CHAPTER 2 - The BIG Cyclone
|
We will never forget that night, It was
about 7pm when the electricity went off and we turned on
Uncle Camilo’s flashlight. The wind was howling outside
and Granny kept talking about a cyclone she had been in
as teenager called ‘Domoina ‘ in 1984.
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Uncle Camilo got a message on his phone from a friend in America
to say the storm was Category 4 and coming right for us and it
was the strongest ever!!!! Water started coming under the door
and something hit the window and broke it. Uncle Camilo taped
a cushion over it. Mummy and Aunty Leila were trying to mop up
water with old towels. I was holding the puppy, who had started
to shiver, and hoping no one noticed she was inside.
Suddenly there was a huge crash and the door broke and the Wind
came inside and so did a lot of dirty water and we realized that
the river next to the house was overflowing. We all backed into
the bedroom where Granny was on the bed. Uncle Camilo put my mattress
over her. The noise was terrifying with the crashing of falling
trees and buildings and thunder rolling. We could hear the neighbors
screaming. We slammed the bedroom door and put a chair under the
handle. Then we all hid in the closet, even Puppy. We were squashed
together in the closet except for Granny who was still under the
mattress..... the water was coming in under the door........then
suddenly it was quiet.
Uncle Camilo said this was the "Eye" that
the Village Council man had talked about. We came out of the closet
and could see the sky where the ceiling should have been. Uncle
Camilo said "Come on, we will have to go to the Shelter.”
He pushed open the front door and there was a lot of water. The
river was where the road should have been. He told me "Go
Go Go!" He and Mummy went back in the bedroom for Granny.
Aunty Leila was crying and saying she did not want to leave the
house. I found my coat and put it on pulling the hood up tight.
I held on to Puppy and stepped into the water. We had to get
to the Primary school. The wind was quiet and the air strangely
still.
Even though I walked on the side of the road the water was up
to my knees. Aunty Leila was holding Uncle Camilo's phone shining
a light at me. Mummy and Uncle Camilo were following, carrying
Granny at least I thought they were.....
Then the wind got angry again and the water was up to my waist.
I held the puppy inside my coat. The light went out and something
hit my legs under the water. I fell over and felt myself being
sucked away by the water...... my head banged into something.
Puppy put her foot in my mouth, that’s all I remember!
CHAPTER 3 - The Morning After
|
I woke up under a car, kind of jammed against
the tyres. I was wet and had mud in my mouth and my head
was hurting but thank God I was alive. I could not really
work out where I was. I could see the sea and, where the
ravine usually was, there was a big river, with great big
stones.
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Mud - mud, mud, mud everywhere. You could not see the road because
of the mud. I had a big lump on my head. And where was my puppy?
I called her and looked and looked. People were standing in the
street just looking. Cars were smashed and crushed. Electricity
poles were down and wires everywhere. I could not understand how
I had got to the Bay. Our house was much further up the ravine.
I thought I saw my puppy down by the sea and I went to look, but
it was a bigger dog.
Whilst I was there on the stony beach, a policeman in army uniform
called to me. I asked him if he had seen my puppy. The Policeman
took me to the Shelter and I expected to see my mother, Aunty
Leila, Uncle Camilo and Granny. He gave me to the nurse instead.
She touched my head and said I had to go to the Hospital in Town.
I thought maybe my mother was hurt and so I was going to see her.
People were just sitting and staring. One lady was bawling a lot.
I heard someone say she had lost her baby that seemed careless.
I thought someone should help her look for it. The Policeman said
we would have to go to the hospital by boat. Someone gave me a
Bolo Polana and I was very grateful because my tummy was rumbling.
On the way back to the bay we went past a crushed car and I heard
a whimper. I saw a tail. I told the Policeman "stop, stop
please I see puppy" I looked under the car and there was
Puppy wet and muddy but there......
I picked her up and hugged her tight. The Policeman said Puppy
could come too, at last something good had happened. The Policeman
told me I was a champion and not to focus on what I had been through
I was to focus on where I was going in life – where ever
that was – the Hospital right now!
