Desires

Words fished out unknown desires from the depths of his mind when Smith weaved words aloud into a funny poem for Sarah.

Their kids jumped in, singing & banging...
Sarah came and sat beside Sarah.
“Recite some poetry,” she said.
“What?” Smith asked laughingly. “It’s a struggle making ends meet. Some memories, some hopes, some desires are all that remains. What else is there to recount?”
“Then narrate them,” said Sarah. “I feel like hearing something from you.”
“I’m hungry,” said Smith. “You’re wanting me to yak. Get me some food!”
“Come on,” Sarah insisted stubbornly. “Then I’ll feed you scrumptious food!”
Smith laughed at the bribe. Some thoughts metamorphosed into words and came up to the lips. He spoke:
(Note: Poetry translation follows below. For the original Hindi poetry, please read the Hindi version of this story on TaleTown)

O Fortune, patch up the torn sack with velvet
Give water to the thirsty, feed roti to the hungry

Sarah burst out into laughter. Seeing their parents laugh, both kids came running too. Looking at them, Smith said spontaneously:

These little troublemakers become big movers, shakers
Let Majnu get Laila, and Juliet get going with Romeo

Sarah smiled. Smith’s desires began to get wings. He couldn’t stop himself and added:

Vivid intoxication spread in the veins, the world get funny
When a spell lights up in the eyes, let it rain a little

“If wishes were horses,” Sarah teased him, “every beggar would ride.”
“Horsey!” Josh insisted, on hearing the word ‘horse’. He had been reminded of the animal.
Smith mounted him up on his shoulders, and moved the poem ahead:

Let the horse become an Audi, make the monkey drunk
Let blind turn one-eyed, when the dumb sing this song

“Dumb will sing a song, mute will sing a song…” Moses sensed the beat and clapped to the rhythm.
“Now we eat along, now we eat along…” Smith hollered too, in Isha’s direction.
"Not yet," scolded Sarah. "Recite some more!"

Making us busk for free, what a miser donor you are?
We’re off to bed hungry if you won’t give us food now

“Food now, food now …” Moses danced around in circles as he sang.
“Now I’m going to eat, or else I’ll bleat …” Smith was singing loudly too.
“Eat? Food?” Little Josh caught on to the important words.
He clenched his fists tight and began drumming on his father’s head too. Seeing the mood of the boys, Sarah laughed and stood up.
“Patience,” she reproached Smith, as she retreated towards the kitchen. “You were born in India!”
With Josh on his shoulder, Smith followed her into the kitchen. Now he’d gotten into the mood, she was deserting the field. But what could stop a rising tide?
Moses too was banging his steel plate rhythmically with a spoon.
It was the right season, the perfect opportunity, the right tradition. Smith went with the flow, weaving words aloud into a poem, but the words fished out unknown desires from the depths of his mind:

THE FIRST SON OF GOD

FIRST LESSON: HEBREWS 1: 6

“And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.”

SECOND LESSON: HEBREWS 2: 8

“Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.”

GOLDEN TEXT: HEBREWS 7: 25

“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

Brethren, that is the story about Our Lord Jesus Christ. His story has got no beginning and no end. It is stated that when He is brought back, all angels of God will come and worship Him. You will note that if this covenant was established from the beginning lucifer would have bowed down too and worshipped Him. It was written that all must bow down to Him. If all the angels of God are commanded to bow down to Him, what is man to resist Him? You must note very well that the first Son and the Father are One. Do not make any mistake, believe that we all are the sons of God, but Our Lord Jesus Christ is the first Son of God. Have you ever heard that a father possesses more than one first son? If even your children are as many as the sands at the seashore, there must be a first son.

That is exactly our position with Our Lord Jesus Christ, the first Son of God. Among all the creatures of God, Christ is the first Son and He is also the last. He is the first, that is why He says that the Father and He are one. The Son cannot do without the Father and the Father cannot do without the Son. He says, “None knows the Son but the Father, except the Son reveals Him to whosoever He will”, “No one can come to me except my Father calls him”. No one can also go to the Father except through Christ. Everything Our Lord Jesus Christ says reflects the Father and the Father on the other hand mentions His Son at all times, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him”. A spiritual song goes thus, “The heavens declare the glory of God and obey Him, but the earth reject Him”.

When it is said that a single angel can destroy the world, you all jeer but I had earlier told you that the winds are angels, the sand, water, animal, sun, moon and the Star inclusive, even the thunder and lightning are God’s messengers. This is why as soon as Christ lifted up His hands in command everything subjects to Him. Whenever you call on His name everything is subdued in obedience to what was written.

MAN’S STUBBORNNESS DESPITE GOD’S LOVE

Who are you man, to resist His rule and to refused paying Him obeisance? This is the only problem I have with you. “To, which of the angels has He ever said, I have begotten you”? But God has begotten Our Lord Jesus Christ as it is stated, “When He bringeth in the first begotten into the world, He saith, and let all the angels of God worship Him”. God did not say He bringeth in the angels; He states categorically that when He bringeth in the first begotten. He did not say when He sends angel Gabriel. We are expressly told that when the Son of God shall come, all the angels will worship Him. Therefore, brethren, ask yourself a simple question “What is our position”? This should prove to you that Our Lord Jesus Christ is the King of kings.

