The scourged man

The whip whistled through the air and hit his back with a crack. he
bit his lip trying not to cry out when the sudden pain seared through
him. Again it hit him but this time a faint moan escaped his lips. He
bit into them to try to distract from the pain coursing down his back.
Yet again the whip struck him and he involuntarily jerked and
gasped.
and so it continued, but after the sixteenth or maybe the eighteenth
stroke he lost consciousness and the man with the whip ordered that
water should be thrown over him. He lifted his head to look at his
tormentor. He would never forget his voice nor his face.

" You'll regret this day." he thought as he braced himself for another
lash of the whip.

At last it was over and he was cut down from the whipping post and he
lay face down in the mud.
No one dared touch him and his flayed back lay open to the sun and the
flies. his fleeting moments of awareness were filled with the buzzing
of the flies as they touched onto the bleeding mess and laid their
eggs.
But under the cover of darkness a cart pulled up beside him and gentle
hands lifted him onto a bed of straw. He drifted in and out of
consciousness and gradually became aware of hands rubbing in a soothing
salve. Then he awoke; he was in a small room lying on a straw pallet.
He tried to get up off the pallet and a groan left his lips. The door
opened and a monk came in.

"My son; please do not try to move yet. The skin on your back is not
yet healed."
He tried to speak but could only croak,
"Father. I can't stay here."
" I'm Brother Francis and you are safe here. No one will take you away
unless you wish to go."
The monk gave the man a drink, which made him sleep again. When he woke
he felt slightly better and was able to eat the small meal that Brother
Francis brought him.
"Don Diego will punish you for giving me shelter."
"Not even Don Diego would dare. I will go and get you some milk, we
must build you up before you leave us."
"Don't you want to know my name? Or what I did to get punished?"
"Only if you wish to confess. We will call you Brother Mathew. It will
protect us both."

The newly named Brother Mathew lay back on his pallet and wondered
about the problems of being a human being.
"It's difficult to realise that Don Diego and Brother Francis are the
same species. One is so good and kind and gentle and the other? well he
abuses his position," he thought.
Brother Francis brought a tray into the room.
"I'm sorry Brother Mathew but for the moment you must take your meals
in here."
He set down the tray and Brother Mathew saw a mug of milk, a jug of
water and some bread and cheese. He waited while Brother Francis said
Grace then took the milk and drained the mug pausing only to break
pieces of the bread and eat them.
"Thank you Brother, I hadn't realised how hungry I was. Am I still in
California?"
"This is Mexico; my son. Do you wish to make confession?"
"Here?"
"If you wish. I have special dispensation to hear confessions, as we
don't have a priest here. Confession can be heard anywhere if
circumstances are difficult and I think that they are difficult.
Brother Mathew knelt down and began.
"Forgive me Brother for I have sinned. It's been along while since my
last confession."
"I'm sure that the lord will forgive you my son now that you have
returned to him. Please continue."
"My recent sins; the reason that Don Diego whipped me and left me to
die, were because he thought I'd stolen something from him. I used to
work for Don Diego. We were close, almost friends, I was his trusted
right-hand man. Because I could read and write I helped him in the
house with his accounts and other business ventures. I didn't ride the
range or brand cattle." He said this with a note of pride in his voice
then he continued, " I helped him in other ways but after a visit to
the bank he accused me of stealing money and land from him. But Brother
I swear by all that is Holy that I'm innocent. The only thing that I
took was freely given to me."

"What was that Brother Mathew?"

"Don Diego has a daughter and she has promised to marry me. Don Diego
doesn't approve but Maria is old enough to make up her own mind. She
left the ranch when we went to the bank. I've no idea where she is but
Don Diego blames me."
Brother Francis said," I'm sure that for these sins you will be
forgiven. Is there anymore that you want to say?"
"No Brother. I'm sorry if I've sinned. I ask for absolution."
"In the name of God I absolve you. Sin no more my son."
Brother Francis took the tray and started to leave the room.
"Don't I get a penance Brother?"
"I think that you have paid for your sins," said the most unusual
Brother as he closed the door.

