The Disciple

Chapter Three

It has been a day since the hostage situation, and I'm still trying to figure out what I just experienced these past two days. I do my usual routine on a Sunday morning; get out of bed, eat breakfast, brush my teeth and finally get dressed. It's 8am and I head downstairs to the parking lot as James is sitting in his car waiting for me. Exiting my complex I walk towards his car and I see him reading the Bible. The passenger's seat in the front had some books just laying there, so I didn't want to sit on them. So instead I take a seat in the back behind him.

"So ready for prison packing?" James asks me.

"Yeah." I answer.

Starting the engine, we take off zooming out of the parking lot . As time passed I begin rolling my index finger underneath James headrest. After of couple of minutes, the friction between my index finger and the headrest makes a farting noise. "BRRT!" The car stops and James looks at me as if I am the person that let one out.

"That was the seat rumbling I swear." I say as I start to laugh.

"Uh huh sure Tristan. Next time it'll be the squeaking of your shoes." James replies as he laughs out loud.

"Are you okay?" I jokingly ask.

"Calm down." He replies.

The two of us laugh continuously throughout the entire car ride. My stomach starts cramping up as the laughter was too much for me to handle. We had arrived at Holy Trinity around 8:15am. Entering the church, we were both greeted by high fives and cheers from people of the congregation. I figured that most of the congregation saw what had happened at Walgreens, Saturday afternoon. Entering the chapel, the ushers greets us at the door. Taking our seats a young boy standing with his parents taps James on the shoulder.

"Excuse me mister, can I have your autograph?" The young boy asks.

"Sure .Who should I make this out to?" James asks ecstatically pulling out a pen from his back pocket.

"To my family." The kid answers.

"Can I have one too?" Another kid asks.

"Sure." James answers.

Before the service even begin, a long line formed from our seats all the way to the doorway of the auditorium. I started to become irritated by all the attention James was getting. I was the one who wrestled the gun away from the shooter. It should have been me writing all the autographs not James. I was the one who put my life on the line. My face suddenly dampers and James can sense that something is wrong.

"Are you okay Tristan?" James asks me.

"Yeah. I'm okay." I answer not giving him eye contact.

"Are you sure? You seem upset" James asks again.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." I answer again.

The service begin with a video of Warden Burl Cain who runs the largest maximum security state prison at Louisiana State Penitentiary. He explains how it was the most violent out of the prisons located in the US. One of the officers on screen then says that since Warden Burl Cain arrived, the penitentiary's violence has died down. The video then switches over to Bill Hybels who interviews the Warden on how he was able at die down the violence going on at the prison. I was surprised at the responses Burl Cain gave as the prison is now violence free. Throughout the video, James kept glancing at me. The congregation applauded as the video ends. The head pastor Dan Walker walks up center stage.

"Okay, before we start packing and having fun, I want to take this moment to pray for the prisoners serving their sentences in hopes they get out of prison soon." He says.