ORIENTATION OF A KING V

“Dad” Eti whispered again, but the wheezing sound in Kunle Smith’s ear wouldn’t let the sound register. It

was the fierce desert wind. A storm was nigh. Even though Kunle couldn’t see the storm, the tell-tale signs were enough to write a sonnet about its monstrosity.

 “This is going to be bad” Kunle screamed over the wheezing wind as he looked down to see Eti’s lips moving. He picked up his boy, wrapped a shawl over his face and went against the wind, picking his steps gingerly in order to avoid sinking. He was hoping to find a boulder that could shield them from the winds but even he knew that hope at this point was a couch on an ocean. 

After trudging for about ten minutes, Kunle knelt down at the crest of the dune he had climbed, set Eti down, and removed the shawl from his face.

Kunle had taught Eti that God was always on time to meet our needs… never early, never late and the boy had requested that they go to the desert without any supplies and test the proposition. Despite Kunle’s explanations that God’s assurance for provision was no reason to tempt him, the boy wouldn’t let up.

Kunle was skeptical about the whole thing until he had a vision and God assured Him… this was a lesson the boy needed to learn experientially. 

So three days ago, after flying all the way to Maiduguri from Ikeja, they boarded a taxi from the airport to the Nigerian-Chad border – driving for over 8 hours to the Monguno end.The bearded taxi driver couldn’t understand why a man and his son would get down at the middle of nowhere and walk off into the midday heat of a sweltering desert. Was this a modern version of the Abraham-Isaac fairy-tale?

In the last three days they had wandered from the outskirts of the desert (featuring occasional trees & boulders) to bare strips of sand (blistering in the day and frosty at night). There had been no oases, no fruit or vegetable tree in sight and no animal even. They had not eaten or drunk anything in over 48 hours – they had their last on the taxi. Eti had ceased talking yesterday and Kunle had considered returning. 

Yet, when he asked Eti if it was time to return, the boy shook his head in the negative 

This was a huge mistake… Kunle thought to himself… was he sure God had really spoken to him? Why did he even agree to this sort of madness? He considered how far they had come without experiencing any life form other than sand. This was one lesson too aggravated… he decided then that this would be the last practical lesson Eti would be given.

He took out his satellite phone and Eti’s weak eyes bulged.

“What are you doing dad?” Kunle made out the whispered words as he observed the caked lips of his only son. 

“Saving your life son” Kunle responded. As he dialled the private helicopter service he had chattered for a week (anticipating current situations), Eti tugged weakly at his sleeve and he looked down at the boy. 

“Son, I’m sorry, but we shouldn’t tempt God” Kunle rubbed his son’s head as Eti pointed at something behind his father.

Kunle turned to see what it was… a hamlet… how? That wasn’t there moments ago… hold on, that’s where the dusty wind had blown from… Kunle’s shock and disappointment knew no bounds… His son’s faith beat his!

“God is always on time daddy” Eti whispered again, his face too strained for a smile…

***

This is for dreamers like Abraham... I have no idea how far out you have gone… but if God has sent you forth to a land that you do not know… and circumstances are telling you it’s time to pack up and go back home… Please don’t … God is always on time… He’s not asleep!

THE HOSPITAL

 I came by a building once that looked like a church; a cross & a steeple in front, all white & saintly with a touch of green, I noticed a sign on the front porch - it said; Out Patient Parking, but the building itself had no name, no sign other than the green cross. Hold up, I noticed the green cross had a green snake wound round it just like the ones in hospitals & pharmacies.

See, it was Sunday morning and I was hoping I could do service quickly and head out for an appointment, really. Yeah! Sunday appointments, I do them like freebies. Don’t ask me where my family was on this Sunday because the day I started a family was my worst day; I have been trying to reverse that decision since, I will someday. Who has time for family when there’s so much to do on life’s runway?

So back to the gist about church; I checked my watch to see how much time I had before my appointment, shucks! Barely one hour, church service would have to be in transit, after all my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, that’s it! Just as I turned to go, an ambulance with sirens blaring screeched past me to stop inches from the main entrance front steps & two paramedics jumped out and ran to the back of the truck.

