A day with Manual

 dWhat shall we do?” Litha asked, disappointedly. Their efforts in the past twenty four hours were going to be futile. And Manual was taking his fury out on mankind.

“What else to do! Agree that the creation of man is an utter failure! Admit that he turns to his Creator only in suffering, difficulties and in sickness. He prefers to talk through intermediaries and that neither everlasting life nor the fire of hell arouses hope or fear in him.  I will tell the Lord that the Holy blood and flesh that Jesus shed for the remission of their sins are being unutilized by them. They are not even able to take advantage of the promise that there won’t any judgement for those who believe in the Son of God. They think that they have belief, but it is wavering for how can true belief and fear co-exist?  Can belief and deceit reside together in a heart?  Will sin approach where there is belief?”  Manual asked in anger and despair.

“We have five more minutes. Shall we make another attempt?” Asked Litha. She had some hope left in her.

“Can we achieve in a few minutes that we couldn’t in hours?”  Manual was lost in total hopelessness.

“I can vouch for a person who can stand before the Creator with pride.  I can give that name offhand.” She said with a smile. Manual looked at her hopefully.

“There is one Dr. Kurian. He has helped the dairy farmers a lot. Those rearing cows and buffaloes were organised and helped to find a market for the milk they produced. They were saved from the tentacles of middlemen.  Many were helped as the co-operative movement spread to more areas.”  She said, remembering what she had read somewhere.

“I trust your witness to include his name also.” Manual added that name to the list. He glanced through it and found how close they were to victory.

“It has been said you will toil, but won’t get result; you will sow, but won’t reap; you will earn but won’t enjoy; you will build house but won’t stay in it; you will cook but won’t eat it, and our case is the same. There is many a slip between the cup and the lip. Now only a few seconds are left for ten o’clock.  Even if we fail in the case of mankind we should succeed in punctuality.”

They started from there and reached the church as the clock on the wall began chiming ten. Sanpo also appeared in that instant.

“The day of the contest is over. Who won?” He asked anxiously.

“Sanpo, you had said that a priest was resisting your temptations successfully, who is he?”  Manual made an attempt to get the tenth name.

“Who? He!” Said Sanpo with contempt. “I gathered my friends and made him dream in his sleep that the Kingdom of Heaven is proud of him because of his noble character. Today I heard him talk with pride in his voice. Now we need not do anything. His own pride will fail him.” Sanpo was as proud as a victorious.

“This is not fair, Sanpo,” Manual expressed his displeasure and said sarcastically “Wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.”

“Unless the eagles gather together, they will end up as carcass.” Sanpo justified his act.

“I should have foreseen this for it has been said that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. But it’s a surprise if that priest didn’t know that whoever exalt himself shall be brought down.”

“He knows that he who exalts himself shall be brought down and he who humbles himself shall be exalted. But his eyes are shut towards his weaknesses. He shall see it with his eyes, but shall not perceive it, he shall hear it with his ears but won’t understand it. He has lost the prudence to rectify his mistakes as the doors of his heart are shut close.”

“Ah,” said Manual not knowing how to respond, ”I had pinned a lot of hope on him.”

“For what?” retorted Sanpo.  “To complete the requisite number of elects?  How many more do you need?”

Manual tried to hide his disappointment and handed him over that rolled piece of cloth on which he had written the names of the elected. Sanpo took it assuming that he had succeeded and looked at the names. He looked again in disbelief.

“There are ten names here. Then what’s your problem?  Are you trying to fool me?”  He asked raising his voice.  Manual snatched the list from him unable to believe what he heard.  He examined it and found Litha’s name added on the very top.

“Litha, you name has been added here. How did it happen?”  asked Manual, his voice brimming with surprise and excitement.

