by Diogenes Ruiz | Jan 9, 2019 | Books, News
A RABBIT’S TALE–AN EASTER STORY, by Diogenes Ruiz, opens with a scene where Monty, the new boy on Juan Arias’s block deposits a mouthful of spit in the Arias family’s mailbox. The two neighbor boys couldn’t be more different. Although they both were in the 5th grade, Juan tries his best to ignore Monty because he secretly thinks the new kid is slightly crazy. Or possibly from another planet. Juan wants nothing to do with him, which is a great plot idea for a book of this kind. Twenty-five years later, Monty is working at his father’s business and tries to poison his father so he can gain full control of the company. The company where Juan works is involved in a project with Monty’s company, etc. It is impossible to say too much about this excellent novel in a limited amount of words other than it is well written and well worth reading. The comedy is great and the characters are well-defined…I do highly recommend this book.
– Judge, 26th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards
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by Diogenes Ruiz | Apr 19, 2018 | Books, Excerpt, Prequel
I remained calm in spite of my desire to slam demon waiter’s face against the counter. “I think you are mistaken. Where two or more are gathered in God’s name… well, that’s a church. So, yes, this is a pizzeria, and, for the moment a church. Now, take your hand off my arm.”
Demon waiter released my arm. I went to the register to pay for my pizza. Joe stood at the register trying to hold back a smile. He looked at me and did a little wave of his hand. “Not necessary Father, it’s on the house.”
I returned the smile. “Thank you, but that’s not necessary.”
Joe continued smiling and doing his little wave. “Si Father, it is on the house. You have a good night.”
“I shook the pizza maker’s hand. “Thank you, Joe. That is very kind.”
Clare was busy drying her hair and clothes with napkins. As she looked at me, I noticed the absence of the dark blotches previously all over her face. She looked different. She looked hopeful. We stepped outside the restaurant together. “Sorry about the water. It’s part of the sacrament of baptism. It symbolizes the washing away of your sins. If you stick with this and come to church and read the bible, you’ll learn all about it.”
She pulled my arm down as she leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “Thanks,” she said. “I’m not sure what the future holds, but for the first time in my life I feel like there may be hope for me.”
“Let me be the first to welcome you to your new life as a Christian.” I took hold of her hand and shook it. “If you come by the friary tomorrow, I’ll have a bible for you as a welcome gift. The Franciscan friary is just three blocks up the street.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks.” She turned, waved, and walked up the street in the opposite direction of the friary.
***
When I arrived at the friary, I stopped at the storage closet and selected one of the bibles. As I closed the closet door, Fr. Manuel greeted me. “How was your pizza?”
“It was great. Maybe next time I’ll try a calzone.”
“Hmm, that sounds good.” He rubbed his stomach. “Maybe, I’ll come with you.”
“Goodnight, Fr. Manuel.”
“Oh, Oliver, with everything going on today, I forgot to congratulate you on your ordination.” He reached out and shook my hand. “Congratulations, you will make a fine priest. We are lucky to have you.” His expression turned serious for a moment. “But you must take extra care with the female members of the congregation, you being such a strapping fellow and all. You must avoid temptation.”
“Thank you, Yes, Sir. I’m excited about what lies ahead.”
Just then, Fr. Wayne stepped into the room. “Oliver, there’s a pretty young woman downstairs who says you have something for her. She says she’s sorry, but she just couldn’t wait.”
###
I hope you enjoyed “Ordination Day.” Order a copy of “Persistent Evil” and follow Fr. Oliver as he confronts evil, unlike anything he could imagine.
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by Diogenes Ruiz | Apr 18, 2018 | Books, Excerpt, Prequel
I could not suppress a smile. “No, it won’t hurt. I’ll have to ask you a few questions and take your confession before I can baptize you. Are you OK with that?”
She nodded. Some of the customers were now bending an ear to listen to what the crazy priest was saying to the pretty young woman.
I looked into her eyes and asked. “Clare, are you sorry for your sins? For things you have done in the past which may have hurt others or otherwise not been acceptable to God?”
She nodded.
“You have to say it with your mouth, Clare.”
She nodded again. “Yes, I am sorry for all the awful shit I’ve done during my wretched life and for everyone I’ve hurt. For the baby I kil…” She began to weep as she spoke. “For the baby I killed.” She continued to sob. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
I traced the sign of the cross on her forehead. Then I realized I did not have water, so I grabbed the glass of water from one of the patrons. “Excuse me,” I said to the man at the nearest table.
