EAGLE FROM THE RUBBLE: CHAPTER 43

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Something sounded strangely familiar about this visitor that kept gnawing at Obioha's mind. But ever since the time he lost contact with Fr. Richard and the bitterness that set in, he had come to hate priests for he felt betrayed by everyone.

When he felt sure that everything pertaining to the mass and the visit was over, Obioha stealthily turned his face around and then he froze. After recovering from the shock, he sprang up and stared. He rubbed his eyes to be sure of what he saw. Though he was looking so frail and aged for his actual age, he could not fail to recognise him. Sitting patiently on a chair at the foot of his bed was no other person than Fr. Richard. On seeing Obioha turning his face, he raised his hand and waved a greeting at him.

"Hello" he said, smiling.

They stared at each other as recognition set in.

"Father!" Obioha said in a thin voice.

His most natural impulse was to rush over to him and embrace him but instead, he found himself being held back by a power he could not control. Instead, he lay back on the bed and hid his face in his pillow. Fr. Richard gingerly drew his chair close to him and sat down.

"Francis, my son!" he exclaimed. "Please talk to me, I have been longing to see or hear from you for a long time now," he urged.

Obioha discovered he could not control his emotions no matter how long he tried, while Fr. Richard waited patiently. After what seemed like ages, Obioha turned towards him.

"Father, please go away and leave me alone. I want to be left alone," he said feebly.

"But you can't cut yourself off from the rest of humanity for the rest of your life. You don't have to lose hope, God loves you," he said brightly.

This sounded like an insult to Obioha.

"Please don't tell me that nonsense about God and love. It is all false, " he said emphatically.

"Why do you say that?" he asked calmly.

"How can you talk of God's love when all I see around me is hatred, betrayal and frustraion? Where is God in all these? I stopped believing in God a long time ago," he replied.

"I heard you were the only survivor in a ghastly motor accident. If God hated you why did he save you from that?" Fr. Richard asked.

"Simple. God is taking delight in my pain. He is amusing himself with me, that is why he is prolonging my pain," he replied.

"What pain?"

"The pain of living."

"What is painful about living?"

Looking him over, Obioha noticed had aged considerably and had lost a lot of weight. He seemed to be battling with life himself. But in all that, there was still the lively sparkle in his eyes. Before he could reply, Fr. Richard asked:

"What happened to your face?"

Startled he ran his hand across his face as if to cover the scar. He remained silent. When he refused to answer, Fr. Richard shrugged.

"I have to get you away from here," he told him. Surprised, Obioha asked:

"For what?"

The sisters say you are now much better, but would have been completely recovered if you had taken your drugs."

"I don't need the drugs," he snapped. "Why can't they let me be for goodness sake?"

"You sound so angry," Fr. Richard remarked.

"I should be. What is cheering about my life?" he asked in anger.

"So much" he replied. "Merely looking at you has given me so much joy."

"Does that mean you are laughing at my plight?Are you enjoying my pain also?" he asked.

"No. It means you radiate so much hope for humanity," he said simply.