 I was hoping to see some half dead guy on a gurney but I was shocked when the door opened and a robust guy walked out bubbling with life, louis rag, bright coloured t-shirt, studs, leopard skin blazers & skinny jeans. Then I noticed the paramedics didn’t have any white or green or blue uniforms on, just t-shirts & jeans. "Ok, this is weird" I thought to myself… There was no hurry in their demeanour as they climbed the steps.

 The main entrance opened and two nurses stepped out, in knee-length skirts & beautiful stripped shirts; the only thing that showed they were nurses were the white caps. Warmth streamed around them & it was obvious their smiles was from their heart - not trying to fake it like some ushers…these were seasoned nurses, not some upstarts…

 One paramedic tripped & something fell from his hand - A bible, seriously?

 I forgot my appointment and walked up to the driver in the truck “What is this place?” I asked… “Oh, hi… it’s a hospital” he responded with a smile that could wake the dead…“What kind of a hospital?”… “One that cures everything” he answered yet again… I still didn’t get it but didn’t want to look foolish (first impression matters) so I changed my line of questioning “That guy you just brought in, he looked well, so why the emergency wails?”…“He’s not so welll” The driver retorted “he’s struggling with self-esteem, Identity crises, was contemplating suicide when the medics apprehended him and is struggling with pornography”… I paused to connect the dots, but the line wasn’t forming…

 Hospital, bibles, self-esteem, identity, suicide… pornography. Seeing my confusion, the driver added “if you are wondering what kind of a hospital it is, why don’t you go in & find out?” Curiosity got a hold of me and I unconsciously turned towards the row of steps.

 As I reached the landing, the main entrance opened and the same nurses held it open letting the two paramedics rush out again… both of them said “hi” & I felt a pull towards their smiles… one even paused to shake hands with me… and they were off again... another emergency I guess. Guess what the ushers did? They both hugged me… “Welcome to The Hospital” they said in unison taking my briefcase and my jacket from me… I was dumbstruck, but my feet carried me…

When I finally walked in, it felt like another world entirely… I could feel a strong supernatural force or presence but I had no idea what it was, this place was odd… beautifully odd – the chairs where arranged in a circular pattern, with a young man in denim slacks and t-shirt at the centre of the pattern… on his neck hung stethoscopes, but there was no lab coat… If I was allowed to swear, I would swear... matter of fact I swear… there was this halo around him, which made him look like Jesus! My attention was ripped off him by the rays of love flying by me… It was coming from everyone that was staring at me…

No, this wasn’t some erotic sensual love, it wasn’t even philio… This was some word-defying love that could only be felt not described “Are they high on stuff?” was a thought I couldn’t help… “No” The young man in the centre responded “Just the Holy Spirit, not stuff”… “Can he hear my thoughts?” I thought to myself… “No” He answered once again “it’s just written all over your face, that’s all”… Then he came down from the little platform and walked towards me.

I stood there transfixed, not sure if to turn away… or to stay, I fidgeted like a teenage girl being asked out… I felt like crying - the essence here was strong - I felt all the defences that I had built up over the years cripple like wax in sun… I didn’t realize when tears took leave of absence from my eyes… And when he finally reached me and hugged me, JESUS… Yeah! That’s the word JESUS… that’s what I felt! “It’s not just a word” He whispered in my ears… “It’s The Name above every other name anywhere”… I kept sobbing… not stopping…“What is happening to me…? “You are experiencing the Love of God, The Cure to everything” he replied

 “What is this place?” I asked for the second time in fifteen minutes… “Most people call it church, but it’s a hospital, everyone walks in here sick, either spiritually, mentally or physically… but the Love of God cures us all and makes us whole” He replied again

“Are you saying everyone here has issues?” My shock increased my sobbing “Sorry to disappoint you sir, but even I have issues” he replied “You think your family is slowing you down on life’s runway, but I tell you what, your family is important to God’s purpose on earth, your family is your first responsibility on earth, you are the Head of that Department” He added with a smile

I never told him about my family issues, how he got to know about it, I know not “I am a doctor sir, the Holy Spirit - the Chief Medical Director just told me” Then one of the nurses walks up to him with a new stethoscope “Who’s that for?” I puzzled “Everyone here has one” The doctor replied “everyone here is special, so we monitor individual heartbeats with different stethoscopes, this is yours” … Then I looked up at the ceiling with tears in my eyes… hoping to see a fresco... But all I saw was a huge painting that read - “The church is a hospital not a monastery… It’s God that justifies the ungodly, not Morality”