Dial - Season 2 - Episode 84

4 years ago

Dial - Season 2 - Episode 84

“He was the king of Judah, and reigned over the people of Israel. He was just twenty-five years when he was made king, and reigned for twenty-nine years. Hezekiah was a good king, but eventually he sinned, and on his death bed God sent His prophet Isaiah to tell the king that he would die if he didn’t set his house in order!

The spirit of death was upon the king! But Hezekiah prayed fervently to God, and the good God changed His mind from killing the him, and added fifteen more years to his life! You don’t have time for Abena or Dede or any other woman, boy! This is your life spelt out in front of you! You can go and tell her anything you want, I don’t care!

It is your choice to live or die, and I’m not going to make that choice for you! It is simple really…seek the face of the Lord and live, seek your earthly pleasures and die! Two choices, no leeway! And you’re lucky, extremely lucky, to have your life presented to you in such a way. Many just perish!”

He stood up then, and I saw the embers of fury deep in his eyes, fury that was mixed with shades of pity, and sorrow. It struck me that this man was really at his wits’ end now, and really worried about my fate.
Before I could speak I saw a massive anaconda slithering out of the bushes and coming toward us! It was no doubt that horrible reptile that had entered my car that day this Holy Man had followed me home after the fiasco at the Bare Light International Church.

I got off the bench and raced indoors just as I heard the Holy Man chuckling.
I was glad to hear his laughter. Somehow, to know that he was no longer angry made me relieved, to a point.

“Come and meet Sydney, Yao,” he shouted. “He wouldn’t hurt you! He’s tame!”

The anaconda coiled itself around the Holy Man, and put its head on his shoulder.
I raced into the house.

***That was how it panned out in the end.
I couldn’t get out of that beautiful place in the mountains in two months. I couldn’t even attend the funeral of Akos the next week, even though the Holy Man and Mansa attended.

And I was left with Attah Panyin.
I opened up my heart as best as I could, and tried to accept that faith he talked about, but each time I asked him if it was time, the Holy Man shook his head sadly.

“You can’t accept this with your head, Yao, because it sounds reasonable to you!” he once told me sadly after we’ve gone through the life of Christ. “It has to come from your heart.”

A month passed, and my pain continued, because I knew just how badly I was treating Abena Adobea. She hadn’t heard from me, and yet she couldn’t come to Wowo too as she knew I had been warned to come there alone.

Getting to the end of the second month, I had a horrible dream one night.

I wasn’t a man who dreamed, but that dream was as lurid as it was horrible. It wasn’t a scary dream, but it was a nightmare in all ways.
I saw my Pappy.

My dearest, loving Pappy. The best man in my life. My father, my friend, my companion…my life! A man I loved with all my heart…my own human god!

And in the dream my Pappy was weeping, and seemed to be in great anguish. I didn’t see his surroundings though. It was quite dark all around him, but I could only see his face as he wept, and he kept telling me to be careful, to be careful, to be careful…and the I saw a horrible hand suddenly appearing behind my Pappy, grabbing him, and pulling him savagely into the darkness, and his scream of horror brought me awake!
As I sat up in the bed, shuddering and scared, I felt a wetness on my cheeks, and realized that my agonies in the dream had manifested in reality…and I was weeping.

That night, for the very first time in my life, weeping and torn and shattered, I got off the bed, fell on my knees…and I prayed.
I prayed. Yes, I prayed.
And I accepted the faith finally, and it was as simple as it was exhilarating. I felt a deep peace washing over me, a gladness in my heart that I had never known before. There was a clarity of my life, and I saw my folly for the very first time.

And I spoke to God from a sincere heart…and I prayed for my Pappy.
I was that broken, and I was that shattered over that dearest man’s life.
And somewhere in the glory of my new-found happiness, the door opened, and the light came on, and when I turned, the Holy Man was standing there in his pyjamas, and there was an exquisite smile of pure joy on his face.
“You made it, son,” he said quietly as he watched my tear-streaked face. “Death just passed you by. Come with me.”
I got to my feet slowly and followed him outside to the swimming pool. I was bubbling with an inner joy I had never felt before as he entered the chilly water with me. It was still dark, but the lights were on, and in that ungodly hour, the Holy Man baptized me.
Later he embraced me warmly, and he cried.
“I’m happy for you, Yao Kyekyeku Biko,” he said happily.

“Don’t call me Yao Kyekyeku Biko!” I said instantly.

He smiled broadly then as we made our way toward the door, both of us drenched.
“Alright, my apologies, wrong order,” he said. “Yao Biko Kyekyeku then.”
“What’s with you, old man?” I asked with mock severity. “Don’t call me Kyekyeku.”
And we both laughed that night, a laughter filled with mutual happiness.
“On a more serious note, Yao, Kyekyeku is your father’s name, and your family name, son,” he said softly. “You must start using it.”
I nodded.

“Yeah, I guess I would,” I said. “But, really, talking about names, I don’t want to call you only as the Holy Man, and evidently you’re not Nana b0s0mba. Mind telling me your real name, please, sir?”
He smiled again.