THE BARE MINIMUM | KAIROS GLOBAL | AUGUST 2022

Author: Shane Mascarenhas

Intro: Shane Mascarenhas takes us to a conversation a group of friends have as they chill out at a café. 

Kevin, Sarah and Joshua have been friends for a long time. They’d gone to school together, studied together, grew up together, and basically been an integral part of each other’s lives so far. So it’s no surprise that they have a strong bond between themselves. There’s a truckload of trust that they share with each other as well. 

They love sitting and chilling at cafés, by the way … affordable ones … because they’re in college … and that’s just how they vibe

So, wanna eavesdrop on one of their café conversations? 

Sarah: Why’s it always THIS cafeteria? They haven’t changed the menu since the first year. 

Joshua: It’s nice here. Sarah, the three of us made it past our first sem. exams here. It means more to us than the menu. 

Kevin: Sarah, when you’re finally an architect, we’ll dine at the cafeteria, no, the RESTAURANT that you design, sounds good? 

Sarah: Lol sure! So Kev, how’s Reshma doing? 

Joshua: Yea, yea we need to know, Kev. You tell us WAAAAAAAY TOO LITTLE!

Kevin: There really isn’t much to say that you guys don’t already know.  You’re as close to anyone I have in my life. Sometimes I feel you guys are closer to me than Resh is. I don’t know how to explain it… sometimes, with her it feels … distant. And there’s nothing more to tell you. I feel like I come to you guys to catch some air. It feels nice to be with you guys.

Sarah: That’s sweet, dude, but ‘distant’ doesn’t sound right to me. Hmm … Josh does that sound … off to you? 

Joshua: Kay, look, all I wanted to know was which base you guys are currently at but now we’re having this #deep talk. 

Sarah: JOSH, come ON DUDE! Is this ALL THAT YOU GUYS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT! Geez! JOSH! Kev’s basically grown up with you, and the first thing you wanna find out is which BASE he’s hit? 

Kevin (gestures to Josh): We’ll talk about it later.

An annoyed Sarah makes to leave.  

Kevin: Sarah, Sarah, I’m kidding ha ha! Don’t leave, I'm just messing around. This is why I love you guys, ’cause I feel I have the freedom to say anything without being judged, yet being morally corrected … It's great that we’re able to talk about these things. I honestly have NO IDEA what I’d do without you guys. You ground me. 

Joshua: Sarah was never going to leave, she loves the attention she gets from us ha ha! 

Sarah sticks her tongue out.

Joshua: Although, I see your point, Sarah. Kev’s been talking about us and to us perhaps in the way he should be talking about Resh, yea? 

Sarah: You mean he’s spending her time with us? 

Joshua: Yea yea, maybe, you could say so… Tell us, Kev? 

Kevin: It’s actually smart you picked up on that, Josh, seeing how Sarah’s the smartest of us. 

Joshua feels super proud of himself. It’s not common for him to be called smart…not in his classes at least! 

Kevin: Resh has been spending a lot of time at campus gatherings lately. I’d been to one myself, but great as it was, I didn’t see the point of it beyond the first few gatherings… I don’t get how she’s so drawn to it. Not that I have a problem with THAT, but, I’d have loved to spend at least some of her ‘gatherings’ time with her… 

Sarah: Hmmm…pretty strange how it seems like these gatherings are becoming the focus of the issue concerning her… Jesus Youth stuff right? 

Kevin: Yep, JY. 

Sarah: Yea yea, heard of them … good things, mostly… I’ve honestly been thinking of dropping by, checking what all the hype is about… though I’ve been saying this for three years now lol! 

Kevin: I actually wouldn’t be surprised if Resh is the one to get you to those gatherings. She’s been asking me for a while, but … I don’t know … I feel it takes away from my time with her. And I haven’t been too nice with her about it… 

Joshua: NICE with her? 

Kevin: I mean I kinda throw a fit, smirk, or do something really childish leading to us not talking for a bit after that. 

Sarah: And then? 

Kevin: And then? Then I come to you losers … to share this kheema paratha. 

Joshua and Sarah laugh aloud. 

Kevin: Well, at least I can make you two laugh. 

Joshua: Hey, we love you dude. Sarah does too, she doesn’t even need to say it. 

Sarah: Okay, look Kev, you really need to progress from where you currently stand with Resh … looks like a stale place to be if you’re not being nice, doesn’t it? What do you think you could do? 

Kevin shrugs his shoulders.

Joshua: Be nice? 

Kevin: What? 

Joshua: I mean you said you weren’t being nice, yea? So just be nice? Maybe that’d change something? You could maybe ask her about it before you smirk away something that interests Reshma. Nicely.

Sarah: Hmm good call, Josh. Yea, be nice. It’s something that Resh is interested in. She’s a great gal. She’d love your support, Kev. She’d love for you to be even slightly interested in it. So, yea, maybe just be nice. 

Joshua: Yea be nice. 

Sarah: I think it’s the bare minimum, isn’t it? 

Kevin: Sounds … fair. Sounds like a plan. That was a helpful conversation. Come to think of it, I haven’t been doing the least I could do. 

Sarah: Right … I have to head to class. Meet you guys at 2:30? Table Tennis, PLEASE! Kev you HAVE to teach me the spin serve! 

Kevin: Yep! Promise I’ll teach you. 

Joshua: Fun. I’ll come stand beside the table and watch … and fall asleep. 

Kevin: Thanks you guys, I’ll go see Resh for a bit … nicely.