A Name is Born

The entire family;Amoakom, Famatle, Hims, Otoktaf, Ahstatfe and Hiamofma were sitting around on wooden chairs, even Hims and every time Hiamofma laughed his broken rib hurt and they were actually worried his lung might start bleeding again, but it didn’t.

“Hiamofma needs drugs for the pain of his broken ribs and we cannot get to the hospital without help. The Jeep is still waiting for parts we no longer have money to pay for when they get here and the Sherpers have found out we’re from God. How God’s keeping them at bay we don’t know. Unless we pack up and hoof it out of here we’re all dead, even the little one. What can God and the Author be up to? We pray, we prophesy, we beg Jesus to help; nothing happens. If donations don’t get here like last week we have nothing to pay anyone left to help us. When the Sherpers come in an angry mob we have to beg them through an interpreter to disobey us and do whatever their gods tell them to do with us. That is what God is telling everyone to do. ‘There is more we never thought of and we can’t understand it,’ God says. They have killed every missionary that came to them and they will rightly say we have lied to them that we are scientists who came to study the Sasquatch. Somehow they know now that Sasquatch is something we avoid at all costs. Even to walk to the outpost to borrow more food we go days out of our way. They will let us starve,” Amoakom summed up their situation with amazing accuracy. “The only thing left is not to pray for our needs but for an easy death and for our souls.”

Nobody said anything. There was nothing to say and they could feel the presence of Truth on all sides but all heard Hims say, “I will make a way.”

They all looked at each other and at the kid. Did he understand the situation was hopeless? Why would he say that he would make a way? It made no sense unless God was speaking through Hims because if he wasn’t, even that unlikely ray of hope was dashed.

“God will use me to humble all of you,” Hims said and Famatle corrected him, “Don’t be lying about God again Hims! This is very serious. Now! Go in the house and go to bed!”

Hims tried to object.

“I said, ‘Now!’ Go on. Now!” Famatle said and the little one shuffled toward the doorway.

So the Author stood among them. They all rose from their chairs and knelt before him.

“You are out of options,” the Author said, “And the only option I can see is for me to spirit you away when you are asleep. But, ‘There is another way,’ God says. He needs you all awake, even little Hims.”

Famatle realized what he said and got to her feet and rushed to the house to get little Hims. When she brought him he was already in his pajamas and yawning. He had no idea what he said or what he had said it about.

They sat and reminisced about what the past six months or so had been like. It had all been easy going until the donations had dried up and the Jeep broke down. They were all afraid of that for a couple of hours in the dark for the sun set while they were reminiscing. But now they could see they were not the only ones awake. The entire village was awake, at least they all had torches in their yards that were beginning to gather.

“Go get in the Jeep,” Hims said and they knew it was God.

Amoakom grabbed up Hims and they ran as fast as their torches would give them light for the Jeep and when they got there they could see their lawns were lit with torches and a couple of torches were headed their way.

“Start it,” Hims said.

“It won’t start, honey,” Famatle said, forgetting it was God speaking through him.

Otoktaf tried the starter and it turned over and started with its headlights on facing the way of the lawns and the torches heading toward them had men who yelled something to the others and all the torches began to descend on them from the house and the cabin.

Otoktaf turned the Jeep around shouting, “Hallelujah!!!” as the others were all shouting at once but Hims was now in Famatle’s arms and looking at the pretty lights coming toward them but with eyes that could not stay awake for long.

Their escape was so narrow a couple of Sherpers actually caught up to them running in the dark lit by the headlights of the Jeep. But Otoktaf headed right for them and they ran off into the night. There was no light, not even the light of the moon and Otoktaf slowed for he could not see where he was going.

Hims said, “Let he is my son, drive.”

“Let Hims drive!!!” Otoktaf yelled. “We can’t see anything, God!!!”

“Let him drive,” Amoakom said and it sounded like an impatient order.

So Otoktaf and Amoakom changed places and Hims stood in his father’s lap and turned the steering wheel as if playing but with his eyes closed as if he was asleep. Then they could not even see each other let alone the light of the torches and the headlights seemed to have goneout but Amoakom kept his foot glued to the floorboards and Hims kept turning the wheel.

Then the Jeep slowed and came to a stop though Amoakom had the pedal to the metal and they could all see in the lights. They had come to the outpost and when they looked at their watches they had made great time. But it was the lights of a Russian convoy. 

Before they were even able to get off the Jeep they were placed under arrest with little Hims asleep in Famatle’s arms without a care in the world. They were not even fed but they were taken to an airport and boarded a smaller airplane than they had come in with their suitcases and possessions when they had come. Then they flew all night and in the morning were awakened and made to get out of the airplane where they were searched and driven by gunpoint down the runway then to a border crossing which they came to about sunup.

A week later they were home.

“Mama,” Hims said to Famatle, “I dreamed I was driving through the woods but it was so dark I could not see the trees like the one Daddy hit.”

“We know,” Amoakom said to his son. “You did just that. It was so dark we were all scared to death but you kept driving for God. You saved us all, Hims. You are our hero for, ever and ever or Yaohfeae, your new name.”

“I have a name!!!” Yaofeae shouted with all there was in him.