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The Devil


Fiction

Father Joseph woke up from sleep with a tremor running down his spine.  His body was drenched with sweat.  This had become a routine now: a nightmare would kill his sleep halfway through it.

In his nightmares he was a sorcerer, or a witch hunter, or a medieval knight tilting at some mysterious windmills.  He dispensed magical potions and panaceas to the people who came and knelt down in front of him with childlike trust.  He drove a stake into the heart of every sinner in the parish.  He led some amorphous army to he knew not where.  Every dream ended with somebody like John the Baptist making a mocking apparition to him and accusing him of cardinal sins of all hues.  Often the Baptist had only the head; there was no body.  There was fury in his mockery.  His words lashed out like lightning and thunder. 

Father Joseph put on his white soutane as he got ready for his morning meditation.  He spent an hour every morning in silent prayer and meditation before the parishioners came for the morning Mass.  He mortified his flesh in many ways during the day in order to ward off all evil.  The devil prowls round everywhere and can overpower you at any time.  One ought to be on constant guard.

Darkness enveloped the church as Father Joseph came out of the presbytery.  He had forgotten to switch on the outside light last night.  Darkness had swallowed the whole world, thought Father Joseph.  What use was the artificial light of bulbs?  Light had vanished from the hearts and souls of people.

Father Joseph’s meditation was about to end when Sara appeared before him.  Sara had the beauty of an angel and the seductiveness of a witch.  She must have come to confess for the umpteenth time about her marital infidelity.  Yet another night in the arms of a man who was not her husband.  Her husband was in Dubai making money.

Father Joseph looked at Sara.  Not into her eyes as he used to do.  His eyes slipped.  They fell on the beautiful curves of her youthful body.  Father Joseph felt an unusual tremor in his loins.  The tremor rose from the loins towards his heart, shaking up his whole body.

“My God, my God!” his soul cried out silently. 

The lights had been switched on in the church.  But Father Joseph saw darkness everywhere. 

“The devil!” he muttered to himself, his eyes widening in alarm.  “The devil is inside me!” 


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Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 5, 2014 at 1:22 AM

    Every human has two parts good and bad.. its on the human which one to choose...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalFebruary 5, 2014 at 7:07 AM

      We can't choose really, Saurabh. We have to accept both. Until we accept the devil within us, just as we accept the angel, we won't be at peace.

      Delete
  2. Amrit YegnanarayanFebruary 5, 2014 at 4:36 AM

    Wonder why is thoughts of sex the work of a devil?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalFebruary 5, 2014 at 7:08 AM

      For a Catholic priest who has taken the vow of chastity, sex will be a cardinal sin.

      Delete
  3. Mon.EspritFebruary 5, 2014 at 9:40 PM

    Brilliant piece once again, Sir :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalFebruary 6, 2014 at 12:23 PM

      Thanks, Abhra. I must acknowledge my gratitude to a psychologist whom I read recently. He said that until we see the devil within us clearly and also accept it as an integral part of ourselves, our life will remain incomplete and discontented... The story came from my reading into that statement.

      Delete
  4. Ritesh AgarwalFebruary 7, 2014 at 4:05 PM

    Wow, the final lines were really good....I wasn't feeling quite engaged towards the beginning but I'm glad I read through.. That climax was powerful and dark, exactly how i prefer my stories to be

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalFebruary 7, 2014 at 4:29 PM

      Glad you found it interesting, Ritesh... Until we discover the devil within ourselves and come to terms with it, it will keep haunting our dreams.

      Delete

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