ANGEL IN THE SHADOWS (II) SHORT STORY

Our short story series stopped at the point Hassan and the lady trying to befriend him parted. What is going to happen to him now that he has lost his job? Find out as the story proceeds.

ANGEL IN THE SHADOWS (II)

The next day, Hassan decided to sleep in. He had tossed and turned for most of the night and was grateful when sleep overcame him around 4 a.m. By force of habit, he woke up an hour later but willed himself to go back to sleep and he did. Finally rousing a little after 8 a.m., he went to perform his toilet chores and it all came back to him. No job, no money, no food. He sat on the loo and prayed, asking God to come to his aid.

When he was through, he put on a brown pair of cargo shorts and a faded blue T-shirt and went to sit on the stoop of his back porch. He had planned to find a wife and raise a family in this house. He had paid dearly to rent a bungalow with a spacious backyard. He had planned to do a vegetable garden there until after his nuptials. He would then regrass it, put in a swing and other kiddies’ play equipment with time. But now, he would probably sublet it to get by.

A knock at the front door interrupted his musings. More knocking.

“Why don’t people use the bell? And why knock repeatedly like the occupant of the house is camping by the front door and should respond in a second?” he wondered aloud.

He was shaking his head as he pushed into the house shouting, “Coming!”

However, by the time, he opened the door, there was no one there. He hissed and wondered who thought he was in the mood for playing hide-and-seek. A thought crossed his mind and sent shivers down his spine. Could his former employers still be after him? Did they think he might blow the whistle on them?

“Lord, have mercy!” he prayed.

But as he was about to reenter the house, he saw a small, red food flask by one of the flower pots on the porch. He stared at it for a while unable to decide what to do with it.

“What if the food is poisoned?” he asked himself. “I’m yet to tell my friends what happened. Who else knows I’m this needy?”

Finally, he picked up the flask and dropped it on the dining table. He went back to the back porch to resume his daydreaming. But he couldn’t really concentrate. He was trying to figure out who brought the food when it hit him. Who else but the girl who was trying so hard to be friendly last night? But how could he be sure?

He went back inside and examined the flask. No clue outside. He opened it. Wow! White rice with goat meat stew. His favourite! There was no question about it now. Irrespective of who or where that food came from, he was going to sanctify and eat it and by God’s grace, it would nourish his body.

“Hassan Joseph,” he told himself, “God has answered your prayer and this woman of Zarephath,* whoever he or she may be, will continue to feed you till you get back on your feet.”

He laid hands on the flask, blessed the food and prayed in tongues* for a few minutes. He then settled down to a much-needed brunch.
-To be continued-
Ⓒ Edith Ugochi Ohaja 2016

*In the Bible, the woman of Zarephath fed the prophet Elijah during a three and half-year famine in Israel.
*Praying in tongues refers to praying in the spirit as opposed to praying with one’s understanding.

Who do you think brought the food to Hassan?
If you were in his shoes, would you have eaten it?

In the next instalment, Hassan makes a determined effort to confirm the identity of his secret benefactor. Let’s join him and see the result.
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61 comments

  • Rev,M.B.Samuel Fernando

    A great episode… I enjoyed it.It is very interesting one.May the good Lord bless your efforts both financially & otherwise. Grant you wisdom & more knowledge to write better in the mighty name of Jesus….Amen

    • Edith Ohaja

      Amen and amen. Thank you, man of God. And may the Lord bless and prosper your family and ministry too in Jesus’ name.

  • chinyere Godwin

    Anyone who followed the story to this point would say it’s d admirer…lol but I v my doubts. Hut this is Nigeria. No body would see such and eat it….so I won’t take it

  • Faith aforka

    Whether it be by coincidence or a delibrate act, God can use even the devil to answer prayers. Funny though the part where he prayed in tongues

    • Edith Ohaja

      I guess he wanted to make assurance doubly sure the food will be safe. Don’t know how many people will eat food they don’t know where it came from. People just tend to react differently to stuff.