CHAPTER 4 - The Hospital
|
We went on a boat and The Policeman took
me to Police Headquarters. Someone gave me a Prego roll
and I shared it with Puppy. She liked it a lot. A young
police woman gave me a string to tie round Puppy's neck
so I did not have to carry her all the time.
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Then the policeman took me to the Hospital. It was quite a long
walk up a steep hill and there was lots of mud and a funny smell.
The river was very full. I saw a helicopter coming over my head
with a flag underneath. The Policeman said it was the United Nations
flag and that it was stuck under the helicopter was so people
would know who was helping. There was galvanized roof sheets everywhere
from the roofs and cars were blocking the road sitting where the
river had put them. Some people seemed to be carrying a lot of
shopping which was odd as the shops were mostly broken.
When we got to the hospital there was a skinny nurse who was vexed
and said that Puppy could not come inside Casualty! I was tired
and sad. I wanted to see my Mummy and my Aunty and my Granny and
Uncle Camilo! I said I did not want to stay there. The Policeman
said it was OK and that he would hold Puppy for me whilst I went
in with the Nurse. I thought I was going to see my family, I looked
in the room but there was just a little girl crying, an old man
who was very still and a very pregnant lady moaning. There was
a young boy like me with blood running down his leg into the water
on the floor making a horrible mess. The nurse took my temperature,
she said I had to see a doctor.
The doctor looked very tired. She said she had been there for
24 hours, all the way through the storm, but no one had come to
relieve her. She said that I had a "con cushion" or
at least that is what it sounded like. She said I should go home
and rest. I told her our home was gone and I did not know where
my family members were. She called the policeman in and Puppy
peed on the floor. You can imagine the nurse was not happy!
Whilst the nurse was shouting and getting a lady to come with
a mop the police whispered in the Doctors ear. Then the Doctor
told me to go and sit outside on the chairs with Puppy. After
a long time when the Policeman came back with a bottle of Fanta
for me and a Sandes de Queijo. He told me that I was going on
a big adventure. He also told me that they were looking for my
Mum and Uncle Camilo and Aunty Leila and that very sadly they
had found my Granny and she was not alive any more. He told me
that I had to go to a nice Big House and wait to see what would
happen. I was worried in case the people at the Big House would
not like dogs. I began to cry I thought I might lose Puppy and
I would be so lonely. I did not really understand what he said
about Granny, how could she not be alive any more, I was confused.
The Policeman told me that he would tell them at the Big House
that Puppy had to come as well.
CHAPTER 5 - Life in the Big House
|
I was waiting at the hospital and
suddenly, things happened in a rush. Some strange soldiers
came and the Policeman told me to go with them. I was pleased
when I heard him tell them "the Puppy goes with
Him – it’s all he has left".
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We went to the savannah in front of the hospital and there was
a helicopter already there. The blades on top the helicopter were
spinning like a fan and it was very loud. The dust and leaves
were blowing at me like the hurricane wind all over again. The
policeman did me high five and gave me to a big soldier who made
me do up my coat and put a helmet on me. He put ear plugs in my
ears and a sort of life jacket on me.
Two soldiers pushed me up some big steps into the helicopter.
I looked back and waved to the Policeman. Then they strapped me
into a seat and they told me to hold Puppy tight. A lady soldier
told me this was a Wild Cat Helicopter. She was funny and blocked
Puppy's ears when she said “Wild cat” as she said
dogs like to chase cats! She had a red cross on her shoulder and
she said she was a nurse as well as a soldier. She said they were
just giving me a ride to the Children's Home as the bridge on
the way was gone and there was lots of rubbish blocking the road.
I asked if my Mum would be there but it was too noisy I could
not understand her answer.
When the helicopter landed, they undid all the straps and took
off the lifejacket and I got out still clutching Puppy. It was
further than I thought and I fell down. I felt stupid as there
were loads of children watching from the steps of the big house.
They seemed disappointed that it was just me and Puppy, until
behind me the soldiers brought out bottles of water and boxes
of biscuits. "Come on Boy" said a Lady in an
orange T shirt, “come away from that helicopter.”
She took me into the kitchen with Puppy and I heard the helicopter
flying away. I never got to say goodbye to the nice Nurse Soldier
Lady.
