UNTAMED

Part Forty Eight

{God might get their attention through pain, by throwing them on a bed of suffering.}
       
        It had been three months since Halima was driven out of the compound while he stood close to the house they had shared. His heart had felt like it was tearing as she disappeared from sight. Every day had felt empty more than it was when he had lost Abigail
Every day had felt like he was missing something. His house felt emptier and life was boring and looked like a bottomless dark pit. At a time, he regretted the promise he had made to Halima because he felt worse each passing day. There were few missions where they had intercepted cocaine dealers on their way to Nigeria. He did not contact her even when he was told she now had a phone but followed up on her development. She had chosen to learn fashion and designing. But he had dreamt about her many times, he had felt like seeing her again, holding her in his hands and kissing her again. He had hoped it would stop but even after three months, it was still there. He had remembered the little girl he didn’t help. He had also watched the video of George and it had explained everything. There was no way anybody could have gotten close to their camp without George being aware. The first people were from the Special Force, about ten of them. George had thought they were backup but they had given him the wrong code because they were not aware the code had been changed. George had killed ten of them even before the company men arrived. Nick had been in the scene after George was killed by Tiger who actually was a coward. All the special Force defectors were carried away before Jason arrived because Nick knew the implication. The file was extracted from George’s flight bird. The intriguing thing was George had died smiling like he was about to sleep. That video had calmed him down and healed his pain of losing George.
      He was back from doing some clearing at the back of his house and went to his mum’s room. He did not even know why he was there. Her bible which had a case with zip was on her bed. It had been there all the time. Even after cleaning the room, he always left it there because that was exactly where she had left it. He remembered what Jason had told him about his mother’s quote and picked the bible to check it out. He unzipped the case and discovered there was something inside the bible, the place the quote came from had a folded paper. He brought out the paper and opened it.
‘Dear Obinna, King of the Beast,’ was the first thing he saw.
It was written two weeks before she died. He sat down on the bed and started reading.
‘If you are reading this, it means I’ve translated to heaven. Don’t cry too much, be happy because I have gone to rest. My only worry is you. I keep worrying about how you will live, will you be good or become bad? What does the future hold for you? Every day, I go to church and pray for God to direct your path. Then I had a dream, but I don’t know whether to call it a nightmare or a vision. I was in a dark room but it was somehow blue and there was a very big native pot, and a dark little girl was sitting inside and she was crying. I tried to move towards her but I was frozen. Then I saw you by the door, you were just the way you are now. Anytime you took a step towards her, you became bigger and matured, so was she, but you looked like someone out of control. I was counting your steps. You seemed very happy when you took your twelfth step, but the girl in the native pot was still crying. As you took your thirteenth step, you fell on your knees, you were in so much pain and tears flowed freely from my eyes because I could not console you. I did not even know why you were in so much pain. You had to struggle to take the fourteenth step which led you to her outstretched hand which you held. You carried her out of the big pot but you were still in pains. Gradually, you became better and as you took her out of the room, I knew your pain was over, you were happy. When I woke up, I became confused. It was so real, I dream sometimes but there was something about this dream. I went to Rev Oke and told him my dream. He said that could never be just a dream but he had no interpretation but he will pray to find interpretation. He told me you need to come see him. Just few days after my dream, I saw them selling the last native pot from one Chief Esegie, I had a pull to get some. Even when I knew our old ones were still okay, I could not resist buying some. When I got home, I felt like giving you one of the pots before you travel. Maybe that pot will make you meet that girl. I could not tell you my dream because you will make fun of it and ignore it. But I had to write it down. I know you will listen to me because I’m dead. Although I don’t understand my dream, I know there might be a link to that pot and the girl in the dark room and inside a big pot. I don’t know what brought joy to you and why you felt that pain but I was relieved because there was light at end of the tunnel. You found happiness again. Go and see Rev after reading this. He might have gotten an answer for you. I’ve tried to interpret my dream my own way and I have left this ring for her. It has been in my family and passed on to our first daughters but I don’t have a daughter. Give it to her when you find her. My final prayer for you is that you find God on a personal level. And your father killed a Tiger not a bull. I had hoped it will prevent you from hunting bulls. I love you so much.
                                                              Your Mum.
He read it over and over again. The ring was there in the bible. His mum's silver ring.
    He ran all the way to his pick-up and sped over to the Anglican Church. The last time he was there was for his mum’s funeral before she was taken to her hometown, Iseluku for burial. His wedding had taken place in Ogwashiku Abigail’s hometown and he never followed her to church when she had moved in. It had been renovated and was bigger. But he did not meet Rev Oke. He was told he passed on five years ago. As he left the vicarage the current priest called him.
“Are you Obinna?” he asked.
He turned and nodded.
“I have something for you. Just wait” he said going back inside.
He came out later with an envelope.
“Rev Oke left this for you. He said you will come looking for him one day and I should give you this” the Priest said giving him the envelope.
He quickly opened it. There was a short note inside.
“FOURTEEN STEPS, FOURTEEN YEARS, TWELVTH YEAR ABIGAIL, PAIN, HALIMA’
He had written it down thirteen years ago.
Without looking at the Priest, he ran to his pickup. He touched his cheek, those were definitely tears. How? Why? That damn letter had been with him for fourteen years. He could have saved her earlier. Abigail would have still been alive. Suddenly, he remembered the old woman who had talked about the real gift.
“It was definitely not the pot, the gift was the girl in the pot” he said wiping the tears from his eyes.
So it was definitely not a coincidence but that left him more confused. He had so many questions but no answer. He had not doubted the existence of God, but he had also not believed. If only George was alive, he would have been in the best position to answer his questions. George was a Christian to the core and always prayed about everything. But then he remembered Jason. Jason had started believing in miracles. He was someone he could have vouched for with his life that he would never believe in miracles or anything supernatural. Not just because he had doubts, but because his brain and way of thinking was all logical, everything must give him one plus one two. But he had changed. Jason might help.
He arrived at Benin around 11:03AM. He had informed Jason that he was coming. Cindy was very happy to see him and her pregnancy was beginning to show. Jason had instantly noticed something was wrong.
“Can we talk?” he asked.
Jason nodded. He walked towards the ring and sat down on it, Jason joined him few seconds later. He gave Jason his mum’s letter and after he was through reading it, he gave him Rev Oke’s words.
“That thing has been with me for fourteen years. Halima could have been freed earlier and I wouldn’t have met Abigail” he said rubbing his forehead.
“You saw it exact time you were supposed to see it Tamed.”
“What do you mean?”
“Some dreams which are visions are already stamped and nothing can change it. There are instances like that from the bible, Isaiah’s vision of the messiah is one. Nothing could have changed it. From what I read, yours could not have been changed even if you had seen it. To find Halima, that pot needed to be broken and you wouldn’t have known to break the pot. It was like God showed your mother fourteen years of your life, a projection into the future and it was confirmed by a second witness who gave an accurate interpretation without even meeting Halima. It was already decided and I think you saw this at the right time, because you can’t doubt it. Now you seek answers which you wouldn’t have done if you had seen it before meeting Halima. I know this is not the reason you came. You came because you need answers.”
“Then tell me if you know. Why? Why did God allow my mum to die? Why Abigail? Why did I have to meet her? Why did she have to die because of me? Why Halima’s parents? Why did Halima suffer for more than fourteen years even after praying everyday till she lost her memory? Why?”
Jason did not answer, instead he controlled his flight bird to the ring and caught it with his hands. He patted it and let it fly back.