Be not mistaken that when He comes, He will go from house to house preaching and offering prayers to the sick. Do not conjecture that when He comes He will go about healing diverse infirmities. I know you will say that He is a friend of sinners and so forth but do not forget that He made Himself a sacrifice once and for all; and there is no sin that has power over Him. His coming now is mainly to save those who have been patiently waiting for Him. He has come to rule every house with mercy, patience and love. This is why occultists declare that there is no more power anywhere, as Christ has come to rule with His Father. All angels like fire, water and all other elements, take orders from Him only; should you try you will surely fail because these angels are under the rule of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Even if you command death to destroy one’s life it will not obey you, since its power is under the rule of Christ. It is significant to note that when it is said that all angels will bow down to Him it also means that they will serve Him. Do not misconstrue that when He comes down on earth, you will be opportuned to have Him for a conversation of any kind, because He does not welcome any familiarity.

THE GREAT MONARCH

He is now on the throne while His angels exercise duties and act according to instructions. This system can be likened to the system of rule during the colonial days whereby the Queen sat on the throne while the deputies worked in the various colonies; to be more precise, here is a system the sovereign rules over everywhere through agents. It is sacrilege to ask Christ to offer you prayers or to make an attempt of shaking hands with Him; even to ask Him any question. It is quite true that when a person is not yet crowned, he mixes freely with any society, thereby any person could rub shoulders or converse with him. Once his position is changed and uplifted, everything about him changes such that he would be cut off from a common contact and unnecessary familiarity. If the Emirs of the Northern States are so reverenced, being mere human beings as they are, of what measure do you think that of Christ should be, being that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Queen of England and her princes are honoured while they are placed in this esteemed position yet they are nothing more than common human beings, before the angels of God. By all means Our Lord Jesus Christ is to be honoured far more than the earthly kings, because He is a King according to the Promise. This is why a higher position and honour in any society is given to whoever passes through Christ to the Father. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, nobody cometh unto the Father but by me”.

Now that you profess that you do not know Him, how would you be saved? If you vow that you will never bow down for Him; who is He that will secure your salvation? If you do not reverence and honour Him through whom will you enter into the Kingdom of heaven? As a sovereign, Christ will not execute any duty except through His angels who are spread everywhere to carry out His order. You could be arrested, rebuked or hanged, then how will you escape?
Christ’s Government is the best so far because no angels can act except He receives instructions from Him. It is unlike the chaos existing amidst the worldly governments and her servants. This is a note of warning to anybody who doubted Him to doubt no more. Because all authorities in heaven and on earth have been given to Him before the foundations of the earth were laid. This is a well known fact to all angels even lucifer, the ocean, the forest, the sunshine. You are of the opinion that you will invoke angel Gabriel or project in order to see God but the question is, “where will you find them? The false prophets hold the same opinion, but I ask to know, which God they mean to see through astral projection? There is none permitted to contact God except Christ. If you like project into the last sphere, you will not meet with Our Lord Jesus Christ. If you go into the depth of the sea, He is permanently there. There is no place Christ is not available. Brethren, there is no alternative than to accept Christ as your Lord and Master. If you refuse Him, He will not ill treat you but remember that you will never escape the execution of His angels.

THE DECREES OF CHRIST

Christ has got His own edict concerning the division of labour in His Government, just as you have got assignment for the warders, the soldiers, and other law enforcement agents. When you are told that the kingdom of this world has become the Kingdom of God and His Christ, do not take it for a joke. His reign cannot be compared with the earthly dynasty. The work in His Kingdom continuously goes according to His divine purpose; no angel can ask Him any question. This is why it is said that it is unreasonable to get up and ask God, “Give me this or give me that,” Jesus do this or do that for me.” That is not the case. The condition is that you must pass through the correct channel, which is Our Lord Jesus Christ; that is why in Brotherhood of the Cross and Star we ask God for everything through the name and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Note that there is no use of forceful methods. At the fullness of time, His supremacy will be revealed to all. Because there is nothing whatsoever that is not under His reign. If you commit sin, there is no other person to plead on your behalf other than Christ. He is the Prime Minister of God. There is none who has attended such holiness to be an advocate for you than Him.

This is why He said that whatever He opens, none can close and whatever He closes, none can open. There is no other way for you to obtain a relief from your suffering, there is no other defender and there is no advocate other than Our Lord Jesus Christ. You have been warned never to impute sins on people because a sin is like a gutter, which when you have fallen into, the stain is difficult to remove from your clothings. This is why Paul lamented, “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this sin?” Only Christ can save. Despite all your endeavours and sufferings if you do not accept Christ as your personal saviour, your efforts are in vain. You may credit yourself that you have given alms to the needy, that you have fed the hungry and have raised the dead; know that none of these deeds of kindness can save you except you accept Our Lord Jesus Christ as everything for you. If you have ever been stubborn to Him or have refused to listen to Him be prayerful because as long as it was said that all the angels will bow to Him, you are so insignificant for Him to be mindful of your refusal to accept Him as the King of kings.

CHASING SHADOWS INSTEAD OF SUBSTANCE

Is it not wonderful that you waste much time to acquire money but cannot spent even one minute for Christ? Christ is here, He was before the foundations of the world were laid; have you any doubt? If you disbelieve this truth, that is your problem.
Until this world passes away, He will never come to your doorpost to announce that He is Christ; nor would any person descend from above to tell you, “I am the Christ.”

Where do you think He is? He is on earth right now; He is in the waters, and He is everywhere and that is why everything is subject to Him. All that you have got to do is to go and proclaim to the world that the former covenant is passed away and that the new covenant is now reigning as it was stated, “After those days, saith the Lord, and they shall not teach every man his brother, saying, know the Lord; for all shall know me from the least to the greatest.” Do you doubt this statement? So it was said that as the lightening flashes from the East to the West, so shall the coming of the Lord be. The Scriptures asked, “Where shall this be”? It was replied that where the carcass is there will the vultures abound. Did He not assure you that He was going to prepare a place for you, so that where He is there you shall be also? Now He has come back on earth and He has collected all His children and has united them to Himself. If someone tells you that you should go and see Christ outside, do not go, for the scriptures warned, “They will say lo He is here, lo He is there, do not listen to them.”

