THE MISSING DOCK-FOWL: THE TRAGEDY OF A HARBOURED SIN By Oyigu O. Elijah There was a certain man in a certain land that had a lovely family with a good wife and two obedient male children. He had a dock-fowl that he treasured in the same proportion that he treasured his own life because he loved the bird more than other domestic animals in his home. People were however, wondering on why such attention should be given to a bird such as dock-fowl. On a fateful day, he summoned his children that he was traveling out with their mother for a three day trip. He pleaded with them to oversee the affairs of the home pending his return. He emphatically and privately addressed the eldest son to take care of his younger brother till they return back. “We shall conduct and comport ourselves well while you are away,” the children promised. Just a few hours after the departure of their parents, the children, who were font of using catapult to hunt after flying birds, took to their orchard and began catapulting. They faced the north side, the west side, east side and other directions of the orchard in throwing off stones through their self made catapult. Catapult is an elastic robe-like material with two equal sizes which is tied to each side of a Y-shaped stick with a suitable head. It is often used in firing stones at a target. As the catapulting exercise continued, the eldest son mistakenly hit his father’s dock-fowl with the stone from his catapult while the dock-fowl was resting within the orchard. It eventually died without much ado after a minute struggle. “Oh! I am finished,” the eldest son cried out. “What is the matter?” Junior asked. “Daddy will kill me when he returns back, Elder said while he profusely cried.” “Elder, you seldom cry and your eyes are always known to be a Sahara desert without water flow, how come you are shedding tears as if your eyes have become the source of Eniji stream?” “Junior, Elder called and continued, I have killed Daddy’s dock-fowl.” “What??? Junior shouted and continued, you have truly committed a felony. This is a serious crime. But, you are aware of Daddy’s closeness with the bird, how come you could not guide your stone well?” They both rushed down to the scene of the accident and found the duck-fowl struggling between death and life. They tried to resuscitate it back to life by breathing air into the dock-fowl through its anus while holding the head up. They also prayed unto God to help bring the duck-fowl back to life the same way He woke Lazarus from death after four days of being in the grave. However, those methods could not restore back the life of their father’s most cherished bird so that they wept bitterly even as they almost cried out their hearts. “I am finished! Oh! Daddy will finish me out of existence, but I need a favour from you.” “A favour?” Junior asked. “Yes,” Elder replied. “What is it?” “I need you to cooperate with me so that we bury it somewhere in the bush and when Daddy comes back, we shall jointly tell him that we neither saw it nor know its whereabouts. Will you help me out? Elder begged.” “Yes, that will be a way out otherwise Daddy may not take it lightly with you.” They buried the dead dock-fowl as agreed by the duo of Elder and Junior. When their father returned back from his trip, he appreciated them for taking care of the house while he was on transit. However, he did not ask of the dock-fowl until the eventide. When it was time for fowls to rose, the dock-fowl failed to return as usual. After three days of his return, the father called the children each and asked them of the whereabouts of his dock-fowl. “Elder, my son, where art thou?” The father called. “Here I am, daddy,” the Eldest son replied. “I have not seen my dock-fowl since I returned back from the trip. Where could it be?” The father asked. “I don’t know its whereabouts sir,” the son lied. “It is three days that I have not been seeing it, do call Junior for me, perhaps he might have the knowledge about the wellbeing of the dock-fowl.” “Ok sir,” the eldest son replied his Daddy. “Daddy, my brother told me that you called me, here I am sir.” “You are welcome my son. Hoped you are fine?” The father asked. “I am fine daddy,” the son replied. “It seems my dock-fowl has not returned home for three days now. Do you know its whereabouts?” “Not at all, Daddy, I don’t know where it must have gone to,” the son lied again. “But I asked your brother and you to take care of the house, how come you people could not take care of the dock-fowl?” “Daddy, we actually took care of the house according to the strength of our abilities, but for the dock-fowl we don’t know where it is.” “I have always believed in whatever you people tell me because I know you don’t lie. The dock-fowl must have been stolen by a thief or something else must have happened to it. Such is life,” the father concluded. Three days later, the father asked the children to go and work on the farm, he gave them the working implements while he stayed back at home. By tradition, Junior was asked to take the working implements because an elderly individual does not carry load in the presence of the young ones especially when going to farm. But something sucking happened