In his own blood he was and the Preacher sat down awake all night to keep him alive in the pains that hurt till the morning came and even he still couldn't lift a finger for it was as if he had fallen from a tower but managed to escape dead.
"you don't have to worry
and don't you be afraid
Joy comes in the morning
Trouble may not last always
There is a friend in Jesus
Who will wipe your tears away
If your heart is broken
Just lift your hands and say
I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
No matter what
May come my way
My Life is in your hands"
The Preacher sang an old gospel song of assurance in form of a 'good morning' to him when he heard him coughing.
T-Boy, with a fully tattooed body, with piercings of different colors on few of his sense organs, and well decorated fingers with rings and a hair of different colors, all he could hear, see, feel, or scent was his own blood that has dried up like a layer on his face, he just couldn't understand what he was experiencing, a trained tout, bouncer, bodyguard, a lead P. A. and entourage of the former commanders of notorious activities in the area, being beaten and weakened by just one person?
"I will still want to ask and know, who on the face of the earth are you?" T-Boy tried to ask a question while he was coughing
"I've lost blood, I'm dying, kill me take this pain away..." he added as he saw what magnitude of blood he'd lost.
"Like I said, I'm whoever you think I am, but one thing is certain, I'm not a killer, and I can't even kill you, for it is written just as in the days of the Israelites in the land of Egypt, when I see the blood, I will pass over you, now you understand the pain that hurts and the difference between it and the pain that heals" the Preacher said while trying to make for himself a breakfast.
T-Boy finally being able to see a little bit clearly, realized that his gun was facing him as if to be shot dead right there, he then laid down his head again, and tried to sing his Mama's song but couldn't for the Preacher arrived and took over the song from his lips, and while they were at it, there came a knock on the door.
"Officer John-Slow Sir! Permission to fall in" said a voice from outside and the Preacher opened the door for them to come in, and by this time, it was 9:47am, everyone had left for work, school and business, so few to no witnesses was established.
"don't touch him, he has to be well taken care of, his body has to be put in external and internal orders, he's been greatly bruised for his transgressions and wounded for his sins, just like Jesus did for ours, the only problem is that he refused to believe that he's been forgiven, no torture! no query!! no abuse!!! no harassment!!!! Understood!!!!?" the Preacher said giving orders and uniformed men all had to adhere to the command.
"YES!! OFFICER JOHN-SLOW SIR!!!" and they all responded unanimously.
The Preacher And The uniformed men then helped T-Boy to his feet, he got cleansed, fed and well dressed but in all, T-Boy was in confusion as to who and how mysterious the Preacher could be, and he felt that he was playing safe with danger in his shelf. The 'uniformed' Medical team helped him to get back some needed strength health-wise and he after feeling better with bit of strength went to sit alone with the Preacher, who was scared of T-Boy dying but at the sight of how strong he has become began singing.
"great is thy faithfulness
Oh God my father
There is no shadow of turning with thee
Thou changeth not
And thy compassion
They fail not
As thou has been
Thou forever will be"
There was T-Boy, very close by and others a bit far away joining to sing.
"Great is thy faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness
Morning by morning
New mercies I see
All that I needed
Thy hands had provided
Great is thy faithfulness
Lord unto me"
This song, to the uniformed men team meant 'thank you Lord for delivering the gangster into our hands' and to T-Boy 'thank you for life despite the fact that I'm the worst person here' but to the Preacher 'thank you Dear Lord for making my stay here fruitful, for the souls won, the peace restored, and the SOUL yet to be won. and they kept on singing and singing, the Preacher set a stopwatch for 30 minutes and when they said the last line.'Lord unto me' the timer stopped, they all stopped singing and it was 3:45pm.
The people began gathering around the Preacher's home to witness the whole event and speculations began as to whether the Preacher was a notorious person, but they don't believe it, because one thing is certain, he has saved lives even those unborn, and as many gathered, many still gathered, they became instructed by the military men outside not to be scared of even a bullet for it's a sign of victory and they shouldn't run away if any is released for they are safe just as they are saved, the people still waited and by 5:23pm, the door was open, and T-Boy in cuffs was led by two uniformed men into the car brought for him, for this, there was an uproar, a great one, that even the deaf could feel the sound and blind could sense the signs, the people tried to stone him, spit on him, slap him behind his head but they were all restricted by the military men. 5 minutes later, came an announcement from a uniformed person from inside the Preacher's house saying.
