Despite the fact that Afua had been disobedient by running to her father’s rescue, God had not marked that iniquity permanently against her[ii]. Instead he’d extended forgiveness and mercy as evident by the fact that most of her vital organs had been protected. And the ones that had suffered damage seemed to miraculously heal right before Xander’s very eyes.
There was no doubt in his mind that all Afua would have to remind her of this act of disobedience was a long scar. Fortunately, she could easily have that removed by either Earth technology or Katanian.
“How is she?” Badru asked, perusing his daughter’s still, yet breathing figure on the shulchan. He looked years older with worry.
Xander secured the last stitch and lifted his head with a smile. “We all know that she will survive, but I predict Afua will make a full and speedy recovery.” The smiles of the ascending angels seemed to testify of that fact.
A now much younger-looking Badru fell to his knees and praised God for saving his daughter’s life and countless others, and for removing Jay’s evil from the world.
Nasiir, who had returned to his true form by now and had finally seen angels for himself upon entering Xander’s cabin, praised God for the same things as Badru. Except he threw in an extra report of praise. For now that the Earth mission was nearing an end, Nasiir could finally go home to Pendo. That alone was much to praise about.
Badru and Nasiir would not be the only people on the floor sending up high praises to a most Holy God who heals and delivers. Xander joined them right after placing electronic monitoring tags upon Afua’s torso to keep track of her progress.
~~~ >< ~~~
Afua woke up two days later back in her own room at the homestead. Even though she felt as if she’d been run over by a truck, the fact that she was still alive made even that level of pain tolerable.
“I have been waiting to see those beautiful eyes again.” Xander moved into Afua’s view from where he’d been standing by the northern window. He’d been looking at the orange and blue setting of another Earth day.
“How long have I been out?” Afua asked, attempting to sit up in the queen sized bed. The purple comforter she was currently covered with had been purchased by her fiancé.
“Do not sit up yet, beloved. It is too soon for you to be moving around,” Xander replied, stilling her movements with his right hand before answering her question. “You have been in and out of consciousness for forty-eight hours. You were talking in tongues some of that time, but today was the first day you have actually opened your eyes.”
Afua nodded. She wasn’t surprised that her spirit man took over while her body was weak. After all, the spirit of a person will sustain him/her in sickness.[iii] However, she was surprised that her father was not here.
“How did our plan go and where is my father?” Afua hoped he wasn’t in jail for killing Jay Horrell. She wanted to tell Badru that she’d finally forgiven herself for what happened with her mother.
Trying to save her father had reminded Afua that she was not God. That as a human being, she was subject to make mistakes at times. Which was the main reason she needed a forgiving Savior. The reason they all did.
Speaking of Afua’s mother, Daisy’s picture was back on her bedroom wall. The Gladwins had brought all those things back as soon as they saw lights on at the Karson house.
“Our plan was very successful. It did what it was destined to do. As for Dr. Karson and Nasiir, they are holding press conferences at a local hotel in order to keep the crowds away from the house. Though your father prudently stated that you were recovering nicely at an undisclosed location, he didn’t want the media to come here anyway to disturb you or your neighbors. However, he and Nasiir have been at the house via transporter every chance they get.” Xander moved to the eastward placed wicker nightstand, where a pitcher and drinking glass sat. “Would you like some spring water? It’s the flavor of Katanian orange.”
Afua nodded. “Yes, please.” Then when she had taken several long sips from the straw he’d put to her mouth, she started in with the questions again. “How are things going with the media?”
Xander returned the glass to the nightstand and sat down in the wicker chair on the right side of the bed. “It is going very well for us with all the documented evidence we presented. Some of that evidence includes the things Nasiir retrieved from Jay’s home and office while he was there destroying any references to my presence on Earth. However, it is not going so well for Jay’s associates. There is even talk of postponing the presidential election this year.”
“This is serious. America has never postponed a presidential election before,” Afua said.
