Copyright © 2017 by Joneé M. Brown All rights reserved under the international copyright law. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without express written permission of the author or publisher. The exception is reviewers, who may quote brief passages for review or as provided by USA copyright law. Christian Living Books, Inc. P. O. Box 7584 Largo, MD 20792 We bring your dreams to fruition. Paperback ISBN 9781562293185 eBook ISBN 9781562293192
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, descriptions, entities, and incidents included in the story are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, and entities is entirely coincidental. The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of Christian Living Books, Inc.
CHAPTER 1
Part 1 The Village
O
nce upon the spirit of time, there was a ten-year-old boy named Suwaigo. He lived in a small village in Africa, along with his mother, father, and two brothers. He began each day by doing his chores around the small house in which they lived. He would make sure his brothers were dressed and fed, and then he would sweep the crumbs and the dust from the floor before going to school. Although Suwaigo’s mother and father were poor, they were prosperous in love. To make ends meet, they would pull all of their talents together to make a humble living for their family. Suwaigo’s mother inherited the gift of making baskets and hats out of straw from her grandmother. She taught her how to weave various styles of hats that were protective and strong. Her hats provided peaceful shade for the villagers hard at work, in the blazing sun. 9
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His father managed to pick up odd jobs throughout the land, and would oftentimes join some of the other men in the village in search of gold and precious stones. Suwaigo’s father would come home many nights empty handed, rarely finding anything of value. What he did find, he would desperately try to exchange for a small amount of food or currency to feed his family. Most of the men in Suwaigo’s village were known for dreaming about scoring a big treasure, ignoring the fact that there were strict laws prohibiting them from keeping any precious metals or gems. Still, the risk was just as enticing as the chance of gain. One day, when Suwaigo came home from school, he found his mother crying in her room. She was kneeling and praying over her bed. Suwaigo ran to her side to see what the matter was and if there was anything he could do to help her. Being frail, she struggled to get up to sit on the bed. She said, “I’m fine, Suwaigo, please don’t worry. Soon the time will come to make everything all right.” She held her son’s small hand and asked if he would please check on his brothers. They would usually eat their supper when Suwaigo came home from school. Suwaigo did what he was asked to do. He loved his mother and always worked hard to please her. He never said no where there was need for his help. The highlight of Suwaigo’s day was being able to attend school. He was a good student, and he looked forward to his lessons and spending time with his friends. His younger brothers were not yet old enough to attend school. They were usually under their mother’s care, while she made all of her baskets and hats in a shaded corner of the village square. Suwaigo loves to call the older of his two brothers, Tutu. This was the name Suwaigo gave him when he was born because he was one of the biggest babies he had ever seen. 10
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Ocean was his given name; he was four years of age. The youngest brother, who was named River, was only three. Suwaigo said his parents named his brothers after the deep mysterious waters, which surrounded their land. Outside the borders of the tiny village were the most amazing mountains and ramparts. Suwaigo was often captivated by their beauty and would try to step out of the borders to get a broader view of the mysterious walls of beauty. Sometimes he would follow his father out of the village, and would journey out as far out as he could, until his father proudly discovered that he was being followed by his brave son, and commanded him to return home. Later that day, Suwaigo came home from school. He sat by the door, anxiously awaiting his father’s return. When his father got home, he was glistening with sweat, tired and weary of his day. The sun had completed its duty by directing its glare brightly upon the exposed dry land all day long. Suwaigo ran to his father and stood boldly in front of him, blocking his steps. He proceeded to speak his concerns about his mother. He told him that she had been in her room crying for a long while and would not tell him why she was sad. Suwaigo was worried, but he also gained a bit of confidence knowing that his father was there to help. He then knew that it was only a matter of time that he would learn the fate of his young mother. He lingered outside of the bedroom door, longing to hear a word of hope. When he heard his mother’s voice, the whole house stood still and quiet. Whatever she was saying, he knew that he should not enter the room on any account. Suwaigo noticed the blank stare of sadness on his father’s face when his father eventually came out of the room. When he passed Suwaigo without seeing he was standing there, Suwaigo felt in his heart that it was not the right time to 11
