The chief prison guard stands at the entrance of the cell, and there’s a look of utmost disgust on his face. I know it’s more to do with the terrible smell wafting around this place. The bucket’s been full for about four days now, so yeah, you do not want to imagine how bad it is.
And he just walked in. Just imagine what I, who’s practically living next to it, has been going through.
“Pastor Esdras!” he spits out, the cruelest of smiles on his face as he turns to me. “I can see you’re doing just fine. That’s good.”
Yeah, you can already tell how degenerate this man is. Doing fine? I’ve not been able to empty my bowels for the last three days, I’ve had sips of dirty water since last night, my nose can’t get rid of the stench of poo, and he says I’m doing fine? Honestly…
“I can see your Jesus is taking good care of you, isn’t he? Keeping you in good shape, right?”
He’s got nothing but hatred in his heart for Jesus, as you can see. And he’s shown it from the moment I was brought in. Making sarcastic and classless statements about my Saviour comes as naturally as drinking water, and it’s sad to hear. If only he knew just how great, awesome and mighty this Man he castigates is…
“Hahaha! Of course he’s not! He don’t even exist! If he really exist, he would have saved all your other Christ followers!”
The scorn on his hardened face as he speaks is searing, to say the least. He really revels in the fact that he’s overseen the gruesome murders of a number of fellow believers and none of them had any supernatural intervention. I heard he always mocked them in their final moments, sarcastically asking if Jesus won’t come and save them. Every single one of them.
Obviously, I don’t have any right to judge any man, but when I think of those the Bible calls ‘reprobate’, I can’t help but think of him. It’s so horrible, the way he acts.
“Anyway, you probably wondering why I am here, no?”
All I can do is stare at him. I’m as mute as can be. I might be wondering what he’s here for, but I just don’t want to open my mouth and ask him what it is. All I know is that it’s not a good thing.
He snickers at my silence. “Of course, you wonder why I’m here. I don’t come here very often, do I?”
Obviously.
“Open the gate!”
His order is duly obeyed, and he walks in and crouches down to me, as I’m seated on the floor. He and I are face to face.
“So… here is the reason why I’m here. We’re gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse.”
My heart beats super fast. What in the world is it he wants?
“We both know you don’t like it here. I know you hate this place. Yes?”
I nod my head nervously. I don’t know what he has under his sleeve, but I definitely cannot lie. I said it all much earlier, didn’t I? This place is terrible.
“And you would like nothing better than to leave, yes?”
Once again, I nod.
“Right. Here is the deal. See those your two girls?”
My two girls? What is he talking… ohhhh, wait a minute. He’s referring to Lawrencia and Celestina!
Oh my goodness, this suffering is so bad, I literally forgot about my daughters in the Lord. I’ve not even thought about how they’re doing in a while now. Now that my mind’s been brought to it, I hope they’re okay. I pray their prison isn’t as horrible as mine…
A slap wakes me out of my reverie. “You sleeping on me?”
I shake my head vigorously. I didn’t realize I zoned out that way. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I’m… I’m sorry.”
“Your two girls. You remember them?”
I nod my head.
“Good. So it’s simple. You kill them, we let you go. Deal?”
What??!!
What did he just say??
That came out of his mouth so quickly. But the shock resounded throughout my very being. I knew this was going to be nothing good, but it doesn’t change the horror of it all.
This man just asked me to kill my daughters in the Lord in exchange for my freedom!
“What?”
He snickers. “I said, you kill your two girls, and we will let you go free.”
Unbelievable!
My jaw hangs in shock. I just cannot believe this. I just can’t.
He laughs in derision. “You are shocked, yes?”
I can’t respond. What really can I say?
“So you like it here? You prefer to stay here in this place?”
I shake my head slightly, raising my arms in utter confusion. I hate it here, yes, but to kill a person? That’s just wrong. It’s a sin, plain and simple.
He snickers again, then rises to his feet. The scornful look he gives me as he looks down on me is jarring, to say the least.
“I expected something like this. But don’t worry, it’s okay,” he comments, the evil smile on his face slowly reappearing. “You need time to think about this. So yes, I will give you some time. I will return in the next twenty-four hours, and I’m sure by then, you’ll have an answer for me. Yes?”
I shiver as I look up at him.
He quickly turns to his subordinates. “Take care of him.”
Oh no! That’s not a good thing!
I move back just as the guards step in, while he steps back out. Of course, in this tiny hole of a cell, there’s no escaping these brutes.
They quickly strip me of the singlet I’m wearing. One of them holds my hands and pulls them forward, leaving my back bare.
I don’t see where the other guard is-
*WHIP*
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Oh, blessed Lord! The pain!
Unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Goodness!
*WHIP*
I scream my lungs out again. God, this is horrible. So, so horrible. I fall to the ground and writhe about in pain from the burning sting of those whips to my bare skin.
The guard holding the whip (whatever it’s made of, I have no idea) delivers about six more lashes, and the ruthlessness with which he does it is horrific. It’s like I insulted him and every single person he’s related to, and he’s dealing with me for that.
By the time they’re done with me, I’m a wreck. An absolute wreck. Welts on my skin, pain under my skin, grief in my soul…
This is hell.
“Twenty-four hours, Esdras. Twenty-four hours. Think about it. And make a wise choice.”
Those are the last words I hear before the sounds of footsteps moving away from the gate.
Yeah, this is definitely not a good offer. The Godfather-inspired title made it pretty obvious. This is definitely an offer he shouldn’t take up…
