The Peacock 602

I take out the loaf of the bread of life. 

"There wasn't anything inside", says my brother.

"Now there is", say I, "We are about to eat really well, my brother!"

"Where did the bread come from?" I stare at my brother, who is indignant and frightened.  "Where!"

"If I tell you the truth, will you believe me?"

"Tell me."

"First, promise me that you won't assume that it's from not taking my meds."

"Last night I gave you medication.  Now you're okay."

"What?"

"While you were sleeping.  You woke up and swallowed the pill."

"I don't recall."

"You swallowed it anyway, and now you re almost normal."

I am burning with indignation at this insult.  despite, our friendship, sometimes Juan can be pretty cruel, and even sadistic.  But usually he treats me with a lot of gentleness.  But his lesson is rather like an evil serpent that usually goes underneath the earth, only to occasionally show its head and bare its fangs.

"What's up?" he asks.

"Don't worry", I lie.  "It's just a side effect of the meds.  Nothing but."  But the black serpent.  Maybe I am being tested.

"The bread" insists my brother.  "What about the bread?"

"Do you like it?"

"I have never tried better.  Never."

"The bread is called the bread of life."

"Cut the bullshit, Carlito.  Where did you buy the bread?"

"The Angel gave it to me."

"Huh?"

"The Angel."

Juan stares at me again.  but without expression, his face void of all emotion.  So we stare at each other.  Then I start to smile, and then Juan is smiling.  He says, "You are my crazy little brother", and he opens his arms to wrap me in a strong and prolonged hug.  And now I am looking at the left side of his neck where I see the two marks already fading of the fangs of the black serpent.

"tell me, little brother.  This food.  Could you explain it to me please?

The next morning we are eating breakfast underneath the cypress.  After drinking the living water we are on the oranges.  I see now another change in the marks on the left side of my brother's neck.

"At your service, sir."

"Where do you store it?"

"Here in this bag."

"The purple bag?"

"Maroon."

"Whatever."

He takes from my hand the velvet bag and turns it inside out.  "Empty."

he returns to me the bag.  I put my hand in the bag and pull out a loaf of bread.  I give it to Juan.

"Carry it with you, just in case you get hungry, big brother."  I offer him the bag for reexamination.

"I'm not touching that thing!"

"It is a living being", I say, teasing him, "It could bite you!"

"Get that thing out of my sight!" says Juan, trying not to scream.

"Don't you like bread, big brother?"

He looks up in his two hands, at the loaf of bread.   "It will serve us well fore lunch."

Now it is turning into a tattoo, like the image of a feather drawn on the neck of my big brother..