The Home was huge. There were lots of bedrooms for boys downstairs
and upstairs there were lots more for girls.
The roof had come off a bit so the girls were all in just two
of the rooms, and there were piles of wet clothes everywhere.
There was a very big dining room and kitchen. I was in a room
with three other boys and I had my own bed. The home had a generator
that was noisy but it was nice to have light. There was no TV
or Internet as the Storm had messed up everything. To save gas
they just put the generator on from 6.00 -8.00pm then we went
to bed and used flash lights.
The Lady in the orange T Shirt was called Miss Gizela, she said
Puppy had to live in the dog house under the building but that
I could see her when I wanted. She gave me to a man called Mr.
Hamza also in an orange T Shirt and he showed me where Puppy would
stay. He even had dog food for her. He said their dog had got
lost in the storm. No one knew about my Mum and Aunty and Uncle
Camilo. I told them the Police said Granny had died but they were
looking for the others. Another younger staff member said she
heard they were all washed away and said “accept her sympathy,
the Lord is with you boy, all these things will make you strong”
I thought that must be a mistake and at that moment I felt rather
weak not at all strong. I asked for my Dad but they said they
heard that they were all gone. I did not think that could be right.
I was beginning to feel frustrated, trapped and hurt. Pain started
to take over my feelings, I had to find someone to blame. I started
getting angry it seemed a way of releasing energy, it was my little
protest to the loss of my family, it just didn’t make sense,
it simple wasn’t fair and I wanted to lash out and hurt
someone.
Nurse came to talk to me she wanted to know how I was feeling
physically, I told her I felt drained and empty. I seem to be
having difficulty making decisions or staying focused. I was becoming
easily frustrated and ended up arguing more with people, I was
feeling tired, sad, numb, lonely and worried. This was hard, I
needed help.
CHAPTER 6 - Good and
bad secrets
|
Another problem was Mr. Mwamba. He always
looked at me as if I was in the way and said I should not
hug Puppy as I would get ‘Leap To Spring Osis'! And
he told Azizah, my only friend, to stay away from me. I
began to avoid him. Then one Monday he just did not come
to work any longer! I was glad he was gone.
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Azizah told me she had a secret to tell me. We sat under the
house with Puppy and she told me........she told me Mr. Mwamba
had left because of her. He had been trying to get her to do bad
things. He told her that he would get her ready to have a boyfriend.
He had been trying to touch her under her panties. He told her
if she did not do what he said he would kill Puppy. She said she
ran straight away and told Miss Gizela what he tried to do and
the police came and took him away. She said Mr. Mwamba was in
the prison waiting for the court to decide on his punishment.
I was so mad! How could he say he would hurt Puppy! I was pleased
he had left as I felt like doing him something.
Azizah said she knew what to do about Mr. Mwamba's bad intentions
towards her as it was not the first time. She said her mother's
boyfriend had done something wrong to her before and she had told
her Sunday School Teacher. She said that is why she was in the
Home. As her mother did not believe her but the Sunday School
teacher did. She said the Sunday school teacher told her to "tell
the truth and truth would set her free" and that she
had prayed with her, then she got brave and when the Police came
with the Welfare officer she told them all about it and they were
sorting it all out.
Azizah said she knew that you should always run from people with
bad intentions and tell someone. She said she knew now that some
bad secrets should not be kept. She explained that “Good
secrets” were like not telling about a surprise party or
what was in a present. But “Bad secrets” were those
where the person threatens you if you tell what they did and where
they touch you. No one except your mum or the nurse should touch
you where your underwear goes and then tell you not to tell anyone
that is a bad secret to keep.
Azizah said that after that experience with her mother's boyfriend
she had been different. She said her Sunday School Teacher had
told her that God loved her and that it was not her fault. She
said she had decided to serve Christ. I did not know what she
meant but I did know I was pleased Mr. Mwamba was gone.
CHAPTER 7- Life in the Tent School
|
After about two weeks in the Big House,
which turned out to be a Children’s Home, with more
new people coming each day, the staff said the roads were
clear and that we would have to go to school.