“Hey!”
I traced the sign of the cross on Clare’s forehead. “Your sins are forgiven. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.” As I lifted the glass to pour water over her head. I realized, I did not know her last name.
“What is your last name Clare?”
“McLamb,” she whispered.
I lifted the glass and poured the water on her head. “I claim you for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.”
I put down the glass just as demon waiter rushed up to me and grabbed my arm. “You can’t do that! What do you think this is, a church?”
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by Diogenes Ruiz | Apr 17, 2018 | Books, Excerpt, Prequel
I laughed again and it made her jump. “Sorry, but it sure does sound like that? I never thought of it that way… No, what I’m talking about does not wear off.”
“Sorry, Oliver, but there is no way I’m going to go off the deep end like your crazy Francis and Clare. I like my possessions.”
I chuckled. “That won’t be necessary. A life of self-imposed poverty is not for everyone.”
She looked at me and for a split moment, I thought I caught a glimpse of hope in her eye. “What then? What are you telling me to do?”
“It’s simple, Clare, just two things. It’s almost too simple but I promise you things will get better if you do them.”
“I’m listening.”
“Here, give me your hand.”
Reluctantly, she placed her hand on mine. “Be thankful for what you do have and be open, allow God into your life. That’s all.”
She said nothing for a few moments. I could see tears pooling in her eyes. “I’ve done a lot of crazy shit. If there is a God, He might not be interested in the likes of me.”
“Oh, He’s interested all right. I can promise you that. You and I meeting was no accident.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll have to tell you about it some time. Were you ever baptized as a child?”
She shook her head. “No, my family was not religious.”
“It’s pretty simple and it’s a sacrament that claims you for Christ. It’s an important step in accepting God into your life. When you are ready, I would be happy to do it.”
“Yeah, that sounds great.” She looked at her watch, got up from her stool and walked over to the cashier. Before heading out she came back and said, “Do it now.”
“Do what now?” I asked.
“Baptize me. You said it was simple. Go ahead and do it now.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to her request. “Well, typically I would do this at church.”
“I don’t want to wait that long. Do it now.”
“But, I have to…”
“Look, if you don’t do it now. I’ll probably never get around to asking you to do it.”
I sat for a moment then asked her to sit down.
She took her seat again. “Will this hurt?”
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by Diogenes Ruiz | Apr 16, 2018 | Books, Excerpt, Prequel
She turned to me, her piercing green eyes surrounded by the dark blotch all over her face. “Don’t you ever watch the news? People killing each other, idiots running the country, greed, simply trying to survive, men who can’t commit to anything except beer. All the good men are taken, the rest are gay, or unavailable because they’re priests or some such crap. Then there’s the past due rent, stress from all the BS at work, the abortion which you live with every day of your life, the guilt, the feeling of hopelessness and loneliness, the successful sister who has it all and thinks you’re a loser. I can go on. It just makes you want to stuff your face with a calzone followed by a gallon of rocky road ice cream, or better yet, to check out altogether. Today it’s the calzone, tomorrow – who knows.”
I paused and gave her my full attention. “Blessed be You, O God, for having created me.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” She asked.
“One of the reasons I became a priest is because I’ve always been inspired by Francis of Assisi. If he were alive today, he’d be locked up and labeled crazy. He walked away from a life of riches and luxury and embraced a life of poverty and devotion to God. I think he may have been the happiest man on the planet at the time. There were others with wealth who wanted that kind of joy. Some wound up giving all their stuff away, land, money, you name it and joined Francis.”
“Yeah, so, he was crazy. So were those rich guys.”
There was a woman who decided to follow Francis and left everything including a proposal of marriage from a rich man. Her name was Clare. She was an inspiration to many other women of her time and they joined her. She lived in poverty and did manual labor. I do mean poverty. She had nothing. The last thing she uttered before she died was “Blessed be You, O God, for having created me.”
“So, what does that have to do with me? Just because we have the same name doesn’t mean squat, and it certainly doesn’t make me a saint.”