“In light of all that had been revealed about Jay Horrell and his associates it seems extremely wise to do so. Especially since reports are surfacing that the election itself had been corrupted. After witnessing the earth swallow Jay alive, people from all over the nation are repenting and coming forth with news that they had been paid to rig the electronic voting system so that Jay would win no matter how the people voted.”
“Wow! God really is awesome,” Afua replied in reference to the unique demise of the wicked. “Like a house of cards, everything that Jay established is falling down.” She shook her head sadly. “Too bad so many others are going to be taken down with him. And this is just the beginning.”
Xander shrugged. “I imagine most of them are just glad that the ground didn’t swallow them up, too. I am sure they will find that man’s judgment is much more tolerable than the Creator’s.”
Even Mrs. Horrell seemed content to be in the asylum that authorities committed her to after hearing her refer to a talking cat that paralyzed her. Incidentally, Adrasteia was the only one that Xander, Nasiir, and Badru had any sympathy for. Afua seemed to have enough sympathy to spread around for all the misguided souls from Jay’s life as evidenced by her next comments.
“Even still we must fast and pray for them. That they all repent and come to a saving knowledge of Christ,” Afua said, feeling stronger by the minute.
Xander smiled, extremely comforted by her fiery spirit. It was a sign that she was feeling better. He was pleased by that. Very pleased.
“We will pray all we want, beloved, but the fasting will have to come later.” Xander reached for her hand. “You need to regain your full strength first.”
Afua chuckled. “You’re right.” Then she had an idea. “But I do believe I have enough strength for one other thing, maybe two.”
“What two things are those?” Xander asked, noting her mischievous smile. That was a definite sign that she was getting better.
“Thing one is a big juicy kiss for my future husband,” Afua said, licking her lips already in anticipation. “Thing two you’ll just have to wait and see since I’m going to need a phone for that.”
Xander chuckled and leaned towards her. “I am ready to work on thing one any time you are, beloved.”
________________________________________
[i] Psalm 34:7; 91:11
[ii] Psalm 130:3-4
[iii] Proverbs 18:14
Epilogue
2189 - January
Afua was wed on her sick bed. After calling her pastor with her unique request, she then contacted her father at the hotel where he was conducting meetings. This way, Badru and Nasiir could attend the bedside ceremony within the hour.
Xander was more than pleasantly surprised by Afua’s actions. When the pastor asked for his full name, he gave a surprise of his own by stating that his name was Xander Manning.
Xander said that surname with such pride that it was obvious that he was honored to bear the name of his birth parents. Afua felt honored to bear that name, as well. From all she’d heard about the Mannings, they were wonderful people. They’d certainly impacted several planets for the better.
Now that Afua had finally regained all of her strength, she and Xander headed to Hekima (Nico-1) for a quiet honeymoon. Nasiir and his pregnant wife Pendo w
elcomed them to the planet with open arms. Nasiir’s parents did, too.
Afua had already met Xander’s adopted family when they transported inside of the Karson home back in early November. She liked them all instantly, especially Noam, who couldn’t seem to stop hugging her.
The whole time Afua was on Hekima, she thought about how it truly was like the Garden of Eden. The weather was exactly the same every day and a mist went up from the ground to water the vegetation[i]. She and Xander had the time of their lives there.
On their last night on Hekima, Mother Tuhfa requested a private audience with Afua. “Nine Earth months from now you will have a child,” the mature buck said as they walked in the same garden that she and Juna had communed in so long ago. It did Tuhfa’s heart good to finally be able to talk with an Earth woman, instead of just nodding and cuddling at all the right times.
Afua nodded in acceptance of Mother Tuhfa’s words. Upon their first meeting she’d sensed a kindred spirit in the mature Hekiman. Therefore, she didn’t doubt anything the wise buck said.
“Will it be healthy?” Afua asked, recalling how her mother had been prone to miscarriages and stillbirths. She was the only child that had survived Daisy’s turbulent womb.
Tuhfa nodded and inched closer to rub her head against the Earth woman’s legs. “It will be very healthy. So there is no need to fret about your womb rejecting it or causing it to die before the time.”
Afua smiled with enormous relief upon her face. “Has the Holy One revealed the gender? Or am I to use equipment to find this out?”
