An Unholy Redemption Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The warmth of the morning sun caressed the back of Mary’s head as it shone through the window. She started to stir from her slumber and raised her weary head for a full morning stretch. She felt for a moment like time had stood still. But panic quickly set in as she noticed John’s bed was empty and he wasn’t lying next to her.

“Oh my God, John where are you?”

“It’s all right Mary, I’m fine. I’m over here.” She turned to where the voice was coming from. She shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight emanating from the window and engulfing the man standing in front of it.

“John, is that you?”

“Yes, it is me Mary, your brother John.”

“My God,” she screamed as she leapt off her chair and ran into his open arms. “But how can this be? Let me look at you.” She turned him away from the sunlight to get a better look at him. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. John’s usual grey pallor had totally vanished; his eyes were shining light crystals and so full of life, looking like they did before he became ill. “I can’t believe it! How is this possible?” she asked as she hugged him tighter.

“I told you, Mary that God would take care of me. It is a miracle, all those dreams and visions I had, they were all true, the ones you so easily dismissed.”

“I just thought it might have been the medication you are on making you hallucinate. Besides it might not be a miracle, your cancer could have gone into remission.”

“Forever the doubting Thomas, aren’t you Mary? Don’t you know God and I heard your prayer last night?” Mary’s face went pale.

“What prayer?” she asked nervously. John then recited Mary’s prayer word for word and even told her where she had been standing.

“I don’t believe it,” she stammered.

“My dear Mary, believe what you like but look at me, I am a walking miracle, alive and ready to spread the word of God.”

“John, I must get a doctor to check you over. Please get back into bed. I’ll be back shortly.” She waited until John had got himself comfortable back in his bed and then ran down the corridor to find a doctor.

 

 After a long sleep, Lucifer sat on the end of his bed, staring at the picture of Jesus. He was trying to understand why someone would want to save somebody’s life. He couldn’t understand the concept of love and someone sacrificing their own life the sake of others. Well, you saved people because you wanted to, whereas I saved someone because I was forced to. He rubbed his arm where the blue light had appeared. As he stood, he looked out of the window. The sun was shining bright and in the garden below, Ruth was sitting in a sun chair lying back absorbing the sun. “Luther, are you awake?” David’s voice was accompanied by a knock on the door.

“Well if I wasn’t, I am now with you hammering on the door. What do you want anyway?”

“Me and Ruth wanted to know if you would join us in the garden for breakfast before we go to the hospital to see John.”

“I’ll be down shortly.”

“Okay, don’t be long. I’ll see you downstairs.” Lucifer listened as David’s footsteps faded and took another look out the window. He watched David join Ruth and thought to himself, It’s time to make a big decision.

To Mary, it seemed ages since the doctors had gone in to see John. Nurses were rushing in and out, carrying blood samples off to pathology for examination. Mary wanted to call David and Ruth but the battery on her mobile had died and she didn’t have any change for a payphone. Her frantic thoughts were disturbed by the door of John’s room opening. A group of three doctors left his room, the last one stopping to talk to her. He wore a puzzled look on his face.

“In all my years as a doctor, I have never witnessed what I have today.”

“What do you mean? Is he all right?”

“Mary my dear, he’s better than all right. He no longer has cancer. In fact there are no signs that he ever had it at all, apart from the weight loss, but when he puts on weight, I’m sure he’ll have a body most men of his age would envy. I really don’t understand it. Something like this defies all known laws of medical science.”

“What? I don’t understand.” Mary was now questioning her own beliefs. Could what John spoke about be true? Was she witnessing a modern day miracle? The doctor shrugged, then smiled.

“Can I go in and see him?”

“Yes of course you can. We will be keeping him in for a couple of days just to keep an eye on him.”

“Thank you, doctor for everything you have done.” Mary watched as the doctor walked off down the corridor, still shaking his head in disbelief. When she walked in, she saw John sitting upright in his hospital bed, a smile across his face and a twinkle in his eye. “You certainly know how to shock people don’t you John? That poor doctor, he looks as though he’s whole belief in the medical system has just flown right out of the window.”

“That’s good,” John replied.

“Is it, why?”

“Don’t you understand, that is my purpose now, to get people believing in another faith besides science, and this is the reason why God sent someone to save me.”

“Sorry John, you’ve lost me. What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

“Well, if I’ve shocked that doctor without as much as a word, and challenged his belief system, imagine what I can do if I start preaching to other people about the miracle that has happened to me? I want the world to know that God is good and God is great and merciful. I will tell them that I am that living proof.”

“John, I understand that you’re excited at what’s happened to you, but don’t you think you should slow down a little?

