BARBARIANS OF THE NIGHT

Kpam,kpam,kpam, their foots smashing against little pools of mud, their eyes hovering so quickly like cars on highways, their hands tightly interlocked like interlocking stones, their cross the only thing dangling on their neck as they ran like brother and sister hand-in-hand. Time was small, death teleported almost every second, footsteps and clamps of irons---the only thing that played the music of death in their ears; the wind whispered fear in every bend on the road but the letters of the good news taught their spirits never to fear death, the armed man!
The safe point was 80km away, now Kamsi couldn’t continue the run. Zahab prayed that the distance between both groups should be widened. Zahab looked her in the face, stared at those innocent eyes, she was his only sister, probably his last partner in his missionary journey this time. Just as in Matthew 26:39, he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed. Nothing came this time, only that verse: “o death where is thy sting”. In the rush of his heartbeat, in the certainty of his soul and the rush of adrenaline almost felt on the surface of his skin, Zahab picked his sister up; she hung on his back like pendulum. 50km to safety she had regained energy.
10km to safe point, with legs inside the shrubs moving quickly as he could, he tore his flesh across a sharp rock. It was a mistake. He and his sister went crashing to the ground, the cross hanging on his neck split in two, struck upon the ground and its many beads scattered in many directions like in the parable of the farmers seed that tossed on the good soil. “AHHHHHHHH!!” he screamed. Now his breathe grew heavier, fresh blood gushed out from the cut, Kamsi in a haste to stop the blood pulled off her half jacket wanting to tie it across the wound. Now the barbarians were close. In pain, his hands seemed aquiver as he touched his wound, not letting Kamsi run her jacket across it. Both eyes met, she could touch this would be the last gaze. Only he knew his muscle was torn, Kamsi could only cry and Zahab could only say: “it’s time sister, I shall kiss the master’s ring…Run!!
Now the barbarians could be seen far away looking like little dots. Kamsi knew she didn’t have a choice this time; death was closer than her shadow, time was quicker than Nano-seconds. She gave him her last gaze and he gave her his last gift---his Bible. Their hearts melted away as Kamsi whipped her hair across his face and began her run towards the army barracks. This was 3am.
Zahab was just there, helpless, he bowed his head to the ground, the sweat on his fore head crashed upon Kamsi’s jacket left behind as memories of the past kept flashing in his mind like his late mother’s torch light. He remembered the chapel where he worshipped; he remembered his escape from the extremist of the north when they burnt it with its members. 200 fatalities were on the records though the media carried 50 fatalities. He remembered father Amos who was hung for claiming Jesus was Lord, his parents were accused of sorcery and witchcraft because they raised a Muslim from death, and even so, the Muslim was shot to death because the source of his coming back to life wasn’t from Allah. Now the barbarians were close, very close. Their machete clamps could be heard clearly now. Zahab began weeping and now the drops of blood from his wound became a pool. In his weeping he began singing the hymn:
“My sole possession is thy love;
In earth beneath, or heaven above,
I have no other store;
And though with fervent suit I pray,
And importune thee day by day,
I ask thee nothing more…”
Now, about 50 meters away, his soul broke into joy, tears rushed like rivers of living waters, his heart melted in love, wished he never even ran and to him this hymn was his last:
“To me remains nor place, nor time:
My country is in every clime;
I can be calm and free from care
On any shore, since God is there.
While place we seek, or place we shun,
The soul finds happiness in none:
But with a God to guide our way,
‘tis equal joy to go or stay”….
Just when he was about to sing his second stanza, the machetes landed on his side, his right arm spun across the shrubs, his fore head was jabbed; Kamsi paused for a moment as she heard him wail from a distance, it was the wail of self-pity; Death encompassed Zahab as the bullets from their guns broke the chords between his soul and his body. Kamsi heard the sound of multiple gunshots as the soldiers were alarmed; some came to rescue, the others approached the point where the sound of gunshots was heard. Kamsi’s world froze, time was dead, and her heart was still, very still. She never imagined her brother will join the saints in heaven so soon.

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