Chapter 20-Farewell to a Friend
Caleb grasped Erin’s hand and together they made their way to Theodore. But something different caught Caleb’s eye.
Caleb spotted Akin.
“No.” He whispered.
He held a spear.
Caleb held Erin’s hand tighter. “Theo, stay here. Erin, look.” He cocked his head towards Akin.
“What do you think he’s planning to do?”
“I don’t know for sure. Maybe kill Matthew. It’s dangerous. If you come, you’re putting your life at risk.”
“No life’s a life without you.”
“What is it?” Theodore asked.
“Nothing. Just stay here.”
“Caleb, what is it?”
“We’ll just be right back.” Caleb patted Theodore’s shoulder and left with Erin.
Theodore talked with people and kept the revival going. But then suddenly he felt a light pulling on his shirt.
“Help me.” The small boy voice said.
Theodore smiled gently. “What’s wrong?”
“You preacher…right?”
Theodore didn’t know what to think. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Me baba. He wants a preacher, someone to pray for him. He’s dying.”
Theodore decided he was best he go anyway. “I’m not a preacher…but I will gladly pray for your father.” Theodore stood up and grasped the child’s hand. “Can you take me there?”
“Matthew!” Caleb hollered. He had saved Matthew’s life before, and today he would do it again.
Matthew heard the faint calling. He turned around but couldn’t see Caleb or Erin. When he shrugged and prodded on, Akin was before him. Matthew slowly backed up. “It’s good to see a friend again. Even if that friend betrayed you and almost exploded you. Maybe we can make arrangements.”
Akin snarled and muttered something in his language.
“I kill you. I kill you all.” He managed to say.
Matthew looked behind him. He had room to run.
“I kill you.” Akin repeated.
Matthew gave a slight grin. “How about…no?” He dashed off through the city.
Akin dashed after him, spear in hand.
Caleb saw both of them running. “Somebody help them! He’s trying to murder him!”
Mesa walked up to him. “Me own wife doesn’t even understand English. If you want your brother alive, you’d best save him yourself.”
Erin lifted an eyebrow. “Brothers?”
Caleb’s face turned red. He looked to see where they were. “It’s up to us to save them. Let’s go.”
Theodore knelt by the dying man and prayed for him.
“Dear God, I pray that You will shed Your magnificent grace upon this man in healing him and making him well again. Do whatever is Your will…”
The man groaned.
Theodore rested his hand on his. “Keep up the fight. I’m fighting for you. Fight for yourself too.”
“I—I can’t!” The man wheezed and gasped. He began labored breaths.
“Baba!” The boy cried.
“Little boy, I need you to go play for awhile, ok?”
“I want Baba.”
“I need you to do this for me.”
The child fled.
“Please. Give this man more time on earth. Let him be healed so that he can do the righteous work of You.”
The man gave a stronger gasp and then suddenly sat up.
Theodore thought maybe he had died.
But the man reached out and grabbed his hands. “I—I—I s—saw Him!”
“What?”
“I s—saw the li—light! And then…and then He touched me. And I woke up.”
Theodore laughed. “You’re healed!”
“I’m healed! Oh, I’m healed.” The man jumped up and called his son’s name.
“Mika! Mika!’
The little boy leapt into his arms.
Theodore never felt happier.
Matthew ran faster and faster. He needed someplace to hide. He decided to go to the heart of the city, where the streets were thinner, the houses more close together, and the people, aplenty. He spotted Theodore. If I can just run by him, I could lose Akin. He’d be too busy realizing he caught the wrong person, while I’d be miles down the road…
Theodore smiled. He hoped that man would live a long and healthy life.
“Caught you.”
Theodore wirled around. “Marion?”
Marion ran and dashed into his arms. “Marion, what are you doing here?”
Then, all in a minute, Akin ran past Theodore, nearly knocking him over, and Akin not realizing he had the wrong person, pushed Theodore to the ground and without a word, plunged his spear into his side.
Theodore gasped and blood spilled out his mouth and side.
Marion gasped. “Theodore!” She fell to her knees by his side.
Caleb caught up with Akin and stopped in his tracks. He saw Theodore on the ground, people in a circle surrounding him.
“NO!” He screamed.
Akin was suddenly taken away from men and into a watched-house.
The clouds turned into black puffs and rain began to pour. The lighting lit up the dark sky and the thunder was louder than ever.
Caleb rushed to Theodore’s side, and held him in his arms, sitting on the ground. He let his head rest on a grain sack.“You’re okay. We’re going to get you better.” Caleb’s tears poured out like a waterfall.
Theodore could hardly breathe now, and the blood spilled out more.
Erin ran and got a cloth and wrapped it around him, trying to stop the bleeding.
Theodore’s eyes rolled back.
“No! Theodore, stop it! You’re okay!” Caleb had never cried more in his life. Caleb felt waves of guilt wash over him. If he would’ve just taken Theodore with him, he would have been fine.
“What were you doing over here? You were supposed to stay!” Caleb held Theodore’s hands.
“I need—need to pa—pray.” Theodore screamed with pain. The blood poured out and the cloth turned a scarlet red. The same red Caleb had seen when Uncle Lawrence had passed
Marion put cloths on his forehead. She gave him something to bite down on. “Erin’s going to make you better. It’s okay.”
Theodore winced. “You—you shouldn’t have come. It c—it could’ve been you.”
“But it wasn’t.” Marion cried. “I’d travel the world any day, for you.”
Caleb was on the other side and he held Theodore’s hand.
“It’s—It’s…okay…Caleb.” Theodore groaned in agony. “I’ll see you…for real…one day…when you get there too.”
“You’re going to be fine.” Caleb cried and his tears spilled onto Theodore’s face.
“Tell Akin…I…” Theodore winced. “Tell him…I forgive him. Tell…tell Ma—Matthew that too.” With a final inhale, Theodore let it out and died.
Marion gasped silently,
The world grew silent. The rain drenched Caleb and the icy water ran down his back and up and down his spine.
Caleb’s mouthed quivered. “T—Theo—Theodore—wa—wake up! Wake up!!” He pushed him back and forth. But it was no use.
Marion held his head up with her hand. “Theodore, wake up! Please! Wake up.” She buried her face in her hands and cried.
Caleb stood up on shaky knees and pushed through the mob and into the jungle.
Matthew stood from a distance and saw Theodore die.
“It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”
Caleb ran and ran, not aware of where he was going. He ran to a cleared out space where the rain hit the hardest. The mud sloshed in his shoes and he fell on his knees. He cried so hard, it hurt.
“WHY?” He screamed. “He couldn’t do anything! It wasn’t his fault!” Caleb’s hands went to his face. “He-he couldn’t defend himself! You should’ve taken me instead! Why? Why?” Caleb fell to the mud and sobbed.
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