“I’ve spent the last two years in bed with that wretched illness slowing me down. It took my energy and it was destroying my body, Mary my love, but not anymore. Soon I’ll be out of here and then my pilgrimage can begin.”

“Okay, let’s just get you one hundred per cent fit again first.” Even though the doctor had told her that John was more than well, Mary couldn’t help acting on the assumption she should be caring for and protecting him.

“Breakfast time for the miracle man.” A nurse had entered the room with a breakfast tray.

“Miracle man,” Mary said with an air of distaste and disapproval. The nurse turned to look at Mary.

“Yes, word spreads very quickly here on the ward and your brother has got everybody talking.” Mary looked at John, who clearly liked what he was hearing.

“You see Mary, it has begun. Already people are talking about me, now they will listen to what I have to say, won’t they nurse?” The nurse smiled and laid his tray on the bedside table. “Yes John, I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more about you. Now is there anything else I can get for you?”

“Thank you, nurse. If you don’t mind, my sister wishes to phone our sister Ruth. Unfortunately her mobile is dead and she doesn’t have any money.”

Mary gasped. “How did you know that?” John gave a radiant smile. “God now talks to me when I’m awake, so I don’t have to be dreaming to hear the voice of the Most High.” The nurse’s smile grew bigger. “I’ll bring the ward phone to you as quickly as possible. Praise God for the miracle man.” Mary lifted her eyebrow as the nurse left the room in search of the phone.

“I wish she wouldn’t call you that. It makes you sound like some sort of freak. Now tell me John, what’s the hurry for me to have the phone?”

“Well, besides informing Ruth and David that I’m well, you have to speak to Luther. God has big plans for you two.”

“Right,” Mary said suspiciously, “what do you mean by that?”

 

“All God told me was that you should now speak to Luther on the phone and tell him it’s not the right time for decision making It’s imperative that Luther listens to you if he wants to gain his freedom. This can only be done after you two have met again.”

“What! How can us meeting again gain his freedom?”

“Mary, I am not here to question the Most High. I am just telling you what was told to me. Will you do it? After everything that has been promised to me has come true, is it not evident that God loves me and knows what is right?”

“I guess so, I’m just finding it very hard to understand why God would take such an interest in my personal life.”

“Well my darling sister, there is only one way to find out isn’t there?”

 

 

Lucifer had joined Ruth and David outside in the morning sun. Ruth was sitting sipping her orange juice and David was struggling with a very flaky croissant. “So Luther,” David said, “will you come with us to the hospital to see Mary and John?”

“I don’t know. I have to make a decision of where to go from here. I feel I have to move on because there’s nothing for me here now.” David nervously dropped his knife.

“Luther, please you can’t go anywhere. You don’t have a job and you don’t have any money. Where would you go and what would you do?”

“I’m sure I’ll find my own way. I always have and always depended on myself.”

“Yes, but look where that got you. When I found you, you were waking up alone in a lion’s cage.” Lucifer looked at him with disapproval. “I’m sorry if I offended you Luther, but where are all your family and friends when you need them the most? From where I’m sitting, it looks like we are all you have right now. Tell him Ruth.”

“I’m keeping out of it. I’m more concerned about my brother right now, more than anything in the world.”

“What makes you think I need anyone David?” Lucifer retorted. “All my existence I have never needed anyone and I certainly don’t now.”

“Maybe that’s your problem.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Tell me, have you ever asked yourself why you don’t let people get close to you or why you don’t have any friends around you?”

“I don’t want people to get close to me. I want everything and everybody near me destroyed. Nobody will ever get close to me. I would rather see them in hell first.” David’s mobile phone started flashing on the breakfast table.

“Excuse me. Hello Mary. How’s John?” Lucifer watched as an astonished look grew on David’s face. “I don’t believe it. Hold on, I’ll put the phone on speaker so Ruth can hear you too.” David pushed a button on his phone and laid it on the table.

“Ruth, are you there?” Mary’s voice called out.

“Yes, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, on the contrary I have great news.” Mary paused. “It’s John, he’s made a total recovery. There’s no more cancer and the doctors reckon in a couple of weeks he will be fitter than ever.”

“What! How can it be, did the doctors tell you why?”

“No, they don’t know, they say it defies all medical history and knowledge.”

“Hello sis, it’s the miracle man.” Lucifer watched Ruth eyes swell with tears as she sat close to the phone.

“Is that really you John? Are you really well and cured?” David had gone over to his wife and put his arm around her.

“Yep, it’s me John, the miracle man.”

“Stop it, John,” Mary interrupted in a joking tone. Lucifer took hold of his arm as his heart began to beat fast, sending the same familiar pain around his body while he watched the love and emotion on David’s and Ruth’s faces. Suddenly, both David and Ruth leapt to their feet and grabbed hold of Lucifer and held him in a warm embrace. The feeling he was experiencing intensified, so much so he could see the blue glow returning around his arm. “Get off me! Leave me alone.” He pushed them off and watched as they danced around the garden, embracing one another.