Do you not know that Christ is in you? He is within and without, He is everywhere. Mark you, Christ is no politician to go campaigning or the sort of a Chief to struggle for His recognition; He is the King of kings whom the universe must acknowledge. He does not plead for your recognition. It is your duty and mine to seek and accept Him as the only source of our salvation because life, truth, peace and all other virtues are embodied in Him; the Father is in Him and He is in the Father also. His judgement is just and righteous; void of human dictates, yet He is a merciful God for though He knows that you spend time in going to farm to collect food but have spent no time for Him, He imputes no sin on you.

You may wonder what manner of man is this that all the angels must bow unto, but John in his vision saw an angel who was to bow to him, and he forbade the angel being that both of them were servants. Now, you have seen He whom all angels bow to; do you not believe that if He were an angel or man all angels would not have bowed to Him? For example, has any angel ever bowed down to a human being or a fellow angel? This is to prove that whatever is from heaven is very great on earth. His glory is being revealed very gradually and quietly, as He did not come to make noise. Note that nobody sent Him down to the earth plane, He seeks no service from anyone but as it was written, “All must serve Him.” Even if it is one angel alone it can represent the universe.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the symbol that Enoch saw ascending into heaven in the company of the host of angels. Christ’s supremacy cannot be compared with any other.

HIS INDISPUTABLE SUPREMACY

While He stood trial before king Herod, He stated that if He wanted to fight, He could have asked the Father to send down legion of angels to defend Him. He is a King of no mean order. It was written that His last enemy to be destroyed is death. You are witnesses that every being is afraid of death, yet the scriptures tell us that Christ shall destroy it.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has come down to judge both angels and human beings though He exercises long patience. He has come to save the world as well as you and I. If He had not come in a human form, died on the cross and ascended into heaven, there could have been no salvation for mankind. It is unthinkable to say that until Christ comes back; where did He go, and where had He been? He stated, “My Father works and I work.” You may say that after all Mary delivered Him; is that the time He came into the world? If truly, He was delivered, then who was in heaven? Christ was the one. This is why He said, “If I tell you things earthly and you do not understand, how would you believe me if I tell you heavenly things?” He also said, “The wind bloweth where it listeth and no one knows from whence it cometh nor where it goeth, so is everyone born of the spirit”. Our Lord Jesus Christ said that no one could come from heaven except the heavenly. While you are imagining that He is here, or that He is in heaven, what do you understand by these expressions that are confusing?
What is meant by heaven is likened to the twinkling of one’s eyes by, which one sees no light just for that time but afterwards light is seen again. The word “heaven” is a spiritual language. When Our Lord Jesus Christ declared that there were some standing there who would never taste of death until this glory of God is revealed, many people took it for a joke. After the transfiguration of Christ on the mountain, Christ communed with Moses and Elijah after, which a voice from heaven declared Him as the beloved Son in whom He was well pleased and asked all to hear Him. What was beheld at that time was a great light seen everywhere. Peter said to Christ, after the disappearance of those elects, “Master let us build three tents, one for Moses, one for Elijah and one for the Lord”.

Such was the thought of man though what was seen was the manifestation of God’s glory. You have been seeing the glory of God manifested. If you doubt, tell me if it is so simple a thing for your dead father to come to you in a dream and discuss possible solutions to your problems or is it a simple thing that your departmental head comes to give you words of comfort when you are in trouble?

HE IS OUR SHIELD IN ADVERSITIES

It has been a common practice that when you are in trouble you call on your dead father or mother to solve it but in vain. Now is for you to call on Our Lord Jesus Christ at anytime, anywhere and at any circumstance because He is ready to come to your aid. Those of you calling Him have seen and can testify that nothing has stood against your way? Whatever the magnitude of the assailant, once you make mention of the name of Christ, every power is quelled. Therefore, brethren, since Our Lord Jesus Christ lives, He is everywhere and He is most powerful, it is proper for us to accept, love, worship and honour Him. He comes as a thief in the night as He said before. If a man hears that there is a thief in his farm and he goes with a noisy gang, will he succeed in arresting the thief? This is why He comes like a thief when nobody will ever expect Him because everyone goes about their ways doing their normal duties. This attitude continues until all things are accomplished. Hold fast whatever you grasp, do not mind what people may say, do not mind who criticises or who praises.

If Christ reveals the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit to you, keep it to yourself. Do not allow flesh to overcome you because immediately you are away from Him, doom befalls you. There is a great quest for Our Lord Jesus Christ in the western and African countries; some are searching with doubt and annoyance while others do this steadfastly; but all to no avail. Yet Our Lord Jesus Christ is here carrying out His work. You ought to recognise Him.

Have you all understood that? His promise was to come and transform us from the sinful nature to righteousness. His assignment was not to come and talk unceasingly. Our Lord Jesus Christ is power itself. This time is not the same with His previous coming. He grants you the Holy Spirit, which endows you with power to execute marvelous works. Hence He said, “All power in heaven and on earth have been given unto me”.