He  thought for a moment and said, “Now I know.  You have followed the teaching  of the Son of God. Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust, so has been said. I should have realized this earlier.  This is my punishment for wavering in my faith. Lord, the initial victories had made me proud. Later on I didn’t pray for your help. I didn’t praise you with gratitude. Thank you, my Lord and my God, Thank you. My Lord has compassion, kindness and patience, he is bounty in goodness and grace. He forgives iniquities to be kind to thousands.” Manual was emotional. He  handed over the list to Litha.  Her eyes were filled up with tears of joy.

She was lost in the depths of pain, despair and tears on the previous day, but now she was on the  pinnacle of happiness, hope and peace of mind.

“Manual, the fact that she was elected implies another truth.” Sanpo brought him back to his senses. “She has been destined to return from where she came. She shall live among man as one possessing knowledge about heaven and the heavenly forces.”

“Let is be so.” Manual agreed. “But she should be sent back soon. For two culprits  and the police have already started to get her.”

“Manual, you take rest. I will see to it that she reaches home safely.”  His eyes gleamed with mischief. “Let that scroll be with her,

Manual. I want to have some fun. That drunkard who is fond of stealing things, do you remember him, I will tempt him to flick it.  Afterwards when the police arrive I will make it disappear. See, how he is going to accuse the police of robbing the thieves.  Ha, ha,” said Sanpo laughing to his pleasure. At that moment Looty and Extra, fully drunk, reached near the compound wall of the cemetery to investigate what had scared them on the previous night.

Litha was in tears when she bid farewell to Manual. He smiled faintly as if to say good-bye and reminded her that  it was expedient for people like her to live among men so that the sacrifice of Jesus and his resurrection were not rendered futile.  She was asked not to commit any deeds that might make the Creator bow his head being ashamed of her. He waved his hand and let her go. Sanpo, in a jovial mood, planning to play mischief, accompanied her.

Immediately that place was filled with the heavenly forces of Holy angels. Gabriel and Michael were among them. Manual looked at them wondering what this new development would be.

“Manual, peace be with you,” Gabriel stepped forward and said, “Jehovah was observing your election. He is happy that you have succeeded in finding ten men worthy of our kingdom. Now he has bestowed upon us a bigger duty. He wishes to see how the mankind, whom he created, lives.  Before his arrival we have to examine each man and group them according to their deeds.  Those mango trees that bear no fruits shall be left out.”  Gabriel took a brief pause and continued, “Those trees that bear at least one fruit to the visitor should be elected.”

“What about the trees that are not aged to bear fruits and those that bear enough for all to eat and fill their stomachs?”  An angel raised his voice and asked from behind.

“Don’t miss them at any cost,” answered Gabriel. “The names of he who repents and turns around at least half a moment before the election are also worthy of being included in the book of life.”

“How can the ones who produce fruits in abundance and the ones that repent at the last moment be equal?”  Another angel raised a doubt.

It was Manual who answered this query. “As answer to this I will bring to your remembrance the parable told earlier. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his field. And he had agreed with the labourers for a hundred rupee a day, he sent them into the field.  And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place.  And said to them; go, you also into the field and whatsoever is right I will give you. And went their way.

Again he went about the sixth and ninth hour and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle and said to them, why stand you here all the day? They say unto him, because no man has hired us. He said unto them, go you also into the field, and whatsoever is right, that shall you receive.

So when even was come, the lord of the field said to his steward, call the labours and give them their hire beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a hundred rupee.  But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more and they likewise received everyman a hundred rupee. And when they had received it, they murmured against the Goodman of the house, saying, these last have wrought but one hour, and you have made them equal unto us, who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.

But he answered one of them and said, Friend I do you no wrong, did you not agree with me for a hundred rupee?  Take that is yours and go your way. I will give unto the last, even as unto you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?  Is your eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first and the first last, for many be called, but few chosen.”

He paused for a moment and said again, ”If the Lord of the house wishes so, so shall it be. He who repents and produces fruits at the last moment shall have equal rights as those who produce fruits in plenty.”

