"And… we're here!" said Yeshua as we arrived at the very first pull-out near the mountains. "Finally!" shouted John. "Uhm. Teacher, are you sure?" asked Jaime confusedly. "Look, there are benches." I said then walked towards the bench to take a seat, Matthew followed me. "What's wrong, Jaime?" asked Yeshua with a soft smile at him.
Jaime looked around then looked back at Yeshua. "There's no establishment here, Teacher. Just these benches." answered Jaime while still looking at Yeshua. "That's all that we need while we wait, Jaime," said Yeshua to Jaime as He smiles at him. "Rest at last!" said Andrew as he sat at the other bench. "Just wake me up if we're leaving!" said John as he laid down on the other bench.
There's four benches available in this pull-out and there's seven of us. "Really, John?" said Jaime as he stood in front of John then crossed his arms. Yeshua then sat at the farthest bench from me and Matthew. "There are plenty of benches, Jaime. Go find yourself one." said John. "If what you mean by 'plenty of benches' are the ones already taken, then yes, John, there are plenty." said Simon as he sat beside Andrew on the bench beside the bench where John is laying.
"Jaime," called Yeshua to him and offered the available seat beside Him. "Don't you think that Teacher may not accept John as His student if he acts like this?" asked Matthew as I saw him looking at John at the other bench beside us. I smiled softly. "He already chose us, Matthew, and I believe that Yeshua won't be taking back who He chose." I answered Matthew, making him look at me. I saw a subtle relief in his face and smiled.
"But are you sure whenever John acts like that, it'll be okay?" asked Matthew. I looked at John who is now snoring, then looked back at Matthew. "People change, you know. With Yeshua, I'm sure John will change for the better. Besides, he's still a teenager. He'll learn." I answered with a smile. Matthew then smiled back at me. "Sometimes I wonder where you get your wisdom, Maria," said Matthew with a smile.
I shrugged my shoulders, "Even I don't know where I got it. It-it just… my mouth just speaks with words I didn't even think of." I said to Matthew with an awkward smile. "Are you tired?" I asked Matthew, he nodded as his response. "You can lean on my shoulder." I said to Matthew with a soft smile. Matthew chuckled, "Why?" I asked confusedly. "I can't reach your shoulder, Maria. You're too short for me." answered Matthew with a teasing smile on his face.
I raised both my eyebrows while looking at him, "Not my problem."I replied with a grin on my face. Matthew just chuckled, then asked, "Aren't you tired as well?" I shook my head in response to him. Matthew raised his right eyebrow. "You can't fool anyone here, Maria," said Matthew with a smile. I chuckled. "I have an idea," said Matthew as he turned from me. What?"You should turn away from me as well, Maria, so that our backs face each other," said Matthew. I don't know his idea yet but… I'm trying to trust the process.
And so I did what Matthew told me to. "Now slowly lean backwards," Matthew instructed further. And so I did. "Oh!" the only word I said when our backs leaned on one another. "There!" said Matthew excitedly. "Now we can rest." continued Matthew.
Before I could even shut my eyes, a van stopped here at the pull-out, the driver rolled down his window and yelled, "Teacher!" Simon and Jaime went on to protect mode as soon as they stood up from the bench. John woke up from his nap and stood up from the bench as well, and so is Andrew, Matthew and me, "Ah! You came!" said Yeshua as He stood up from the bench and approached the van.
"It's okay boys, he's one of the students that I was telling you about yesterday." said Yeshua as He looked at both Simon and Jaime who were ready to throw punches.