WHY POWERS RECEDE

The scripture tells us that when He ascended into heaven He sent the Comforter to His disciples; with various gifts of prophecy, healing and raising the dead; some received the gift of the power to control and others received the power of reasoning. Is it not wonderful that these are embodiment of one person? Since He owned them and distributed same, He has come to collect back all these power to Himself. This is why there are complaints everywhere that there is no more power in any thing except in Him, thus proving that man is a package of vanity. When you call to mind the incidence that took place during the last Nigerian civil war, how the authorities first of all snatched away every war implement without questioning.

That is exactly what Our Lord Jesus Christ has done. Furthermore when these weapons were collected from the people they were used in waging war with their previous owners. If that could be done by man, what do you think can be done by the Omniscient and the Omnipotent. He did this to render you bare so that you may continue to plead with Him for them. This is also the reason why all secret societies have failed, churches fall apart while native and medical doctors as well as all fetish priests become despondent.

If any person tells you that elementary spirits exist, that person is a liar. Now, you are told that there is no other temple other than that of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Father. The temple of God according to the scriptures requires no light for the Lamp that siteth on the throne is the light. I know that you are yet to know these things.

CHRIST ALLOCATES KNOWLEDGE PER SE

You will realise that all manners of knowledge is sent to each of you at your different destinations here in the new Kingdom of God. This is why many of you know how to construct buildings, you are able to design; these go not without understanding. Now services are rendered by the angels. Brethren, had you known where you are, and the person caring for you, you would bow in reverence for Him. Gone are the days Christ went about in canoes or walked about from place to place praying for people; it was so because nothing was accomplished. It is just as one cannot compare the war implement of the year 1914 with those manufactured and used in the year 1939, nor could the war implements used from 1914 to 1939 be compared with the present weapons. At one time you hear of atomic bomb and at another you hear of nuclear weapons, the most deadly war implement. We are thankful to the Father because each possessor of such weapon is hereby constrained to sign treaties of peace. This results in no more world wars. Their wicked designs have taught them to sell off those war implements to the hopeless African countries that use them on each other. I illustrate the heavenly things with the earthly so that you know that if the earth plane improves in principles the heavens would outclass in the improvement. Christ can never adopt the first method in anything that He is doing; He uses modern system to be consonant with today’s system. In the past when He invited people to Himself many gave excuses like “going to bury my father”, ” being in a honey moon”, etc;

Now He varies His method of extending His call just to meet up with the time. I have been telling you that the atmosphere is not what you have to take it lightly. You have to desist from improper bickering, just watch out, for He is doing His work according to His divine plan. This is why I have been telling you that you have not understood these things properly. Simply take it easy and make no fuss about things because until He has finished doing one thing or the other, you will not know when and how He did it, nor would you know that He is at work.

PILOT OF AFFAIRS IN THE UNIVERSE

Now let us take a look at what is raging in the Government and throughout the world. No one has ever asked the people to report nor has anybody told those with atomic energy not to fight neither has any person been delegated to warn the warring parties because Our Lord Jesus Christ is doing His work slowly but steadily. Should you feel reluctant to go to a certain place, you will find out that when you finally decide to go that Christ and His angels had been there already, on full operation. Now that you find Brotherhood of the Cross and Star everywhere, who is responsible for establishing them than Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Presently, centres of the worldly powers like India, America and Europe refers all those who seek spiritual aids from them to the fold of Brotherhood of the Cross, 34, Ambo Street, Calabar Cross Rivers State of Nigeria in West Africa. You may decide to travel down here out of curiosity, just to see the place from where power is said to emanate, but I assure you that the more you look the less you see. Are you not afraid of the marvelous work of Christ? Personally, I am much afraid. Be careful that you do not boast of this power. Sometimes when a sick person is brought to you, owing to unbelief in the fact that Christ does everything, you order that the sick person should be carried away. When the sick requested only prayers before the people carry him away, you offered and behold the sick was relieved and became healed.

Have you heard what is read out to you? There is no other power and there is no other person to whom such authority is vested than Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the reason every prayer or speech in Brotherhood is preceded with “In the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Now that we all have turned to Him we have to seek salvation from Him for He liveth forever; there is no other source of salvation. Whenever you are encountered with fear and trouble, seek Our Lord Jesus Christ, and discard the invitations of the native doctor, the fetish and the juju priests because they are devoid of salvation and power. All our prayers are treated before Him; the prayers of those who know, accept, worship and agree with Him are promptly attended to and the resultant assistance is given. Do not beg anybody to come and receive blessing from the Brotherhood of Cross and Star. Anyone who likes to steal let him steal. He who likes to commit any sin allow him for ” I will come quickly,” saith the Lord.

Do not forget that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are here on earth. The only thing is for you to confess your sins and repent of them. When you shall have done this, He is ready to save you. As many as love Him and accept Him He authorise them to become the children of God. If you are tricky and disobedient, you are far from salvation. He said, “I will come quickly”.

Supposing that while living in somebody’s house, you create trouble and fight yet the owner of the house keeps silent; you ought to be afraid. Why the Lord is patient and silent is to make Him execute a righteous judgement. This is Christ’s week and whatever you can do, do it to prove that you have acknowledge His Kingship, and have seen Him. You are to demonstrate your joy in any way possible. Show through your deeds that you have received His manifold blessings. Do not ponder in your heart why others are not here but hold fast to your faith because many are called but few are chosen. Do not joke with the opportunity and privilege that God has bestowed on you now. Love, fear, obey, honour and worship Christ because He knows everything about you.

I will not be tedious with you. He who has ears let him hear. May God bless His Holy Words. Amen.

The Lesser Evil

“Why do I still like my brother?” he was saying. “Love him? Respect him? Admire him?”