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ask about his mother. His father abruptly stepped outside of the house to pace the grounds in worry. Suwaigo watched his father outside the window while keeping himself busy by tidying up the kitchen. Then he hurried his brothers’ to bed. Suwaigo’s father was known to be a very proud man. He found it extremely hard to ask anyone in the village for help or support of any kind, which became a burden of limitation for his family to uphold. Suwaigo always admired his father’s extra efforts to keep the family in order. He looked up to him and loved his father despite his prideful ways. Later that night, after Suwaigo completed his school assignments, he walked outside of the house and saw his father standing by the old chair by the front door. Suwaigo paused for a moment, hoping to know more about his mother, but his father didn’t offer any. Suwaigo turned for a moment then lowered his head and asked if there was anything he could do for his mother before he put himself to bed. Then, just before he walked inside the house, he stopped when his father spoke. He asked if he would stay for a moment, that there was something he needed to tell him. Suwaigo thought at first that his father would reveal a few things concerning his mother but that wasn’t the case. He said, “Suwaigo, before you become a man, you must seek God and ask him to show you his way. The time will come quickly when you will become a man and have to accept many responsibilities. You must always look after your brothers and be the leader of your family. You must continue to trust God no matter how bad things get. Let him lead you toward your life’s purpose.” After Suwaigo’s father had completed his thoughts and wishes, they said good-night. He thought about what his father said as he laid awake that night, staring at the stars. He would often stay awake, looking 12
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into the night and praying for God to bless his family with healing and divine protection. Suwaigo peeked into his mother’s room the next morning to see if she were any better. She was still asleep when he noticed that his father had already left for the day to begin his journey. Suwaigo worries every time his father set forth on a mission. He would try to wake up early to see his father off. Before his father would, leave, he would always say, “Suwaigo, don’t worry. I’ll be back after the moon and the stars are tossed and turned in the Lord’s mixing bowl.” He always knew how to bring a smile upon his son’s face. But this time, Suwaigo did not get the chance to hear his father’s famous words. He left without a sound and completely vanished from their home. Suwaigo knew that a difficult mission could keep his father away for days, and sometimes lead him into dangerous territory. He also knew that his father had had a few brushes with an enemy who had made many attempts in the past to steal anything of value that he would manage to find. He remembered his father telling him once that he was forced into hiding for three days in a secret place. When all was clear, he was able to make his way home to safety. All is not fair in the land where desperate men hunt for treasure. Suwaigo always looked forward to listening to his father’s adventurous stories upon his return. Later that day, Suwaigo’s mother took a turn for the worst. She cried out for someone to come and help her get back into the bed. Suwaigo came to her rescue, fearing that his father would not be returning home until late that night. One of the men in the village had offered his father a newfound territory of search. His mother whispered this to him as he stood by her bed side. He began to worry about leaving her alone while 13
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attending school, so he asked if he could stay home the next day to take care of her and his brothers. His mother simply nodded her head and fell fast asleep. In Suwaigo’s village, people were often sick. They were falling fatally ill, sometimes leaving their children without proper care. Oftentimes, they were taken to other villages or left alone in their homes to care for themselves. Suwaigo had lived in fear all of his life, seeing other families one after the other being hit with an unforgiving illness. He knew in his heart his mother was very ill. Every night he would kneel down to pray to God to save his family so no one would ever be left alone. Suwaigo had his hands full with caring for his brothers, River and Ocean, who were very active boys. When no one was looking, they were usually somewhere stirring up trouble. Later that day, while Suwaigo was reading his favorite book, his brothers began running about in circles. Suwaigo said they were moving so fast it looked like the river and the ocean had come together as one. He tried to quiet them down, worried that they would disturb their mother in her hour of rest. After Suwaigo managed to stop their many attempts to enter her room, they finally laid down for a nap. With no sign of his father, Suwaigo went to search for a neighbor’s help. He knocked on the door of a very old woman who cared for an elderly man whom was rarely seen by many. He asked if she would come over to help his mother, adding that she was very ill and they were home alone with her. The old woman showed great concern about Suwaigo’s mother and quickly came over to see if she could be of some help. Before entering the room, she took Suwaigo aside and asked him to wait patiently outside of the bedroom door. She said that she needed to spend some time with his mother in prayer. 14
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Soon after the old woman looked in on Suwaigo’s mother, his father came home from a long day of search. When his father saw the look on his face, he ran to the room to see her as Suwaigo waited quietly at the door. This time, when he came out of the room, he stopped to put his hand on the shoulder of his son, who was sitting at the door crying. Somehow Suwaigo knew in his heart that it was almost time for his mother to go and be with the Lord. He had seen enough sorrow in his ten years to be fully aware of the degree of devastation the threatening illness has laid heavy upon his village. He knew all along there was a strong possibility that he too might become one of the many children who would lose a loved one to the spread of HIV/AIDS. Later that night, he and his brothers stood by their mother’s bedside while their father sat in a chair in the dark corner of the room. Suwaigo heard his mother whisper his name when her weak frail hand reached out for his, and all three boys linked hands together and prayed over their mother. The next day, Suwaigo’s father asked him to stay home from school to look after his mother and his brothers. He told Suwaigo that he had an opportunity to score big on a new mission that if they find what they are looking for, it would help with the care for his mother. So it was imperative that he go. Suwaigo had no choice but to hug his father goodbye. He told Suwaigo that he would not be home until the next day. At that moment, Suwaigo became extremely worried about his mother. He followed his father out of the door, begging him not to go, but his father would not turn or change his mind. Suwaigo then fed his brothers and looked after them as they wandered around the house. They were both too young to know the extent of what their mother was going through. He envied the freedom of play displayed by his young brothers. 15
