Daily bread

They would sit around the table content with what they called food before them. They would claim that they are consuming it and its food for their bodies, soul and spirit. It seemed right seeing to as to how they could go for a week without actually eating any solid food or what we all refer to as real food, tangible things you know. How could words ever be food. They are bunch of letters written to form a book, how could that ever be food.

Tafadzwa had always thought they were delusional. How could words be sustenance? Food was something you could touch, taste, and chew—not intangible concepts tucked into a book. He wasn’t much of a believer in anything beyond what he could see or feel. Life, as far as he was concerned, was about fulfilling desires—feeding the cravings that stirred within him. Higher powers, divine forces, salvation—it all seemed like a fairytale.

But then there was Natasha. Sweet, beautiful Natasha. She wasn’t like anyone he had met before. There was a depth to her, an aura that drew him in. Sure, he was captivated by her physical beauty—her body was perfection, and he wanted to experience every inch of it. Yet, there was something else about her, something he couldn’t quite define. She was alluring in ways that extended far beyond the surface.

So because of that every Sunday and Wednesday he would always be in attendance to the local church since it seemed like Natasha was obsessed with the environment, he had thought what better way to woo her and win her over other than to be the person she wanted him to be, a man of faith. It worked, and in about a term the girl had finally agreed to be his girlfriend. Now and again his best and closest friend Tinashe would applaud him for his acting and commitment skills, they were, quite unmatched and a bit unhinged. Tinashe also attended  church but just as a way of marking the register a fifty percent chance he would take over tthem probability of getting his behind cooked in hell.

As the weeks turned into months, Tafadzwa found himself entangled in the lives of Natasha’s church friends. He made new acquaintances—Gerald and Ezekiel, both of whom were deeply committed to their faith. Gerald was intense, always correcting others and dishing out moral advice, often claiming he was led by the Spirit. Ezekiel, on the other hand, was lively and fun, though equally devout. They were good company, even if Tafadzwa thought their beliefs were ridiculous. He didn’t particularly like them, but they seemed to admire him, which stroked his ego.

But Natasha—she was starting to test his patience. She was adamant about waiting until marriage, a concept that baffled Tafadzwa. She wasn’t “pure” anymore, so what was the point? Why wait when the goods were already secondhand? Gerald and Ezekiel often chimed in, preaching about forgiveness, rebirth, and purity in Christ. Tafadzwa dismissed their words as nonsense. He had no time for their sermons.

Soon he  would be free of them, again nice guys but not his cup of tea when it came to friendship. Tinashe was more ideal, they had like minds when it came to the playing the game, also Tinashe wasn’t a religious fanatic so no judgement came when they were both indulging themselves in what the world had to offer. The only problem was that Natasha was being a hard nut to crack. She was starting to test his patience. She was adamant about waiting until marriage, a concept that baffled Tafadzwa. She wasn’t “pure” anymore, so what was the point? Why wait when the goods were already secondhand? Gerald and Ezekiel often chimed in, preaching about forgiveness, rebirth, and purity in Christ. Tafadzwa dismissed their words as nonsense. He had no time for their sermons.At least Tinashe was of like mind.

So his game had lasted longer than ever and because of his involvement with the “holies”, the term he used to describe Gerald and Ezekiel, he ended up reading from the book of life, as they called it. They would tell him to make it his daily bread, as if it was food to begin with. And so Tafadzwa would end up reading from the book, well browsing it in fact especially during the meetings where he would meet with the holies. So whether he liked it or not he was involved in the shenanigans as well. At least Natasha wasn’t as invested as the “holies” were but boy was she getting there, he would have to improve on his tactics.

Tafadzwa  would always have thoughts of ditching the meetings or when the “holies” brought in conversatthes of the  Most high, he always got the feeling to change the subject, and changing the subject he would, those conversations always made him uncomfortable anyways. He would have ditched the “holies” but fate decided to kick him in the nuts when Natasha started joining the meetings as well so he was left with no other choice but to comply.

One fateful day when his loins threatened to burst with the tension of waiting, Tafadzwa decided to test his luck, that lack of selfcontrol led to the  finale of his relationship with Natasha. With a bunch of hurtful and abominable words obviously directed to Natasha after she had kicked him to the curb. With a bruieed ego his mission being impossible he abandoned ship with the holies as well. Freedom at last. Tinashe his faithful shadow in crimes against morality was obviously available with ideas to quench Tafadzwas broken heart, in the most outlandish ways of course.

So after a night of licking his wounds Tafadwzaretired to his three roomed lair and fell into sleep on his couch. After a while he became aware again, obviously dazed from the drugs he had chugged up at the party. He arise from his sofa and noticed he was staring into his bedroom. That’s not normally where it’s supposed to be and it seems like there’s something staring at him from the  dark room. Obviously spooked he goes to the bedroom door and tries to close it, but does it close all the way up no, it does not, the door seems to be smaller than the frame. Wait a minute! that’s not what it’s always like, is it? As he wonders the door is pulled to close from the inside and it closes perfectly like the usual times he would close it.

Fear grips him with an intensity that bring threatening bowel movements in him.  He had to be dreaming so he prompts himself to wake up and his failing to. Then all of a sudden the scenery changes and he is standing on barren land not a tree or anything insight just him and a  whole load of dirt.  Yeah he is dreaming alright but then a figure appears, with slick brown skin, tall and winnow with an eerie feeling surrounding him.

