What else could I have done? 2

Part 2 - Peter

No, it’s OK, I’m all right now. No, it’s been one hell of a night. We’d had a great time together, good food, a bit of wine, bit of banter… well you know what blokes are like when they’re together – ‘I’m a better disciple than you’ ‘I’d go to prison for you: I’d even die for you’. Was that just the wine talking? Then Jesus said some stuff about his body & blood, and bread & wine which I didn’t really get to be honest, then He turns on me and says I’d betray him.

Anyway, Jesus seemed to think things might get a little hairy, so we ‘tooled up’ – big ‘ard men you see – and went to Mount Olive; get some air, clear our heads, and Jesus said he wanted to pray. Have to admit the wine was kicking in by then, and to be honest we all fell asleep.

Then that rat Judas turns up with Temple guards in tow, and leads them straight to him. There’s a bit of a ruck, and I might’ve caused a bit of damage to one of them – but he seemed OK afterwards, so that’s alright. Then they led him away, and the others scarpered: but I couldn’t leave Him, so I followed.

Someone’d lit a fire in the courtyard, so I sat down for a warm. Then this young lass starts blurting out “He was with him – I seen him on Sunday with the donkey”. ‘Don’t know what you mean’ I said. Then another: “Yeah, I recognise him” ‘You’re talking nonsense’ I said. Then this southern boy comes up and says “You gotta be wiv ‘im, your accent gives you away”. Well I stood up, looked him in the eye, and said ‘I dunt knaw what tha’s talkin’ ‘bart!’

Then it happened: they were leading Him across the yard, just as I was talking, and he looked at me, and the cock crowed… and I remembered what he’d said… But what else could I have done?

(c) John Simms 2010