“No, it doesn’t. But aren’t you the least bit curious how someone with absolutely no possessions, no conveniences, no mate, doing manual labor, the subject of constant criticism could be so happy as to utter those words on her deathbed? By comparison, you are wealthy, you can afford the calzone you just ate and a gallon of rocky road ice cream if you wanted it. You have an iPhone, access to wifi, and you probably own some jewelry like the necklace and earrings you’re wearing right now.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I guess she was crazy too.”
“Yeah, but wouldn’t you want a little bit of that crazy? To feel such utter joy, even with nothing? I wanted that kind of crazy. Don’t you want just a little bit of that feeling? A feeling no one can take from you?
“Now you sound like a pusher. You’re not trying to sell me drugs are you?”
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by Diogenes Ruiz | Apr 15, 2018 | Books, Excerpt, Prequel
Joe came up to the counter. “What can I get for you?”
“A cheese calzone, please.” After ordering, she fidgeted nervously. She caught me looking at her.
I gave her a smile. She forced a smile and looked the other way. I noticed the scars on her wrist. “How are the calzones here, any good?” I asked.
She turned her head, surprised by my question. “Yeah, they’re pretty good.”
“I haven’t had a calzone in ages.” I said.
She did not respond.
“Don’t I know you from somewhere?” I asked.
Her head whipped around. She looked me over. “Aren’t you a priest or something? You’re not supposed to be hitting on women are you?”
I blushed a bit. “I’m sorry. But, I’m not hitting on you. I was just ordained a priest today, as a matter of fact.”
“Well, fact is ‘Don’t I know you from somewhere?’ is the lamest pickup line in history,” she said. “Besides for all I know, you could be some psycho pretending to be a priest.”
I laughed. It caught her by surprise.
Joe came to counter with her calzone.
“Thanks,” she said.
I extended my hand to her. “My name is Fr. Oliver. I’m not a psycho. I promise.”
She shook my hand. “Clare.”
“Nice to meet you, Clare.”
She blew on her calzone to cool it off a bit before biting into it. “So, what made you become a priest? She looked me over again. “Kind of a waste if you ask me.”
“It’s just something I always wanted to do. It’s a little hard to explain. It became kind of an obsession. I just had to do it.”
She took a bite of her calzone. “You’re a psycho. You gave up sex.” She said as she chewed her food.
“Sometimes you have to give up something to get what you really want. For me, it was to become a priest.”
She shook her head. “Whatever. I couldn’t do it.”
“I know, you couldn’t even if you wanted to. They don’t allow women to become priest.”
“That’s bullshit,” she said. “Was that a God thing, or did some frustrated old fart make up that stupid rule?”
I laughed again at her response which made her smile. “It’s complicated,” I said. “But that’s the way it is. In my heart, I don’t believe it was a God thing. Your old fart theory might merit further investigation.”
“I don’t believe in God anyway,” she said, as she took a sip of her soda. “No offense, I just don’t think a God would let so much bad crap happen if he really existed.”
“What kind of bad crap are you talking about?” I asked.
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by Diogenes Ruiz | Apr 14, 2018 | Books, Excerpt, Prequel
As I entered the pizzeria, I picked up one of the free newspapers from the stand and pretended to read it. I was really checking the place out to see if any of the people who were preparing pizza’s had demon heads. None. That was good, I did not want to eat a pizza prepared by a demon. Sounds crazy now that I think about it. Everyone in the pizza restaurant had blotches, some faint, others very dark and pronounced. The only one with a demon head was the waiter who spotted me and came up to me.
“You want to sit at a table?” He recognized me from earlier. “Hey, you were in here before with your buddies. Are you OK? What was it you saw when you looked at me? I heard you ask your friends if they noticed anything strange about me.”
I was extremely difficult to look into his demon eyes as his face shifted from demon to human and back to demon, and not react like I had earlier. I smiled and folded my paper. “I’m sorry, I had a bit of a panic attack earlier. I’m overdue for an eye exam and kept seeing spots all day. I’m feeling better now, seeing things as they really are.”
“Cool man, OK. Say, if you ever need anything to help with panic attacks or anything at all. You come see me.” He leaned in close as though we were now best buddies. “I’ve got some good shit. It’ll blow your mind.” He winked. I saw his demon mouth drool.
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“So, you gonna sit at the counter? Joe will take care of you.” He pointed at the man taking a pizza out of the oven.”