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They made us walk about a mile as the bus had been crushed by
a tree falling on it. School was weird, no uniforms, no books,
and, because the galvanized roof sheets had blown off, we were
in a tent. Tents are funny things. When the sun comes out they
are hot, hot, hot and you have to roll up the sides. When it rains
and some of the children cry because they think the storm is coming
back, then you have to let the sides down again and be hot and
sweaty again. Our tent had UNICEF written on it which meant that
nice people from overseas sent it.
In the afternoon foreign workers came in blue T shirts they said
they were our friends and they set up something called a Child
Friendly Space where we played games. Their names were funny and
if you did learn them then they left for good! So in the end we
just called them "Miss" and "Sir"
I did not have any friends in the Home except one girl who was
called Azizah . She was 12 and was already at Secondary School
so she did not come with me to the Tent School. She had lived
in that Home for months before the Storm. She would sit with me
under the house and pet Puppy and talk to me. I told her that
I did not believe that my Mum and Aunt and Granny and Uncle Camilo
could all be dead. Granny was old so I could believe that she
had not made it but not the others. I had dreams that Mummy was
calling me, and when the wind blew and it rained I dreamed I was
under the car in mud.
The other children all seemed to know each other and the three
in my room were all from the same village. They called me Helicopter
Boy and would make helicopter noises every time I came in. One
big boy said that he hated people from my village and that he
would poison my dog as she wasn't a fierce breed like the Boerboel,
or the South African Mastiff. He loved Boerboels and so, after
a while, that is what we called him, even the staff. "Boer"
became his name. Everyone would have a job in the Home, Boer’s
was to take out the garbage to the bins. He always made me do
it so that he would not hurt Puppy. He said he would tie a block
round her neck and throw her in the river. Sometimes I was very
sad and lonely I would hide and cry quietly hugging Puppy who
was my only comfort.
I was glad he had gone away but I wondered when my Dad would
come for me.
CHAPTER 8 - Giving my life to Christ
|
"Come and meet my Sunday School
teacher Adil!" So the lady who had helped Azizah
‘tell the truth’ had come to visit. She was
pretty and she smelled nice. She had a guitar and played
songs with the children. She gave us Bible story books and
crayons to colour. She said that Jesus could sleep in the
storm when he was on a boat. I thought that was incredible!
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I could not sleep properly in a nice bed as the storm kept troubling
me in my dreams and I kept crying for my mum. She told us that
Jesus had a special power not to be afraid and not to hate people
who hurt him. She told us that because Jesus loved us he died
on the cross and wanted to help us to be friends with God and
have power not to be afraid and not to hate people. She said we
had to decide whether to follow Jesus or go our own way. She said
the way to become a Christian was to Repent and Believe.
I thought this sounded interesting I have always wanted special
powers!!! Also I was very troubled about how much I hated Boer
and Mr. Mwamba too!
I knew God had saved my life and I really needed to be able to
sleep in the storm. I decided to give my life to Christ and to
be a Christian. I am not a great reader but the Bible Books had
loads of pictures and the Sunday School Teacher said that God
loved everyone whether they were top or bottom of the class, good
or bad, pretty or ugly, that Jesus still died for them so they
could "tell the truth and the truth would set them free"
She taught us about Noah who had survived a flood and how God
had put the rainbow in the sky to give us all hope that He would
never destroy the earth by flood again. I liked that story because
I had seen a big rainbow when I woke up under the car that awful
day of the flood.
Boer somehow heard that I had put my hand up when the Sunday
School Teacher prayed. He straight away said I was a Bible bashing
Christian. He said Christians were selfish, only helped their
own church people and taking people's money. He said he would
kill Puppy then I could pray for him to be raised from the dead.
I felt myself getting red I just wanted to punch Boer on the nose!
That night I remember the boys in my room were especially tormenting
with their helicopter noises and saying that nobody wanted to
be friends with Helicopter Boy.
I pulled the sheet over my head and asked God to switch on those
magic powers as right now all I could think about was all the
bad things I wanted to do to those guys.
It started to rain, the wind was howling and the thunder rolling
and the littlest boy started to cry but I went sound asleep I
dreamt about Noah in the Ark and God sending the rainbow but I
wasn’t sure I could trust that story, I was frightened the
flood would return. All of a sudden I felt so lost and lonely,
all I really had to call my own was Puppy, she made me smile,
but then I remembered I could call on my new friend Jesus.