Tuhfa chuckled. “It will be a son, eager one.”
Afua laughed and stroked the thick brown fur of the mature buck. “I am a bit eager to start a family. It’s like I’ve been holding all this love inside for so long, afraid to let it out. And then wham! I suddenly want to love on everybody. The more the merrier.”
“Well, you will definitely have a lot of healthy children to love. I will see at least five of them before I go the way of my ancestors.” Tuhfa failed to mention that her loving mate of many years would precede her in death one year before that time. She didn’t deem it necessary to reveal Sudi’s fate.
Afua suddenly turned serious. “You and your mate’s end will be peaceful, without any pain whatsoever.” She spoke in a sure tone. She, too, kept her spiritual ears open for fresh words out of the Master’s mouth.
Tuhfa looked up and smiled at the extremely discerning Earth woman. “I know. I look forward to holding face to face conversations with the Creator when that day comes.”
Afua’s smile returned. “Until then I promise to come visit you often so you and I can have more face to face conversations like this.”
“I look forward to those, too,” Tuhfa said, just as Xander and Nasiir walked up. Pendo was too heavy with child to travel much these days.
After they all said their farewells, Xander finally took his bride to their new home on Katan. They had a shipload of Bibles to carry back with them. Some had already been given to the Hekimans.
Though the young Mannings had chosen not to live on Earth, they would frequent it several times a year. Not just to visit Badru, but also to teach everyday people about many spiritual things. Things like how truly powerful words are[ii], especially the Word of God when it is applied by faith to our lives. Xander and Afua plan to continue doing this until the risen Savior returns.
Back on Earth, Badru continued to help America rebuild. He did not do it by allowing them to talk him into running for president in the delayed January election. He did it by using some of the older Mannings’ research in order to show scientists of America, and all over the world, how to best cultivate and expand the farmland they still had.
Badru, now a world proclaimed hero, was quite content living a simple life in the swamp. His honor had been restored. His daughter was healed, happily married, and expecting her first child. That was enough for Badru. Well…almost enough.
Lately Badru had been thinking about remarrying. He already had someone in mind – Adrasteia’s sister, Nikoleta. He met her while taking Lakota and her new husband to visit Adrasteia at a Virginia asylum.
Needless to say, Badru and Nikoleta hit it off immediately. Now he is headed for his own happily ever after.
The End
________________________________________
[i] Genesis 2:6
[ii] Proverbs 18:21; Hebrews 4:12
Author's Notes:
I thought you might enjoy knowing what some of the names and other terms mentioned in the book meant.
Name Meanings and Other Terms
Hebrew and Biblical Names:
· Freyde – Joy.
· Gamaliel – benefit of God.
· Karmeli – my vineyard.
· Noam – sweetness, friendship.
· Ezra – help.
· Roni – my song, my joy.
· Katan – small.
· Paneh – face.
· Daniel – God is my judge.
· Kicce – chair.
· Mittah – bed.
· Shulchan – table.
· Marah – looking glass, mirror.
· Eres – couch, sofa.
African Names:
· Tuhfa – a gift.
· Sudi- good fortune.
· Badru – born at the full moon.
· Nasiir – helper.
· Pendo – love.
· Afua – forgiveness.
· Hekima – clever, wise.
· Matu – the clouds.
Other name meanings:
· Xander – derived from Alexander (Elexander), which means ‘defending men’ in Greek.
· Jay – greedy, great chatterer.
· Horrell – where we hang felons.
· Juna – derived from Arjuna which means ‘white’ in Sanskrit.
· Lakota – friend.
· Adrasteia – feminine form of Adrastos, which means ‘not inclined to run away’ in Greek.
· Nikoleta – from the Greek name Nickolas, which means ‘victory of the people’.
· Era – means ‘mistress, lady’ in Latin.
· Harshal – means ‘happy’ in Sanskrit.
· Elmo – an Italian name, means ‘helmet’ or ‘protection’.
· Eyota – Native-American name, means ‘the greatest’.
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