FOR THE LOVE OF GOD by Amadi Ikechukwu Emmanuel

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

By; Amadi Ikechukwu Emmanuel

The forest trees were beginning to form a uniform path, as the pick up van upped its speed, thrashing anything in its path.

           Their abductors were not masked, they too were not blindfolded, they didn't have to be. Clinging on to his mother’s breast, with his arms tightly wrapped around her stomach………

             “Yaro!.....na only you get am for mama…..comot your hand for there barawu!” he shouted, smacking John’s hand as he offered resistance. His Mom looked up at the man bent over her and her child, her eyes were teary and her hands shaky. His face showed no emotion, it was clearly not the first.

               “ Aiyee! Aiyee!! Aiyee!!!......” yelps of pain came from the van in front of theirs. From what Esther could see tilting her head to the back, one of the abductors got his pinky finger bitten off by a woman he was trying to carass on the face. She was sprayed with bullets for the action as he continued cursing under his breath. He alongside one other threw the body, out of the moving van. Seeing this, she held on tightly to her son’s hand by the side, with her head bowed down, she cried deeply but silently.

             The sky gave less light until the only source was that coming from their head lamps. After what seemed like hours, the van came to a stop, in the middle of nowhere, no tracks to follow. They were forced further deep into the bushes till they came to a place that looked somewhat like a camp.

             The abducted ranged from children to teenagers and adults. There was no aged one, they didn't want liabilities. They were meant to stand in groups of ten, irrespective of gender or age.

              “Mom?”

               “Yes dear” she replied planting a kiss on his forehead.

“Is He still faithful at times like this?”. Sniffing loudly and with a shaky voice….

“Yes John, He still is”

                The man whose pinky finger was bitten off walked into a huge tent, came out accompanied by other men of his kind. Among them was one who was fully armed, a matchet in one hand and an AK rifle in the other. Bullets ardoned his body but they did little work in hiding his horrible body scars showing how rough he’s had it.

                 “ I go dey here” he said pointing at Esther and her son’s group. The other men left, leading each group away.

“Kai! Listen to me!” he exclaimed, trying to get the attention of the people before him. They could hardly make out the face of the man, but the fire coming from the fireplace made a show of the metal blade's sharpness.

“Mom…..am scared” he said in a whisper.

“Remember that song that talks about how great God’s faithfulness is?”

“Yes I do”

“Just keep singing it in your heart….”

                The tears were flowing freely now…….”if I look you, I no like you, I kill you!!” “if I like you…..u suppose answer me……”

               John was shaky all over, he kept humming “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. So the only gesture he could give to his words was a nod. The leader stood in front of the man beside John, looked at him intently from head to toe and found a visible patch in his trousers….he had wet himself due to fear. A frown was visible on the face of the leader……..his head fell with a tump and his body with a thud.

               He moved on to John…..a faint smile was visible on his face.

“ I like you” he said, exposing his tobacco stricken teeth to John as he spoke. He continued in a language, John did not understand. Then he stopped and kept looking him straight in the eye, with no expression whatsoever on his face. This was when he knew he was waiting for an answer……

“ I am for Christ” Heavy sighs came from other members of the group, some of the leaders men shook their heads, his Mom looked petrified as the leader took a few steps backwards.