Brother Mathew, or John Kelly as his real name was, sat on the straw
pallet and thought about Maria. He wasn't too worried about her. She
might have been headstrong but she wasn't a fool. She would be
somewhere safe and when she knew where he was she would send word to
him if she could.
Brother Francis continued to care for him and after ten days his back
felt almost normal. He was restless and needed exercise but that was
more difficult. Dressing in a brown habit he managed to walk around the
monastery, gradually recovering his strength; but he needed more than a
slow walk along a cool corridor. One night he slipped out and started
to trot along the outside of the monastery walls gradually building up
speed until he was running flat-out. Then gasping for breath he tried
to re-enter the monastery but a lone horseman blocked his path.
"Is this some form of punishment Brother?" John bent his head and
shuffled his feet.
"Excuse me please, my son, but I must return to my cell."
"Does Father Luke know that you are here?"
John stood not knowing what to say when the door opened and Brother
Francis walked out.
"Come inside, Brother Mathew. I think that you have had enough exercise
for today."
The horseman reluctantly moved aside to allow the robed figure to pass
by.
"He's an unlikely monk," he called to Brother Francis.
"God takes all who hear his call," the monk said as he closed the
door.

What were you thinking of, my son?"
"I'm sorry Brother, but I needed some exercise."
"Then tomorrow you can help in the garden. Did you know that
man?"
"No but I knew the horse. It used to be mine."
After two weeks hard work in the garden John was as fit as he'd ever
been. He knew that his time of security was drawing to an end. He
couldn't stay much longer unless he became a monk and he didn't see his
life going that way not yet. He knew from Brother Francis that the man
who had barred his way had been seen outside of the monastery several
times. It would be suicidal to leave. But early one morning Brother
Francis roused him.
"Brother Mathew; come at once. Father Luke wants us to go to San Diego,
there's a new chapter of our house there and we are going to help them.
You are to come with us until it is safe for you to leave."
John joined a group of seven monks and carrying bags of seeds and
plants he safely left the monastery. They walked along the dusty road
with heads bowed stopping only to say prayers at the appointed times.
They wouldn't eat until it was time to stop for the night. They walked
at an easy pace and the first day passed away without event. Stopping
by a stream they prepared their evening meal and John watered the
plants. Brother Francis approached him.
"I think that someone is watching us."
"I know that there's someone. I've seen them. But it's me they want not
you or the other Brothers.
They sat down and shared the simple food; as they were preparing for
sleep a horseman rode into their camp.
"I'm looking for the outlaw John Kelly. Have you seen him
Brothers?
Brother Francis answered
"We've seen no one other than the people we travel with."
"I'd heard that he had sought sanctuary in the monastery."
"We offer aid to all who need it, my son."
"Don Diego won't be pleased. Are you sure that you haven't seen this
man?"
"We have seen no outlaw. What has the poor soul done?"
"He's murdered Don Diego's daughter Maria." He paused as the monks all
crossed themselves and muttered a prayer for Maria then he continued, "
Keep your eyes open for him Brother, he's a dangerous man."
It took all of John's will power not to cry out but knowing all the
consequences he stayed quiet, thanking God that the horseman couldn't
see his heart beating wildly

Donna Maria is dead? I hadn't heard. May her soul rest in peace. I must
return to Father Luke; he will need me for the funeral," said Brother
Francis
" Go on to wherever you were going," growled the horseman, " Don Diego
will take care of things."
Brother Francis nodded and gathered the monks for prayer, as they knelt
the horseman left them.

Settling down to try to sleep John saw Brother Francis sitting up by
the fire so he went over to him.
"Brother I didn't murder Maria. I love her; I couldn't kill her."
"Be quiet my son; I doubt the truth of that man's words. The monastery
has always been involved in a funeral locally; especially those in Don
Diego's family."
"You believe me?"
"You made your confession; my son. Your conscience is clear before
God.
John was beginning to be annoyed by the avoidance of direct answers to
his questions but he knew that his salvation lay in staying with the
Brothers.
Day after day they plodded on towards San Diego. Day after day the lone
horseman followed them. The chapter there wasn't new but it needed some
of the specialised knowledge held by this select group of monks. Most
of the monk in San Diego were either novices or newly entered monks who
knew nothing about creating a garden in the hostile climate so unlike
that at home. Then they saw the monastery buildings on the edge of the
small town of San Diego. The cloud of dust that had accompanied them
along the long road had alerted the monastery that people approached. A
bell began to ring.
Drawing nearer the travel weary group were met by another
Brother.
"Welcome to the monastery of San Diego Brothers. Father Jerome bids you
welcome." He took them inside the compound and showed them to their
cells. Noticing that John was carrying plants he said,
"I'll take you to see the Brother who is in charge of the garden."
Leading John out into a walled garden he left him with a young monk. He
had a brown face and dirty hands, which marked him out from the others.
John handed him the plants and told him that they also had seeds for
the monastery garden.