“I should hate him because he is so successful and I am not. But I don’t.”

“I should hate him because he was almost always first in class. I am almost always not. But I don’t.”

“I should hate him because he lifted the bar so high that it made it impossible for me to emulate him.”

“He left me such big shoes to fill that they ended up belittling me. I should hate him for doing that. But I don’t.”

“I am an ordinary boy. I am content being ordinary. But I have the same parents he had, the same neighbours he had, the same teachers he had."

"Therein lies the problem. None of them can forget him or stop talking about him.”

“Not that it is his fault he is so lovable. So hardworking. Industrious. Diligent. Thorough. Understanding. Caring. Dependable. Good-looking. Intelligent. Polite.”

“I am none of these things. Well, perhaps I am good looking, intelligent and polite; but that is where our similarities end.”

“I am so many other things. I am creative. Passionate. Loyal. Strong. Shredded. But nobody seems to notice these traits.”

“I used to care. I used to even resent these comparisons a lot. Not anymore. Well, perhaps I still do, but maybe because I have grown up with them for so long now, these comparisons really don’t matter anymore. Well, maybe they still do, but I love my brother.”

“Despite all his faults like being so good and universally liked, I love him because he cares about me. Really, he does.”

“He taught me things. Like how to safely light a matchstick. It was one of my biggest fears. I was always afraid that I would burn myself. The moment a stick flared, I’d throw it down. I almost burned down our home once because of that. But he was always so patient.”

“I have fond memories of him lifting me in his arms when I was little. I used to be happy with him then. We played together, bathed together."

"He fought my fights. Protected me. Understood me. Something my parents, neighbours, or teachers never did.”

“My father just wanted to live vicariously through me. As if one life hadn't been enough for him. He never saw me in me. He saw only himself, and possibilities of what he could be through me, this time.”

“Successful. Glorious. Wealthy. None of which he was in his life himself. His ambition destroyed my contentment. I hate him.”

“My mother was a tiger mom. She wanted me to study. Always study. Only study. Like life is nothing but a table, lamp, books and stationery.”

“Sorry ma, but I have only one life and too many interests to be tied down to a table, lamp, books and stationery forever.”

“But what did she care? Now, neither do I. I don’t care about what she cares about anymore. I hate her.”

“My neighbours keep reminding me of how wonderful my brother is, how he is travelling the world, serving the poor and needy voluntarily, while doing exceptionally well at his medical degree. They can’t wait for him to be a doctor.”

“What do they really care about him or about what he does? They just want the privilege of saying they knew him. Something finally memorable in their otherwise unmemorable lives.”

“The hypocrites! I hate them too.”

“My teachers just can’t seem to understand how two children can come from the same parents and be so completely different.”

“They keep talking about how I should be like my brother, working hard and getting big scholarships like the $50,000 Auckland University scholarship he's received, along with so many other little ones.”

“All they do with their incessant preaching is remind me that I am not my brother. When he laps up almost all the trophies on offer, how bad does he make others feel.”

“Being perfect is a folly, it belittles others. I am not greedy like him. I give others a chance to shine.”

“Perhaps he can’t help it. Perhaps there is evil in him too, driving him to perfection, because he wants to show us all up. But I will fight the good fight and never give up. I will be spectacularly ordinary, unlike him – the spectacularly extraordinary. I will never be like him!”

He looked up at her finally, a gleam in his eye. She stared at him silently for some time. It was supposed to have been his creative writing piece on a New Zealander he admired. He had obviously chosen to write about his brother.

But what a twisted lot of feelings these were. She was in shock, almost from his first word. So negative, so envious. Nothing like love, admiration or respect. Then she understood.

‘Envy is the highest adulation,’ she thought. ‘The sincerest. Love and hate are really just two sides of the same coin. So, he does look up to him. And he did capture my attention. Creative indeed!’

She relaxed and kissed him on his forehead.

“Brilliant!” she said at last. “Submit it.”

But as she turned to leave his room, doubt claimed her again.

‘Mike is a perfect package,’ she thought, ‘but does Smith truly believe all the rest of it? We're not like that, are we?’

‘No, it is just creative writing,’ she tried dismissing her misgivings. ‘Some envy is natural. It is the lesser evil. Isn't that why he chose that title?’

‘Or is he talking about the path he’s chosen for himself? To be ordinary, and unlike his brother. Is that the lesser evil?'

'But what if he's really consumed by envy? Is he really talking about his brother being the lesser evil? Or worse, himself as being the lesser evil?'

She felt tormented, but she didn't really want to find out. She hurried out of his room. It was better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt.

Hope Springs Eternal

“What are you thinking?” Sunny asked, as he snuggled in with Ben in his younger son’s bed. Ben had been lying in his bed staring at the ceiling.

“About a creative writing piece I’ve written up for my next assessment,” answered Ben.

“It is set in war-torn Afghanistan of 1980s and talks about why people are forced to abandon their homelands and seek refuge elsewhere in the hope of surviving and re-establishing their lives.”

“I think I have written it well enough to capture the power of hope when one is surrounded by tragedy. Wanna read it?”

Sunny nodded. Ben got up and fetched his story.

“Hot off the press,” he said as he handed it to his father.

Sunny smiled, sat up in the bed and began reading. His son had written:

The sun looked sadly down upon the city of Shar Shar and descended behind the mountain range with a heavy step. Dark ominous shadows slowly crept up on the city.

A tired breeze gathered softly what leaves were left on the almost barren trees and renounced them. A hot earthy smell rose from the sun-baked earth filling me with a lethargic yet contented drowsiness.

