WHERE IS THE LOVE?

How we started

50 knights-5states-1territory.
The king called for the best 10 From each state.
We all assembled before the king of our territory,heads up and ears open for instructions.
“Anyone who brings me the head of the king kankuta of Kekeku kingdom,
Will be rewarded with half of my possessions” the king said and he left.
The Commander led us to the training ground and his first instruction was:
“Your Brother is you! And you are your brother!
Whatever happens to your brother,happens to you!
You must fight in UNITY!”

And without thinking twice,we all echoed “YES SIR!”
The battle was 40days away..
We trained for 34days and each day,the commander resounds the instructions.
“Your Brother is you! And you are your brother!
Whatever happens to your brother,happens to you!
You must fight in UNITY!”

The plan

On day 34,we assembled to learn the traveling plan and instructions.
We were grouped into 5,with two men from same state in each group.
“34 days of rigorous training and instructions and now it’s time to set out!
“You have 10 of you in each group, 50 trained men, 5 mighty groups.
It takes 5days to journey to kante cave and 5 different routes leads there.
You will journey for the next five days, a group for each route to converge at Kante cave.
Day 39 that will be, for convergence and final preparations.
On day 40,you attack and win! In unity!” Instructed the commander.

“In UNITY!” We chorused.

The first shock

We began the Journey, 2 men from same state in each group.
My group was the first to move,I felt fear move from my head,to my heart and to my bones but as I looked around me and remembered I was not alone I pushed it off.

On reaching mount Takwe,one of us hit his leg against a huge rock and began to bleed.
I ran to him to help. I saw Rufus rush down too.
“Pick him up from the left side” I said..

The next minute I felt the wounded man fall off my arm.
What happened???

Rufus slew him from the left with his sword.
“What did you just do?” I managed to ask.
Rufus looked angrily towards me and shouted
“We have no time for delay!”

I stood on the spot,looking at the body with so many thoughts in my head.

“Is this man not from your state?” I asked.
“More reason I did what I did. Will you like to Join him too??” he said,without any feeling of remorse.

I looked at the faces of others,all I could read was :
“It is what it is”
I could feel the fear all over me now,I didn’t know what to expect next.
I tried pulling the body to a side and placed some rocks over it.

“No time for delay”

We continued the Journey with so many arguments and everyone acting as the head.
We were to pass the night at Otuga cave as instructed by the commander. But Rufus chose to continue the Journey alone,screaming “No time for delay”.
He left the Group and that was the last time we saw him breathe and talk.
On day 2 of our Journey,we all moved outside the cave and about a few kilometers away from the cave,we saw Rufus’ lifeless body,we suspected a wild animal attacked him.No one talked about a burial,because like he would always say: “There was no time for delay!”.

Bandits attack

We moved on still,speaking few words to one another and not knowing what next to expect.
It was getting dark and we have been climbing rocks and mountains.
As we slowly pulled our tired legs forward, approaching our next rest location, we were attacked by bandits.
Jaco was the first to be hit as he was walking very slow and far behind,his loud scream called us all out of our thoughts about food and rest.

We looked around, seeing we were outnumbered, we dared not stand to fight, we all ran as fast as our tired legs could carry us,all moving In different directions.

I could hear my heart race as I ran towards a cave.
I dashed into the cave and saw two other group members there already, still panting also from the unexpected race. We sat there waiting for the others.Tanko and Bantu ran into the cave few minutes later and told us the remaining two have been killed. They had chosen to fight and ended up losing their lives.

“What is wrong with all of you! You see what standing alone has brought upon us?! If we had waited for Jaco and given him more words to help him walk faster,he wouldn’t have been struck so easily without our notice.And Those other two killed themselves thinking they could fight the bandits alone and take the Glory,Stupidity! Complete stupidity!!.
Those words were coming out of me and I knew not how.
One would have expected a positive response,but all that pulled up was a long hour of arguments about stupidity and cowardice.

We all got so tired after much shouting and arguments, took the tiny pieces of food we had left and slept.

Day 3(day 37)

The third day of the journey to Kente cave came upon us. We all walked in silence and little communication all through the day.

Day 4(day 38)

On the night of the fourth day,we had just three bottles of water left.Tanko took one and drank all of it. Urahba and Tadilu managed to pull out a little love to share one bottle.I got the last bottle first.I didn’t drink first,I gave Bantu my own brother from my state and he drank all of it,throwing the empty bottle back at me..

“What!!!!! What on earth has gotten over you too Bantu!
I cared that you might pass out before I finished drinking,that’s why I gave you to drink first,and it’s obvious you care not that I die before we get another source of water!” I shouted.

All I got in response was a long hiss as he stretched himself to sleep.

For some seconds I felt like strangling him right there on the spot,my anger had no measure.
Others not interfering,I knew I would just have to stay thirsty till God knows.
We were to go fight as 50,counting from my group,I think we are 45 left.
Then,I took time to think of what might have happened to the other groups too.
Are they also fighting themselves like we have it here or were they obedient to the commander’s command.
I had to wait till the next day to know this…So many thoughts ran through my head till I slept.
My sleep was interrupted at varying intervals by nightmares and bites from different insects.

Day 5 (day 39)

Morning finally came,we all took up our belongings and headed for Kante cave,each man keeping to himself.
On reaching our point of convergence,I was surprised at the number of people that could make it.

I expected it to be a moment of Re union and Joy but it was the complete opposite, with every man frowning and ready to attack anyone who dared come near.

I ran to Fatili,he was my closest friend all through days of training. I met him and asked what has happened to the rest.
“Fate” he said..
I tried asking more questions and he raised his hands signifying that he doesn’t want disturbance..I left him.
I counted and we were 30men left..Right there and then,I knew we were on our way to our destruction.
We were supposed to prepare for the battle now looking right at us..From where we gathered we could see the people of Kekeku ignorantly going about their businesses.
“It won’t be too hard to take an unprepared city anyway” so I thought to help myself believe we might win the battle at the end.

The Battle

I woke up on the 40th day.
It was the day to fully act and pour out the saved up skills and fighting abilities.
We marched into the Enemy’s land with no proper plan and zero unity.
We were so close to the land,and the beginning of the end began.
The argument was about who will lead and give the commands.
Being men ready for war,none was ready to waste time with words and before long swords have been drawn and all around I saw brothers killing their own brothers.Every man was burning with the desire to be the one to get the head of King Kankuta.

Greed and Betrayal written all over their faces.
I looked up towards the Enemy’s land and saw the King looking down at us and laughing at our stupidity and failure..
I looked around me and saw 18 men already dead,killed not by the enemies but by their own brothers and as a reward for their greed.
I saw the rest running into the Enemy’s land to attack. Some  distance away from the gate,they fell by the arrows from the now-prepared weak men of Kekeku land who should have taken us few hours to overcome..

I saw blood dripping from my arm,I have been shot by an arrow too.
And all I could ask these dead men was “Where is the Love?”

END NOTES.

1cor 12:24a-27

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,
25
NIV:so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
26
NIV:If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27
NIV:Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Let there be restoration of Love and unity in the body of Christ.
Pray for all saints.
We have just one enemy (The devil).
We have all been enlisted in the army to fight him.
It would be a great tragedy to realize that we failed,not because the enemy is greater than we are but because of our Division.
Division Must stop!.
Oneness Must reign!

Tighten your armor, let us continue together on Faithplane-The journey through faithway.