A day with Manual

“If only we were able to find the first person!” said Manual to the girl on their way. “Hey you, our first person, where hide you? Are you a man or a woman?  a youth or an aged?  rich or poor?  city dweller or a villager? In which corner of the world are you hiding? Reveal yourself before we judge the mankind to have lost the light.”

At dawn he took her to a medium-sized house, hinting that they could find their first candidate there. They went behind the house and waited there. After a moment a woman opened the door and came out. Litha stepped aside so as to give her way and slipped her leg. Manual gave her a supporting hand and helped her regain posture. The woman passed them and went out.

 “I thought she would be scared if she saw us.” said Litha trying to hide her embarrassment. “The world can’t receive us for they won’t see us, neither will they know us.  But a time will come when they will know us.”  He raised his eyes towards heaven and said. “The Lord of the whole world, I thank you. For I know that you won’t forsake the one who prays wholeheartedly with unwavering faith. I pray for your help to find the remaining nine.”

“Is this our first one?” asked the girl without concealing her surprise. “Are you selecting her who doesn’t even look good?  She doesn’t have a good dress to wear. See, there are two rents on her dress.”

“Difficult to believe!” said Manual with a smile. His eyes followed that woman when she went to the cowshed to milk cows. “Never judge a person on the appearance alone. She possesses what those well clad people staying in mansions lack.”

“What’s that she has and others lack?”

“You want to know, then see.”  Manual raised his hand and the whole scene changed. The house was the same but it had a different look. A star hanging at the front entrance and a tree, well decorated with color papers, indicated that it was Christmas time.

They went inside through the front door. A number of Christmas cards, a couple of it new and others old ,were hung on a string. Food was set on the table but none seemed interested in it.  The whole world was celebrating soundly the birth of the Xavier but this house was engulfed in silence.

A little girl who should have been running around spreading warmth and joy to all, was seen sitting on a chair. Her parents also sat nearby with their eyes fixed on the door. They were waiting for their son, Cyril, who was supposed to reach there by the previous evening but he had not yet arrived. This was the reason for their gloominess.

“Shiny, why hasn’t he come yet?” The houselord asked his wife impatiently.  His salary from working in a small company was their sole source of income. They had cut down their expenses so that they could send their son to college. Two days earlier, they had received a letter informing that he would join them for Christmas.  That day onwards, they were immersed in decorating the house in preparation to celebrate the Holy Birth. That enthusiasm was now waxed cold.

“This is the first Christmas after he joined college. Holy mother, please protect him from all evils.”  She looked at a photo of the Virgin on the wall and prayed.

“Did he forget us?”  asked little Susie, playfully pulling the tail of the cat that stood rubbing on her leg.

“Leave the cat, mol. It will scratch you,” warned her mother.

“Susiemol, come here. Pappa will tell you a story. The  story of Jesus, how he was born in a manger and how the angels sang on that night.”

“Let chacha come. I hung all these cards for chacha. Will he be happy to see it?”

Susie went and sat on her mother’s lap.

“Sure, chacha will be happy when he sees your love, OK.”

“I will lit a candle. Then chacha will come soon.”  She got down from the lap and went about looking for a candle and returned immediately.

“I’d kept a candle there. I can’t find it now.”  Said she and went and sat near her pappa.

“Sing a song, mol.  When did pappa hear you singing last?” He stroked her hair.

“Not now,” said she, “I will look out through the window. I’ll start singing when chacha comes. He will come hearing it.”

They heard a footstep outside and Susie was at the door in a flash.

“It’s not chacha, but some one else,”  said she disappointedly and sat on the chair again.

“Shiny, see who our guest is. Meanwhile I will go and wait on the road to see if he comes in the next bus.”  He went out, wished the strangers and went forth.  Shiny came to the door and saw a middle aged woman and a little child and invited them inside.

“No thanks, chechi. We’ll wait here.  This my son is not well.  We’re in trouble.  If only, we could get some help to treat him….”

“Come inside. I will make tea for you.” Shiny took her hand and led them inside.

“We came for a help…..”  She mumbled. It was evident from her response that that kind of treatment was unexpected.

“You can ask for help while sipping tea. That will be better.”  Shiny smiled warmly. That woman sat on a chair reluctantly and asked her son to sit nearby. A moment later a Cherubin, invisible to man’s eyes, stepped inside.  He saw Manual and approached him.

