Who was the One?

It was late one Saturday afternoon, after the exams. The four future conquistadors were having a kickback time. Beers were flowing, all they could afford. The pizza delivery was timely, soon the 'boys' were enjoying a televised race meeting, where they were all sticking to the rails.

They were all on a tight student budget. So, Tomasio, Brent, Oscar and Marty were placing imaginary bets. It was all contributing to their lifestyle, imagining how much they won on each race. It made sense to them, okay? As yet, love's young fling had not won their optimistic hearts, or their birds had dumped them for their stingy attitude. There was only so much a young male could do on a few cents left in his wallet.

It was the same old, moaning about the cost of living, wondering what girls even wanted. When did they want it? Now! What did they want? No one even knew. It was part of their mystique. A dateless Saturday night yawned ahead. Suddenly, after Race Seven, Tomasio said, "I've won seven thousand dollars, in one race!"

"Too bad!" Brent replied, "I've won nine thousand dollars!'

"But I've won ten thousand dollars!" Oscar said, asking, "What about you, Marty?" Really, none of them could afford the punt. Oscar looked amazed, when Marty said loudly, "I've stopped betting today. There are other things to think about. Thanks for thoughts, boys. Let's bow our heads and pray, I am sitting here as authentic Jesus, back on Earth today!"

Tomasio denied this Jesus figure. "You can't be authentic Jesus! I am authentic Jesus. I have met my doppelganger."

"Wrong, Tom! I am the one true Jesus, it's me. That shade is mine, my second soul."

Oscar was not converted by this religious fervor in the television room. "I am Jesus!" The racing industry so did not care, they went on and on. Laughing, Tomasio said, "Take that, false prophet!" and punched both Marty and Oscar in the solar plexus.

"Guys ,you are mistaken!" Brent hit all the other authentic Jesus deities as hard as he could. "I am Jesus!" The rumble was on, full on. Rolling around the room, there was yelling, swearing, verbal and physical abuse. Each teen was firmly convinced that he was the genuine, authentic Jesus. There were holes kicked in the plaster walls, bits of pizza boxes added to the overall trashing of the decor.

Into the room, wondering what the others were up to, came their quiet den brother. His name was Eddie Lin, the achiever, the responsible housemate. Eddie stood in the doorway, bewildered by this display of authentic Jesus type violence. He had been one of their school mates, always walking on the mild side of life. He tried telling his co-residents. "Hey, guys. Authentic Jesus was not the violent type. He was a pacifist!"

But the boys did not hear. So Eddie took affirmative action. He was wondering what their landlord was going to say. Peace had to be restored to their humble student abode. He basically did not want to be a homeless, student, just because of this latter day schism about the One.

Sneaking off to his attic bedroom, Eddie phoned the police, before the authentic Jesus foursome bashed him or anyone else. Shh!! His lips were zipped. He went downstairs and hid behind the front door, until the police sirens were heard in their formerly quiet suburban street.

The police squad cars screeched to a halt. Eddie opened the front door. Four officers entered the premises, it was an urgent duty, after all. "Right, stop right now!" one constable said. He was more than slightly horrified about four grown teens, all shrieking that they were authentic Jesus, while they were punching and kicking each other.

One of the policing personnel was a rather large, imposing policing person, a female footballer in her off duty hours. She drew forth her pepper spray and taser, the other police followed her lead. The teen fab four were soon suitably subdued. Some semblance of order was restored to this intriguing dilemma of which teen was genuinely the authentic Jesus.

Eddie gazed in slight horror, as the leading police officer led away his mates in handcuffs. "I think you lot have too much religion. Or too many substances. Off to drug testing, then you lot have a date with a police shrink. Come on, you'll have a nice rest where you're going!"

"I'll sue you, you...!" yelled an irate Tomasio. "What's your ID?"

"Maam!" said the policewoman, firmly. But she was positive. "Never mind, you'll get a roof over your head, three square meals a day, and meet some more weirdos, new friends. They're all Jesus too!"

Eddie resolved that he was going to restore the television room. He grabbed the four teens' wallets, went to his laptop, and sorted the rent for the next month. No one was alone, peace reigned supreme. After all, he had four Jesus figures on his side.

First thing on Monday morning, he went to the hardware store and bought some plaster and paint, an attractive, contrast, feature wall was soon in evidence. He was used to managing, he was the only dutiful son of some former communist parents from North Beijing.

Days rolled by, the four teen fab boys were quickly counselled and medicated, learning not to declare their religious fervor. Nothing lasted that long, they were being discharged by Christmas Day. So Eddie had held the fort, like a slightly diminutive good boy. He sat in the television on his last night of peace, eating his poor boy noodles, with the broth.

He could hear next door's Christmas carols, so Christian .Suddenly, a dazzling angel vision appeared in the corner of the room. Eddie was sure he was not on drugs, it was not his scene, no indeed. His mother would have his guts for garters,

The blindingly beautiful and bright angel spoke, in English! "Well done, you are a good boy! You have a great gift, and must use it for the greater good."

Having said that, the angel disappeared in a puff of logic, just as the fab four in their taxi rolled up at the door. Eddie sorted their taxi fare, he was used to managing.

He was never going to say anything about his divine revelation. The fab four housemates had learned to keep quiet too, but they had each made him a pottery gift in their therapy class.

The years did somehow go rolling by. Religion was never discussed again. Eddie switched his major to medicine, focusing on research into Oncology. He did it, you know, made cancer leave the world, decoding any cancer cell's intrinsic DNA. His mother found him a bride with her matchmaker, in the old-fashioned way.

Eddie did become a bit of a capitalist, and a world fave. Peace was worth it, after all. He aged gracefully, so proud of his wife and family, all good looking and handsome, just like him.

As for the fab four once teens? Well, no dramas were ever seen. They did graduate, overcoming their visions and dreams, their imaginary bets. Tomasio was secretly gay along the way, but the former Jesus freaks all attended his same sex wedding. No one labelled anyone, one day in the future. Jesus was the real inclusion guy, their role model.

Occasionally, the ageing boys still had a kickback evening on Saturday, on the mellow side of midnight. They were all so proud of Eddie Lin, he was their bro, the mild achiever. He was always the quiet one. They were still undercover teens, wondering if authentic Jesus was their one true scene. Who was the One?