CHAPTER 9 - I'm a new creature
|
Next week Azizah and I were the first in
Sunday School, I could hardly wait to learn more. She had
told us this week we would learn about a butterfly that
really started out as a fuzzy little caterpillar. I didn't
like caterpillars, my dad had always warned me that they
ate lots of his vegetables in the kitchen garden, I knew
I didn't like them they were ugly, no one would say that
caterpillars are beautiful.
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A caterpillar is a worm -- and worms are not beautiful! In fact
the only good thing about worms was that you could put them on
a hook and go fishing. Azizah squirmed when I told her my fishing
stories, with wriggling worms.
But then I learnt in Sunday School that one day the caterpillar
spun a cocoon about himself and stays there for several weeks.
Just hanging upside down, occasionally twitching, who would imagine
that anything good was happening. But it was like the caterpillar
was being born again and when it comes out, it is no longer a
caterpillar, it has been miraculously changed into a beautiful
butterfly, it was a new creation.
But it took time, it was like the caterpillar died in the chrysalis
or cocoon and eventually the butterfly emerged but it was a struggle.
One day Puppy and I were in the field next to the Children's
Home and we saw a chrysalis hanging from a twig, it started twitching
and cracking open. We watched as the butterfly struggled to get
out. It made me think of all the struggling I had to do over the
time since the ‘big Cyclone'. I later learnt that a butterfly
must struggle out of its chrysalis to start the blood to flow
into its wings to make it strong and able to fly. It must do this
to complete its life cycle into a butterfly. I felt I wanted to
help the struggling butterfly but by assisting the butterfly and
helping it to free itself, I would never let it fully develop
and fulfill its destiny. I would actually be hindering it and
prevented it from becoming who it was meant to be. What God showed
me was that what He does, sometimes in our lives, is to allow
the struggle, the hurt, the process because we must fight to become
fully who we are meant to be.
If He stepped in to help during the most crucial part in our
lives, we would never become who we were made to be. As I pondered
this thought out came the butterfly, flying away … with
Puppy in the chase, she chased that butterfly all around the field
until she eventually fell into the ditch which was filled with
muddy water, you should have seen her she changed from a white
puppy to a brown dog! "That's it Puppy you are going to have
a bath even you will become a new creation!"
The Bible says, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" When
we invite Jesus to come into our heart, we become a new creation.
God doesn't just clean us up, He makes us into a new person.
So now when I find myself in a huge struggle or fight I can have
hope. I now understand that this could be in the most important
part of my life that will make me into who I am destined to be.
I know that Jesus is with me and what I am to become is so great
that all I have been through and am going though will pave the
way for what I am to become. Strong, free, and soaring high with
beautiful, colorful butterfly wings to carry me onto the next
adventure of life with Puppy.
CHAPTER 10- I'm in the Lord's army
|
I was so excited because today the Missionaries
from America were coming to visit us in the Children's Home.
We were told they were brining lots of toys from America,
I could hardly wait, even Boer was excited and seemed in
better mood than usual.
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When they arrived I was given a brand new skateboard and not
only that but all the protective gear needed to keep me safe.
They told me the first thing was to make sure I had the right
kind of shoes. I know you wouldn't go skating in a pair of cowboy
boots, would you? Your shoes should have a flat bottom to help
you get a better grip on the board. Next, I was told every skateboarder
should wear a helmet. You might think that wearing a helmet makes
you look like a dork, but, believe me, it is the smart thing to
do. Another thing you will need is pads. It is important to have
pads to protect your elbows and knees. Now that I had all the
right gear, it is time to go skateboarding. Even professional
skateboarders make sure they have the right protective equipment.
Just as we need protective gear in skateboarding, the Bible teaches
us that we need protection in life. The Bible calls it the armor
of God and it tells us that we need the armor of God to protect
us from Satan's evil schemes. We were taught this in Sunday School
and marched around singing 'I'm in the Lords army' I loved it,
Jasmine thought it was for boys only but we got to learn about
the armor of God.
