THE LAST CALL

THE LAST CALL - Ch10

Chapter 10 – Breaking Chains

The echo of gunshots still rang in Kelvin’s ears long after the night of the robbery. The images haunted him—Jerry’s scream, the sound of sirens, the pain in his side as the bullet grazed him. But more than the physical pain, it was the spiritual heaviness that weighed him down.

Now lying on the hospital bed, Kelvin stared at the white ceiling above him. He blinked slowly, unsure whether he was alive or halfway gone.

“Mama?”

Her face appeared beside him, eyes red but filled with relief.

“My son… You’re alive.”

Uncle Sam stood by the window, hands in his pockets, silent but present. The once-absent father had come when it mattered most.

Kelvin tried to sit up but winced.

“Don’t rush,” Uncle Sam said. “You’ve been through a war.”

Kelvin looked away. “A war I started.”

Weeks Later – Rehabilitation Center

The walls of the center were painted in soft colors—blues and greens meant to calm the soul. Kelvin sat in a group therapy circle with others like him. They all bore different scars but shared one desire: healing.

“I was lost,” he said when it was his turn to speak. “And I dragged others down with me. One of them… my best friend… he’s in prison now.”

The counselor nodded, listening, not judging.

“But I heard something that night,” Kelvin continued, voice breaking. “My mother’s voice. A prayer. A cry. Maybe it was God’s voice too. I don’t know. But it pulled me back.”

The group was silent, moved.

Jerry – Prison Cell

In the dim cell light, Jerry sat hunched over a Bible. The pages were torn, some stained. He had rejected the prison chaplain’s visits for weeks, but something about Pastor James’ last words echoed in his spirit.

“God’s mercy reaches even here.”

Jerry read aloud to himself, slowly.

“Though your sins be as scarlet… they shall be as white as snow.”

He closed the Bible, leaned against the wall, and for the first time in years, allowed the tears to fall.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “God, I’m sorry.”

Timi – Youth Center Groundbreaking

The sun shone bright on the dusty piece of land where the new Youth Empowerment Center would rise. Timi stood in front of a small crowd with Ejiro by his side.

“This was once a street corner where we made poor choices,” he said, eyes scanning the familiar faces. “Now, it’s going to be a place for second chances.”

Cheers followed, some clapping with tears in their eyes.

Pastor James gave a brief prayer. “May this place be a haven, a place where broken lives are restored, and new stories begin.”

Kelvin Confronts Rex

It took all of Kelvin’s courage to visit the prison and face Rex. The gang leader looked older, the spark in his eyes dimmed.

“You?” Rex said, surprised.

“I came to tell you something,” Kelvin said. “You don’t own me anymore.”

Rex smirked. “Got church now? Playing holy boy?”

“I’m free,” Kelvin said. “Not because I’m better, but because I finally listened to the voice I ignored for too long.”

Rex chuckled bitterly. “You're weak.”

“No,” Kelvin replied. “Weak was following you. This—” he tapped his chest “—this is strength.”

Rex said nothing as Kelvin stood to leave.

Mama Kelvin’s Living Room – Night

Kelvin sat with his mother. A gospel song played softly in the background.

“Do you forgive me?” he asked.

She smiled. “You answered your last call. That’s all a mother can ask for.”

Tears welled up in Kelvin’s eyes.

“Now,” she added, “go help someone else answer theirs.”