The Rider on the Black Horse

CHAPTER ONE The apocalypse came; no one knew it came because everyone misunderstood what that inspirational book written by Saint John was trying to say. Consequently, Humanity was indirectly going into extinct. Only John saw it coming- not Saint John, but a man called John who existed thousands of years after the prediction was made. Before John went for suicide, these were the two things he noticed about the apocalypse: first, it didn’t come to bring death; rather it came to bring life. Second, it was a highly calamitous doom and its gravity compelled him to go for suicide. But he didn’t commit suicide for there is a fine line between going for something and getting to it. A chapter in the great inspirational book of Saint John titled ‘The rider on the black horse’ said, ‘The pale horse and it’s rider were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.’ John believed this part was talking about the “mercy killing” which had already befallen the last good people on earth, and the rest would either live to face the condemnation that had befallen the earth, or die by suicide so that paradise would be taken away from them. This was why the continuation of the chapter said, ‘They called to the mountains and the rocks to fall on them and hide them.’ Meaning that the rest would beg death to save them. This exactly was what john went through before he finally resolved to take his own life. John was born in the year 2050, a period when the world had become so corrupt and sophisticated, African science and technology becoming superior in the world resultant of Africans returning to the ways of their forefathers and only a few worshipping the God brought to them by the white missionaries, and it almost looked like the whites were to blame for the misfortune that had befallen the black race. John was an African, but he hated to admit the fact that Christianity was an alien religion for he believed in the God of the whites. He loved Isus the son of the God of the whites and he always made out time to meditate on his great sacrifice for humanity. Well, one would not beat one’s chest and proclaim that the Africans became fortunate because they were wise enough to return to the ways of their ancestors, for the turn-around was coincidence; At a point, it seemed as if the God which the white missionaries brought to them was no longer answering prayers, giving rise to the African believe that the God was either a joke or just the God of the whites, thus gave birth to restructuring in the African religion. The restructuring favored the Africans; there were no more donations to the church, the fear of going to hell and being possessed by demons were eradicated, science and technology were improved, roads and industries were perfected but 90 percent of her population remained poor, for the rich kept getting richer and the poor kept getting poorer. John believed it was the end time and the divine had shot down the gates of paradise which was why prayers were no longer answered and divine graces diminished. But John still had a way of communicating with Isus. He had the gift of interpreting mysteries, and by the interpretations he gave to prophecies, dream and revelations, he could spot the will of Isus his bosom friend. But he began losing courage the moment he interpreted the complete content of that inspirational book of Saint John titled "The rider on the Black horse." After interpreting the book, John understood that Mercy killing had come and go and natural death was no more, and because he was still living, he was forced to ask Isus if his soul was condemned and as usual Isus responded with a symbol. John opened the holy book of the temple and the first verse that caught his sight was, “He died, and on the 3rd day he resurrected.” He believed it was Isus who responded, but what he was yet to figure out was the interpretation of this response. Margret was John’s lovely wife and the only visible symbol of his happiness, nevertheless, John had other physical possessions which would have healed his handicapped happiness if the world wasn’t as wounded as it was. He wasn’t among the first class, but he made comfortable income. Before he traveled to the big city to make a living, his father had taken him to a native doctor who had done prosperity ritual for him because his father desperately needed a change in his children’s poor financial statuses. This may have contributed to the prosperity which suddenly gripped him a year after his relocation to the big city. He didn’t consider the prosperity ritual a crime against Isus because the holy book said, “Paradise helps those who help themselves.” besides, before he went to the big city, he had prayed a million times to God to give him fortune, but God failed him. God may have indirectly used the native doctor as an instrument. John made lots of friends in the big city-no not friends, but people who called themselves friends-people who were attracted to him because he made comfortable income. His wife Margret was pretty, tall, fair and curvaceous. She had been the talk-of-the-town and every one’s dream and she had to fall into John’s lap because John was willing to spend huge sums of money just to have the attention of women. John trusted her because if he failed to trust her, another man could snatch her away from him. Outwardly, she was obedient and faithful. Besides Margret, another symbol of John’s happiness was Isus. He liked Isus and he always wished to go to the holy temple to spend time with him, but business was almost like a barrier