“You had me worried for sometime there”, it speaks

Fear had upgraded to terror within Tafadzwa and heshook with it. What was that he cried to himself “What was that?” Where are  its clothes? Its human but not quite so especially with the absence of genitalia on it. Plus the brown colour on its slimy tall weird like scrawny body, the worst part Tafadzwa couldn’t even see it’s face. He wants to cry because it feels so real, he was high when he slept but he is sure all that crack  made a run for it when that thing appeared.

“You have every right to be afraid and you should be as a matter of fact,”  “I was struggling for sometime because of you and your meddling and wanting to be clever”

“I had to work overtime to get you out of that relationship and friendship and you didn’t make it easy, I guess the good in you knew you should have stuck around to those people but well the foolish you is quite the idiot,” it cackled.

“I was so close to losing you to the other side can you imagine the torment i would go through,” it sighed to itself

“But oh well here we are , you joining me in just a matter of minutes to the place you always wanted to belong to, you and your friend remember, Hell would be fun you would say, you would be together he would respond. Its only you i can get at the moment and i have to say it is not as pleasant at you had hoped, boo hooo  for you but whoo hooo for me,” it relished.

An overdose would be a perfect cover up of your demise, I have your outlandish lifestyle to that for that”. It chuckled.

Tafadwza was tongue tied, in fact  he couldn’t speak, well he tried to but it seemed his mouth and throat refused to cooperate. Tafadzwa could only listen and cry silently to himself. Fear and terror seized him in a shock hold and could only think to ask for help so he did in his mind to his best friend Tinashe.

Help was the cry like sound that resounded in his sleep. Tinashe opened his alcohol heavy eyes and checked the time, it was quarter past two in the a.m. and  he chuckled to himself, still enough time to sleep. So he pulled the covers over himself and with a delighted giggle from the warmth closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

“Aww no one will help you boy. You are alone and your friend couldn’t have helped you anyways,” it mocked.

As it spoke it drew closer to Tafadzwa.  He aimed to run but he seem to be transfixed in the position, so weep he did so he saw his demise drawing closer to him. It reached its winners hands around his throat and squeezed all the while enjoying the agony and mutes cries of Tafadzwa

“Wake up, pray, Tafadzwa” the holy spirit prompted. Natasha answered the call, she got up from bed and knelt  beside her bed and prayed for Tafadzwa. The same guy who had left her heart in shatters mind you. She prayed that he would be covered by the blood of the lamb and she prayed Tafadzwa would call to remembrance  the power that resided within him through the blood of the lamb.

It’s hold on Tafadzwa neck was tightening, his eyes were bulging with tears streaming from them but in that moment Tafadzwa remembered. And as it was holding his neck he pled the blood of Jesus in his mind, with immediate effect the hand on his neck loosened. Tafadzwa collapsed on the ground grasping his neck wheezing as he was trying to catch his breath.

“That name I know it said trembling but you I do not, you have no power nor do you have the authority.” It spilled.

Again Tafadzwa remembered the scriptures Natasha used to repeat and he spoke boldly

“I’m the righteous of God in Jesus Christ. Again, I’ve been crucified with the Lord and I no longer lives but Christ lives in me. For He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world and that which is in the world stands defeated!” Tafadzwa echoed.

And boy did the thing fume, “You do not know what you are talking about it screamed at him, you are nothing and you will always be nothing it fumed.”

“Wake up, pray, Tafadzwa”, the holy spirit prompted. And Gerald answered the call, him being already awake in the deep hours of the night got down on his knees and interceded for his friend. He prayed for Tafadzwa to be covered with the full armour of God.

Tafadzwa remembered as fear no longer had its hold on him, he recalled Ephesians 6, one of Gerald’s favourite verses and he declared

“Therefore I cover myself with the full armour of God, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit which is the word of God, the belt of truth, the shield of faith and my feet fitted with the gospel of peace and i stand against any forces of evil ” he shouted.

The thing shrieked and charged at Tafadzwa, as it did so Tafadzwa felt an overwhelming power creep into his being and beheld himself covered with armour, literally. With a shiny magnificent sword in hand he charged at the devil and met it half way. With courage within him that wasn’t of his own that was for sure.

 “Wake up, pray, Tafadzwa” the holy spirit prompted and Ezekiel answered the call, he prayed for Tafadzwa to remember the power of their Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, the power that came by declaring His blood.

Tafadzwa struck the demon but it seemed to not have much effect on it, then he recalled Ezekiel’s teaching on the power in the blood of Jesus and Isaiah 54.

“ I plead the blood of Jesus Christ and I declare that no weapon that is formed against me will prosper,” Tafadwza declared and just like that his sword became a fiery weapon in his hand.  With a battle cry Tafadzwa raised his fiery sword of the spirit and struck the demon and watched as it shrieked and turned to dust.

Tafadzwa awoke with a start, drenched in sweat. His heart raced as he stumbled to his bookshelf, grabbing the Bible he had so often mocked. He opened it and began to read. For the first time, he understood. This was the food they had spoken of—the sustenance for the soul. And for the first time, Tafadzwa was truly hungry and he consumed his daily bread.