The chatter of birds and chirping of cicadas had mellowed, as they too were getting ready to settle down after a long day.

I took off my worn shoes and sodden rags which reeked of hard yakka and settled down on the barren crusted land, under the rusty mud-brick roof. My roof.

Night climbed up my walls stealthily as I lay on my bruised and abused back looking up into the heavens. A deep relaxing sleep overtook me.

I dreamt of peace. I dreamt of a happy place. I dreamt of a happy peaceful place where my family and I could relax and be free of fear.

My young children danced around joyously on the soft green fields with striking flowers of many colours and the sun beamed down upon them from the endless clear horizon.

It was simple, yet so beautiful. It was a life ironically, that I could only dream of. Afghanistan was being torn apart by war.

My daughter was running up a steep gravelly slope playing with her brother. Her foot slipped and she fell. Her shriek startled me, shattering my dream.

I awoke with a start. My eyes flicked open, and I looked about me incomprehensibly. I was where I had slept last night, but it all looked different now.

What had happened to my home? It was in tatters. The roof was gone, the walls blown apart.

A shrieking missile tore down towards me from the sky. I stared at it in paralysed dismay. It landed a short distance away, tearing up the countryside. The impact of its shock-wave knocked me senseless.

As I emerged from my stupor, I noticed flames consuming neighbouring huts voraciously. I stumbled up on my feet and wavered drunkenly.

There were large new depressions in the once-flat ground around me. I heard cries, but what they wanted failed to register on me. Some sounds were near, some far. Some were distinct, some unrecognisable.

I looked in sheer horror at my mother lying on the ground like a broken doll. Her arm was twisted unnaturally and a leg was missing. Another bloody decapitated body lay beside her. It was my brother.

It broke my heart to see her beating her breasts as she lolled beside him, shaking his body as if her feeble efforts to wake him up would bring him back to life.

A tear involuntarily rolled down my dirty blood crusted cheeks. I sat perfectly still as if I was frozen.

Time stood still. I tried frantically to comprehend what was happening. Nothing made sense to me. Why was this happening? Why had it happened to us?

I trembled and shuffled uneasily forward towards my grief-stricken mother. I picked her up in my skinny arms and made an attempt to turn. I almost dropped her.

Slowly, I clambered out of my broken house, swaying from side to side like a drunken man walking. My mother strained her neck back, staring at the motionless body on the ground.

Her good hand stretched towards it earnestly, not ready to let go and her mouth babbled unfathomable pleas. I felt confused, afraid and angry.

Why couldn’t she stay still? She was making it difficult for me to carry her. I was so exhausted, I was almost ready to drop her right there.

A blinding flash lit up the skies, and a thunderous clap followed it down. Another missile flew past, deafening my ears, snatching the earth out from beneath my shaky legs, as if it was just a sheet beneath my feet that someone had effortlessly pulled away from under me.

I dropped my load and sank on my knees beside her. I turned around terrified, in sudden remembrance of my children.

Dread filled my heart, yet fear surged in my limbs lifting my body in an involuntary spasm as I rose and stumbled back inside the rubble that had once been my home.

Then I saw them, huddled in a corner with my wife. They were safe. Tears of relief blinded me.

‘Allah hu Akbar!’ My arms lifted to the heavens in a silent thankful prayer. ‘God is great!’

As I began to regain my composure, I was surprised at my relief. My home was shattered, my neighbours burning, my brother was dead, and my mother was broken.

Yet I felt relief and had thanked my creator, because my children had been spared. They were safe. For the moment.

The human mind lingers not on tragedy. It chases after hope. Hope keeps him alive. It is the fountain head of the resilient human spirit.

I looked around. I didn’t know what to do, but I had to get them all out of here. We weren’t safe here. Not tonight, not ever now.

Fear cleared my mind. Suddenly I realised that as the eldest male, it was now my duty to protect those who had survived, and farewell those who had not.

The Three Friends

Tom, Julian and Dan were fast friends. They went to the same school and were neighbors too. One day, they decided to go for a walk near the river side. They took Dan’s red ball to play with. They played for a long time. When they got tired, they sat down at the river’s edge to rest. They watched river boats go to and fro. “I want to go on a boat one day to the other side of the river,” said Julian. “We will go with you. I will borrow my dad’s fishing rod,” said the other two.

They played for some more time then sat down under the shade of a big tree to rest. “I am hungry Tom. Did you get something to eat?” asked his two friends. “Well Martha made me a few sandwiches. Didn’t you guys get any grub?” “Sure I have chocolate cake my mom made yesterday and some lemonade.” spoke Julian. “I only had time to grab some grapes and oranges,” Dan laughed.

The boys had just taken their first bite, when they heard a sobbing sound coming from the other side of some bushes. Dan ran towards the sound to see who it was. “Hey look! Who is here,” he exclaimed with surprise. Julian went to him and saw a boy of about ten. He was in rags and his eyes were full of tears. “What’s happened to you,” questioned Tom, joining his friends. “What’s your name?” asked Dan.

“My name is Sam. I live with my mom on the other side of the river. I asked a boatman to give me a lift to this side of the river. I have come in search of work. My mom is sick and we have nothing to eat. I want to earn some money and give my mom food and medicines.” said the boy in a sad voice. “Did no one give you a job that side of the river,” asked Julian with surprise.

“The people who live there are very stuck up and don’t care for anyone. Most of them are rich folks with big houses. My mom used to work as a companion to one of the rich old ladies, but she has not been keeping well, so had to give up her job. No one was willing to help me, so I thought I should try to get some work this side of the river,” spoke the boy wiping his eyes.