“What about those mango trees that don’t yield fruits?  Shall we wait till the news go out about  our election.  Then those trees might also produce fruits?”  another angel said.

 “If it bear fruits, well,” answered Gabriel. ”And if not, then it’s not our worry.”

“Shall we cut it down?”

“Why worry about them?  A principal grooms only those students selected from the applicants, which are manifold. He doesn’t punish the rejected ones nor does he worry about them.”

“What about the mango trees affected with the parasitic root, Loranthus?” The queries were coming one after the other.

“Cut the affected branch only, spare the tree.  Take immediate action lest the parasite spread its root deep and wide.  For it has been said, if your hand or foot offend you, cut them off and cast them from you, for it is better for you to enter into life maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye offend you, pluck it out and cast it from you, it is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hellfire.”

“Shall a tree be rejected if the parental tree is affected by the weed?”

“No. If the fruits of one tree don’t come to help for another, the weed in the parental tree shouldn’t affect the fruit yielding tree.”

The heavenly forces of the Holy Angels and Manual disappeared from there.  Instantly that place was filled with the Satanic forces of the tempters. Senoy, Sansenoy, Semanjelof, all were seen among them.

“Didn’t you hear that, Jehovah wishes to visit mankind!”  Senoy asked excitedly. He proved that he was still proficient in gathering information. Satan stepped forward and addressed them and said, “Who was the Prince of this world from the time of Adam to that of Jesus?  But Jehovah has judged everlasting fire for that Prince by sending his son to be among the mankind, teaching them the truth and the path to his Kingdom. Is it fair? We are judged not because of our fault but because of our worthiness. We have proven right that man will be with weaknesses if he is given the power to think freely. Now his election of the Holy Angels! Who will be the ones elected by them?  Those who are worthy of attaining everlasting life, that is, the ones capable of  condemning us to the fire of Hell. When Jehovah and the Son of Man come they shouldn’t see faith on earth. I confer upon you the duty to suffer the mankind. Not only them, but everything created.

Take the wealth from the rich. Then he will murmur against the God and curse him for his ill fate. Give it to the unworthy. Then he will be proud and turn his face away from God. Those believing in Jehovah and his Son should be made to suffer in the hands of all other religions.  Many should be given unto death. Brother should betray and hand over brother unto death and father, his son and mother, her daughter. Thus everyone should be divided against each other. And they should hate and despise each other.  False prophets should arise and they should deceive many. Fear, hopelessness and iniquities should be abound, so that the love of many should be waxed cold.

The diseases wiped out from the face of earth should reappear more vehemently.  Also new diseases, deadly and untreatable, and spread it. The destructive  weapons should fall into the hands of the imprudent. Don’t spare even those that are with child and those who give suck. Let the tribulation be great, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, nor be in the times to come.  Let not man endure it lest he be saved. In that tribulation when every man blasphemth, then should be the arrival of Jehovah. He shouldn’t find faith anywhere. Never should he happen to love mankind again. With that arrival, everyone, every man and every creation on whom man has been given dominion should be destroyed by his own hand.” Satan stopped.

“How long should the tribulation last?” Senoy asked.

“It should start as soon as Gabriel’s and Manual’s election is over,” replied Satan.  “And it should last till the Lord God comes. Unless the days of tribulation are shortened, we will make every one blasphemth and no flesh would be saved. If the elect are many in number and worthy then Jehovah will start immediately for their sake. But his one day is equivalent to many years of man and so we should be ready to suffer them for years.”

“So those days will be shortened only for the sake of the elected ones, right?” asked Semanjelof and he himself replied.

“Yes, so we should tempt the elected ones also to sin. False prophets and false Christs shall arise and show great wonders.  Deep despair and disappointment shall await the Lord God when he visits mankind with great expectation.”

It was further decided to give mankind enough time to do goodness till the Holy Angels finished their election and to start tribulation immediately after that. They also vanished from there. That church was lost in darkness again.  It awaits the arrival of a new light.

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