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It wasn’t long ago when Suwaigo was free to run and play without the concerns of life he was vastly inheriting. Later that night, after Suwaigo checked on his mother, he looked up at the sky and noticed that the night was growing fast. The moon was in its early rink and was as bright as the sun. He gazed at the moon, hoping it would send a signal to his father to change his course and come home early. He stayed up that night as long as he could while waiting by the front door for his father. When his father didn’t come home, he said his prayers and went to bed. The next morning, the sun peeked clear into Suwaigo’s room. His brothers were still asleep with their faces beneath their blankets. Suwaigo often used the sun as an alarm clock to wake him for school and to remind him that everything is going to be all right. The sighting of the early sun always brought new hope for Suwaigo’s day. After tending to his brothers that morning, he went to the door of his mother’s room. He noticed that his father had not returned home from his journey, as he saw that his hat was not hung on an old nail outside the bedroom door. The room was quiet, as he slowly opened the door. Suwaigo couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw a stranger sitting at his mother’s bedside. When the stranger turned to see Suwaigo standing there, beauty began to unfold. There, before Suwaigo’s eyes, were the most beautiful white wings of pure opening to conceal and embrace his mother’s bed. Suwaigo said, “You must be an angel of the Lord.” He looked at Suwaigo with a soft smile and spoke to him in the spirit, telling him that everything will soon be all right, that his mother loves him very much and needs him to be strong. When Suwaigo moved closer to his mother’s bed, the angel suddenly disappeared. He touched his mother’s face with his 16
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tiny hands and kissed her and told her that he loved her, as tears ran down his weary face. Suwaigo ran next door with his brothers in tow to the old woman’s house. He needed help and wanted to see if she knew anyone who could get word to his father. When she answered the door, he told her that his mother was very still and he was certain that she went to be with the Lord. When she took the boys in, she said she would help and may know of someone who may be able to get a message to his father. Suwaigo and his brothers went back home and prayed that someone would be able to get word to his father. He knew if his father could be found, he would know what to do and be able to take care of everything. Later that day, the old woman knocked on Suwaigo’s door and told him that the one she spoke of took off immediately to send word to his father, and they should hear from him soon. They stayed up all night long, knitting closely together, waiting for their father, trying desperately not to fall asleep. That night, Suwaigo’s father never came home. The next morning, the old woman helped the family in need by asking a few villagers to come together for the small family. A few days had gone by including a small service for their mother. Suwaigo kissed his mother goodbye and thanked the villagers who gathered to spare what they could to help. Where Suwaigo lived, it was very common to see children taking care of children, given the spread of HIV/AIDS in their village. He remembered that his father told him, that one day, he may have to look after himself and his brothers, and he is to remain strong no matter what life puts upon his plate. That night was the darkest night. It hovered over the small family bringing with it one of the biggest storms the village had seen in a very long time. Somehow, Suwaigo and 17
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his brothers were unscathed as they managed to weather the storm in their home by themselves. The next morning after the storm, Suwaigo opened his eyes, and to his surprise, there was the sun. He rubbed the sand from the corner of his eyes to see clearly the sights and sounds of a new reality. It wasn’t long before he realized that the three of them were alone with no exchange and very little food. Most of the neighboring villagers were also poor and had very little to spare. Before he rose out of bed, he asked God to make a way for his family. Then he rolled out of bed, pacing back and forth, worrying about his father’s whereabouts. He was becoming anxious, feeling that was something he needed to do to help his family. He came to the conclusion that he had to take a risk and set out on a journey to find his father and bring him home. Suwaigo conveniently remembered the walks he attempted to take toward the mountains, pretending he was on a treasure mission. However, he would always manage to find his way back home just before dark. For a ten-year old boy, Suwaigo was very brave. He decided to take his brothers to the old woman’s house to see if she would be able to look after them until he found his father and returned home. With a few pieces of fruit to carry on his journey, he knocked on the old woman’s door. He asked her if she would care for his brothers until he comes back home from searching for his father. She said, “I will do what I can, Suwaigo. Please be careful and return home soon. I haven’t the strength to take care of them for very long. The one who left to get word to your father said they think he and many of the other men of the village were heading toward the Ocean Edge.” Suwaigo’s eyes opened wide, realizing that he was up for a difficult challenge 18
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for someone his age. He knew that it was left up to him to save his family. He also knew that if he didn’t find his father, his family would have less of a chance to survive. Without their father, they would lose everything, including each other.