"be on guard, at your position, steady state, Officer John-Slow is arriving, I repeat, be on guard, at your position, steady state, Officer John-Slow is arriving, be guided." said the voice and door was open and just immediately when the Preacher appeared, the people's eyes were filled with joy, their hearts with gladness, and their spirits enhanced the aura for more aura, and there was a joyous noise made for about 15 minutes despite the fact that the Preacher tried to calm them down, he couldn't succeed to get them to conceal their happiness as they even laid down on the ground in appreciation, but finally, they became calm.
"today is the day the Lord has made, it's good to rejoice and be glad in it, for if you don't praise God, the stones will praise Him" the Preacher said and began moving slowly, touching everyone close to him on their shoulders and the young ones on their heads as he walked through their midst.
"among the last words of Christ on the cross was 'Father, forgive them for they don't know what they are doing' today, peace has been restored, happiness has been renewed, joy has been fulfilled but to the unborn children who cried in the womb, to the young children who became scared, to the teenagers who were badly influenced, to the Ladies who were defiled, to the wives who were abused, to the mothers who were not honored, I say to you today, forgive, just like Christ did, for he didn't know what he was doing" the Preacher said touching everyone accordingly
"to the young men he destroyed, to the husbands he gave more responsibilities, and to the fathers that he has caused sleepless nights, forgive him for he didn't know what he was doing" the Preacher continued with tears in his eyes but he wasn't crying, he wiped it off, went to one of the little boys he picked up to feed at the restaurant, picked him up, asked him to dismiss the gathering with the Lords prayer and asked others to adhere.
"our father who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth
As it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever, Amen." the boy prayed and was dropped by the Preacher who knelt one knee down and said to him.
"the Bible says, in Timothy 1v7 that God has not given you the spirit of fear, but power, love and sound mind, Listen, remember God now that you're young, don't despise the days of little beginning okay? Take good care of mummy and daddy and you'll not die, okay?" the Preacher said and the boy nodded, then he stood up to the crowd again and said.
"there is peace in Christ, and all who have Him have it abundantly, today, you all have felt that peace, don't let it go away, secure it, be the agent of peace, the sower of happiness and the leader of harmony, for with you, the purpose of God shall be fulfilled, this is the faithfulness of God, and it's marvelous in our eyes in this Lord's great day, be the change you wish to have" the Preacher finished speaking and it was 6:37pm and he turned on to the uniformed men.
"boys, let's go off the milieu" as the Preacher said this, he moved to his car, guns began cocking but he was stopped by two bold persons.
"oga pastor, no go na, you fit stay, tell us about Christ, make peace for continue" and the other said
"oga pastor I beg, if na house you want, I get one for my place, I go do the house make e fine for you, I beg" and after they all had spoken
"I still have my items in there safe, I want to make sure he is taken care of, and as for the house, thank you but my rent isn't due yet, I paid for two years, but I've only stayed for two months and one week, so thank you, I'll be back when the Lord wants me to" he responded to them both and left for the car, military men began first round shooting and the people stood still as they chanted.
"Officer John-Slow! Slow water run fast, Officer John-Slow!! Small stream wey deep, Officer John-Slow!!! Small body wey big, Officer John-Slow!!!! Small blood wey thick" the uniformed men chanted, hailing him as he was approaching the car, engines were ignited and as he entered, they sang.
"who do you know? I know, who do you know? I know... The Great John-Slow, he is a Great Officer, who hunts the Great Gangsters" this song they sang repeatedly as the fleet of 12 cars left the town with five ahead of the Preacher's car and five behind it but ahead of T-Boy's, this was 7:02pm.
Everyone started going back to their homes that evening but the boy who prayed didn't, he went into the Preacher's house, looking at how great the interior was, he saw a Bible, touched it and picked it up.
"when I grow up, I will be oga pastor, and give children plenty plenty food" the boy inside said to himself with expressions he wouldn't do if there was anyone there, he checked to see that it was 7:22pm but didn't bother going, he still looked at the room settings until 8:01pm, and he left for home singing the song, with the Bible in his hands unknowingly.
"who do you know? I know, who do you know? I know... The Great John-Slow, he is a Great Officer, who hunts the Great Gangsters"
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