“Thanks.” I took my seat at the counter and looked around. Demon waiter buzzed about the place serving patrons at the tables.
Joe came up to the counter. “What can I get you?”
“Two slices of pepperoni please and a coke,” I replied.
Joe took the stub of a pencil which he kept tucked behind the top of his right ear and wrote my order on a small sheet of green receipt paper. Then he put it on the narrow counter behind him with the other order tickets. Five minutes later, he placed two hot slices of pepperoni pizza and a coke in front of me. “Thanks!” I said.
He nodded and got back to his pizza making.
Half-way through my first slice, a man and a woman entered the restaurant. The man had a demonic head and the woman had blotches on her face. They took their seats at one of the tables. Another customer entered a minute later. She took a seat at the counter next to me. Even with the blotches on her face, I recognized her as the young woman from my dream. Her face and outstretched hand were emblazoned on my mind.
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by Diogenes Ruiz | Apr 14, 2018 | Books, Excerpt, Prequel
“I think it is time for an eye exam. I’m not seeing spots anymore, perhaps a bit of nervous energy after ordination. But I assure you, I’m fine.”
The provincial nodded. “Let me ask you this Oliver. Would you like to take a few weeks off to think about this and clear your head? I think it would be…”
Oliver held up his hand in a stop motion. “Fr. Manuel, I appreciate your concern and your insights. I also very much appreciate your offer for me to take off for a few weeks.” Oliver got up from his chair. “I can assure you it is not necessary. I think you are misreading the signs. As a matter of fact, from the minute I stepped into the street, after my ordination, until right now, everything I have experienced or sensed has validated the fact that I must serve God. I have no desire to do anything else. I have no regrets, just the opposite. Our world is being consumed by evil. I feel there is a sense of urgency to reach those who are trapped in sin. I have never been so sure of anything in my entire life.”
Fr. Manuel sat in silence for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, there is a great deal of evil in our world.” He let out a sigh and smiled. “But there is plenty of good in it as well. We just have to look a little more closely.”
“That’s exactly what I plan to do.”
“Well, Fr. Oliver, I guess I’ll stop being an old father hen. I’m glad you feel so strongly about serving the Lord. It goes without saying, should anything come up, I am here for you.”
Oliver nodded. “Thank you, Fr. Manuel. I will take you up on that should something arise. Right now, I’m starved.”
Fr. Manuel chuckled. “Yes, of course.”
Oliver opened the office door, stopped, and looked at the provincial. “Thanks, Fr. Manuel. I think I’ll take a walk to the pizzeria and have a pepperoni pizza.”
***
As I walked to Ray’s Pizza, I prayed for guidance. The night was cool and brisk. As usual, there were people coming and going. I did not bother to take a close look at their faces. A homeless man sifting through a trash can stopped as I walked past him. He rushed toward me. His gnarly grey beard was ladened with bits of crumbs lodged in it. His eyebrows rose and his gaze pierced through me. “You must pretend you don’t see them. It’s the only way to be safe!” He immediately withdrew and began sifting through the trash again.
I approached him. “Excuse me, sir?”
The man stopped his trash can digging and looked at me as he backed away. I held my hand up and smiled. He stopped, squinted his eyes, and smiled, exposing two teeth as he held out the palm of his hand. “Do you have any spare change, sir?” He tilted his head and kept the smile on his face waiting for anything I might be inclined to give.
“What was it you said before?” I asked.
With the smile still on his face, he repeated. “Do you have any spare change, sir?”
“No, before that?”
“Any spare change, sir?” He repeated with the smile still plastered on his face.
I gave him a couple of dollars and continued my walk to Ray’s.
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by Diogenes Ruiz | Apr 12, 2018 | Books, Excerpt, Prequel
The demon picked me up by the throat. I gasped for breath and tried to free myself to no avail. I managed to utter “Go to hell!”
The demon smiled as he held the bloody dagger he had used to kill the provincial in his other hand. “Very well, priest.” The creature thrust the dagger deep into my side.
I felt the sharp sting of the blade as it ripped through my flesh. Then my side began to burn as the energy drained from my body. I felt the demon’s grip tighten around my neck. My vision blurred, then there was darkness.
Fr. Wayne let himself in. “Fr. Manuel wants to see you, Oliver.”
Oliver clutched his side, as he sprang up from his dream and looked at Fr. Wayne.