The belt of truth - The Bible tells us that Satan is the "father
of lies," but he can never win if we will hold on to the
truth that Jesus Christ is Lord
The breastplate of righteousness - Satan can never harm us when
we choose to do what God says is right
Feet fitted with the gospel of peace - Satan tries to create
worry and confusion in our lives, but knowing Jesus brings peace
The shield of faith - Satan will try to plant seeds of doubt
in our hearts and minds, but those seeds of doubt can never take
root if we have faith in Jesus
The helmet of salvation - Jesus came from heaven to earth to
save us from the evil one, if we accept salvation in Jesus' name,
we will win the battle against Satan
The sword of the Spirit - the Bible, God's Holy Word, it is a
powerful weapon against Satan.
I know no skateboarder should ever get on his board without the
proper equipment, and I should never try to go through life without
the armor of God.
CHAPTER 11- Free at last
|
That Sunday School Teacher came back again
the next week and asked if any of us had any questions.
I said "How do you turn on the magic powers?"
She told us that God loved us and wanted us to be free from
fear and free from hate. She told us we had to take our
fears and tell them to God.
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She told us that God always listens to us and that one of the
special powers is prayer and that this is like a private phone
to God. She said this private phone is only connected to God.
He must have millions of ears to hear everyone at the same time.
She said that fears and nightmares are like ropes that tie us
and that God can cut them if we ask him in Jesus name. We all
made cell phones out of cereal packets and started talking to
God!
Then she said that hating people was the opposite of what God
wanted us to do. She told us it was hard to have love for God
in your heart if your heart was filled with hate. She told us
we could open the tap of our heart and say we are sorry and let
the hate run out. She said this is called repentance.
She told us a neat story about a woman who did some bad things
in her life. She didn't say what they were but we know that she
was very, very sorry. She felt so bad in fact, that she went to
see Jesus in someone's house–when she wasn't even invited!!
She didn't know anyone, the people in the house didn't want her
there but she was meeting Jesus! I imagine she must have felt
very scared and very little. I don't mean little like she was
tiny, I mean little like she was with people who were very important.
She probably felt UNimportant. Not only did she go, but she knelt
down behind Jesus and washed his feet WITH HER TEARS! Then she
washed them with perfume. You can imagine how the other people
in the house felt. One of them got upset with her and with Jesus!
Simon the Pharisee didn't think Jesus should be letting her do
that. But Jesus not only let her do it, he told her that her sins—all
the bad things we do in our life—were forgiven. She was
able to leave with a happy and peaceful heart. There were so many
lessons to be learned from this story, firstly the woman did something
wrong and wanted to make it right. I could think of lots of things
I had said and done that I wish I could now make right. Azizah
told me this is what Jesus wants me to do. If we do something
wrong, what could we do to make it right? What are some things
we could do to make it better?
The other thing we need to get from this story is how Jesus reacted.
Did Jesus throw the woman out? Did he say—"you did
something wrong, leave me alone?" What did Jesus do? He let
her stay, he let her ask for forgiveness, and then he forgave
her. It's important for us to do the same. I decided to give it
a try. After all, what had I got to lose except horrible dreams,
bad feelings and loneliness? I gave God my fears, my memories
of that scary storm, the sadness and the loneliness. Then I gave
God the anger and the hate. It wasn't easy but I chose to stop
hating and to forgive those mean kids and even Pit.
Then I remembered Mr. Mwamba and his threats to hurt Puppy and
I thought of him in the State Prison and I even decided not to
be angry with him any more too. I was free at last, free to forgive.
CHAPTER 12- I'm sorry
|
I just have to learn how to say ‘I'm
sorry' it just doesn't seem to come naturally, Boer has
made my life a misery and I have been mean to him as well.
How do I say I'm sorry? These were the questions I was asking
myself, Azizah and our Sunday School Teacher. She told me
that sincere apologies can lead to forgiveness, which takes
the sting out of hurts.
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I knew this was necessary in a happy, healthy life. But I had
to learn how to say I'm sorry, how to apologies and really mean
it even to someone like Boer, because up until now I was glad
I had punched him on the nose.
