Maybe that’s why he loves bikes so much - the fact that his dad doesn’t ride them! It shows the persuasive power of the man if he can talk round his mother. That’s one thing Jude has inherited, his dad’s gift of the gab. Between them they could sell ice cream to the Eskimos. He gets a cup of tea from a drinks dispenser in the kitchen area, and goes into his office, closing the door behind him. He loves his father and respects him, but he has always been Simon’s son, only not quite as good as the real thing. He desperately wants to be his own man, have his own dreams and ambitions, only he hasn’t figured them out yet. He is twenty-one, has his own office in a very successful company, works hard but he knows that the rest of the staff think he’s only there because of his dad. He turns on his computer and as it starts up, he sips his tea and daydreams about the bike. It definitely gets people’s attention. It handled the winding roads alright too, better than he first thought it would, not as good as his Bandit but then they are different beasts. What he really needs is a long straight road to really let it rip, like one of the coast roads.

  Iscariot Insurance own the whole five-story building. The firm has the top three floors and rent
s out the bottom two. The latter are now vacant as the tenants have moved on. Jude has been given the responsibility of overseeing refurbishments and finding some new tenants. This is a big deal, and probably the first time he’s felt his dad trusted him with something important. He is determined to do the best he can and that means hopefully charging more than before. This is a sought-after location, and already has interest even before it is finished. He’d been on to some commercial letting agents to gauge their mood as to the maximum possible rent he could charge. They were pretty much all the same, so he had gone with a company in a building opposite who had a good reputation. They had promised that on their books they had several companies looking for just such a property.

  Once his computer is up and ready he checks his emails. There is one from the letting agents, saying that they are arranging viewings to start from Wednesday. That’s cutting it fine.

  Sarah has also sent an email wishing him a happy birthday and looking forward to seeing him later. He is a little surprised she hasn’t phoned. He checks his mobile to find two missed calls, both around the time he was out looking at his new bike.

  Before starting some work he’d better give her a call.

  “Hey babe, it’s me.”

  They talk for ten minutes, mainly about his bike. She doesn’t like riding on the back, finding it much too scary, and had hoped he might had been given a car.

  The office intercom on his phone rings, it’s the receptionist.

  “Have to go babe, it’s work.”

  “There are two gentlemen here to see you,” the receptionist tells him.

  He wasn’t expecting any visitors, “Do you know what they’re here for?”

  “They’re here about the vacant offices.”

  Jude goes out to meet them. Gentlemen is not the word he would have used to describe them. One is short and muscular, with tattoos on his hands and neck. The other is taller, slightly older and has a menacing stare. Both are wearing expensive suits.

  “Hi, I’m Jude Iscariot, how can I help you?”

  The tall man repeats that they are interested in the vacant offices below and asks to speak to his boss. Jude explains that he has been put in charge of the offices and it is being dealt with by a lettings company, adding that they are not quite ready for viewings.