“Are you OK?”
Oliver wiped the sweat from his brow. “I’m fine. I must have dozed off, just a bad dream. I’ll be there in a few, just want to jump in the shower. I’m sweating like a pig.”
“Good idea,” replied Fr. Wayne. It stinks in here.
Oliver jumped in the shower and felt a sting as the cool water as it touched his scar. He felt the area and noticed the scar which was not there before his nap. It felt tender but was not bleeding. He examined it, almost four inches wide. It was the exact spot the demon had stabbed him during his nightmare. “How can this be? That was just a dream. I didn’t have this before.”
***
Oliver entered the provincial’s office. “Sit down, Oliver,” said Fr. Manuel, as he put a book on a bookcase and walked to take a seat behind his large mahogany desk.”
Oliver sat down and waited for him to take his seat.
As Fr. Manuel was about to sit, he froze, looked at Oliver with a blank expression, eyes opened wide.
Oliver darted up out of his chair.
Fr. Manuel waved his hand, motioning for Oliver to sit back down. “It’s this dammed heartburn. I get it every time I eat pepperoni pizza. It’ll pass in just a moment. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Fr. Manuel noticed Oliver’s pale skin color. “Are you all right, Oliver? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Oliver sat back down. “No. It’s just that I thought you were in real trouble for a moment.”
Fr. Manuel took his seat. “I will be if I keep eating pepperoni pizza.”
“Fr. Wayne said you wanted to see me.”
“Yes, I know today was an important day for you and the church. I just want to see if there is anything you want to discuss. I’ve been there myself. There are occasions of buyer’s remorse among a few newly ordained priest. It is a reality of our calling. You come all the way, to this point, and decide it is not for you after all.” Fr. Manuel paused and studied Oliver. “Is that the case with you?”
Oliver took a deep breath and looked intently at Fr. Manuel. “No, that is not the case with me. This is where I need to be.”
“Are you sure, Oliver? This is not simply about the rest of your life but about the lives you will touch as an ordained priest. Let your truth come forth, whatever that may be. You are still one of God’s precious creations and have his unending love whether or not you follow through with your vows. Do not let human pride or fear stand in your way of acknowledging what you must do. If it sounds like I am trying to convince you to leave the priesthood on the day you became one, that is not the case. I just want what is best for you and the church.”
“I understand, Fr. Manuel. I assure you, I have no regrets or second thoughts about becoming a priest.”
“What happened this afternoon? Your comrades were worried about you, seeing spots and all. It sounds like a severe case of second thoughts to me, enough to make you physically ill. It started the minute you left the church, didn’t it?”
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by Diogenes Ruiz | Apr 11, 2018 | Books, Excerpt, Prequel
I came to a stop and slowly scanned up, across and down the street. It was the same all over. Everyone came to a stop and had turned to look at me. My heart started to pound. As I turned to glance inside the pizzeria, I saw four customers and the guy behind the counter all looking intently at me from behind the store’s glass window. I felt someone poke me on the shoulder and turned quickly. I was not aware of anyone near me.
It was the pizza waiter with the demon head. “I didn’t think any of you god-lovin-fools could see us. Join us or die!” The waiter pointed at the mass of people now huddling around and repeated. “Join us now, or die!” The crowd swelled. There was no place to run. The demon waiter laughed, The crowd chimed in as the laughter began to swell. Beneath it, I could hear whimpering. I looked around and saw a young woman with dark blotches.
She extended her hand. “Help me.”
I could barely hear her. As she repeated it, I could see her lips form the words. Upon closer observation, there were several blotched faces in the crowd all mouthing the same words. Originally, I thought everyone was laughing. They were not. The fully demonic faces were enjoying a raucous laugh. The others seemed to be asking for help.
The demon waiter raised his hand. All became quiet. The cries for help ceased as well. The crowd parted as the three demons from the provincial’s office approached. The one who killed Fr. Manuel came to a stop directly in front of me. “There is no place you can go, no place you can hide. You see us, we see you. Seers like you must either join us or die. You must decide now. What will it be, priest?”
I looked across the landscape of demonic and blotched faces. My gazed settled on the young woman whose hand had been extended. There were tears in her eyes as well as in the eyes of other blotched-faced individuals. I saw her lips move silently to form “Help me.”
What will it be, priest?
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