He Said He'd Wear Purple With a Crown of Thorns

Chapter 1

A man once told me something, something I had thought was random, but I soon realized what he had meant. The man told me, he'd wear purple with a crown of thorns.

~

It was a day that at first glance was the same as the last. It was hot as always, the sun never seemed to be fond of us at the very least, but who could argue with light? It simply existed as did dusk, a constant cycle of heat to relief. Yet, at night you were blinded which created issues in itself.

The heat had awoken me, it was intense as it was the previous day and the one before that. Just by the temperature, I could assume I was running late. I quickly jumped up from my bed to grab the necessities and get dressed.

I quickly put on my toga and ran out into the shuk. I worked for a man named Salvius Tiberius, he was a baker and one of the things he despised was lateness. 'Maybe if I hurry I can avoid his wrath,' I thought hopefully, yet, it was very likely I'd be punished, or at the very least be provided a lecture I had gone through far too many times.

As I ran down the street to make it to the store, I heard whispering. This of course wasn't abnormal, the streets of Jerusalem were always busy, but this day they all spoke on the same topic, a strange man who people wanted dead.

"Where the blennum is that boy!" A man yelled off in the distance.

"I guess it was a waste of time to be hopeful," I muttered, running to the stand. The bakery was very busy, a line of about ten people stood in front appearing impatient. The opposite of what I had been hoping for. 'Well isn't this wonderful,' I thought to myself.

The bakery I worked for was a medium-size stand on the right side of the shuk. We didn't actually create the bread and other pastries at the stand. Instead, we'd make it in a building a small distance away.

The heat was always unbearable as it was since the stand had no roof and when the wind did come, it was always humid. My employer was rather cheap, but I guess it could always be worse.

The shuk was always lively. Hundreds of people would go in and out working or buying items. My favorite type of person is easily the merchants. Each with their own stories ranging from the far fetch ones with dragons to strange structures out in the north. Even if you didn't believe them, it was still interesting to listen to.

"Where the Sheol were you?!" Salvius yelled looking over at me. "You weren't sleepin' in again were ya?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me. Salvius was a kind man, but his kindness didn't extend to tardiness.

"Well-" I said, "Maybe.." I didn't like lying, it had just felt wrong. Sure, a small lie most of the time never hurt anyone, but still, guilt had a way of pestering me either way.

"Ugh, you and your sleeping! What am I gonna do with ya?'' He said, annoyed. His anger was justified at the very least. This being the second time this week and all, "First on Shani(2nd day) and now Yom Shishi(6th Day)! Our most busy day!"

"Ya I know, I know," I muttered looking down.

"Just- start working," He replied walking off. I assume he was going off to grab more pastries, but he could just as likely be heading out for wine.

As I began to work, once again I heard whispers of this strange man who was to be killed. It was extremely normal for someone to be executed, so why were they so stuck on this one, so-called "strange man." Was he a killer? A slave who rebelled? A thief? Every possibility I could think of just didn't seem likely.

"What would you like sir?" I asked, looking at the man next in line. He seemed young still, perhaps in his early thirties. He had darkened hair and a soft smile on his face.

"I require seven loaves if that is alright," He said.

"That'll be one silver coin," I said, grabbing seven loaves from a table behind the stand, then placing them on the table.

"Wonderful," He said, placing down the coins and walking off with the bread.

A man to the right loudly said, "May all come! We shall expose the man!" As he said this, he ran off; I assume to tell more people, but who could really be sure. One issue with living in Jerusalem is it tends to be boring. With the fact that nothing ever happens, people tend to search for everything and anything just to entertain themselves. Even when it comes to the expense of others, people view these scenes like literal animals. Staring in awe as someone is brutally stoned or hung.

I guess I was the same as the animals, as everyone ran to watch the prey be confronted, I joined them.

Author's Note: If anyone is curious, a silver coin is worth about 20USD$. Also, a shuk is like a forum or a marketplace.