Part 2 The Village Suwaigo pushed his narrow frame with all his might through the trees bordering the tiny village. He followed the already beaten path that eventually led him over a bridge where he crossed over a river and entered a barren meadow. He listened as he could hear the ocean waves and followed the sound as well as the crisp alluring scent of the sea. As Suwaigo continued following the path, he began calling out to his father. “Father! Father, are you there? Please, Father, where are you? We need you.” There was no answer as he kept walking on the path that led him on an uphill climb. He saw smoke coming from some nearby trees and followed the sight of what looked like a campsite. The area was covered with giant stones surrounding a smoldering fire. When he walked around the circle of stones, he noticed a torch burning next to a long post. The post bore a large wooden sign with a message carved into it. Who could have taken the time to carve this sign before the fall of stones? Suwaigo was saddened when he read the sign: All of the men fell to their death on the Ocean Edge.
The Edge was a well-known cliff often used long ago for the king’s soldiers to view all incoming vessels, including 19
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other seaworthy boats that would sail with caution around the sacred land. The enormous height of the Edge is highly respected by all villagers, whose ancestors helped build the land and pass down the amazing history of the land. The Edge was also well-known to be extremely dangerous, and no one should be anywhere near the edge. Some villagers feel that surviving the Ocean Edge is like crossing over to some sort of eternal life. After seeing the sign, Suwaigo began to scream with fear. No one heard the echo of his cry. The thought of losing his father took the spirit of the ten-year-old boy to a different level. The sign very well may have destroyed any gleam of hope he had left. The only thing he could do now was to make his way back home to the village before dark. He was sure to mark the path with little of pieces of torn pages from his favorite book that he had in his pocket when he began his journey. A small sacrifice for Suwaigo, who loved his book; it was the only evidence he had on hand to leave behind to assure his way back home. On the way back, he stopped when he remembered that his father used to speak of a secret place—one that was located off the beaten path. It was then that Suwaigo discovered a piece of hope. Maybe his father was still alive after all, and he was hiding there. Standing amongst the thicket and in the midst of the wildlife he was accustomed to, Suwaigo prayed for a step in the right direction—one that would lead him toward his father’s secret hiding place. It wasn’t long before he found that he had wandered a bit off course. He noticed that the path he was on wasn’t familiar or anywhere near his village. Suwaigo kept walking, determined not to give up looking until he found out the truth about his father.
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Suwaigo became more determined when he saw that the sun was beginning to take a lower position. He was running out of time. Suwaigo looked up ahead to see the brilliance of the sun shining brightly through an area of trees up ahead. It was as if the sun was working overtime to shine its light on Suwaigo’s path to keep the darkness out of his way. Suwaigo continued walking toward the glistening leaves of the trees, praying that his father’s secret place was somewhere up ahead. Suddenly, a big beautiful bird of paradise flew past him. It’s an extraordinary, unusual bird with wings of many colors. Suwaigo couldn’t help but watch the bird in flight until it finally landed in an enormous tree just ahead of his footsteps. When Suwaigo arrived at the foot of the tree, he looked up as far as his eyes could see to find the bird perched on a rather sturdy branch. The branch appeared to be full of blossoms of every kind of flower you could ever imagine. The flowers were suddenly awakened and swaying in the breeze of the bird’s wings, as its talons hooked onto the branch and nestled into the bed of foliage. As the massive blooms continued to sway back and forth, Suwaigo could hear beautiful music coming from the presence of the tree. The symphonic music from the tree made Suwaigo dance with praise; he danced and danced, spinning around with joy until he tripped over one of the gigantic roots of the tree. The roots were so big that they had grown about three feet above the ground. When Suwaigo got up and took a full view of the ground, he noticed the roots of the tree, resembling the tentacles of an octopus, were sitting still on dry ground. Suwaigo wandered around the tree that made him for one moment forget all of his troubles. He jumped over each root in a clockwise motion. The shadow of the sun seemed to follow him around the enormous tree. There was so much 21