Then I learnt the things needed to successful apologize:
1) Remorse: Feeling sorry for the action.
2) Repentance: Expressing what's in your heart.
3) Recompense: This is when you try to make amends, which is not
always possible, but always worth a try.
I knew "I'm sorry" means nothing unless it comes from
a repentant heart. So I first had to ask God to forgive me for
being so nasty to Boer.
I had read in Waefeso 4:32 "Muwe
wema na wenye mioyo ya upendo kati yenu, na kusameheana kama Mungu
alivyowasamehe kwa ajili ya Kristo. Watoto Wa Nuru"
So I had no choice but to go and find Pit and tell him how sorry
I was for punching him in the nose. “I'm sorry Boer.
I blew it. I was wrong, please forgive me Boer." Guess
what Boer put his hand out and we shook hands, it was the beginning
of the healing that was so needed
I felt better after unpacking all those super powers but I was
still lonely...... That night I dreamed of my Dad. He was looking
for me in the mud, and all the nightmares and fears of that terrible
night came flooding back, but then, in my dream Jesus came walking
into my room and turned on the light and I wasn't afraid any more
and Jesus took my hand and led me outside. There was dad and he
and I and Puppy started playing on a lovely green lawn outside
of a beautiful new house, it was a good dream and I woke up feeling
good inside.
CHAPTER 13 - Daddy
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Miss Gizela and the other adults
in orange T shirts were always asking me what I remembered
about where I came from. I told them my name - Adil
and my village and my Mum's name was Adelina
but I could not remember Granny's real name or Aunty
Leila's or Uncle Camilo's other name. I told them
my Dad was Ildo . That is how I got my name. AD-IL.
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Swahili 'Na Mbwa Mdogo' Chapter #13
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They told me that the Police said that they did not find my Mum
and them and that the house went in the sea.
I kept hoping it wasn't true. They said they would try to find
my Dad.
Then one day Miss Gizela came into school and said
I had to come now, now, now! I was worried that maybe something
had happened to Puppy or that she had escaped
and chewed up someone's shoes. It would not be the first
time. She said no, I had a visitor. I went into the office
and there was a very dirty tired looking man with a beard.
It was ......my Dad.....He held his arms out and we
just hugged and hugged. He said he was sorry,
that he had only just found out where I was as he had been told
I was lost with my Mum and Leila and Uncle
Camilo. He had walked for days to get from the other side
of the island to get to our village. He said that people
said that the whole family was lost. Then he met that Policeman
from the first day and he told him I was alive
and in the Home. As I listened, I realised that it was true
my Mum was actually gone in the storm, and Aunty Leila
and Uncle Camilo, I cried and cried
and cried and then Miss Gizela suggested I take
my Dad to meet Puppy .
When we sat under the house my Dad gave me a special present,
all wrapped up, a Teddy Bear toy, soft and squidgy, little did
I know how precious 'Teddy' would become to me.
Dad told me that he had been so sad when he thought that I was
gone and that seeing me today was the best thing that
had ever happened to him. He told me that he was so sorry that
he had not come before. He asked me to forgive him for not being
there. Dad said our lives may have taken some strange twists and
turns but the One who holds our tomorrows is still in control.
It kind of reminded me of the story of Joseph in the Bible. Dad
said that he had asked God to help him find me and now
that he had, we would serve God together for the rest of our lives.
" And Puppy" I said
CHAPTER 14 - Peace like a river
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Dad and I along with Puppy moved back into
the interior, it was where we were from, it’s where
‘we belong’ Dad told me.
Dad started planting vegetables, and keeping fish, goats
and even rabbits to eat and distribute among the community.
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He taught me about Moringa and we planted it all around our
property and all the animals ate it and started to get fat. We
even drank the tea and began to feel stronger and healthier.
Sometimes we would all go down to the river to play. Those times
I felt most at peace, Puppy would splash around at the edge and
try to pick up rocks from the river bed, when she did bubbles
would come out of her nose! It looked so funny I would laugh at
her.
Dad taught me how to swim in the river, I loved those times with
Dad, he made me feel special and it almost made up for not having
mum around.
I continued to go to Sunday School and I learnt more about peace.
