ABSINRAW

When I was in class 8, my school hosted an annual function unlike ever happened before, or even after, I believe. It was one of those events the whole town talks about, at a level where participation for each student was mandatory. When entire school time was being allotted to prepare for a function, or if voice dubbing of the students under professionals was being recorded, while putting up two new stages adjacent to each other just for the event, you would know it’s a big deal.

I was picked up by my then class teacher, Mr. Brucey, to be a part of his play on Christianity. It was a two-part play, where the first scene had the walk of the Jesus carrying the cross on his shoulder to his crucifixion, and the second scene was Him being on the cross, mocked and tormented by the roman soldiers. I was a part of the second scene, as one of the soldiers (Longinus), responsible for its ending.

Now, at a convent school, while considering the abovementioned scope of the event, if you are a part of play that is on Christianity, the only play with two scenes, you have an idea of how many eyes are going to be glued to it, or the importance it holds contextually otherwise too. This was being carried by Brucey sir, as we kept on practicing regularly, go through multiple costume iterations, joke around and lounge around mostly, as all our scene had was roman soldiers loitering around the cross, giving odd seemingly cruel laughs, and poke (stab) Jesus after His monologue that confirms His passing away. I was Longinus, as I was responsible for the stab. Considering how much effort everyone else was putting in their respective acts, Christianity Scene-2 members were the freest bunch in the school.

Everything went through perfectly well, till after the dress rehearsals. A day before the main event, everyone in the bunch realised that the entire school apart from them, and Jesus, were doing pretty cool job in their respective acts! Which was not true in hindsight, but the dress rehearsal made us look at each other just roaming around in black mini onesies, wearing cardboard armor apron with abs and carrying curtain rods as spears. It was there when the idea of having something extra in our act struck our collective minds.

On the event day, while the school was getting ready for the event, we sat in the classroom to brainstorm the wow factor that can steal the show or be the showstopper. Afterall we were not even the sole Christianity act, mere Part-2 of it. Due to the creative bankruptcy that had gone in our act in the first place, there was nothing much to do with. The only action in the scene was supposed to be at the closing of it, where Longinus stabs Jesus to confirm His death. So, the ideas obviously revolved around how to make the ending more dramatic. Suddenly a question was introduced to the collective chain of thought – Where’s the blood if Jesus was stabbed? As the entire event would also be video recorded and broadcasted live on the screen simultaneously to the audience, our showstopper was locked in. A surprise that nobody but us would know.

To be continued…..