“Go on Mary, it’s time.” They heard John’s voice on the other end of the phone.

“I don’t know if I should.” The embracing had stopped and now all of them were listening to Mary and John talking.

“Trust me Mary and trust the Most High. You know it is what God wants.” Lucifer’s full attention was concentrated on the phone. “Okay John, David is Luther there? I need to speak to him.”

“Yes Mary, he’s sitting here listening to everything.”

“Can you give him the phone? I want to speak to him privately.”

“Oh, okay.” David replied with disappointment at not being allowed to listen. “Tell you what, me and Ruth will go and get ready indoors to come and see you while you talk to Luther. See you soon Mary and John, love you both.” Lucifer watched as Ruth and David ran indoors and closed the door behind them.

“Are they gone?” Mary asked quietly. Lucifer didn’t answer, the pain from his heart was still troubling him and the blue aura around his arm was shining even more brightly.

“Try again Mary,” John said. “I know he’s listening.”

“All right, be quiet John. Luther I know you’re there. I have a message from John.”

“No! Not from me, from God.”

“Sorry, I have a message from God given to John. The message is that it is not the right time for a decision. If you truly want to gain the freedom you so desire, you have to meet up with me again. Only then will be the right time for the decision.” Lucifer waited and lowered his head for a while contemplating with suspicion at what Mary had said.

“And me meeting up with you again will grant me my freedom?”

“Yes, that’s what God told John.”

“Can you explain to me how someone like you could release me and give me my freedom?”

“I don’t know! And what do you mean someone like me?”

“I just don’t trust what God has to say. I’m very suspicious of why God the Most High would choose you to save me.”

“I don’t know either, but after seeing all the things that have happened to John, I can’t ignore what God is telling him.”

“Go on, and the rest,” John was again forcing Mary to speak.

“All right I was just about to. Luther, I want to say sorry for being angry with you when you were trying to help John back at the house. Things have been crazy lately and I’ve been so emotional. Believe me, I don’t know what’s going on, but John assures me that everything will become clear when we meet.”

“I’m sure it will, “Lucifer replied ironically, “Mary, if God’s word is spoken to John, prove it. Tell me something I would only know.”

“Now, now, Luther. You know you shouldn’t test the Lord,” said John. “God did tell me to remind you of your name which is being held in a safe place for you until you want and are ready to receive it again.”

“My name? How intriguing that you and God think I don’t know my own name?” Mary and John could tell Lucifer was mocking them.

“Okay, tell us your name then.”

“Very well, it’s Lu … Damn, I can’t tell you. God has forbidden me to speak it aloud.”

“Luther, it’s okay, we believe you and …” The lined bleeped as the phone was running out of money. “See you soon, the man with no name,” John said with a chuckle.

“Stop it, John. See you soon, Luther.” The phone went dead leaving nothing but silence. Even the birds in the trees had silenced their song. As he sat in this moment of quiet, Lucifer thought to himself, How could Mary, a mortal, and the one who causes me so much pain whenever she is around, save me? He concluded it was another one of God’s deceptions to add to his suffering. He wondered if there was no the end to the Almighty’s wrath against him. David poked his head out of the door.

“All done, Luther?”

“Well, they’re no longer on the phone if that’s what you mean.”

“Okay good,” David said as he came outside and switched the phone off. “Are you all right? You look very pale. What did Mary want?”

“I’m fine, and stop fussing. If you ask me another question I swear I will...” He paused before adding, Tear your heart out.

“Well, I just have one other question, are you coming to hospital with us to pick Mary up?”

“No, I’ll wait here. I have some more thinking to do.” Lucifer could tell what David was about to say. “Don’t worry, I’ll still be here when you get back. Just don’t bring Mary round. I’m not ready for that yet.”

“Whatever you say is fine with me. We’ll go round to Mary’s house and leave you to have some time on your own.”

“Are you two ready?” Ruth was calling from inside the house.

“Coming darling, see you later, Luther.”

“Go! Before I rip your soul out,” Lucifer growled. David nervously laughed and ran into the house to his waiting wife.

“Come on David, I want to go and see my brother. Is Luther not coming?”

“No, I think he wants some time to sulk and be on his own.”

“Oh well, let him be on his own. Anyway, did you find out what Mary wanted with him?”

“I don’t know, he wouldn‘t say. But I think it must have been something very important. He said he didn’t want to see Mary right now.”

“The sooner we get to see Mary and John, the sooner we can find out from Mary what she said. Now let’s go and meet the miracle man.”