A Miracle at Ten(10)

Slowly this time, Jeff stopped and reread the email on his phone. He could hardly believe it. “We’re going to be evicted from our apartment unless we can come up with $1,000 in four hours” He said to himself once more. After being rejected severally from architectural firms, Jeff gave up on applying for a job in the big leagues. “I must be under a curse”-He said to himself often because nothing seemed to be working for him. He decided to go down below to menial jobs. He stood at the bus stop and at that point in time it felt like his whole world was tumbling down. “What do I do?”- He said to himself. Jeff wasn’t interested in getting to any firm anymore for an interview.

He’d always told a few friends He wanted to do something good for people in need and focus on making a difference in this world but that didn’t seem to be working out as he had dreamed. But this…this was too much. “One thousand dollars?” In a single afternoon” he said to himself. For Jeff it might as well have been a million dollars.

He was barely getting by himself.  A 37-year-old father, with a wife, raising his 7year old son with partial non verbal autism and paraplegia.  Without a finance sustaining  job. Like never before it felt like the walls were closing in on him and it was hard for him to believe this wasn’t the end. He knew what it was like to feel entirely helpless, unable to afford even the most basic necessities. Nowhere to turn to, the walls closing in on him. He had never felt this way before.

“Could you pls help me knot my shoe sir?”-The little boy asked right beside him at the bus stop. For a while he forgot all his problems and smiled at the little boy and said “Yes”. Shortly after knotting he asked “Where’s your mum?” The little boy replied “she’s over there getting me ice-cream”. Jeff then smiled and returned to his standing position awaiting the next bus. He turned to look at the kid again who was just about his son, Nathaniel’s age. He whispered to himself “I will take Nathaniel out for ice-cream someday”. After saying that he released a tear drop. He finally got a bus. Still being troubled by his 4hrs deadline coupled with the fact he had to raise $450000 for Nathaniel’s operation in 10days, he looked up the sky through the window of the bus and said

“Are you seeing this?”

 “Yes he is”-said the old man sitting next to him. He turned and apologized to him for saying it out loud. “No need to apologize”- he said to Jeff. “He sees it all but many at times we are too lazy to wait on him or even trust him”. With Jeff still being surprised and about to respond, the old man says to him “The time is close, remember and believe”.

“Fenchurch station”-The post man announces. The old man rises to take his leave but then drops a paper in the hands of Jeff and says to him “I went through worse”. Shortly after the old man’s departure and still in shock of what had just happened and who the man was, he opens the paper to find $3000 and written in the paper was “YOUR FAITH, MY ACTION”. He could hardly believe it that in less than 10 minutes some part of his problem had been solved.  

2 days passed by and Jeff miraculously paid his rent but then still didn’t have a job and didn’t have the money to solve Nathaniel’s health challenge.

“Nate, my sweet boy” he said while looking at him on the bed one morning. “Nathaniel!”- He cried out.

Nathaniel wouldn’t open his eyes properly, nor raise a finger at least. There was something wrong. He wasn’t moving, not even to blink or try to say papa or mama. He seemed barely aware of the world around him anymore. Jeff pulled him off the bed and called out to his wife and shortly he was rushed back to the hospital. But the doctors wouldn’t commit to a diagnosis or treatments because he wouldn’t be able make deposit. “You wouldn’t be able to make a deposit in the long run and also some children are slow in developing,” was all they could tell him.

Jeff was worried about Nate. The strain of trying to pay his bills, with unemployment and the worry of trying to save his sons life drained him alot. He went without eating to make sure there would be enough money to save for Nate’s health bills. But it was a hopeless juggling act because every effort fell to dry grounds. Inevitably, he found himself down to begging friends. His friends and family were struggling too, and they didn’t have anything extra to lend him.

About 3days of trying to source for the funds, He spent an entire 6hours calling every agency he could think of knowing full well that Nathaniel had 5 days left for him to save his life. Either no one answered the phone or there was a recording asking him to leave a message. He finally reached someone who offered to help.

 “We have a form you can fill out for emergency aid,” the woman said. “If you qualify, we can get you a voucher in about two weeks.”

“Two weeks? I can’t wait that long.”-He said loudly.

“I’m sorry,” the woman said. “That’s all I can do.”

Sitting at the reception of the hospital, Jeff placed his eyes at a distance and who does he see?-The old man on the bus days ago. He was in a conversation with one of the doctors Jeff ran to him to appreciate him once again for how much the cash giveaway had saved him.

“Excuse me sir! I must appreciate you for what you did the other day it sustained roof over my head thanks alot”-Jeff said

The old man said to him “When you find it hard to love yourself always remember to call”. The old man begged to take his leave. Still surprised at the response given him by the old man, his wife called out to him in tears.

“His eyes are completely shut now what do we do?”

At that point in time he needed help of an angel of mercy who could pull off some kind of instant miracle. Like that was going to happen. He’d called every number on his list. He thought of using social media. In the process of getting out his phone the paper given to him by the old man dropped off along. He picked it up and finally decided to read through. In doing so he completely forgot about his condition and was suddenly amazed at how a child like his was saved from paralysis. He found most of it hard to believe but at the end of the article was written again “YOUR FAITH, MY ACTION” After reading he wondered what exactly he should do. He felt life wasn’t worth living any more. He then returned to the ward where Nathaniel was and walked around him and said to him “Nathaniel, I just read about a boy like you who made it out, could you get up let me take you out for ice-cream?” Saying this Jeff rolled ocean of tears. He was wounded and helpless.