  • Nahh!!…wouldn’t dare,can’t risk it.

  • great writeup…love the story..it is really making sense…may GOD grant you your effort in life…once again..nice post.

  • Onuorah chinemerem

    No matter how hungry I am,I’m not eating that kind of mystery food. Hassan,you want to die abi? Lol. Next pls!

  • Nwankwo Anita

    wow hassan must have been really hungry but me i cant eat any food i dnt knw where its coming from except am at d point of death.

  • oleru precious

    this story is hilarious

  • Asogwa Emmanuel C.

    Nice piece

  • Tobechi

    Lol! His favourite food just when he needed it by an unknown. That should be scary but it just makes the story more captivating and interesting! Let’s move on.

  • Barnabas Timothy ebube

    Dere z something called favour and God used some1 to supply hassan’s present need wich was food ?

  • ulu christiana

    nice write up

  • odo chidera

    i think it is the girl he was with the previous night that kept the food.

    if i was in his shoes, aking me if would eat the food should be an understatement.. the question should be, how sweet was the food… lol… not pretending.. a hungry man is an angry man

  • chinaza ezenwa

    am thrilled

  • Chigbo ifeanyi James

    Hassan calls on God in everything he does. A good habit that should be learnt.

  • ugwoke onyinyechi sylvia

    He took a risk, I would not eat the food if I were him.

  • Nweke Jemimah Chisom

    nice episode..but who could have brought the food? lets find out.

  • wow. nice story
    can’t wait to finish up the rest

  • ifebe june sobechukwu

    could that be called a coincidence or what?…it was need met buh still a risky one

  • am so curious tight now. A lot of suspense. nice one ma, I can’t wait for the next part

  • chika divine umunnakwe

    one of his observers . i will not have eaten the food without knowing who brought the food. Hassan is a man of faith…

  • Ekpali Joseph Saint

    good! it is important to call on God….

  • Edu Igbo

    Maybe an angel… If it was me… I’ll lift it up and give thanks

  • Onoh Oziomachukwu

    Ah bros! its not safe to eat food like that oh. I love that he is prayerful too. YES! brother pray out all the ‘incase’ poison

  • Victoria Nonike

    I think i will be skeptical about the food if i was Hassan. i love that he called upon the lord in this case.

  • Ezeme Evans Ejike

    I am really enjoying this story. The food is definitely from his admirer, he should eat it without qualms. let’s see how things will unfold.

  • Atudume B. Chinwendu

    Who else if not the young lady hitting on him, Of cause the cheapest means to winning a man’s heart is through his stomach. Hassan should have verified before eating the food, lots of things happen this days, it can not be compared to the manner that fell for the children of Israel in the wilderness.

  • Akpan Agnes

    Lol for my brother food is food , God has answered his prayers and u think he will wait to know where its coming from hahaha brother bless the food and even speak in tongues again

  • Hahahahaha! I don’t blame hassan, hunger is no man’s friend, even when he tried to resist the flask the sight of the white rice and goat meat stew won’t allow that. Nice piece ma.

  • nwankwo gift nneamaka

    Lol yes now i will eat the food oo or do you want me to die of hunger? lol just saying ma but i don’t blame him for eating the food without knowing who brought it. He really needed it because he was starving and i think it is the lady that brought the food.

  • Odeke Camilus Chidubem

    Chai, this story is turning out very cool. The food must be coming from his admirer, he should better eat it o before hunger will kill him. Kudos ma

  • Kat

    Isn’t it obvious? Who would have brought him the food except the neighbour who he had earlier thought a nuisance. I’m sure it wasn’t poisoned.lol. Now,on to the next part

  • Akuma Victor

    Can’t control my appetite for the story any longer, it’s getting too wet. let me quickly navigate to see if there’s more already.
    Hassan still perturbed gets a breakfast from stranger, the chemistry I believe is clicking. The young lady can’t but care about him, or could this be another handwork of God to see him through his worries? Well let see.

