When all is new – 2

Field service diaries…

I saw his eyes light up
Then a squint followed
Crow feet were drawn on both sides of his eyes
The frontalis muscle contracted
With the loose overlying skin folded over and over
Gradually, his lips spread wide
Showing the slightly discoloured teeth
The most genuine expression of happiness I’ve seen…
In a very long while…
So pure… so spontaneous

He smiled… He smiled
Then the smile turned into a light laughter
He shook his head many times
For a moment, I thought tears would follow…
Disbelief? Hope? Joy?
Joy that follows good news
Good news that sets man free
Hope of the good things to come
Disbelief… because they almost sound too good to be true

He sat in a wheelchair
One too old to fully bear his weight
Rickety, worn out…
With loose extensions of rusted metal…
That occasionally bruised the triceps’ region
But he’d rather remain in it
Than put extra burden on his wife…
The breadwinner of the family
Since he was forced to abandon his role 7 years ago

He had just found out from the scriptures…
That our Heavenly Father would wipe out all tears
That there would be no mourning, outcry, pain
That the lame would leap like a deer
That no resident will say… “I am sick.”
That all these… someday… would be labelled as…
“The former things”

…When all is new
De-Graft. 14th October 2018