to this. In the year 2082, the whole world experienced the out brake of a pandemic called the Chronic Virus. It was airborne and very disastrous. It doesn’t kill; rather it puts victims into unimaginable situations that would eventually lead them to suicide. John understood it was the apocalypse at its peak. The Chronic Virus handicapped the world’s economy and affected John’s business and before one could know it, he became bankrupt. His friends left him and his wife Margret who meant the world to him delivered the final blow that got him emotionally crippled. John never knew the children Margret produced for him weren’t truly his. Their father was his foe and business competitor called Rick. When Margret realized that her husband had known her secret, she quickly withdrew the little money remaining in her husband’s bank account and disappeared with her children. John’s happiness became soured. He cried out to Isus for help and Isus responded using a symbol. John’s Eyes were driven to a sign post written, “Your Soul is More Important.” John continued his cry, 'My Isus, why did you take the Mercy Killing Away from Me.' His eyes were driven to another sign post written, “the city was deprived of the wealth of the world for a reason, every disappointment is a blessing.” John continued, 'My Isus, will my soul be dammed?' he picked up the book of Saint John, opened it and the first quotation that caught his sight was, “It is more easy for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a man glorified by the society to escape eternal death.” John gave up because he thought the gates of paradise had been shut and can’t be opened again. He grasped the holy book of the temple and tossed it to the ground in frustration. The book tore into halves and his eyes were driven to a page bearing a quotation that said, “…so that he may give chance to sinners to amend their mistakes…” He cried heartbreakingly and reached out for a rope to hang himself, but before he could tie the rope round his neck, he accidentally slipped from the stool he was standing on, fell and broke his neck. CHAPTER TWO John retuned to consciousness and the first face he saw was Margret’s. He screamed in alarm. ‘Margret! You devil woman what are you doing here!’ Margret was perplexed because he sounded strange to her. 'How did you know my name?' she asked and the doctor arrived to inspect John’s health. ‘You w***e of a wife!’ John barked at Margret and the doctor smiled and spoke up, 'Margret, I think the accident affected his brain.' 'Yes I fell from a stool because of this w***e!' 'No Mr., First, you were hit by a car and you were brought to us by a concerned citizen who cleared your bill. Second, I am a nurse not a w***e. Third, I am not your wife.' Margret responded patiently and John stared at her in incredulity. ‘You’ve got to be joking.’ He responded and reached out his hand to check the part of the neck which he struck on the stool. ‘I know what I am saying; I hit my neck on a stool…’ ‘No, the car hit you on the waist.’ The doctor interrupted. Realizing that his neck was okay, John reached out his hand to inspect his waist and noticed it was thoroughly bandaged, that was when he felt deep pain round his waste. It looked weird to him. ‘You were hit on the waist and it affected your brain, what an amazing co-incidence.’ The doctor continued. ‘Looks strange to me too.’ John replied. The doctor rounded up the inspection and left and John finally spoke calmly to Margret who was still present. ‘Tell me what happened exactly.’ ‘But I told you already. You were hit by a Mercedes Benz…’ ‘No tell me the truth. Did you cheated on me? The doctor forged those tests to prank me, isn’t it?’ He interrupted and Margret gave a deep breath and replied exhaustedly. ‘The doctor didn’t forge any test and I haven’t even met you before. Your brain is on fire, have some rest Darlene.’ ‘Why am I still alive?’ he asked sadly. ‘Because God wants you to stay alive and make the world a better place.’ Margret gave him a soft pinch on the chick and said with smile because she wanted him to stay calm. ‘Do not worry, you will be fine.’ She continued and left. John stretched his arm and picked the holy book which lay close to his pillow. He opened it and the first quotation that drew his eyes was “…so that he may give chance to sinners to amend their mistakes…” the next word he saw was “ISUS.” ‘You?’ John asked and immediately he heard the doctor who was close by asking a patient. ‘do you remember me?’ John definitely remembered Isus. He laughed at his own pleasantry, hugged the holy book and responded ‘Yes.’ Then a character in the fictional movie playing in the ward’s television set said to another character, “I came to your dream and spent much time with you so that you will not forget me. I even showed you my face.” ‘Yes I remember. You are such a nice friend.’ John responded. Hours later, Margret returned with drug pills and an injection to give John medication. She smiled at John and John’s eyes were drawn immediately to the frowned face of a fellow patient. He grasped the information, but wished to turn his invisible friend down because Margret was a prepossessing sight and he wanted to chat with her. While she injected him, he focused his eyes on her fair pretty face. ‘What do you want to say to me now?’ Margret asked uncomfortably. ‘We were lovers.’ He responded and Margret chuckled. ‘How rich are you? I am only reserved for rich guys.’ She replied care freely. ‘Yes! This is Margret.’ John said. ‘Sure?’ she asked. ‘I am rich and I took care of you. We have kids.’ John replied and held her arm. ‘In your dreams.’ She said and released her arm. A pill fell off from her hand and she bent to pick it up staging her curvaceous back side on John’s face. She was a nubile. John remembered how sweet she was on bed and broke into the mood. ‘Honey we spent time together last week before I had accident.’ He said softly and Margret chuckled. ‘You are funny. You have been in coma for past one month. Here, take these pills atonce.’ She responded and tried to leave for she was done, but John drew her back and she leaned to hear what he wanted to say. ‘Please I want us to do sex.’ He whispered. ‘I beg your pardon.’ Margret replied with a frowned face and left immediately. The mood left John and he came back to his senses. ‘One month coma?’ he asked himself in amazement. He turned to the patient next to him and asked curiously, ‘Where am I-what is this place?’ ‘You are in saint mark’s hospital located in moon city.’ The patient responded. ‘But Saint Mark’s hospital doesn’t exist anymore. It was sold and demolished.’ He said and the patient who wasn’t in the mood to talk nodded and turned his back on him. John was uncomfortable because things were getting weirder. He rested his head on the pillow and fell deep in thought. The next day, Margret arrived with a frowned face to give John medication. John was mute. As Margret injected him, he gawped at her. She was becoming used to his strange deportment, so she wasn’t bothered. When she was done, he whispered to her. ‘Why are you angry with me honey?’ ‘I am not angry with you and I am not your honey.’ She responded with a plain face. ‘But that’s your pet name.’ John said. ‘You know what? You are a total mystery to me. I can’t possibly figure out how you knew my name. I am pretty sure we haven’t met before.’ She said. ‘Alright, may I reintroduce myself. My name is John, I am a rich guy.’ John replied. ‘Ok John, congratulations for that.’ She said with a little smile and left to attend to the next patient. While she gave medications to the patient, she had steady eye contact with John. At first, she frowned at him, and gradually, smiles popped out of her face and boom! John knew his dream to make love to her as soon as possible wasn’t a pie in the sky…wait! This was exactly how his relationship with her began in his past life! Margret had been a nurse and she had worked at saint mark’s hospital before it was sold and later demolished when the Moon city metropolitan road was being constructed. John had needed medication and he had been brought to saint mark’s hospital- No, John had been hit by a car-a Mercedes Benz to be precised! He had been brought to the hospital and Margret had been the nurse in charge of giving him medications. Margret had been in love with material things and because of how desperate John had been to do s*x with her, he was willing to spend huge sums of money just to have her attention. Meaning that the next thing which could happen was that she would accept to have a walk with him round the hospital. While they looked at each other, John signaled Margret to come and when she had finished attending to the patient, she went to John and John spoke up, ‘Let’s have some walk, my legs are freezing.’ ‘Ok, I am doing it for the sake of your health, not because you told me you are rich.’ She responded and laughed silently. She helped John to stand up and they began to walk. ‘I told you.’ John thought. ‘Now what will happen next? She will stick to me because she understood I have a promising means of income…by the way, where are those fake friends? why haven’t they visited yet?’ ‘John, I know what you are thinking?’ Margret said. ‘What?’ John asked ‘Thinking about having s*x with me. You are a dreamer.’ She answered and John held her hand for she was a nubile and she released her hand from John’s grip immediately. ‘That will not be easy.’ She continued. ‘Did anyone visited?’ John asked. ‘Yes when you was in coma. Said they will come back in larger group this week’s Friday which is today.’ Margret answered. ‘Friday?’ John thought ‘Wait! I fully returned to consciousness on Friday and-and Fred, Toby, scorpion, Nick and the rest visited, yes I can remember and-AND I EVEN HAD s*x WITH MAGRET IN THE NIGHT! She fell for me. The crowd of friends who visited hyped me and she took it that I am the prince of Moon city. I took her to my house on Monday...’ ‘Why are you mute? I guess you don’t want your friends to visit because the doctor said the accident affected your brain? Do not worry, you will be fine.’ Margret interrupted. John nodded and continued thinking for he wanted to know why it seemed as if he went back to the past. ‘As much as I can recall, before I found myself here, I fell and crashed my skull on a wooden stool. Then when I got back to consciousness, it seemed as if I was in the past. Yes I wanted to hang myself because something horrible happened to me. It was Margret. She cheated on me because she was a w***e. She never liked me. She married me because of my wealth. My s*x with her that black Friday night was the genesis of my relationship with her-a relationship that led me to suicide. No! This must never happen again.’ His eyes were drawn to a book Margret was holding which was titled “Avoid bad friends and lovers.” And Margret spoke up ‘How sophisticated your friends are will tell me if you are rich or not. Birds of a feather flock together.’ John nodded and continued thinking. ‘No, my s*x with Margret this night must never happen. I must leave this hospital as fast as possible before my friends visit. Time to go.’