Drunk Jesus

Lee called me at 10:00 tonight. He had gone downtown with Marcus drinking. He took the 28b bus home. In his wallet, he had $1,800 from winning money playing poker on the internet. Lee sat next to a mexican man with three fingers on his right hand. Three-finger had Edward James Almos style skin, slicked back hair, was about 42 years old, looked like he had lived a lot of hard life. Lee and him had seen each other on the bus before. Lee and Three-finger saw a fat black woman with corn rows and her two kids. The family was crazy but not crack head-crazy. Just single mom, working all day to support her latch-key kids crazy. Lee asked his three-fingered friend to to pass the lady $100. Three-finger was floored. For the next 70 blocks (both Lee and Three-finger missed their stops as the bus went all the way to the end of the route and back again) Three-finger and Lee found people who looked deserving of $100. First a hispanic lady then a random old lady. Between Downtown Denver, out to Kipling and Back to Yates, 18 people got $100 bills. All women, about half of them had kids. Three-finger never asked for money. Part of the reason Lee was giving the money away was he was drunk. Second, he is generous. Last, he wanted to see how long it would take for Three-finger to ask for the money. Three-finger never asked--he was thrilled to be giving the money away to others. Lee asked Three-finger if he would be his witness--in case God or Jesus wanted to know what Lee was up to. Three-finger said that he would be Lee's witness forever. The bus driver wouldn't stop asking, "Are you really giving him real money?"

Lee said it was the best moment of his life. He feels dumb about it too. He knows his motives were not completely pure. Also, Lee just gave away $1800 and has no extra cash. Lee thinks three-fingers might have been Jesus. Lee feels enlightened.

In Lee's words, "Hopefully half of the $100 bill ladies are doing the right thing...I go on odds...hopefully half of them are buying their kids McDonalds, school supplies, and Elmo Dolls. The other half are probably buying crack or throwing it away because they didn't believe that they were 'real zippered-up hundies...'"

Lee called because he wanted another witness. And because he was shocked. And because he was afraid he would feel bitter in the morning. And to brag. And "inspire me to keep on the path I am going on." He knows God sees him. Lee says God looks down and says, "Damn, thats a Balsy mothafucka."

The 28b from Pierce to Applewood and back again witnessed a gritty miracle tonight.