cricket with balls

Matty sleeps in his bed, beside him is his Andrew Symond’s approved wife.

A large beam of unexplainable light wakes him, but not the little lady.

matty tries to adjust his eyes to it, but it is just too bright, eventually a shadowy figure emerges, he cannot see a face, but the profile is familiar.

It is one he has seen in every church he has ever been in.

Matty: Jesus?

Jesus: That’s me.

Matty is instantly calmed by the dulcet tones, which leads him to believe this must be Jesus.

Matty: Why are you here?

Jesus: I came to talk to you about your career, your legacy, and your future.

Matty sits up in the bed.

Matty: Oh thank you, I did it all in your name.

Jesus stretches his neck a little at this.

Jesus: Yesssss, that is the problem, you see people do a lot of things in my name, murder doctors, start wars, ignore the genius of Nine Inch Nails, and hate gays, even the entreating ones, and I let it all go through to the keeper.

Matty nods.

Jesus: The thing is, none of that really bothers me, but your behaviour, the bullying, the sledging, the cookbooks, and the righteousness really pissed me off.

Matty: But I just wanted to win cricket games, and sell some books.

Jesus: I know man, don’t get me wrong, you are successful; it’s just that a lot of people don’t like you, and you say you like me.

Matty: I just played hard, but fair.

Jesus pauses, and lets out a small sigh.

Jesus: Obnoxious weed, all that Graeme Smith stuff, Zimbabwe, appearing on Stuey’s show, that was pretty embarrassing to me.

Matty: That wasn’t just me; Harbhajan is an obnoxious weed, why aren’t you speaking to him.

Jesus: He is out of my jurisdiction. Anyway this is about anyone else, this is about you, and a way you can save my name and redeem yourself.

Matty looks confused.

Matty: o….k

Jesus: It’s like this; I’d like you to come out against sledging.

Matty: No way.

Jesus: Way.

Matty is quiet for a minute, and then shakes his head a little.

Matty: I don’t think I can do that.

Jesus: Fair enough, its not like I am your lord and saviour or anything, I didn’t die for your sins now, or anything like that.

Matty holds up his hand.

Matty: Ok ok, it is just that this sounds a bit Un-Australian to me.

Jesus: It is Un-Australian.

Matty: Well I am Australian, and it is hard to go against my own people.

Jesus: Yes, yes, but I am Jesus, I mean for fucks sake, man, Jesus.

Matty holds up his bad in the style of the international “my bad” way.

Matty: You’re right.

Jesus: So it’s a deal.

Matty nods.

Jesus: Shake on it.

Matty and Jesus both lean in for the handshake, and for the first time Matty can get a good look at Jesus’ face.

Matty: You’re not white.

Jesus: I never said I was.

Matty: Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend; it’s just that I thought you would be.

Jesus: Your mistake.

Matty: Where are you from?

Jesus puts on a shit eating grin.

Jesus: I’m the Son of God, remember, it’s in the books.

Matty: Yeah but what race are you, like where was your mum from?

Jesus: India.

Matty: No fucken way.

Jesus: Way.

Matty just sites there shaking.

Jesus: Bet you feel like a dickhead now, dontcha?

Matty: My whole life, my life, my whole life….

Jesus laughs at Matty, and then turns to leave the room.

Jesus: Jeez I love my job.

And Jesus was gone.