“Here, take this food and lemonade and eat it while we tell you what to do”, spoke Tom. The boy gobbled the sandwiches in no time, drinking the lemonade thirstily. It seemed he had not eaten proper food for quite some time.

“Well, you can help my dad doing odd jobs in the garage,” said Dan. “My brother needs someone to help in the garden. He is a gardener and has his own farm near by,” spoke Julian excitedly.
“My dad has a grocery store. He will appreciate some help I’m sure,” said Tom.
“Thank you for your food. Can I start work from today?” asked the boy enthusiastically.
“Well come with us and we will see what we can do,” chorused the friends.

When each of the friends talked to their dads, it was decided that Sam would help all three families one week at a time and would get his wages at the end of each week. He started work at Dan’s father’s garage from that day. His new employer gave him some advance with which Sam bought some food and medicines for his mother. He thanked all the three friends and promising to come the next day went back to the other side of the river with the same boatman who had brought him. He was promised a lift by the kind old boatman and Sam being a good boy helped the boatman clean his boat every day.

Thus the days passed happily for everyone around.

Soldier Boy

“Soldier boy” was an affectionate nickname given to me by my father before he passed away. It was both said with pride and his way of calling me a dunderhead.

Dad was an intelligent, cerebral, well-read man, anti-war and pro-independence. He tried to convince me in a variety of ways not to “sign your life away”, including leaving a collection of DVDs for me like “Beneath Hill 60”, “Cross Of Iron” and “My Boy Jack”, as well as many war poems. He also highlighted my distaste for authority. But he failed to stop me. I signed up.

Scottish independence was a different story.

I’m a soldier in the “Ubique” Royal Engineers – “first in, last out” as our esprit de corp goes. There’s a big push for people to register and vote in the Scottish referendum on the British Forces Broadcasting Services (BFBS), repeated more than hourly because encouraging people to vote is good. Let’s be honest, though – the real reason is because the forces are seen as a bastion of No. But don’t be taken in.

Signing up was easy and it wasn’t. On the application paperwork there was a tricky question. I put the form to one side and gave it some serious thought.

I was then advised that I was British and should fill the form in accordingly, to avoid any awkward questions on nationalism or holding “extreme views”.

But I’m used to identity conflicts. My two Glaswegian grandparents made an interesting contribution. My grandma was a Catholic and a Celtic fan, and my Granddad – an armed forces veteran himself – was a Protestant and a Rangers fan, so you can picture their house on Old Firm day: my granny supping her Bells-and-coke cheering the green mob, and my granddad drinking Special Brew next to her shouting on the blues. (Comically, dodgy tickers in old age meant that games were watched only after finding out the result.)

It was at Granddad's funeral we discovered that he secretly supported both Rangers and Celtic. This was a seismic shock to my own identity as well as for others in my family. As a toast to the life-long trickster (famed for selling half-full cigarettes and whisky in the Middle East, or giving me a Rolex as an “heirloom” that after 10 years’ loving protection turned out to be a fake), one half of us at his wake sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” followed by the other half with “Simply The Best”. Yet I was reliably informed that had they lived to see the day, both he and my granny would have voted Yes.

“As in football, as in life”, was my dad’s catchphrase. But the point here is that identity is multifaceted. It’s not a dichotomy, nor are seemingly-conflicting elements necessarily mutually exclusive. The fact that I’m in the armed forces and Britishness plays a part in my self-awareness and identity does NOT preclude any other elements contributing to my sense of who I am.

My comrades and I are a mixed bag. There are a lot of Scottish soldiers who are sharp, charismatic, with a strong sense of injustice. The community of serving and ex-servicemen and women holds what some may think is a surprising amount of Yes voters, as well as people who “don’t have enough information” and still haven’t made their minds up.

I’ve just started a fledgling “Forces for YES” Facebook group, there’s also “Veterans for Yes” as well as other military-related groups. Many more, due to Queen’s Regulations, don’t feel too comfortable being overtly political. My point is we exist – the forces vote is not a foregone conclusion, and it’s certainly not the ramrod for No it’s often perceived and portrayed to be.

Our glorious and individually mongrel, hopscotch, patchwork identities are exactly that: glorious and individual. The variety of people who consider being “a Scot” as part of their identity is itself part of my identity. That may be hard to follow, so I’ll say it clearly: being inclusive, open minded, friendly, and multifaceted is very much part of for me what being a Scot is all about.

I am a “soldier boy”, a dunderhead, a football man. I’m a quarter Welsh, Bahrain-born, Dunblaner, nomad, living in Germany married to a Canadian, and I’m Scottish. I’m all of those things at once, and I’m voting Yes.

Dedicated to you all my friends, Ovat, Chukwudi, Christain,etc.May the Good Lord Protect YOU all from Danger AMEN 

The Princess and the Golden Ball

Once there was a beautiful princess who lived with her father in a huge palace. Although the princess was very beautiful she was also very selfish and conceited. The princess always got her own way and the king was often disappointed with his daughter. He was worried that she would grow into a selfish woman and that she would not be a good example to his people.
One day the princess was playing in the gardens of the palace. She was playing with her favourite possession in the whole world, a golden ball. The princess loved the golden ball because it was so shiny and she could see her reflection upon its surface. She also loved the ball because it was so valuable.