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love surrounding the tree, a feeling that Suwaigo had never experienced before. When he looked up to see if the bird was still on the branch, he noticed that the bird was watching him like a mother hen would watch her young. When he called out to the bird, it flew off toward another direction in the junction of the path. Suwaigo was mesmerized by the beautiful bird. He followed the amazing colors of the bird’s feathers that magnified through the light of the sun. As it flew away, the bird left a trail of rotating colors, like a kaleidoscope, streaming behind it. It was like a funnel of interchangeable colors that was guiding Suwaigo toward an unknown destiny. The bird began it’s descend as Suwaigo ran and ran, somehow keeping up with the flow of the bird’s wings. The bird flew inside of what looked like a giant rock. It was hollow and about the size of a large elephant. Suwaigo came to a halt when the bird suddenly flew back out of the rock and perched on top of the entrance of the rock. Suwaigo hesitated until he thought it was safe to go into the rock. As soon as he stepped into the rock, he began calling out to his father. He said, “Father, father, are you here? It’s me, Suwaigo.” There was no answer in the dark, cold rock where the sun had not yet shone. Suddenly when he reached the center of the rock, the sun moved its light toward the entrance, allowing Suwaigo to see more clearly into the rock. Although, the only thing he discovered was a dirty hat left on the cold floor. He just knew this was the place his father spoke of. It would have been the perfect hiding place for his father. It wasn’t long before Suwaigo discovered that his father was not in the rock. He looked when he saw the bird standing in the entrance as if it were trying to send him a message. Suwaigo noticed the sunlight moving slowly past 22
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the rock like the second hand of a clock. He begged for just a little more time. Suddenly he felt the time reversed, and he felt the warm beams of the sun return on his back. When he heard the bird flapping its large wings, he turned to exit the rock. Feeling sad and defeated, he knew he couldn’t escape the grace of time much longer. It was time to go back to the village so his brothers wouldn’t think he abandoned them. When he took a step toward the opening of the rock, the bird wasn’t there, only the sun that was glaring brightly upon his face. The light was so blinding Suwaigo could barely see his way out. Suddenly, a shadow appeared, blocking the sun’s rays inside the rock. It was the bird standing in the opening of the rock. It spread its colorful wings like a screen blocking the glare of the sun from Suwaigo’s face. He could now see his way out. Suwaigo took three steps toward the opening and a miraculous sight was seen. Appearing in front of Suwaigo was a rainbow. He said, “How can this be? How is it that a rainbow could show up inside a rock?” Just then, the bird who had not uttered a sound sang a song, showing that he was a bird of grace. It startled Suwaigo so that it made him fall down on his knees at the start of the rainbow. He stood up but knew there was no getting over the beauty of the rainbow; its presence was powerful and breathtaking. Suwaigo collected his balance, as his eyes followed the arc of colors from one end to the other. Suddenly he saw a dark area in the right hand corner of the bow. He said to himself, “What happened, why is this so? Why is the corner of rainbow dark? There’s a break in the corner of the rainbow.” He walked closer to the break in the bow, and discovered a box blocking the light of the bow nestled into the wall. Suwaigo climbed the wall of the rock, barely 23
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reaching a beautifully hand carved box of wood. There were a dozen tiny wooden fish carved into the top lid of the box. When Suwaigo opened the box, he discovered a note. He was shocked to see that the note was addressed to him. Dear Suwaigo, Inside this box is one of my most precious possessions. It now belongs to you. Deliver it to the old woman who lives next door to you. She will know what to do. You will then follow a journey that will lead you to the rewards of your heart. Take care of my children and know that your destiny will follow you as you follow the sun. Remember, diamonds in the sun always make rainbows. Love, Abba Father
The note was made out of a thin piece of wood, as thin as paper. The words looked as though they were branded with fire onto the paper of wood. After Suwaigo read the note, the words suddenly disappeared as if they were for his eyes only. In the box, under the note, was a small fishing net full of fresh leaves. He could see something shining through the leaves. He looked through the leaves and found the most magnificent diamond. It was about the size of Suwaigo’s hand. He could not fathom how a boy like he could be so fortunate to find something so valuable. He knew instantly that he had to protect the precious stone. Then he immediately thought of the dangers involved with carrying a stone of such value that he lost courage in believing that he could deliver it all the way back to his village without foul play. Then the thought occurred to him that if he succeeds, he would be able to 24
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take care of his family and some of the other children. He also thought of a king’s reward for finding and delivering a precious stone. Suwaigo carefully put the diamond back into the box and covered it completely with the leaves. Then he fled from the rock to make his way home.
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