My
name is Hope and in case you don’t know, I am an angel. Yes, I am and I am
assigned to you and yours; my mission is to help you find yourself and make you
see that you are the best thing that ever happened to this place called earth;
to make sure that hope burns bright and blue in your heart.
It
was at twilight, that part of time when darkness is usually poise to man the
post. Paradise Estate was still at its peaceful self, composed, calm and colourful.
On one of the streets, a group of boys were sweating it out on the field of play,
covered with grime, the spirit of competition, spurring them on. Everyone was
lost in the beautiful game of soccer, except one boy. He would not be more than
twelve but he sat away from the happening group, lost in his own lonely world.
His face was buried in-between his legs and there was no doubt something was
gnawing crudely at his young heart. Unnoticed, I sat next to him.
‘Hi,’
I said and he looked up at me. His face was stained with fresh tears. ‘You have
been crying. Are you okay?’
‘No,
I am not.’ He replied. ‘I am very sad.’ A tear dropped.
‘Sadness
is not good for your soul, do you know that?’
‘Yes
but I can’t help it. Besides, it is not my fault. My parents will not stop
fighting. They are like two enemies living in the same house. I hate them!’
‘Like
sadness, hatred is not good for your soul, either.’
‘But
they make so unhappy each time they fight and they do it all the time!’
‘I
understand…’
‘No,
you don’t. No one will ever understand what am facing.’ The young boy said
bitterly but he was wrong. As an angel, it is my job to know. And I know that
his parents had missed it right from the beginning, long before he was born.
Fred
and Anne Macaulay both came from wealthy backgrounds. Fred’s father was an oil
magnate and Anne’s parents were affluent politicians. The couple met in France during
an holiday and it was love at first sight. Within six months, they got married
and life was magical with love. Unfortunately though, the magic didn’t last, it
disappeared beneath the heavy breath of pride and ego, immaturity and self-centeredness.
Fred wanted to be the unquestioned lord of the house and Anne was not used to
being lorded over. When Fred screamed, Anne would roar back, when he snapped,
she snapped back. It grew worst. Anne
slapped her husband and Fred multiplied that one slap with fifty of his own. At
this point, the fights turned bloody. Fred was ruthless with his punches and
Anne fought with everything sharp she could lay her hands on. Families and
neigbours thought the madness would stop when their only son Henry came to
their world but it was not to be.
‘Henry,’
I tried to console him. ‘I want you to have Faith. One day, your parents will
stop fighting and you will be very happy.’
‘I
don’t think so. They are the worst parents one can ever have and I regret they
are my parents.’
‘Don’t
say that.’
‘Am
sorry but I have to go home.’ He said and left for home.
Home
was a cream-coloured mansion that dwarfed every other building in that estate.
A sad boy, he climbed the stairs, opened the door and stepped inside a lush
sitting room. His father was in front of the television, watching a news
program. As soon as he saw his son, he flared.
‘And
where are you coming from?’
‘I
went to watch football…’
‘To
watch football? And who gave you the permission?’
‘I
wanted to ask but you were busy.’
‘Busy
doing what?’
‘Busy
beating mum.’ Henry roared, his bitterness overflowing. His father rounded on
him.
‘I
am going to beat the hell out of you…’
‘No,
you won’t!’ Anne said, moving out of the kitchen. ‘Why will you want to beat
him when he was only saying the truth?’
‘Woman,
stay out of this!’
‘No,
I won’t. Besides, if there is anyone who needs to be beaten senseless, it is
you!’
Angry,
Fred whirled on her like a dervish and punched and punched.
‘Please,
stop it!’ Henry screamed but the adults fought on. ‘I hate you!
And
he ran out of the house, tears flowing like a river. He was still running when
a car came from nowhere and knocked him down. The poor boy was dying and I came
to the rescue. I took him to the hospital.
Back
at the house, his parents were still fighting, humiliating each other. The
violence continued until Fred noticed I was in the room. He let go of his wife.
‘Who
are you and how did you get in?’ he fired at me.
‘It
really does not matter. What matters is that your son is in the hospital as we
speak. He is dying.’
Terrified and in confusion, they scurried to
the hospital. I was there, waiting of course. They were surprised to see me.
‘You
again?’ the man gasped, then turned towards Henry. The boy was still
unconscious, dangling between life and death.
‘He
is dying and it is all your fault.’ I accused them.
‘Our
fault? ‘Anne was losing his temper once again. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘You
sure know what am talking about. Your son is unhappy because you have not been
good parents. You fight all the time and because of you, he is dying. Am sorry
to say this but if he dies, his blood will be on the two of you.’
‘God
forbid!’ they chorused.
‘Then
maybe it is time for you to grow up. It is okay for couple to disagree but bizarre
when they start inflicting violence on each other, right in the presence of
their only son.’
‘It
is not my fault.’ The man tried to justify himself and pointed at his wife. ‘She
is the one at fault, always nagging and disrespectful.’
‘That
is a lie!’ the woman countered. ‘What do you expect me to do when you treat me
like a slave?’
‘That
is not true. I love you!’
‘Then
show it!’
‘I
have shown it over and over again but you are too blind to see it.’
‘By
beating me? Is that how you show love?’ the woman cried.
I
sighed. ‘Obviously, the two of you have fundamental issues that must be
resolved. But can’t you see that your only son is the one paying for your
inability to manage your crisis? If you don’t want him to despise you for the
rest of his life, there is the need for you to resolve this conflict and fill
your home with love and understanding. And you have to do it now.’
While
their child dangled dangerously, the couple looked at each other and it poured.
‘I
hate it when you nag, it is crazy!’ the man started.
‘And
I hate it when you hit me. I am your wife, not a slave.’
‘But
you never listen to me nor show me the respect I deserve.’
‘How
do you expect me to do that when you behave like a dictator?’
‘Okay,
I don’t want you to nag again.’
‘And
I don’t want you to beat me again’
‘Okay.
Am sorry.’
The
wife burst into tears. ‘Am sorry too. I love you.’ And they hugged, their love
real and raw.
Nevertheless
when Henry opened his eyes and saw them, he was furious.
‘What
are you doing here? Go away!’ he shouted.
‘Calm
down, Honey’ his mother said.
‘No!
I don’t want to ever see the two of you again.’
‘Henry,
relax. We are not going to fight again.’
‘Just
go away!’ he screamed and his parents had to leave. Once they are out, Henry
shut his eyes. When he opened them, I was right there in front of him.
‘It
is you.’
‘Yes,
it is me. Don’t you think you are too harsh on your parents?’
‘I
don’t think so. They are responsible for everything.’
‘Yes
I know but they are ready to make a change and it is because they love you. You
must have faith in them.’
‘They
will never change. I know them.’
‘How
can you be certain when you have not even given them the chance? Believe me, it
is going to be different now.’
‘And
why should I believe you? I don’t even know who you are.’
‘Am
a friend and my name is Hope. I will never lie to you.’
‘You
are human and most human lie. Don’t they?’
‘Yes
they do but I am not human.’
He
furrowed his brow. ‘You are not human?’
‘Yes.’
And I lowered my voice. ‘Can you keep a little secret?’
‘Yes.’
‘Am
an angel.’
He
was dumbfounded. ‘An angel? I don’t believe you.’
‘But
it is the truth.’
‘Then
show me. Show me that you are an angel and I will listen to you.’
And
that was exactly what I did. My dear Henry left the hospital a changed boy.
Above all, he went back to a changed home.
