10

As Jesus and the people of Okwih came to the end of the wilderness where it had all started a man ran out to greet him. His name was Ofpij a Yeu and he had been waiting for Jesus to come. Hsu, also known as Owpe who was locked up in the tower at Unites for a long time was there too and a few from Oojiog. The young men of Okwih went out to him.

“What are you doing?” they asked him, “What is the meaning of this?”

“I am, A Famous Person in Jesus,” he said, “But you may call me, Afpij. I have been waiting for Jesus to come to the Yeu of God. Is he here?”

“He is here,” they said, “The Hito is here. Wait here we will tell him you are here.”

But Afpij did not listen to them and ran all the faster toward the large tall man near the center of the group.

When he got there Jesus said to him, “What do you want with me? You will live forever. These are dead and I have come to kill many and raise them to where John is in Yogcao. You will not ever go to Yogcao.”

“You are the King of kings and the God of gods, even the God of this Earth is subject to you,” he said, “And it is I who have prophesied your coming. Are you Hito or do we expect someone else? I saw you coming and with joy I could not contain I have run to meet you. You are welcome in Wotkoy, the wilderness of the king of Yeus.”

Knowing that made him a very important man Jesus had them all sit down on the grass and among the trees but Afpij did not sit down.

“I thought you said that I was your king?” Jesus said, “Why are you still standing?”

“I am a famous person in your name,” he said.

“You will sit,” Jesus said and turned to the crowd, “A certain man had two sons. One was a beggar as it turned out and the other a very important man among the religious leaders of the city and indeed the entire world. It came time for the man to divide his estate between his sons. He gave everything he had but a small box to his son the beggar, the small box to his important son.

“Father,” the son who received the small box asked, “Why have you given all your possessions but this little box to a mere beggar?”

“That beggar is my son also,” he said, “He is not a beggar to me. Why should I treat one son with more honor than the other? You have more than you will ever need long after I am dead. But my other son had nothing. But now he has many times what you thought you deserved. He refused to ask anything of you for he knew you were embarrassed by him. But when he came he greeted me and I greeted him with a kiss and hugged him about the neck and cried.”

“But, Father,” said the rich son, “I did the same did I not?”

“But all that was mine for you to live off,” the father said. “If I show my love to him with a little will it not be hollow. But to you my wealth serves no purpose. To him it means life and that everlasting. You think I do not love you now. But I love you more. An important man wanders away from the love and charity of family. This poor beggar as you call him is loved less than you because he too may follow your tracks instead of mine.”

Then Jesus turned and found Afpij sitting in the dirt since every other place was taken.

“He who does not love me and obey me has no part of me,” he said, “Do you sit because you love me or because you understand this?”

“I understand,” Afpij said.

“I gave you much,” Jesus said, “And have received nothing but what is due the master of a servant. I gave those here nothing but they believe in me and love me knowing I say that they are dead. I pray John will harden your heart against me for this saying and for embarrassing you in front of my disciples. If he does you will never be mine until the last days when even the Yeu will leave who they were behind. You live forever, but forever surely does come and no one cries when they die for they will live again in me. I offer you the little box and them, all I have to give, eternal life and that to the fullest.”

Afpij rose to his feet and walked away dejectedly for he had much pride in his position among the Yeus.

Then Jesus, seeing that Hsu’s camp was the first one to come to, said, “Let us go among the Yeus. I have an important son to save from his ways. John, will he turn away also?”

“If he is still a fool he will,” John said.

Soon enough then, they came near Hsu’s camp by a waterfall in the Woty though he was neither a Yeu or a displaced one of the Oojiog. Evening had come and the disciples were all lying down or sleeping but Jesus rose and began walking toward Hsu’s camp.

“Master,” one of them said, “Where are you going? It will soon be dark and by the looks of the sky there will not be even the light of the stars to guide you back.”

“I will not just leave him,” Jesus said, “Though he is a well known fool in need of self-control,” as he kept right on walking.

When he came upon Hsu’s camp he found him and his wife asleep.

“Hsu!” he called out. “Arise and I will talk with you.”

“Don’t waste your time,” John said. “His words are wise but his acts are always foolish for he does not consider the plans of us Gods in what he does.”

But Jesus called again, “Hsu! Do you hear me?”

Hsu awoke and thought, ‘Did I hear John complaining about me?’

Jesus called him a third time but added, “You have need of me. I am here to keep you alive.”

“Who are you, Lord?” Hsu asked as Girl asked him who it was.

“I am the Ruler of All or Roa,” Jesus said.

‘Who is that?’ Hsu thought and arose in his bedclothes. “Where are you?”

“Come aside with me,” Jesus said, “What I have to say is for your ears only.”

Hsu followed his voice until he saw a large tall man standing at the edge of his camp in the dark.

When he got to Jesus he stopped, “I am here.” Then he knelt before him and paid him homage. “Are you God?” he asked.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

“What do you want with me?” Hsu then answered, “I am a dead Yeu and I cursed John’s angel Michael.”

“Do you love John?” Jesus asked. “Then love me.”

“I do love John,” Hsu said, “But though he is God he is sometimes harsh, not that he does not have a right to be, but he is never harsh unless there is a need for it.”

“But you do love,” Jesus said.

“I have never met anyone I did not love just for the sake of loving. Ask anyone. But loving the wrong one at the wrong time has been my undoing. I loved John but hated his angel for what he did to Sitroe. Now look at the mess I am in. No one can help me now,” Hsu said.

“It is enough if you love me,” Jesus said, “We will see that you are never brought to shame again.”

“If you are God,” Hsu said, “You know that I love you.”

‘Wake your wife and the two of you get dressed,” Jesus said, “Then come follow me.”

“Now?” Hsu asked, “Can’t it wait until morning when we can see where we are?”

Jesus let him see light all around him.

“Though it is night to you,” Jesus said, “I know where I am going and you can follow me. My light will light the way.”

Hsu was astonished.

“If you wait until morning you might change your mind,” Jesus said.

“You are wise, my Lord,” Hsu said.

Then he woke Girl and ordered her to get dressed but he just took his clothing with him and they followed Jesus until they could see the fires some had built to guard against the chance it might get chilly that night for the weather in the Koty is somewhat unpredictable. Then Jesus left them and they found a place to bed down and were there in the morning surprised it had been Jesus when the next morning they found them still asleep.

“Are you Hsu,” a man asked them after kicking his foot.

“Mmm,” Hsu said, “I am.”

“Jesus wants to see you,” he said.

He got up straight away thinking, ‘So that is who it was last night.’ But when he got to Jesus he thought, ‘But what can he do for me?’

“I can forgive you,” Jesus said. “Then you will die. You will no longer do the things you have done in the past but you will do my will and I will never be embarrassed by you even should you commit an offense that is unto death. Ask and you shall receive. If forgiveness I am faithful and true to forgive you. If any, other thing I assure you that you shall have it.”

“Why would you do such a thing?” Hsu asked. “It is mine to do and I love you.”

Girl heard him say this and believed in him and loved him therefore they both followed him. Then Jesus began walking toward the north when the camps in the Woty were to the south.

“Why have we come here if we do not go in?” they asked Jesus.

“I have found my lost sheep,” Jesus said, “The rest are John’s. Let him tend his own.”