THE WATCHMAN.

I was 14 years old when my father got a job, to be a farm manager of De Ridders drift. De Ridders drift was 1 of 3 farms in an area I will not mention, and belonged to a wealthy farmer in that district. I have never been back there again, after our brief stay there of 6 weeks it may be 8 I can’t remember. It has been 23 years since I was there yet, I can still remember it as if it had happened yesterday.

But let me start from the beginning. The man my dad got the job from I shall call Jones, he was one of the richest farmers in our country, and he offered my dad a huge salary per month to run De Ridders drift one of his wheat farms. We had a huge and beautiful old farm house to live in and the area around the house was a lush garden and tree’s all around, I remember my dad saying that the farm was so big it takes a full 2 days just to drive the perimeter in his bakkie. We moved there during the December holidays, and I would be enrolled in the boarding school located about 350km to the nearest town. I did not like the idea about not living with my mom and dad fulltime but understood why my dad took the job.

Now about Jones, from the first day I met the man he was strange to me almost weird as if he did not belong here on earth. Don’t get me wrong here Jones was a very friendly and open man always a smile on his face, but I saw something else in him, and for the life of me I could never understand why my Folks could not see it. From the second I laid eyes on him, I felt a sense of peace and only later in my life it dawned on me that, that weird feeling towards Jones was my 14 year old mind telling me that Jones had a very big secret in his life that he was hiding. Never the less I liked him.

On the far north side on the border of De Ridder drift, lay a bank of hills and at the foot of these hills was a large dam surround by tree’s mainly willows and a few berry bushes and other exotic plant life. My first week on the farm I asked dad if I could take the 50cc dirt bike and explore that hillside and dam. Dad said yes and after pleading with my mom she agreed reluctantly, I remember packing my rucksack with food and water and of I went on my great adventure.
It took me a good 2 hours to reach the edge of the tree’s among them I could see the calm blue water of the dam and on the other side the hills rising up to the sky. And here I spent the rest of the day exploring among the tree’s, around the dam and partly up one side of the hill witch rather looked more like a mountain once you stood by its foot.

On my way back home, driving on the side of the wheat fields which seem to go on and on with no end, I decided my next trip to the dam would be for fishing. I imagined myself walking into the house with a nice big catch, but at 14 it did not cross my mind what type of fish or even if there was any fish in that dam, all I could see in my mind’s eye was 2 or 3 huge fishes and the surprise and happiness on my parent’s faces.

The next week or few weeks that followed I helped my mom and dad on the farm and by the end of the last few days on the farm before we left for good I had a free day to myself and I decided to go and do some fishing. A few days before I had taken my fishing gear and I had hidden it at the side of the wheat field among some bushes because I wanted my big catch to be a surprise for my parents. So of I went early that morning during past the lush yellow wheat fields softly blowing in the wind.

Once there I stopped the dirt bike at the line of trees from there it was about a 400meter walk through the trees before you reached the dam. I remember as I got of the bike that the air around me was deadly silent. There was no bird chatter in the trees no noises of a light wind or the buzz of insects, all around me was silent to the point that I felt a tinge of fear in my belly. I looked back and about 100 meters away the wheat was still swaying in the wind, looking back at and up the trees all was frozen not a leave or branch moved.

That’s when I heard a noise, like a splash in the water, I slowly started walking towards the dam, forgetting why I was there in the first place. Moving among the trees I felt the deathly silence around me, slowly the view of the dam started opening up and then I stopped dead in my tracks. To my left I saw Jones on his knees arms in the air, wearing a funny white robe, he was at the edge of the water. He was loudly chanting in some weird language. After a few minutes the water started to ripple and then rise in front of Jones, and from the centre of the dam something was rising out of the water. And at this point my jaw dropped to the ground. Rising out of the water was what appeared to be 2 giant men also in white robes they hovered above the water, and then slowly moved towards Jones. At the edge of the water they crossed to the ground. At this point Jones was up and walking to them he stopped in front of them. All 3 then held their right hands up in the air almost like a Nazi salute they took turns mumbling in that strange language Jones was saying earlier. The 2 was men big and very tall at least 10meters high and the color of their skin were white like milk they both had long white hair down to almost their hips. One had what looked like a beard but I was too far away to make out any facial features. Then Jones himself started to shimmer and blur and in seconds he looked just like the 2 men.

