A short story: My only Son

There was a man, a father I should say, who buried his child three days ago. The reason for such a burial was because his son was accused of a crime that he did not commit. But everyone was so against the boy that no piece of evidence could have acquitted him.

He had spent just a night in jail and was terribly beaten up by the guards. They taunted him and teased him.

"Confess your crime, you dog." shouted one guard before another spat on him.
"Let us go easy on him." taunted another before punching him in the belly.

Such acts were against the law, but it was a practice here for the guards to do as they pleased as long as they did not kill the prisoner.

The poor boy did not utter a cry. No tears were wasted, only drops of blood poured out on the prison floor.

Early in the morning, the innocent boy only eighteen years of age looked very disfigured and unrecognized by his own family. His father screamed:

"What have you done to my Son. I will never forgive you."

The father picked up a stone wanting to throw it at the guards, but then he met his son's pardoning eyes. He put down the stone and wept.

The crowds chanted for his blood.

"Kill him now." bellowed a group of kids. It was very sad that such kids have been corrupted by the elders propaganda.

What exactly his crime was differed from the different witnesses that came up to testify.

One witness said: "I saw him with our daughter. He was on top of her forcing her to do the things that are forbidden in the land."

Another witness said: "He stole my gold. I saw him take it."

More witnesses came up but none could provide sufficient evidence for their claims. But the judge did not care. No lawyer took up his case. All abandoned him; and when it was time for him to speak, he simply looked up to the sky and said, 'Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.'

To many, this young boy had been like an angel. He showed love like the sun to the earth. He uplifted the broken-hearted and helped the widow. He was wise in learning and slow to anger. For any foreigner viewing this case, it was clearly a matter of injustice.

He was led to the guillotine, but a last minute command bid the guards to have him hanged instead. And so he was led to the slaughter. His father followed behind, languishing his woe of loosing his one and only son.

And so they hanged him. The crowd cheered. But the one who had tied the rope around his neck lingered around the dead body. He had seen the purity in the boy's eyes and became convinced that such a boy was innocent.

"O what have I done!" wailed the guard. "I have killed an innocent boy."

At that moment, a light surpassing the afternoon glow beamed on his face. But it did not blind him. It felt warm and golden, so much so that his guilt fled away. After a few days this guard inquired of many in the city about the boy and his message and what made him so pure. The guard received the answer with joy from every believer's face. They told him the good news, namely, that 'all men are sinners deserving the punishment of hell. But God in his mercy sent his only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. We must now choose to follow His Son if we are to receive salvation for our souls. That boy whom you hanged followed him. But following Jesus is not like following other masters. As one of our dear brothers have said that the wind sits always on his face and the foaming rage of the sea of this world, and the proud and lofty waves do continually beat upon the sides of the bark or ship that himself, his cause, and his followers are in; he therefore that will not run hazards, and that is afraid to venture a drowning, let him not set foot into this vessel. Will you set foot into his vessel?'

The guard accepted and from that day suffered a great deal for the cause of Christ.

Now the father of the boy had buried his child. On a day as normal as any a day, the father did visit his son's grave. To his misery he found it empty and he knew that it had been plundered. He sobbed to himself,

"Is it not enough that my son should be murdered by them who are to bring justice. Now after his life, he is plundered in his grave. Were the tortures not enough for heaven's sake!"

About to curse those who had done such an awful thing, there was a great light that shone upon him. The light soothed and calmed his soul and then he heard a voice declaring that the angels had taking his boy into heaven.

"Christ our Lord is the first to rise from the dead." said the Angel. He continued. "And then there were many after him that rose with him. But it was pleasing to the LORD to raise your boy from the dead and sit him in heaven. Fear not son of man. Continue to preach and the good Christ has ordained that your portion is not to suffer but to meet with many blessings.

K.Oni