The Bad Boy's Muse

It was the festival of the gods when all the gods gathered in reverence to the Almighty God...to ask for favours from him, to present their cases and shortcomings and to get added strength for the year. It was also the time when the Sons of men appeared before him and beg on bended knees for small favours. I Archangel Gabriel hovered all over the sons of men as they each knelt, asking for heart desires. As usual, they always asked for riches, wealth, and riches. No one seemed to want any other thing apart from riches. As I flew back to heaven, I kept pondering on the events of the last years. I have done a lot of deliveries for God, including sending important messages back and forth to his priests on earth. Almost to heaven, I heard a loud wailing; Not that men do not always wail. I ignored this one and continued my flight. The wails became stronger and louder, and I couldn't resist these incessant cries and pleas. I simply had no time, as I had to report back to God, so I promised myself I would only sneak a peek and then be on my merry way. As I flew closer to the direction of the cries and wailings, my poor heart reached out for the soul; whoever it is must be in pain; deep pain. Finally, I reached the house. I saw three beautiful girls running in circles in the living room while an old woman was knitting close to the fire. She was humming to a song with radiant smiles on her face; it wasn't her. I moved past her into the kitchen and met another woman, though younger, she was making a cake; although she was sad, she wasn't the person who was groaning. I continued following the sound of the groaning until I came into a dark room. At the corner was a man crying more than a baby. He was huddled in one corner with tears flowing down his eyes and his arms wrapped around his body. He wasn't saying anything, but I could feel the vibrations of his heart and hear him pray. "Dear God! Please, I want an heir. I want a son. Please..." the man groaned. This was rather surprising. The man lived in one of the poor neighbourhoods of this place and instead of asking for riches; he was asking for an heir. I watched him for some minutes and started my flight back to heaven. *** "Gabriel" God called out to me amid the cherubims. "Creator of the Universe, he that was and is to come, Almighty God." I bowed my head seven times before him in obeisance. "What troubleth thou?" God asked. "That your Archangel may find favour in your eyes and ask for a favour," I spoke with my head still bowed. "To you, I have given the mysteries of the world and the knowledge of the realm of the spirits and the world. I have made you my messenger and have entrusted in thou the most tedious of the announcement. What wantest thou, Oh Gabriel," the voice of God boomed from the cherubims. "This indeed you have given to me oh mighty one and me your Archangel Gabriel kneels in obeisance to express how grateful I am and for the gifts which have been bestowed unto to me. However, this favour Oh God is not for me". "Come, walk through the cherubims, however, shield your face from my light lest though be burned," the voice of God beckoned unto me. I stood up, using my wings as a shield. I covered both eyes and walked through the path created for me by the Cherubims and stood a great distance from the light with my eyes shut tight. "You may ask of this favour," the voice of God spoke to me, filling my heart with warmth and peace. "Dear God! On my way from the messages which you had given on your Archangel to deliver to the sons of men, the wailings and groaning of a human attracted me. Of course my God, the wailings and groaning are a normal thing but this oh God was different and then I, Archangel Gabriel, flew down towards the direction of this sound. I flew to the poorest of the neighbourhood and alas, it was the groaning of a man who wanted an heir, a son and Dear God, they marvelled me that this son of man was not asking for riches but for a child," I explained. "I know the man who you speak of, Archangel Gabriel. I am the omnipresence of the universe and I knoweth the man which thous speakest of. I know his name and have been hearing all of his heart's cries. Ask me what he needs, Gabriel," the voice of the Lord spoke gently to me. "Oh God, if it pleaseth you, may his heart desires be granted and more," I said. "So shall it be, Gabriel. I will give unto the man an artist for a man child, one whose brushes shall be a marvel to the sight of men. Strong will he be and resilient in his ways. First, he shall err, and then he shall trace his way back to me. The mysteries of the mind shall I give on to him and call him my child. His lips shall not know any hearsay, neither shall his ways be uncoordinated. Swift as the tongue of an adder and quick on the foot like the hare, he shall excel in the works of the body and the knowledge of the mind but Oh! Gabriel my archangel, this shall be only for seasons and times of seasons when he meets the right one to let him explore the richness of my gift and the glories of my kingdom". "Thou Oh God! Keeper of all mysteries, please when shall all these things be," I employed. "My ways are not the ways of the sons of men, Gabriel," God replied. "But it shall according to the times of life two times moved and then the heart's desires will be fulfilled". "And the father, Oh God". "I will take him from the place he once was and set him for ruling amongst men and if he does that which pleaseth me, I will establish his ways and make his child a son after his own heart". "Dear God, what shall be of the lad," I asked again. "The lad shall grow in the spirit given unto men, he shall reach out for me and never get weary, however, I God will give him weakness and if he keeps his ways straight, he shall reach the peak of his potentials and unleash the gift I shall put in him at his creation, however, he will rebel oh Gabriel for that is the nature of man since their father Adam. He will take this gift for granted and unless I am merciful...". I lay prostrate on the ground and cried in a loud voice. "Be Merciful Oh God! For man is but dust and dust he will return. Like the lilies of the fields, their bloom is only for a moment and their strength is weakness. Have mercy Almighty one for without you man is like a shaft that bloweth with the Eastern wind, have mercy". "Your words of plea have come to me if the lad rebels, then I will send a key and then he will see the workings of my deeds but now Oh! Gabriel go thy way and when it is a time appointed, you will be the bearer of the good tidings but ponder on all these things I have said". "Thank you, Merciful master. I join the host of the heavenly to praise your name". I bowed myself seven times to the ground and backed away slowly, using the path created for me by the cherubims until I left God. As I flew about my normal activities, I couldn't help but ponder on the words of God. Although each word is mysteriously enshrouded with the knowledge of wisdom that supersedes me, I must wait to see the manifestations of the words of God on earth and towards the man. When it was the time appointed, I bore the seed given to me by God himself and flew towards the home from which I had asked a favour from the Lord and whilst it was the year of the first New moon on the first day in the month of Nissan, a child cried in the household of the one to whom I had asked God a favour. It was a Boy. *** "Congratulations Mr Farah," the journalist swamped around me as soon as I stepped out of the house. "Thank you all, thank you, everyone. I am grateful to God for this new bundle of a gift he has given to my family. For the longest of times, I had prayed for an heir and then God gave not only me an heir, but he also gave me riches". "So, after careful considerations by my wife and I, the boy will be called JASPER ROHAN ARYA". *** "Watch now, Gabriel, and see the instability of man," the voice of God boomed to me. Times will tell.