Quake

“I saw these guys come in that night. Wow, they was beat up something terrible. I’d seen a lot of cons come and go through that hellhole, but I don’t recall seeing anyone bludgeoned to the point those dudes were.

“I guess what stuck out in my mind was how happy they were. I mean, come on, who can really be happy after getting yourself beat completely to a pulp like that? I’s guessing it was a disorderly drunkenness case and these dudes just mouthed off to the wrong guard. How else can someone be laughing and singing after that? Wine is the only friend I knew could make you that crazy.

“This one guy, Paul, I knew I’d seen him. I hadn’t always been in there, mind you. I had a life at one time and I blew it. But you don’t need no sob story. Anyway – this Paul – I’d seen him before but it was his name that threw me. Then one of the other cons yells out: ‘Ain’t you Saul? What, they finally charge you with murder?’ That was when I remembered him. He was a bad dude, man. The kind of guy you just didn’t cross. Big man – what some would call a ‘made man’ – in the scheme of things. Saul – or Paul, whatever – was a Roman chief whose greatest joy was persecuting those Jews. Man, and those Jews, they just never knew when to shut up. Always yapping on about their ‘God’- even when they seen Paul coming they would keep right on preachin’ and whatnot. If Paul really had enough, he’d just up and kill them right then and there. No bones about it, man. I’m tellin’ you: this dude was bad news. They says something happened to him one day on some road. Said he got called by that same God those Jews was preachin’ about. Said he mended his ways and got out right then. I didn’t believe them until when I seen him that night. He was with this old cat Silas and I found out they was in for preaching the same stuff Paul used to kill those Jews for. Ironic, ain’t it?

“Then that night just seemed to never end. Paul and the old cat was talking and singing the whole time. Guards would tell ‘em to shut up and they just kept right on. When they weren’t talking about how great this God had been to them, they was singing about how great this God had been. At first, I was on their side about that guard. Why not let ‘em sing? After a few hours of it, though, I’d had just about enough. All until midnight came. Whoa, man, Midnight; I won’t never be the same after that twelve o’clock came around.

“They’d stopped preachin’ and singing about an hour before. I wondered why it’d gotten so quite; I wouldn’t have to wonder too much longer. The routine in here gets to a man sometimes. All’s he can do is beg sleep to come on and not wait around for some guard to slap you silly cause you was still laying awake in your cell. Sleep wasn’t hard to come by for me anymore. My mind just kinda knew: lay down; go to sleep and that was it. So, I roll off thankful for the quiet and dream about my life outside again. It didn’t seem like no time and they was up and singing again – louder this time than ever before. Wasn’t too long and It happened.

“At first, I couldn’t believe we was havin’ an earthquake. I’ve been in these parts all my life and that was the first time I’d ever felt a quake. And man, was this ever one seriously heavy quake! Next thing I know, my cell door up and flies open, and my shacks fall right off my legs and feet. I didn’t know what to do, so I just stood there. The guard comes running through the place, and when he sees all us free like that, he plops down on his knees and is gonna run himself right through with his sword. I can’t say as I woulda blamed him, either; his Boss was as bad as Paul ever thought about bein’. When he seen us free and all, he woulda done a lot worse to that guard. Then, Paul yells ‘Don’t do it, man! We are all here!’ And he was right! Not a con in the place had moved an inch! We was all scared outta our minds! The guard, well, he – like me – knew somethin’ heavy was goin’ down so he says: ‘Sirs, what can I do to be saved?’ I was thinkin’ the same thing, but I wasn’t about to speak out loud! Then, these dudes say: ‘Believe on The Lord Jesus Christ, and you’ll be saved, and your house.’ That was it? That was all this dude – and any of us – had to do to be saved? I knew I had to have that kinda power. I knew there wasn’t no way I was ever gonna come clean unless a God this strong was backin’ me up. So, I kneel down real quiet-like and say I believe in this God.

“That was nearly twenty years ago now, son. Ya mama, well, sometimes she still don’t believe me. All she knows is the night I come home free, there was somethin’ different about me. Oh, I know she didn’t think it’d last, but this God, well, He’s a lot stronger than any con’s desires, and He fills up anything left empty by chasin’ crime all ya life. I wish I could meet them cats – Paul and that old guy, Silas. You know, just to thank ‘em or somethin’.”