“Deux”

“The fuck you mean you just put it up here? I’m looking at it!” Said Stanley incredulously. “Fucks your problem dude?”

A Goodwill of all places. He hadn’t been here for more than five minutes when one of the employees nearly bit off his head for picking up a lamp. Though he understood in all likelihood the guy was simply disgruntled-the hate he saw emanating from his eyes led him to throw aside his sympathy.

“Why don’t you go back to work you fucking slave!”

Disregarding the brass lamp Stanley had gripped in his hand the employee advanced and they squared off. The heated exchange had not gone unnoticed. A manager soon cut in between the two. After hearing what started it all the manager apologized profusely. Spitefully, Stanley snatched up a woman’s purse and stormed out knocking several displays over as he went. Feeling incensed and slightly stupid for taking a woman’s purse of all things Stanley made to throw it on the ground but paused when he noticed a beige material protruding from the folds of the purse. He pulled it out and realized it was a pouch made of something that felt like leather. There were no designs on it other than an imprint of two connected and identical heads facing opposite directions. He loosened the draw string and two coins fell to the ground. Inside there were words which seemed to be burned onto the pouch. ‘Hoc est corpus meum.’

_______

“The day has been long and I’ve had my fill.” Surrounded by his wives, children and their families a look of utmost peace radiated from his face. With his final breath he uttered; “Do what you will.”

As the body was prepped for burial one of his sons murmured to his older brother. “And what of the flesh of Yeshua?”

With a look of admonishment the elder frowned and waved dismissively. “Talk for another time brother.”

_______

It was by pure chance that Stanley realized what he had come across. After he picked up the two coins which had fallen and placed them back in the pouch he had gone home. It wasn’t until later when he nearly threw the pouch in the laundry along with the rest of his dirty clothes that he sought to examine it again. On opening it-four coins fell out.