3days later, Jeff couldn’t do anything more. He didn’t even have the courage to encourage his wife who cried almost every hour. He decided to take a stroll down the street and then he sees this old man again down the street surrounded by children, he picks up pace to catch him and on getting there he had lots of questions to ask but again b4 he could complete a statement, the old man said to him,

“shut your eyes to what you see now, but open them to what you want to see”

Hearing that alone made him lose the knots. He said to the old man;

“How does any of these things you have said change anything or even help me. You never give me solutions or even try to hear me out” The old man smiled and took his leave.

Jeff was annoyed at the responses the old man gave. Shortly after he lets it go and returns to Nathaniel at the hospital. On getting there, he is informed that Nathaniel is much closer to the day of his departure. Jeff looked up, down, side and below he didn’t know what else to think. On seeing Nathaniel at the ward, he stood at the door post looking at his only son die before his hands. He suddenly had a flashback to what he was told about few hours ago. He moved closer to Nathaniel on the bed and shuts his eyes and says,

“shut your eyes to what you see and open them to what u want to see. I shut my eyes to my boy Nate’s pain and open them to his liberty”

While shutting his eyes he pictured himself taking his son out for ice cream. He says to Nathaniel on the sick bed, “This is what I see so I shut my eyes to what is and open them to what I want to be”

The next day he returns home to sell off his entire property. While the goods are being packed away he said to himself, “I hope all this is worth it and that man that saved that little boy in the article would come to his Nathaniel’s rescue”.

At about 2pm he sat to write a letter to the man who saved the little boy in the article. He was depending on last hope he had. He wrote;

"Dear Saviour of the little boy,

I’ve walked through blazing fire

I’ve sailed the roughest seas

I want to live to tell it was worth it

Because you will get all the praises, accolades and glory out of it and the world will hear of you.

I’ve Seen battles by thousands that make me feel am not worth living life

Seen losses all my life

In the end and all that matters to me is you come down from where ever u are and help my boy Nate

All of these writing am doing, tears I drop, when it is said and done all I want is for you to come

I don’t need to understand how u did it for the boy in the article

I just trust your plan that it’ll work for the good of my boy

Here I am with outstretched arms

I don’t know why but am confident that it’ll work out

I want to believe in you

So heres my FAITH show me your Actions

Pls pick up my call"

After writing this tearfully, Jeff took the letter to the mailbox hoping it’ll be delivered.

At 3 pm, His house is empty, he raised a total of $12 000. Though not enough to solve the problem but at least could start up something. He calls the hospital to go ahead with the operation while he still gives his last effort to sourcing for funds. He decided to travel down miles to get help financially however he could. On his way back he faced a heavy challenge. The last train had left, there were no cars to return back, he was stranded, his mobile phone was low on bars and would only stand one call through. Who would he call? With the heavy storm, he said to himself looking up to the sky-“ I know I haven’t looked here in a very long time but You’re gonna get this glory”. He decided to place the only call he could pull across which was that of his wife. After several rings she finally picks up and the first thing he hears is “DADDY CAN WE GO FOR ICE-CREAM TOMORROW?” Hearing this melted his heart and like never before, the clouds in his eyes had to pour out some rain down his face. He fell down to his knees and kept saying thank you.

The following morning, this happened to be the supposed departure of his son to the grave. He rose up and got the first train down and then a bus to the hospital. On getting there he ran to the ward to see Nathaniel, shockingly no one was there. Just behind him was a loud roar of “Daddy!” Jeff turned to see his little boy running towards him. He knelt down and hugged tight his little boy and began to ask so many questions. His wife however didn’t have the right answers. “He said a man came, paid all the bills and changed his body”-said his wife.

“A Who?” Jeff asked.

“A Man”- said Nathaniel

“He said u placed him a call to come all the way down here to change my body and take care of me, He was an old man, he said he met u before and yesterday at noon you called him to come and save me” said Nathaniel. Jeff hearing this was in shock but in the mood of total gratitude.

“Did you thank this man?” Jeff said

“Yes I did Dad, He said he will always be with me” Nathaniel responded.

While still hugging his boy from what he had heard, the entire hospital lacked peace hearing how the miraculous had happened. The doctor walked up to him to sign the file documents of discharge because tests and x-rays had been done and he was entirely healthy. Immediately he opened the file to sign he saw written on the first page “You called me, I am Hope, the way, the truth and the life”. He was about to ask who wrote that when he sees the old man he met on the bus waving over the glass exterior of the hospital.

“Arch J! Arch J! ...we have a job up north next week and the press meets with you in 15mins”-Jeff’s personal assistant said to him.

“Noted Ethan, will be there in a few”- Jeff replied

“How did you do it what is the story, your works have become an icon of professionalism all over” said the press lady. My response to that question is; I met a man and TEN DAYS REVEALED THE TRUTH.

“Years ago I met a man who answered my call and showed me the way I should go, in ten days my life took a new turn and while I was at the end of the road he stood right there waiting for me, called me by name and gave me a reason to believe again. I got inspired and few hours after my sons healing where everyone thought his life was over, I was called to resume a job I had applied for years back. It’s the reason I set up ‘’THE CALL” charity home, so that many can be free of what I suffered and find help. That man calls my name where ever he goes today and I never fail to call him when handling projects. That’s the secret of me. A miracle dropped at ten”