Earrings of God

Thunder rumbled in the distance and I glanced at the sky briefly. The sounds were louder now, but I knew in a few moments, there would only be silence. Seconds later, I saw them charge out of the darkness, eyes enraged – and yet, desperate – swords drawn, saliva dripping from lips, necks taut with the strain of a battle cry... They were the remnants in this city of madness, a barbaric horde that would meet their fate at my blade. All eight of them jumped out of the shadows in a ‘surprise ambush’.

I wasn’t surprised and did not feel ambushed in the least. Without breaking sweat, my sword ‘appeared’ in my hands. I cut them down quickly without a sound. A battle cry would be a waste of air.

I have always hated having to end another’s life, but the world is fallen and it’s killed or be killed. Besides, it is the way of the soldier and though I was just eighteen, I knew that well.

I stood in the middle of the now-quiet city, feeling no pride at being General of a conquering army. This was the last stop in our military campaign and it was finally time to go home, but, before that, my men would have spoils of war.  As always, some would fight over the booty and I would have to stem the skirmishes that were a norm when it came to plunder.

What’s with human beings and ‘things’?

Climbing slowly over the rubble towards the East gate of the now-fallen city, I thought about home. It was a beautiful place along the coast line, though it sometimes felt empty as well. I was content and happy and yet, with passing time, I had dealt with a growing sense of longing for…

The low pitched cry stopped me in my tracks. I whirled around to identify where the cry had come from. It sounded like a baby, and then I heard a groan – and then a sigh. I had been in battle long enough to know when a person breathed their last. I turned and ran towards the sound and broke through the half-burnt door of a crumbling house where the sounds had come from.

She lay there on the floor, dead glassy eyes gazing at the little form that was thrashing weakly on the floor, still attached via a pale white umbilical cord, arms outstretched. I looked at the scene, saw the bloody footmarks and replayed in my mind what must have transpired. First, it was rape of a pregnant woman, and then the perverse thugs had cut her open, ripping the placenta in an obscene caesarean. The mother had crumpled to the floor and as her life reached an end, had struggled to bring out her baby to avoid suffocation. What love!  

I felt pleasure that the lives of those who committed this atrocity would have ended – but for now, I had to tend to the living.

Kneeling, I shut the eyes of the dead mother and turned to the baby. There was blood everywhere, but even so, the child was beautiful and her golden hair, caked in blood, made me smile. I cut off the cord and bound it as best as I could. She was filthy, unwashed, unsalted and as I held her in my arms, I felt her shiver and her eyes started to go glassy. The cold and hunger were seeping in slowly, and though I had never fathered a child I drew her close to my chest, covered her in my garb and ran off towards the East gate where my troops and supplies were, and all I could say over and over was:

“Live…yeah, Live!”

That was how I met you.

When I decided to marry you, you were 20 and when you said you wanted to be with me, it was as though a new life begun, for in every sense of the word, you had become MINE – and I loved you!

Heck, I still do.

That day of our union, I put rings on your ears, forged with the finest jewels of the Orient. I thought you looked beautiful with the crown I put on your head and with the finest of garbs that I got for you. We both know I would give my life for you. Then I was gone for a few months to tend to business and returned to see you in an orgy with several men…and on our matrimonial bed! I had hoped to surprise you and bask in the joy of our re-union, but that has been ruined as I realise you were not waiting for me. To make matters worse, you gave out the ear rings I gave you, a sign of our love, for a few portions of cheap trinkets, worthless scraps of metal that just glimmer, but have no value, and then,  you killed my son, sacrificing him on the alters of your selfishness. I had to further stay away from you.

And yet, though I am hurting badly, I am still crazy about you!

Let’s get this straight. I will not take kindly to your crimes. I will make a way to make sure you are not destroyed because I AM the General, but for these heinous perversions, you will feel the fires of my wrath and I will not be long in coming to set things right. Infact, I come quickly and my reward is with me! It will be up to you to choose between me and things, to decide to love me wholly or choose compromise, to believe I will give you what is best in the end or to go on with your lies, immorality, shady dealings and your adulterous idolatry in a bid to get, get, get shiny temporary things!

What’s with human beings and things?

Your image is engraved in my heart and nothing ravishes me more than your beauty. I think about the ear rings I put on you and I am sold out completely to loving you. I really hope that no matter how far you go, you understand our covenant and choose me.

No matter what has happened, know this.

I love you…

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Based on Ezekiel 16

Article by John Igbinovia: taichi55us@yahoo.com