At this point I let out a soft yelp in fear and all 3 the giants looked in my direction and all I could do was turn and run for all my life’s worth. Reaching the bike I jumped on and as I started it they came running out the trees towards me and could now clearly see their faces, big blue eyes and one had a beard. Hey boy stop one shouted in a loud voice. But fear took me beyond reason and I sped off at top speed on the bike, how I got home I could not remember, but my parents found me lying curled up in a ball at the front door mumbling insanely and when my dad picked me up I wet myself and screamed like a mad man.

I was catatonic for at least 2 days and when I came round mom dad and the local district doctor was sitting by my bed, when I told them what I saw the doctor raised his eyebrows and looked at my father, they both left the room and I never saw the doctor again. The next day dad was in the wheat fields, and mom was busy outside in the vegetable garden at the back of the house. As I was lying in bed the events at the dam ran in my head like a movie and I was wondering if I did not imagine it, and until now neither of my parents seem to believe me.

A soft knock on my door brought me back to reality and as the door opened in stepped Jones. As I opened my mouth to scream he jumped on the bed and tightly placed his hand over my mouth. Be silent my son I will take my hand away but if you so much as make a peep I will disappear before your mommy can reach the door, do you understand me. I slowly nodded yes. As he removed his hand I kept my lips tightly closed staring up at him. But now I felt peace and calmness welling up in me like a thunder storm. Then Jones reached into his pocket and took out a small white feather. Now, said Jones I am not going to hurt you I am going to say a prayer that will make you forget what you saw the other day, you might feel a little sleepy but that’s all. He must have read my mind because he answered exactly what I was thinking. What am I, he said, well I might as well tell you before I pray for you, I am not from this world son but from a far far away a place, your little mind won,t understand. And we are not here to kill and eat you we are here to observe the human race, we are watchers. It saddens us to see how you humans are destroying not just your self’s but also this beautiful planet you live on. I am sorry mister, I whispered softly, but I won’t hurt the world please don’t make me forget, please I beg you, I promise I won’t say a word. At this point Jones closed his eyes and softly mumbled, then as if getting an answer he nodded his head and looked at me with a smile, my master says you may remember, I wanted you to forget because I don’t like it when little children gets scared of us. Oh it happens you know people, fear us because we are so huge, or as you think, like giants.
You see my son you may remember because my master says that one day this will be your testimony to other people and that you are going to do a lot of good things in his name.
Jones smiled at me and then he said, but for now this must remain a secret until you turn 21, can you promise me and your master to do that.

Who is the master I asked? Oh, the one you and your mom and dad pray to every night he is the almighty God who made the heavens and earth, he who sent his only son Jesus to die for your sins. He, our master is lord Yahweh the one and only god from the heavens and earth.

I was stunned into silence and tears was running down my cheeks, and the only thing I felt was heart sore and a terrible sadness. What’s wrong my child Jones asked me? Can you tell Jesus something for me please, tell him I am sorry the people hurt and killed him, tell him I read all his deeds in the bible and I think he was a good and kind man, could you please tell him I love him and our great Father very much. Jones smiled and again closed his eyes after a few seconds he looked at me and said, Jesus and our Father says they love you very much, and that his host of angels shall look after you and your mom and dad. God also says to remember this day and that you must always follow his way for one day you must carry his word across the world.
I will I promise, I said.

That’s a good boy now I must go, but before I leave in a few days you and your parents will move away to the city for I need your father to work for me there, and their you will meet a preacher who will lead you in the ways of God, do you understand that my son.
I just nodded yes, then Jones leaned over me and kissed my forehead, he got up and walked out and slowly closed the door behind him.

This happened 23 years ago and I never saw the angel, Jones after that. But about a year ago as I was doing the closing prayer for a group of converted Christians in Moscow Russia, I looked across the room and Jones was standing at the door with a huge smile on his face he turned and walked out slowly closing the door behind him like that day when I was 14, and I felt great peace and love in my heart.