The princess threw the ball high into the air where the sun made it sparkle against the blue sky. Higher and higher she threw the golden ball. So high that she imagined the golden ball was a second sun; a sun belonging to her and her alone.
The golden ball went so high up into the air that it really did begin to look like a sun, and the reflections dazzled the princess who had to close her eyes. The ball landed some way away and began to roll towards the lake in the shadows of the giant Nakla trees.
The princess let out a cry and ran towards the golden ball with her arms outstretched. But she was too late. The ball rolled into the lake and sank beneath the surface out of sight. The princess collapsed onto the ground and began to cry. She cried to hard that her tears fell into the lake making a sound like raindrops. Little ripples stretched across the surface of the lake and still the princess cried and cried.
Then a small voice came out of nowhere. 'Why are you crying, princess?' The princess looked all around but she could not see a single person near the lake. Again the small voice asked, 'why are you crying, my princess?'
When she looked down she saw a small frog sitting on the edge of the lake with wide eyes and little webbed feet.
'I have lost my golden ball and now I will never get it back.'
'Where have you lost it, princess?' said the little frog. 'I can help you find it if it will stop your tears.'
The princess wiped her tears away. Perhaps this little frog can help me, she thought.
'It is at the bottom of the lake where I cannot reach.'
The little frog looked at the princess and smiled. 'I can fetch it for you, princess. I will dive to the bottom of the lake and I will bring back your golden ball for you.'
The princess was delighted by the news and also smiled, but before the frog jumped into the water her wanted the princess to make him a promise.
'I will promise you anything if you will bring me back my golden ball,' said the princess.
'I want you to take me with you back to the palace and be my friend. If you promise to do this then I will dive to the bottom of the lake and find your golden ball.'
The princess agreed right away and so the little frog jumped into the lake and swam all the way to the bottom where he took the golden ball in his mouth. The ball was very heavy and the little frog struggled to get back to the surface. Eventually he appeared on the edge of the lake and dropped the ball onto the grass at the princesses' feet.
The princess took the ball and held it to her chest and laughed with glee. Then she ran towards the palace, leaving the frog behind.
'Wait for me,' cried the little frog. 'You promised to take me with you!'
But the princess ignored the frog, forgetting all about her promise. All she could think about was how happy she was that she had her golden ball. And she knew it would be dinner time at the palace and she was hungry. The princess only ever thought about herself and the poor frog was left alone on the edge of the lake.
Later that evening the princess and the king were sitting down to dinner in the palace. The princess did not spare a thought for the frog, or for the promise she had made him.
Then there was a knock at the palace door. A moment later the frog hopped into the dining hall and jumped up on to the table next to the princess. The princess was horrified and cried out, 'go away you disgusting frog!' But the king silenced his daughter and asked the frog what he was doing inside the palace. The frog told the kind all about the promise the princess had made to him. The king was very angry with his daughter and commanded her to keep her promise to the frog.
'We must always do as we promise, daughter.'
'But he is just a frog and I am a princess,' she said, almost in tears once again.
'That does not matter. You must do as you said you would do.'
The king made the princess serve the frog a small plate of food which the little frog hungrily gobbled down.
The princess was angry at her father and even angrier at the frog. She thought it wrong that a frog should be inside the palace, eating at her table with the king. But the king paid no attention to his daughter's foul mood.
Eventually the princess had had enough of the little frog and stood to go to bed. She bid her father goodnight and made to leave, but the frog reminded the princess of her promise to stay with him and be his friend. The king agreed that the princess must take the little frog to bed with her so that he might sleep on her pillow.
'I will not do it!' exclaimed the princess. But the king insisted his daughter keep her promise.
Although she did not want to, the princess knew that she must do as her father instructed. She placed her hand on the table and the little frog jumped into her palm. Then she went up to her bedroom.
Once away from the king, the princess was very mean to the little frog. She threw him onto her bed and told him that he was an ugly creature, and that he was very impudent to assume he could sleep on the pillow of a princess.
She got ready for bed and pulled the covers up close around her, ignoring the little frog who was sitting on the edge of her pillow.
'Why do you hate me so?' asked the frog. I did as you asked and rescued your golden ball from the bottom of the lake. All I asked in return was for you to keep your promise to be my friend.'
The frog lowered his head and tears escaped from his sad, wide eyes as he began to cry. 'I have been living by the lake for many years and all I wanted was to have your company. It is not a good life to be all alone with nobody to talk to.'
The princess was very moved by the frog's tears and her heart began to soften. Although she was a princess, and she had everything a young woman might want, she was an only child with no brothers or sisters to play with. The princess had grown up alone in the palace and she often wished that she was able to share her time with others. Often she would hear the young children playing on the other side of the palace walls and she was envious of their laughter and games.
The princess and the frog talked into the night and soon the princess forgot altogether that he was a frog and thought of him in a kind way. She shared stories her father had told her as a baby, and the frog enjoyed listening very much.

Towards dawn both the frog and the princess were very tired. The princess realised that she was happy to have a friend to talk to, and she regretted being so mean to the little frog. Just as they were both about to fall asleep, the princess leaned forwards and kissed the frog on the lips.
Instantly there was a blinding flash of silver light. The princess closed her eyes in shock. When she opened them a handsome prince stood before her and the little frog had vanished altogether.
'You have set me free with your kindness, princess,' said the handsome prince. 'You kept your promise and you befriended me even though I was just a frog.'
The very next morning the prince asked the king for his daughter's hand in marriage. The king agreed at once and the young couple were wed in the palace grounds next to the lake, beneath the shadows of the Nakla trees.
From that day forwards the princess was a changed person. She knew how important it was to keep a promise, and she treated her people with kindness and respect no matter how rich or how poor they were.