Whispers from Nakba

Chapter Three

COMMUNAL COMMINGLING CONCLUDED

The man who had brought me into two marvelous slumber land adventures didn't appear to me for a long time after the previous one, and i began to think within myself that i would likely get to meet him again in three years time, just like the other time. So in the third year after our last encounter, i began to observe my sleep more closely; i slept and woke up time and again without catching a glimpse of him in my dreams; this went on and on till i lost thought of my expectations. It was at a time when i least expected, towards the end of that third year, in between the fourth night and the fifth day, on the eight month of that year, i met him again in slumber land, he was dressed in his usual attire, he greeted me, then he carried me on his shoulders and flew me up and away from the earth into a distance above and beyond the one we covered on our previous flight.

We alighted at a wonderful place, it was an excellent land full of beautiful flowers with delightful fragrance arraigned side by side in between was a pathway paved with pure gold leading to a magnificent mansion. I would easily conclude that no king's palace in the whole wide world could pair or compare with that mansion. By the time got into the building, i was astonished beyond the measure of words at the luxurious splendour of that mansion: there were golden furniture decked with diamonds everywhere.

The one who brought me there held me by my hand and lead me into a room within that mansion, then he opened all the windows in the room and told me to look through a particular window, and I did as i was told. Afterwards he went out of the room, but before he left, he told me to take careful note of what I'm looking at, by observation with rapt attention, he said that he will soon return. Then i kept looking out of the window, staring down to observe whatever would happen thereafter.

The first thing i observed was a large road, in between this large road was a small wall of partition about a foot wide, splitting that highway into two equal part. Then i beheld a wealthy man, clothed in a costly raiment, his shoes were expensive as well, likewise his cap. He came out from a house that looks like a palace. A lot of people followed the wealthy man from behind: a few of them were gorgeously dressed as he was, while the others appeared to be peasants and servants. I looked and i saw him walk pompously through one side of the divided road and people were saluting him here and there.

Then i saw another man clothed in white, he was walking alone on the right side of the road, walking in the opposite direction of that wealthy man, with their paths splintered by that small wall of partition. Suddenly, the wealthy man and his followers changed direction in order to cross path with the man clothed in white. When they got to him, they grabbed him, violently shook him, and poured gasoline on him; yet the man being assaulted stood still and remained unperturbed as they emptied a gallon of gasoline on him, and struck a match to set him ablaze; i became petrified as i watched, i thought his death had come, but my thought was as futile as the effort of those trying to kill him. Although the fire burned, but he couldn't get burnt. Soon enough, the fire was put out; not even slightest fragment of ashes or soot or smoke was noticed upon him, his raiment remained white, even whiter than it was before it went up in flames.

When the wealthy man and his adherers came to terms with the abject futility in their effort to destroy the man clothed in white, they left him alone and went away.

Not long afterwards, i noticed that the house where the wealthy man came out from had collapsed, but he was completely oblivious to what had happened behind him. The wealthy man kept on walking and his adherers followed close behind him. After walking for a while, some of his followers began to drum and their footsteps became dance steps. The followers of this wealthy man were hailing him and passers-by were bowing before him. They did all these things until they got to a river. It was by this river that the followers of this wealthy man carried him and threw him into the river. This sudden twist and turn of event came as a shock to the wealthy man who almost drowned, but instead of sinking, he managed to swim afloat unto the river bank. By this time, the wealthy man was fully aware of the evil determined against him by his so called followers, so he ran back to his house only to discover that it had collapse. It was there that his pursuers caught up with him. They tied him up with a millstone on his neck, another millstone was tied to his waste, and another millstone was tied to his feet; as they tied him, he gave out a very loud cry and wept bitterly. He pleaded for mercy but they mercilessly ignored him. They carried him back to the river and threw him into the river and he drowned into the depth demise. All these happened to the wealthy, and as i watched i pitied him so much.

As soon as they finished killing the wealthy man, they went to the man whom they tried to set ablaze to no avail earlier on; the one who was clothed in white, walking gently on the other side of the road. By the time they got to him, he had changed his previous attire; now clothed in a golden garment, a diamond cap and a pair of bronze sandals. As soon as they saw him, they lay prostrate as they bowed before the man they had assaulted, hailing him and chanting out his praise, but instead welcoming their venerations, he drew out a whip and chased them away.

After seeing all these things, the one who brought me there and opened the window for me to see what i just saw came in; he placed his hand on my shoulder and i fixed my gaze on him: he asked me what i had seen and if i understood what it all meant. I told him i didn't understand it at all. Then he began to explain, opening my eyes of understanding to the things i have seen: "Child, that which you have seen is set as an example. That wealthy man you saw represents an evil man, working a reckless wickedness. That house you saw was built with the wages of iniquity. He had acquired wealth by fraudulent means, being accustomed to the tradition of bribery and corruption, so much so that he couldn't do anyone a favour demanding for something more in return, he was the type to favour you with water just to demand for your blood in return. He is a liar and a cheat, craftily through the pottery of cruelty.

The other man you saw who was clothed in white represents the righteous. The efforts of the wicked congregation to destroy the righteous was brought to nothing. The paradox of pleasurable pain is that the evil man would always prepare the instrument of his own death with his own hands. Actually, the followers of that wealthy man were not genuinely for him, his followers didn't follow after him with sincere loyalty. They followed him not because they were his true friend but because they had one common for which is the man clothed in white representing the righteous.

After they joined hand in hand and failed in their joint venture aimed at the destruction of the righteous, they all turned against the wealthy man to usurp their savage rage on him, the brought him to his waterloo and drowned him there, then they all went to seek the attention and affection of the righteous but he chased them away because the congregation of wickedness shall not encroach the humble abode of righteousness; for the righteous shall dwell in safety and the wicked shall see him: the wicked congregation shall be cut off like an abominable branch. In the day of judgement, they shall be condemned"

"Child, here is another lesson to build you up in wisdom. As for you child, tell the children of men that righteousness delivers from death, the truth shall abide forever but the tree of deceit shall never be rooted. The deceitful shall be greatly ashamed and his backstabbing knife would eventually turn from his own hands and return to pierce through his own heart. The children of men are afraid of a lot of things in the world, but as for you, never be afraid to tell the truth."

"Child, it is time for you to return to where i took you from, but never forget to always remember the things you have learnt, keep them safe in the treasury of your heart. Extend my greetings to your family members."

After saying this, he took me by the hand and led me out of that house, then he carried me. I thought he would take me on a flight like he usually does, but he didn't. Instead, he threw me down from the sky and i was falling freely: he began to wave at me to bid me farewell.

I thought i would die as soon as i hit the ground, but as soon as i hit the ground with my feet, i woke up from slumber land. When my father returned from farm the next day, i went into his room and narrated my dreams to him. He told me to set a guard over my mouth and to be careful not to divulge this revelation to people. He said that God wants to use me to carry out a special task.