on their way to the farm; “Elder,” Junior called. “I can hear you my brother,” Elder replied. After dropping the hoes from his head, Junior said, “please come and take these hoes by yourself, and if you refuse, when we get back home, I will tell daddy that you killed his dock-fowl.” “I will gladly carry them, provided you will not tell daddy about the dead dock-fowl.” Elder took the two hoes with a cutlass and a gallon of drinking water while Junior walked behind him with nothing on his hands. This justifies the saying that, sin reduces an elderly individual to a junior level. It reduces your value and makes great men appear small. When they finally got to the farm, in line with their usual practice, they shared their work between themselves so as to encourage seriousness. Each of them was to take a portion of the work. “But I have something to say,” Junior voiced out again, just five minutes into the work. “What do you want to say when we should be working?” Elder replied. “I am not going to participate in this work today, only you will do it and if you refuse to comply, when we get home I will tell daddy how you schemed to kill his dock-fowl and buried it. The choice is yours,” Junior concluded. “I will do the work. I will do it with joy, provided you maintain our agreement. Please, do not tell Daddy that I did it,” Elder appealed. Elder took the hoe and did the work that was meant for two people. It was an arduous and a laborious work with dust all over his body. He painstakingly did the work while Junior stood watching. When they returned back from the farm, the parents appreciated their loyalty. They praised them, for being diligent and resilient. Their mother however, asked junior to come and take their launch. The duo often ate together, them, eating together was meant to maintain filial and mutual symbiosis between them as children. It was meant to steam their love and bring them closer. But it was another scene entirely after Junior brought the food that he came up with another issue. “I am the only one that will eat all the meat and the fish in the soup, but if you feel otherwise, I will tell our father about what you did to his dock-fowl,” Junior said authoritatively. “Of what value are meat and fish to me? If only you will not tell daddy, I will be eating my food without fish and meat. I will be ok with that. But promise me that you will not tell daddy of what happened.” Elder was no longer eating fish apart from ordinary food. The protein content in his blood reduced drastically with acute increase in the carbohydrate level. He eventually emaciated and obviously leaned. Most of his wears became oversize all of a sudden. His parents out of love and care, asked him to know why he was leaning, but he declined, saying that he did not know. Oh! The devil did not cause it. It was rather a self induced affliction. This explains the fact that, a haboured sin makes an individual lean and emaciate both in values and in appearance. An un-confessed sin drains your true worth and makes you empty. It chases away your beauty and exposes the ugly part of you. A few days later, they were both sent to the stream to go and wash clothes. They were sent to Eniji Stream, a distance of more than a kilometer away from their residence which was located within the North Central of Ibobo Republic. Eniji Stream has one of the cleanest water in their Republic as its natural spring source would have further bettered the lives of the inhabitants, should they had visionary leaders managing the natural resources of the land other than organic resource. The assignment at Eniji Stream was meant for both Elder and Junior, but on getting to the stream, Junior maintained his usual voice by asking his elder brother to do the needful by washing all the clothes, otherwise he would report his hidden misdemeanor to their father. Being afraid of the consequence, Elder still complied and begged him not to tell their father. He painstakingly washed all the clothes even though he did not find it easy. The harboured sin subjected him to those unnecessary but harsh domestic chores. When they returned back from the stream, having washed the clothes alone, both of them share in the glory as their parents appreciated them. However, their mother, came meeting them, pleading with them to manage the little food she prepared for them as the size of the food was not up to their usual ration. She therefore asked Junior, to come and pick the food. When Junior finally brought the food, both of them washed their hands to do justice to the food. But, Junior raised another alarm again. “Did you hear what Mummy tell us about the food,” Junior asked. “Yes, I did,” Elder replied. Since the food is said to be little, it is only me that will eat it and I want you to comply as you have always done, otherwise the cat will be made to be let out of the basket. On hearing this, Elder, who had laboriously worked at the stream, could not know what to do. He was already famished. His large and small intestines were already waiting for a nutritional revival. If he should comply as usual, he didn’t know when their mummy would cook again. If he had resorted to eat with his brother not minding