CHAPTER 8: THE SAINTS
1362 Words
Kate kept screaming!
It was a new day, and soft sunlight was streaming in through thin window blinds. Kate, heartbroken, gathered the inert body of Eli into her arms and wailed.
Her screams dragged her mother and Farida from their deep slumber and they rushed downstairs with alarm on their faces.
“Jesus, what happened?” Elsie asked with horror as she knelt beside Eli and felt his pulse.
“He didn’t want to!” Kate whispered, her expression tragic as tears drenched her face. “He told me! I didn’t believe him! Oh, God, what have I done?”
“Calm down,” Farida said and frantically gestured to Elsie to take Kate away. “Let’s see what’s going on here.”
Elsie tried to get Kate up, but she would not budge, so total was her grief.
Farida put two fingers first on Eli’s wrist, then against the side of his neck but felt no pulse. Tears came to her eyes as she gazed into the terrified face of Kate.
“Is he okay?” Kate whispered. “Please tell me he’s okay, please, please, please!”
Farida’s tears increased, and with a wail of agony, Kate got to her feet and fled towards the front door as she struggled to breathe. She threw the locks open in a frenzy, but when she turned the key and began to pull down the handle, they all heard the sound of an engine outside.
She froze and looked desperately at her mother and Farida.
They all went quiet as the engine revved, accompanied by voices. A moment later, Kate jumped from the door when a fist pounded on it a second before an anxious male voice spoke.
“Farida, darling, are you in there? It’s me, my love, open up!”
“Oh, George!” Farida shouted and moved rapidly to the door. Kate stepped aside and the woman threw the door open frantically.
In the yard were two motorbike carts. Two men with guns were standing beside them. They were wearing black gowns with the white images that had halos exactly as Farida had described.
George was a smaller man and inches shorter than his wife. He had a kind face, though, and there was genuine love on his face as he hugged his wife tightly. He was also wearing one of the gowns, but his was green.
“Oh, my love, my darling!” he said tremulously. “I’m so sorry for leaving you.”
“It’s all right, sweetheart! I understand!” Farida said as she kissed his cheek fondly.
“They’re the Saints. They have a beautiful community at the valley, with water, houses, fenced gates, protection, dear. They even have schools and farms! It’s the place for us, so I told them about you and came to get you! Wait, who are those people?”
And the introductions were made.
The Saints were Mack and Zeus, and Elsie asked them if they had Zion.
“We sure do,” Mack said with a kind smile. “A team picked the poor boy up all alone and almost in the clutches of two Searots. Quite a wonderful chap Zion is, always asking for Mama and Katie.”
“Oh, thank God, thank God!” Elsie said with tears of relief.
“Who’s the chap on the ground?” George asked suddenly, his expression troubled because, when he walked forward, he saw how handsome Eli was, and how fit he looked. “And why’s he naked? Is he dead?”
“That’s Eli,” Kate said dully, her happiness that Zion was alive short-lived because of Eli. “My boyfriend.”
Elsie looked at her with startled eyes but said nothing.
George and the Saints checked on Eli and looked at the women sadly.
“I’m afraid he’s dead,” Zeus said. “We can help you bury him if you want.”
Kate collapsed weakly against her mother and wept bitterly.
She would not be comforted; finally, Mack put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Look, if it's alright with you, we can take the body along and bury him inside the cemetery in our community. There, you can visit the grave, you know.”
Kate nodded vigorously.
“Yes, please, I’ll like that. Thank you.”
***
The Second Battalion Valley had once hosted an army sector.
It was near the sea and had a direct channel that led directly to the sea. It had buildings that had been turned into administrative and sleeping quarters now. It had been built to be a complete community, so it had a recreational centre, clinic, armoury, school and shops.
The Saints had turned it into a haven for the community and had even converted the football pitch into a farm. More importantly, it was heavily walled, and its fortified walls had prevented severe damage from the earthquake and tsunami.
It had two main entrances, one from the main road and the other from the sea area, and both were heavily guarded. The armed guards opened the gates for the two motorbike carts to enter, and the gates were quickly closed again.
Kate and Elsie were happy to see some of the inhabitants from their old community and exchanged pleasantries with them.
Later, they were taken to a large, white fenced-off building to meet the founder of the community, Saint Doug Holy.
He turned out to be a large, muscular man, with grey penetrating eyes and a shock of iron-grey hair. He was clean-shaven and looked kind and appealing, but Kate found being in his presence a little unsettling.
His gown was white and flowed almost to his ankles.
The others addressed him as the General.
She noticed that several young women were in the house with Saint Doug Holy.
“Welcome, welcome!’ he said with opened arms as he ushered them to comfortable seats in the living room. “Always such a pleasure to see new survivors! Welcome to the best haven around. You’re now Saints, because we want to bring up a new crop of people that are pleasing to the Lord and sin-free. Please, ladies, bring some water to our new guests.”
“They brought food, General,” Zeus said. “A surprising catch for one man.”
“Ah, a soldier!” the General said. “Where’s this wonderful man?”
“Alas, he lost his life last night,” Zeus said quickly. “He was a dear one to Katie here. We brought the body so that, with your permission, he could be buried here.”
“Of course, of course!” the General said. “Always sad to lose someone dear. Which reminds me, where’s the little champion?”
One of the young women brought Zion.
He was now wearing a small-sized green gown, and at the sight of his mother and sister, he let out a squeal of delight and ran to them. Elsie and Kate wept afresh when he asked them where his father was.
When he was told that his father was now with God in Heaven, he began to weep softly.
“Ah, sad, sad,” the General said. “Zeus, allocate them to rooms and furnish them with gowns. Let Marda initiate them, please. Later, we’ll find groups for them. And see to it that their dear friend receives a befitting funeral.”
“Yes, General,” Zeus said.
“Alright then,” the General said. “Let’s have a short meeting then, my dear ladies. Farida will join her husband, of course. Now, welcome to the Saints. I’m Doug Holy. May I know who you fine ladies are?”
As they introduced each other, and as he spoke kindly and gently to them, Kate found herself beginning to like this great man as opposed to her earlier assertion.
- Writer
