An Unforgettable Previous Year

Living souls were in their various churches to appreciate God for keeping them alive to see New Year.During the first Sunday of the year, churches were filled with both members and non-members and the latter include people who had not attend church for months.They went to church with their dancing clothes and shoes.Moses,was in church, which was not only because today was the first Sunday of the year but in order to obey the commandment of God to keep the Sabbath day holy.He was one of the members of the choirs and a committed christian.The church was filled with the young and the old in beautiful new clothes.After the church service, everyone congratulated one another and said 'happy New Year'.Moses returned home with a mixed feeling of joy and sorrow.He laid on the couch.There was a knock on the door and Moses stood up to check who was at the door.His friend and church member entered.They sat.

'How are you doing,Moses.I had been watching you in the church and you looked unhappy', Samuel said.

'Yes.How can I be happy after what happened.Everyone was with their family except me',Moses spoke sadly.

'What happened?'

'I lost my parents in the previous year. I am happy that I am alive but extremely sad that the people I care about are not alive. I felt incomplete entering the New Year without them',Moses replied.

'I'm so sorry about that. I was unaware', Samuel said.

'I know.Misfortunes happened in the previous year.kidnapping, rape, domestic violence, building collapses and to crown it all is the presence of a global pandemic called Corona virus',Moses said.

'Hmmm....... Last year was topsy turvy', Samuel added.

'People lost their comfortable jobs, fragile companies shutdown and our institution went on lockdown'

'The big schools entered virtual learning while the poor private schools didn't do anything to help their students. I fell under the latter set of school and I didn't go to school for few months as a result of the pandemic', Samuel said.

'I call last year my unforgettable year because I lost two important people in my life.Something terrible also happened to me last year though that was before my parents died.March 1st,I was kidnapped with two of my classmates.On a Monday morning,my classmates and I were on our way to school and we were beckoned by a bus driver who told us that he knew our school and offered to take us there free of charge.Innocently, my two classmates and I entered the bus', Moses said

'There are so many wolves in sheep clothing.Was the driver with any other person?', Samuel asked.

'No.We and the driver were the only human being in the bus.At first, the driver was driving toward my school but quickly diverted to another route.We were shouting but kept quiet when the driver threatened us with a gun. Just to shorten the long story,we saw ourselves in an uncompleted building.The driver who turned to be a kidnapper requested for our parents' phone number We gave them to him.My parents paid a random before I was set free by the kidnapper'

'I am sorry about what happened to you.What happened to your classmates?', Samuel asked.

'I don't know because we relocated after that incident. I pray that they're still alive',Moses answered.

'The lesson I learnt and probably anyone will learn is don't associate with strangers', Samuel said

'We are never to be blame for that.We were just a novice high school boys'

'I know', Samuel said.

'My parents went through financial turbulence after paying the ransom',Moses said.

'Why didn't your parents involve the police?', Samuel asked

'They said that the police were asking for money before embarking on the case', Moses answered.

'Sorry about that.It was unfair', Samuel said sadly.

'My mom became sick after we relocated.She told me that it was malaria. I prayed for my mother and told her sweet words'

Samuel sighed

Moses continued,'My mother's sickness persevered.She had cough and fever.She also lost her sense of taste and smell'

'Did your mom take any medication?', Samuel asked.

'Yes she did.She took medication for cough,fever and those I can't remember',Moses replied.

'Okay', Samuel said

'I remembered the day my mom died.It was on Monday.My mom was taken to the hospital by my dad and two of our female church members.The medical personnel saw my unconscious mother and shouted that my mother had Corona virus.They refused to touch my mother despite how I shouted and cried for their help',Moses said unhappily.

'I'm sorry about what happened to your mother but this real story will be a lesson to those who doubt the existence of the virus'

'The medical personnels put my dad,the two women and I in separate rooms'

'You all went on isolation', Samuel added.

'Yes.When I learnt of my mother's death,I cried until I had no strength in me.My mum died of Corona virus.I had been hearing of the virus but never seen anyone who'd it until my mom died of it'

'Take heart,Moses', Samuel sympathized.

'Thank you.It is hard to lose the person who brought you to this world.I do feel lonely without my mom even though I'm in the midst of crowd',Moses said.

'I can feel your pain.There is no one like birth mother',

'So, we were given food and water while isolating.The medical personnels helped me a lot because maybe without them I could have been dead'

'Thank God that you are still life.Some families lost their love ones to this virus', Samuel said.

'I am grateful to God for sparing my life.Poverty was also something that affected different homes and mine wasn't spared.Food items were expensive but no money to buy them',Moses said.

'True talk'

'Many people found it difficult to eat three square meal in a day and including my family.My dad and I survived last year through the help of some kind church members and my uncle because my father lost his job'

'Thank God for the bride of Jesus Christ and your uncle.God will bless them', Samuel said.

'After the death of my mother,my father was disconcerted.He was thinking and I begged him to stop that.My Father said that thinking was the only way he can forget all his problems but I rebuked him.My dad was hospitalized after one and half months that my mother died and I.....'

'Sorry for interrupting, Moses.I need to take a grieving break.Let me go and get some snacks outside. I'll be back in a jiffy', Samuel said and left.

'Okay',Moses said.

Samuel returned with two drinks and two sausages.He handed one of each snacks to Moses.

'Thank you',Moses appreciated.

They used few minutes to eat their snacks.

'So...', Samuel broke the silence

'On Friday and the month of June,my dad passed on.He died of high blood pressure.My uncle came to stay with me after I became an orphan.Last year is the toughest among all the years that I have lived and will live',Moses spoke in despair.

'I am sorry about all these ugly incidents that happened to you.If there is anything going on with you,I am more than willing to listen and help you to the best of my knowledge',Samuel was sorrowful.

'Thank you.Monday and Friday are my dreadest days while June and May are my dreadest months because I lost two most precious people in my life those days and months',Moses said.

'Last year was truly an unforgettable one for you.Moses,you are a living testimony.I believe that what happened to you won't happen to your generations to come', Samuel spoke.

'Amen to your prayers for me . Thank you,my brother',Moses appreciated.

'God has a greater plan for you and that's the reason he preserved your life', Samuel said.

'Thanks for listening and for your words of encouragement',Moses said.

'You're welcome', Samuel spoke.'Where is your uncle', Samuel enquired.

'He didn't come home after the Sunday service.Maybe he went to wish his friends-a happy New Year',Moses answered.

'We need to thank God who has kept us alive despite the previous rocky year', Samuel said

'We need to appreciate the almighty God for protecting our lives from the virus',Moses said

'We glorify the name of God'

'There is a Thanksgiving service today by 6.p.m.The time says quarter to six',Moses said.

'Thanks for remindingb me , Samuel said and scratched his head.

'I want to change my dress',Moses said and entered his bedroom.He returned wearing a black hoodie,a pair of blue jeans and black shoes.

'We should start going to church.I'm ready',Moses said

Moses and Samuel came out of the house.Moses locked the door.They entered the church and joined other worshippers to praise God.