This was a whole new experience for me. I learnt that Jesus said
"Ninawaachia amani. Nawapeni amani yangu; amani hii ulimwengu
hauwezi kuwapa. Msifadhaike mioyoni mwenu, wala msiogope"
But sometimes at the end of the day, when it was time to turn
out the lantern, we still did not have electricity, and go to
bed, I wanted to know that I was not alone in the darkness. That
is where my toy Teddy Bear came to the rescue.
I shall never forget the day Dad gave me ‘Teddy’
the day we were united at the Big House and at night Teddy was
never very far away. Somehow, the darkness was not so frightening
with "Teddy" in the bed with me, and Puppy sleeping
at the foot of the bed in his special bed that Dad had built for
her.
Our Sunday School teacher told us if we want to know peace, we
can only know that peace when we know Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
If we don't know Jesus, we can have no peace.
That is how I was at the Big House before Jesus became my best
friend and gave me that super power to forgive Boer and even that
nasty man that threatened to kill Puppy and did nasty things to
my friend Azizah. I had no peace only fear and anger and loneliness
but those days are now way behind me. In another life it seems.
I thought to myself “Adil you have moved on, now I
have my Dad and my Heavenly Daddy and Puppy, what more could a
boy ask for!”
CHAPTER 15 - He watches over us
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As time went by the crops started to grow
again, the bananas were bearing and there was more to eat.
The trees were green again with leaves and some of the fruit
trees that we thought were dead after the storm started
to spring. There was a new sense of hope.
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Swahili 'Na Mbwa Mdogo' Chapter #15
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Dad said that I was growing up, I was very pleased, I pushed
my chest out and stuck my chin up in the air and went on tip toe
to make myself a little taller. Dad said I was now his big boy,
he had my back, he was watching over me.
One day I noticed that Puppy was growing up as well in fact she
was getting very fat!
I didn't understand why until she started to pull leaves together
and she found some rags in the shed and it seemed she was making
a den for herself under the house. Then she lay down and I sat
down and watched over her as she gave birth to three beautiful
little puppies. They were perfect except their eyes were shut,
but Dad explained they were born that way and very soon he was
right they opened their eyes and saw me for the first time watching
over them.
What 'Fun Fabulous' days we had Puppy and I playing with her
new puppies, I just knew I could never be happier than I was those
days. Puppy always watched over her puppies, she would pick them
up and bring back into the shelter if they wondered off and that
is when I began to think that my Heavenly Daddy knows everything
that I go through.
There is nothing that happens to me that He doesn't know about.
Just like Puppy He is watching over me. When I felt lonely and
totally abandoned at the Big House, when everything seems hopeless,
I began to realize that even then God knows and God cares. And
if I wonder off track a bit, He comes after me just like Puppy
rounds up her puppies so my Heavenly Daddy comes after me, gives
me a big hug and brings me back into the pack.
Then it all came flooding back, the smell of Mandazi cooking
on the wood-fired ovens, Granny's Mandazi were always crisp and
lovely. We would enjoy it most when it is straight out of the
oven, warm and delicious. I can smell it now , I can see
Granny pottered around the kitchen at the back of our old house
that the Storm and Flood destroyed, and I can hear her now, singing
at the top of her old crackly voice an old song the Missionaries
had taught her .
"Why should I feel discouraged? Why should
the shadows come? Why should my heart feel lonely, and long for
heaven and home?
When Jesus is my portion, a constant friend
is He. His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches over me.
His eye is on the sparrow; and I know He watches me.
And I wept with joy, I knew my hurting heart was healed and for
the first time since that dreadful night I sang that ol' ol' song.
"I sing because I'm happy. I sing because
I'm free!
His eye is on the sparrow; and I know He watches
me.
His eye is on the sparrow; and I know He watches
me."
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Not just sparrows, He watches
over Dad and I
'And Puppy and her puppies'!
THE END |
Kuponya Moyo Ulio Vunjika
Kuponya Moyo Ulio Vunjika - Janga la Asili
Kuponya Moyo Ulio Vunjika - Mgogoro wa
Corona
KUPANDA MBEGU ZA MAFANIKIO - MTAALA WA MORINGA
|