  • Otti Uzoma Augusta

    he is really going to eat that food? i really need to satisfy my curiosity, let me quickly look for the next part. nice work ma

  • Was that girl trying to play the part of an angel? Things like this could be suspicious and besides Hassan is just getting to know her. I feel she should have offered him the food without playing a hide and seek game.

  • Anazodo Helen

    Wow, i think the lady brought the food, its a good thing he prayed over it, can’t wait to know what will happen next

    • Mark Favour

      I think the food was sent by someone who knows Hassan’s favourite meal or someone led by the Spirit, to drop the food there.
      I would gladly eat the food, after praying out my fears and assumptions.

  • Nwankwo Amanda

    I actually prefer this episode to the first, God can use an enemy or even the devil itself to come to your rescue

  • Isaac Nwanneka Oyiridiya

    I thought he was forming.He shouldn’t have eaten d food make hunger wire him.

  • Onyeka Stanley

    I tell you the real truth, in a time like this having a rethink can cause damage to your internal system. Hassan at least contemplated before eating, some of us would say our Lord’s prayer and do justice to the food.

  • Nkwocha Chibueze Innocent

    I think the food was brought by the girl that visited the other day

    Well if to is me I won’t even touch the flash talk more of eating the food it could be a trap or something like that since he knows his stand with God and he believed that nothing will happen to him and as a hungry dude I think he made the right choice

  • Emmanuel chibuike

    Am sure Hassan never dreamt of eating any reasonable food that day, but a call on God brought his favourite food.
    Nahum 1:7 said The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. God is friend both in hard times and in good times, that fact cannot be doubted

  • Ugwu Chika Samson

    Oh! my God, I can’t believe that Hassan ate the food without proper investigation of who brought the Food. And what if, it is this angel that brought the food then Hassan should be prepared because they have a long way to go .

  • Chima ella

    He called on God for everything, God asked him through someone but who the person is or was i cant tell.
    Saying is the girl from last night, then the question will be how did she know his favorite?
    He ate the food cause he believed that God brought it to him through someone.

  • Agbo Onyekachi Obumneme

    I think the lady brought the food. If I were Hassan, I may eat the food but it will be dependent on what my stomach is telling me , if I become so hungry that I feel like dying, I will bless the food as well and it but if not it may be difficult for me to eat because I don’t know the identity of who brought the food.

    • Thomas Rebecca Ina

      Haha!
      woman of zarephath indeed, anyways I think that perhaps; who knows she may be of help to him in hard time.
      But honestly, I wouldn’t have eaten that food untill I knew where it came from.

  • Ukpai-uma Lucy

    At this time, anything goes. Either he chooses to eat the food or not. But one thing, I admire his faith in God over the food.

  • Ozioko Glory Oluchi

    I think the girl brought the food to him. But who brought the food doesn’t really matter, what matters is that the Lord has provided for him through whoever that brought it.

  • Chukwunwenwa Chinenye

    It should be the lady nah, who else?
    What kind of hunger pushed Hassan to eat that food ehn?
    I don’t think I can
    eat that mysterious food biko. I still want to be alive then hunt for another job.

    What if it was poisoned or the owner come looking for it?

    I’m scared for him already ??

  • Otung Theresa

    It would be lady that tried to befriend him that would have brought the food. Well, if I’m in this situation, I’ll first satisfy the hunger before looking for the person that dropped it off.. But I would pray very well for the food sha.. Lol, it was an interesting read.
    Thanks Ma’am for sharing

  • Nwoye chiamaka favour

    indeed God does really provide for the faithful. He knows our need even if we didn’t ask.

  • Ezeh Onyekachukwu C

    Am glad someone remembered hassan this challenging period. I just believe that this young lady has something nice she will still do for Hassan. I pray both of them ends up together.

  • Ejiofor Emmanuel

    Lol, hunger wan kill Hasan?. But he shouldn’t have eaten the food when he doesn’t know who dropped it. I wonder what is going to be the lady’s next approach

  • Uzochukwu Angel

    I wonder who kept the mysterious flask. LOL. I like this piece.

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