Going back to his cell he took a wrong turning and found himself near
the large wooden doors leading to the secular world. The lone horseman
was questioning the doorkeeper. John tried to get close enough to hear
but there was no cover. He watched as the man pushed the monk to one
side and started walking through the monastery. John rushed to help the
fallen monk.
"Thank you Brother I must alert everyone."
He went over to a thick rope and pulled on it. A single bell began to
toll. Doors opened and puzzled monks appeared. They gathered before the
door and waited. Father Jerome came to the doorkeeper and
demanded,
"What is the cause for sounding the alarm Brother?"
" A man came asking me about an outlaw. He said that he had been
travelling with our new arrivals. When I said that I know of no such
man he pushed me to one side and went into the monastery; looking for
the outlaw."
Father Jerome was aghast.
"Even is such a man is here he is safe. This stranger has no right to
be here. Brothers, we must find this man. "
He turned to Brother Francis.
"If you and your Brethren stay here it will lead to less confusion." He
led the others away to search for the intruder.
John said, "I'll go now. I've caused you too much trouble. I'm sorry."
Before anyone could say anything he slipped outside. His old horse was
hitched to the rail and it snickered a welcome as he untied it and
mounted. He made a strange sight as he rode into San Diego, not many
monks rode horses.
Slipping from the saddle he looked at what there was in the saddlebags.
He was lucky. A change of clothes and a gun as well as a sack of coffee
beans were in one and the other contained shells for the gun and a
stack of wanted posters. Most of them were for his arrest but some were
for other people. It looked as if the horseman had been going to post
them all over town. He knew that the coffee beans would get him a room
for the night. Taking the horse into the livery stables he changed into
the clothes. Something made him leave the gun in the saddlebags;
perhaps it was the influence of living with the monks but he didn't
feel right using a gun. He had never used a gun before and now didn't
seem the time to learn. Picking up the saddle and the coffee sack we
walked out of the stables to look for a place to stay.

As he looked for a cheap rooming house he heard his name thinking that
he had imagined it he continued on his way. Then he heard,
"John Kelly, come here." Walking towards the sound he saw a woman
standing in the shadows.
"Maria?"
"Of course it is," she said as she stood on tiptoe to kiss him. "Come
with me. I have a place for you."
"I'm an outlaw wanted for your murder."
"I know. I've sent messages to my father but he wants me back. That's
the only way we can appease him."

They went into the room that Maria had rented and spent the night there
together. The next day John said,
"We must go to see Don Diego. We have to let him know that you are safe
and doing this without being forced." But Maria was doubtful that her
father would see them.
"He isn't interested in being fair; he sees me as a possession and
you've stolen me."
But John insisted that they went to see Don Diego.
The journey back to the ranch took far less time than the journey to
San Diego as they rode in. At the ranch entrance two gunmen stopped
them.
Donna Maria said,
"I'm here to see my father, let me pass."

The gunman let her pass but prevented John from joining her. When he
persisted in trying to follow him and they drew their guns and shot
him. Maria heard the shots and turned her horse around and galloped
back to only to see John lying on the floor, bleeding. She jumped from
the horse and threw her self to the ground beside him. Taking his head
into her arms she tried to rouse him but he was dead. The tears
streamed down her cheeks and fell onto the dry dusty ground. She heard
a horse rapidly drawing nearer and looked up to see her father. She got
up from the ground and walked over to the horse that John had ridden
and went to the saddlebags. Withdrawing the gun from the saddlebag she
placed the barrel in her mouth and pulled the trigger. The sight of his
daughter's head exploding caused Don Diego to halt his horse. He slid
off the saddle and walked over to the body of his daughter.
Taking her in his arms he whispered,
"Why? I would have given you anything you wanted, anything. And now my
life is ended. You have destroyed me." He started to walk back to the
ranch house carrying his daughter's body.