“The lad is sick,” said the Cherubin. “I accompany him to protect him. This is the first time we are invited inside a house.” Susie got up and went and sat near the child.

“What’s your name?”  She asked.

“Lian”

“Lion! Is it L for Lion,” she asked excitedly. He remained silent not knowing how to answer her.

“My son will be a lion when his valve is corrected.”  His mother came for his help.

“You haven’t had any food.  Let’s eat something and then talk.” Shiny stood up and was about to go to the kitchen when that woman stopped her.

“We don’t need anything, chechi. We had food.” said she with her eyes cast down.

“What did we have amma?”  Her child asked innocently. Tears welled up in her eyes and she wiped it with the back of her hand.

“He might be hungry, give him something.“ She said with her voice quivering.

“Not another word,”  said Shiny. “I’m going to serve meals to both of you.”

She served food in two plates and watched them eating with satisfaction.  When they finished she went inside and returned with some cash.

“I’d saved it for future. It has come to use now.

Take this, I’ll also pray for your son’s well being.”

That woman took the money and her eyes were filled with tears.  She couldn’t even thank her because she was so overcome with emotions. Shiny cut the cake on the table into two and gave one piece to her.

“Don’t you have cake at your home?”  asked Susie who was watching them.

“Now they’ve, Susiemol.” It was her mother that answered her.

They bid farewell and went out followed by the angels and Litha. They turned left and Cyril and his pappa were seen coming from the right. Before long Susie’s loud voice of rejoice was heard. Christmas celebrations started in that home also.

“Angel, what’s your name?”  Litha walked alongside the Cherubin and asked. “I’m Lian’s guardian angel, call me also Lian.”

“Why are you following them?” She asked again.

“Didn’t I tell you that the child is not well?” said the Cherubin. “I will be with him till he is cured. We will find someone who is willing to help him.”

“If you fail to find someone, then what? What if he couldn’t be cured?”  She felt that the chances of finding a kindhearted person were dim.

“That won’t happen. The Lord God will prepare someone to help him. Till we find that person, we will wander like this.”

“If none is prepared..!” She was suspicious again.

“Then that child will yield his spirit and I’ll fetch him to the heaven. I won’t forsake this one who is poor in spirit.”

“The Lord God who knows everything, won’t let it happen.”  Manual joined their conversation. “How can he deny man the opportunity to do a good deed by taking this child’s life?  He will surely assign someone.”

“If only we could find that person, we could’ve had the second name also.” said Litha looking hopefully at Manual. “Shall we follow them?  If someone becomes ready to help!  Our job will be that much easier.”

“Come along. You can watch the responses of mankind,”  said the Cherubin.  She couldn’t decipher whether it was an invitation or a discouraging statement. She turned to Manual and started compelling him. He had no choice but to accept it. They were again seen following Lian and his mother.

They soon reached the mansion of a very wealthy man. A photo of the Christ was seen hanging above the front door. Litha hoped to find the second person there and her eyes shone with excitement. She glanced at Manual but couldn’t see any expression on his face.

That woman stood for a moment reluctantly when she saw the cars parked outside. A party might be going on inside, she thought.  She looked at her son and saw him looking at her hopefully. She decided to make an attempt  there also. She rung the bell, took a deep breath and stepped back. The angels and Litha stood behind her.

A few minutes passed before a man came out holding a wine goblet in one hand and a lighted cigarette in the other.

“Who the hell rung the bell?” He asked wryly when he saw that woman and her child. They stood silent and he asked why they had come.

“A help….” That mother couldn’t continue.

“What help! All sorts of liars come here for help. An earthquake here, a flood there, a famine at some other place and steal things.  What are your lies?”   He threw the cigarette on the floor and stamped on it.

“Are we telling lies?”  The child asked his mother.

“No dear, uncle is not in a good mood today. That’s all.” She consoled him.

Litha turned to Manual hoping that he would do something to change that rich man’s mind and thus he wouldn’t be devoid of an opportunity to do a good deed. But the angels stood as if they had seen this many times before. She was disappointed and waited to see what would happen next.

“You, You, making fun of me!”  The rich man was angry at that woman’s words.

