THE MOVIE STAR by Pamela DuMond & Pamela DuMond

Author:Pamela DuMond & Pamela DuMond [DuMond, P. S. & DuMond, Pamela]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pamela DuMond Media

13

Crown of Thorns

CROWN OF THORNS

Half an hour later, Jake parks his motorcycle in the lot across from a Spanish-style church in front of mountainous foothills. We make our way toward St. Agnes Basilica.

“Is this your church?” I ask.

“I haven’t belonged to a church in decades,” he says, and holds out his hand.

I take it and we follow the Spanish pavers punctuating the scrubby short grass to the entrance.

“Except for filming the movie, I hadn’t even stepped inside a real church until I came here with Nikki six months ago,” he says.

“Is this Nikki’s church?”

“I have no idea. Nikki came here for a Women in Film talk that I was giving with one of her friends.”

We walk past gnarled old rose bushes. A worn statue of St. Agnes stands outside the steps leading to the church’s vestibule. Agnes looks kind-hearted. She reminds me a little of Nikki.

It’s surprisingly airy inside the sanctuary with its arched ceilings. Gilded paintings of saints in jewel tones line the walls. Jake pauses at the font, dips his fingers in the holy water, and crosses himself. I follow suit.

“You’re Catholic?” he asks.

“Raised,” I say. “I don’t practice much anymore but it’s in my blood.”

“Me too. I left in high school.” He walks up a side aisle and takes a seat midway from the front. An older priest is conducting a late afternoon mass, a modest number of parishioners gathered in the front of the church. Jake pats the seat open next to him.

I sit. “The art in this church is gorgeous.”

“My new movie has a scene about the crown of thorns story,” Jake says. “The painting of the crown being pressed onto Jesus’s head weirds me out.”

“Why?” I ask as telltale goosebumps erupt on the backs of my arms.

“If you set aside the faith part Jesus of Nazareth’s story is pretty epic. Similar to Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., he was a peaceful rebel. He bucked the system and suffered the ultimate punishment.”

“I’ll say.”

“His captors crushed that crown of thorns into his skull right before he was crucified to taunt him. ‘Oh, so you’re a Prince? The Son of God? Here’s your crown, dude. Who’s a prince, now?’”

‘This is dark,’ Queasy says, wiggling his hairy toes deep into my stomach.

‘Maybe you should talk about this over a glass of wine back at Jake’s house.’ Hope says.

“I’m the last person to suffer a God complex,” Jake continues, “but sometimes I feel that scorn, you know? ‘Oh, you’re Jake Keller, the movie star? The guy who stars in all the popcorn carjack movies with the stupid plots. Not a real actor. You suck and your acting sucks too.’”

“People can be assholes,” I say. My head hurts.

“I want them to believe the words I say. I want them to take me seriously. I need my words to be taken seriously.” Jake points to the sanctuary at the front of the church. “See that painting?”

“Yes.” Pain throbs harsher behind my left eye and I wince.

“Jesus bears the cross on his shoulders on his way to be crucified.

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