The Blue Bean Priest

By Josef Finsel

A short story about a boy who is spiritually blind in a world where everyone can see the Gods, Goddesses and Nature Spirits around them and how that blind boy became a priest.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312791671

Book preview

The Blue Bean Priest

Introduction

The sun beat down on the thin man dressed in a robe, begging bowl tapping his hip in time with his steps as it dangled from a belt around his waist. He took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow. He could see the next village ahead in the distance. Saying a prayer, for whatever that prayer might be worth, he put his hat back on and started walking forward again, his entire being resigned to the fate that lie ahead.

If he saw the beautiful woman standing off to the side of the road watching him intently as he passed, he gave no sign of it, but kept on walking. She watched him trudge by, her face an unreadable mask. Suddenly a voice came out of the air next to her. Hey there, sis, I thought that was you. The voice was followed by the appearance of a man, in many ways a twin to the woman. Who was that? he asked, pointing to the man slowly walking off in toward the city. It was like he didn’t even notice us.

She sighed. He didn't. He is one of my wandering priests. The man looked surprised. He is totally senseless to the Gods and yet he is the most successful of all of my priests in finding the people who will best serve us.

That makes no sense, the man replied.

It’s a sad story of my own hubris. Come, walk with me and I’ll tell you the tale. The man fell into step next to her as they followed the mendicant down the road. It started back when that priest had just reached the age of adulthood...

Forty Harvests Ago

One boy sat with his back against the wall and watched as the others played in the field. Fortunately, now that he had passed his 12th harvest, he was facing the rituals that would transform him to adulthood, so he was expected to be a bit stand-offish from his other friends. Not only that, but there was supposed to be a priest coming through for the Claiming Rite. He snorted at the idea of that and then sighed deeply. Everyone could sense the Gods, Goddesses and other Spirits that inhabited the land. The most gifted could see them as clearly as if they were fellow humans while the least gifted could sense that something was there, almost as a scent or a soft sound. Everyone had that gift, everyone except him.

He’d been very young when he first discovered his lack, maybe just two years old. He had been happily playing outside along with family and neighbors when suddenly he sensed a change in how everyone was acting. They were all turning and orienting toward something that they could see that he couldn’t. When his mama asked him if he saw the Goddess he shook his head. His father said the boy was too young yet while his mother explained how glorious it was that they could see the Gods, Goddesses and Spirits of