what would happen, the brother might uncover the secret in such a way that the daddy might be angry with him. He found himself in the valley of decisions as the bell of many alternatives was ringing in his head. He finally resorted to go back to his father and tell him what he did without recourse to what his father will do him. At this point, Junior had not started eating. He was still waiting to get a reply from his brother. However, Elder only told him to wait for him that he was coming back in a jiffy even as he kept Junior was kept in the oblivion of where his elder brother was going. With tears he appeared before his father and portrayed before him, asking him for forgiveness. “Why are you crying my son?” The father asked “I have seen against you my father,” the son replied. “You are a son, you are not a slave to me, and what did you do that amount you rolling on the ground? I am your father, do tell me.” “Daddy,” the son called and boost into tears again. “Be yourself and tell me what happened. Dry your tears,” the father pleaded. “Daddy, your dock-fowl did not miss. I mistakenly killed it when you travelled the other day but because I was afraid of what you would do me, knowing that you so cherished it, I connived with Junior and we both agreed to bury it and concealed it from the reach of your notice. Father, I have sinned against your heaven. I have sinned against your earth. Please kill me.” “Oh! My son, why killing yourself because of a mere animal. A million of dock-fowl cannot be compared to a stride of hair on your heard. You are more important to me than the dock-fowl. Please, my son wide off the tears and cheer up. You are forgiven.” Elder returned back to their room, where Junior was waiting in confusion since he did not know where his brother went to. On his return, Elder washed his hand again, ready to eat food. His mood suggested that he was happy. “Did you forget what I told you the other time,” Junior asked. “What did you tell me?” Elder asked in response. “I said, since the food is not enough, only me will eat it today and if you refuse to comply, I will tell daddy about the role you played that led to the missing of his dock-fowl.” “Oh, is that the reason why you said I should not eat the food?” “Yes!” Junior replied. Elder stoop up with smiles on his face while replied his brother, are you talking about my own father’s dock-fowl? Please go and tell him. Run and quickly go and tell him. Inform him of everything that happened. Do not waste time, just go and tell him. I have met with my daddy. He has forgiven me already. You will not cheat me anymore. You will not be eating while watch anymore. You will not make me a slave anymore. I am freed from serving you already. My father has truly forgiven me. Brethren, we have many of our people today who have taken or who are still taking the part of bro Elder. They don’t know how to confess their sins. They are interesting in piling up sin and thereby making it turn to loads on their head. An un-confessed is a heavy load until such sin is confessed. God is NOT a monster. He is not a ruthless Lord. He is not a taskmaster. He is not a cruel father. He is interested in forgiving you if only you come to him. God is a forgiven God. Do not wait till you meet other brethren in fellowship before you confess any sin but you need to confess without much ado as soon as the Holy Ghost signals you. We are Holy Ghost carriers and not sin carriers. Be bold to access the throne of mercy. The seated King on that throne is Mercy Himself, Jesus our Redeemer and our Saviour. Turn to Him. Like Elder in the above story, do not run away from the Father God. Only be conscious of the Seed in you (1John 3:9). Matt 11:28-30 28 Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and youll recover your life. Ill show you how to take a real rest. 29 Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I wont lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and youll learn to live freely and lightly. (from THE MESSAGE BIBLE). I hear the Lord calling you with a loud voice, he is calling you to come out of the habit of making the habit of sin. Jesus is asking you not to see the gravity of the sin that you have committed. He has forgiven you all the sins you’ve hitherto committed and even the ones you will ever commit in this life; all you need to do is to confess to Him. Just come to him in faith not as a slave but as a son. He is ready to give you rest. He is ready to re-unite with you. He is ready to renew your fellowship with the Holy Ghost. A harboured sin acts the same way that virus corrupts our computers. It reduces your effectiveness and makes you stay aloof from the father God. Isaiah 1:18 18 Come. Sit down. Lets argue this out. This is Gods Message: If your sins are blood-red, theyll be snow-white. If theyre red like crimson, theyll be like wool. (From THE MESSAGE BIBLE). **The End** NB: THE SONG VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY SUNG IN IGALA BY REV’D ELIJAH Y. ABALAKA. THE ARTICLE IS WRITTEN IN ENGLISH BY ELIJAH O. OYIGU. ***All rights reserved****
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 17:39:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015