“For God’s sake..” She tried to ease his anger.

“God forsaken people. Did God remember you?” He raised his voice. “Otherwise why did he make you wander like this on Christmas?”

Litha couldn’t believe her ears. That rich man was too impudent to see the angels standing before him. She wondered whether his eyes were blinded not to see them who were standing before him? When Lazarus, the leper, found comfort in Abraham’s lap after his death, that rich man had to suffer in the hell. Would this richman’s fate be the same?

“Come, Lian. Uncle is in a foul mood today. We will come on another day.” She took his hand and turned back.

“Don’t bother to come back again. If you want anything to eat, have it and get lost. Hey Kunjappa,” He called his manservant, “Give them something to eat. They needn’t go hungry.”

“We had enough and we are not hungry. Let’s leave.”  She started walking.

“Feed only the hungry ones. These beggars are arrogant when their stomachs are filled.

Don’t let any such beggars to enter inside the gate.”  He instructed the servant and went inside, slamming the door behind him.

The child saw a puddle near the gate and stepped in it.  His mother, who was lost in thoughts, also followed suit. She regained senses when her feet was wet and asked her son to watch his steps carefully.

“That was better.” said the Cherubin when he saw it. “They’ve washed off even the dust from their legs. He will have to answer for this on the Judgement Day.”

“He behaved rudely standing under the impression of Jesus. A believer!” said Manual with contempt.

“He is a believer of Jesus Christ.” Litha, who had observed the rich man wearing a chain with a   crucifix, said.

“O Yeah! What is his belief?” countered Manual. “That Jesus is a super magician who can feed five thousand people with five loaves!  That Jesus is a super doctor who can cure the sick and raise the dead. I condemn him as a non-believer, who invests only where he gets returns.  He sounds the trumpet before him when he gives alms.”

“What do you believe in the Christ?” The Cherubin turned to Litha and asked.

“I believe that he was crucified for all and that he will come again to save us.”  She answered.

“So believe the idol-worshippers also, that their idols will save them. Then what’s the difference?” The Cherubin asked.

Litha turned to Manual for an answer and he said. ”Those who follow his teachings are the true believers. His teachings were the wishes of his Father, the Lord God. So a believer of Jesus becomes acceptable to the Father also and so they will attain a place in heaven. Now what were his teachings?  Love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, love your neighbor as yourself, do unto others that you wish others to do for you, turn the left cheek also to whom slaps on your right cheek, forgive your brother seventy times seven, don’t murder and don’t commit adultery, don’t steal and don’t bear false witness, honor your parents, don’t judge others for you will be judged with the same yardstick, quit worrying about tomorrow, seek the Kingdom of Heaven today itself and make yourself worthy of it. When  you follow these teachings you will be a new person, a good tree bearing good fruits. You will be reborn and will be as humble and innocent as a child. When you are filled with happiness the Holy Father will accept you happily.”

“People like that rich man will attain heaven only on that day when a camel, no, a whale, passes throught the needle’s eye.”  The Cherubin added.

“See,” said Manual, “There is a difference between a true believer and one who believes himself to be a believer. There will be many who claim to have forsaken their wives, children, parents and their property for the sake of Christ, without being a true believer. They will also be invited for the heavenly feast, but…”

“Heavenly feast,” said Litha unknowingly, remembering the food set on Shiny’s table.

“Yes,” said Manual, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain king, who made a marriage for his son. And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other  servants, saying, tell them which are bidden, behold, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready, come unto the marriage.  But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise, and the remnant took his servants and entreated them spitefully and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, the wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Therefore you go into the highways and bid as many as you shall find to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good and the wedding was furnished with goods. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment. And he said to him, how did you come without having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gashing of teeth.  For many are called but few are chosen.”

“Truly said, unless one wears the wedding garment of true belief he can’t attend the heavenly feast.” Agreed the Cherubin and asked Litha, “Do you still want to follow us? I can predict the response in most of the houses to be the same.”

Litha was ready to leave them. Manual smiled at her response and they bid them farewell and left.

They were standing at the backdoor of Shiny’s house again. She came with the milk towards them. They stepped aside respectfully and she went inside. A black piece of cloth appeared in Manual’s hand and he wrote her name on it in golden letters.