.jpg)
Hello steemians, I learnt big lessons from this experience I want to share and I admonish you to pick up something from it likewise.
About three phones have gone missing in our room in the past five months. When we reported to the school’s security, they only told us that it was a roommate that is responsible. Everyone of us in the room was waiting for the day we will catch the culprit.
.jpg)
Last Tuesday, when we were all asleep; I think it was about 2 am, Rosemary woke up suddenly and her phone was gone. Her phone was the most expensive of us all. When Rosemary woke up and couldn't find her phone, she sprang up from the bed and quickly opened her cupboard. She rummaged the contents, even removed her clothes but could still not find the phone.
I was in the room when it happened; sitting and reading before I dozed off with my head resting on my books. So when Rosemary couldn't find her phone, she gently shook my shoulders until I woke up. 'It has happened again', she told me. I didn't even need to ask what happened as I could see the panic and loss written in her eyes.
.jpg)
This is the second time her phone had been stolen. So I took my phone and dialed Rosemary's number; just to be sure it had not been misplaced. 'Error in Connection' was what I saw on the screen of my phone. I dialed it again and it started ringing not just on my phone, but the actual ring tone of Rosemary's Samsung phone was faintly audible. We were both surprised when we heard the tone.
I beckoned on Rosemary to keep quiet as she was visibly ready to 'finish' the person who took her phone. I continued dialing as we moved silently, following the direction of the ring tone. There were four bunks in the room, each with two bed spaces. Rosemary and I use the same bunk just beside the door and the sound was coming from the last bunk at the extreme left corner.
.jpg)
We tiptoed, Rosemary and I, like Jack Bauer until we traced the sound to the top bed space on the last bunk. 'So it is Janet who had been stealing phones in this room'. Rosemary whispered to me. We shook her leg and woke her up only to find out it was not Janet sleeping on the mattress. Neither of us had ever seen the Girl before. To make matters worse, the ringing was coming from the bag she was using as pillow. When she woke up, she looked at us strangely as if She didn't know why we were there. We opened the bag and found not just Rosemary's Samsung, but three other phones. 'So, you are the one who's been stealing our phones!'; Rosemary shouted at her. Before she could find an excuse, Rosemary slapped her on her left cheek and walked out looking for anything to break one or two of the girl's bones. I don't know; but there was something about the girl. So I asked her, 'Madam, what are you doing here?' 'What are you doing with Rosemary's phone'. She was just looking at me without saying anything, so I slapped her right cheek with my left hand. 'ANSWER ME!', I screamed at her; waking up the roommates who were around.
Janet had obviously gone to night class to read and I assumed the other three roommates who were absent had also gone to read. The two ladies remaining in the room with me and Rosemary came and gave their own round of slaps. The accused was now staggering when Rosemary came back with a long wood hard enough to kill the girl. As she raised it up, the three of us, the roommates, held her hands so she wouldn't murder the accused. Rosemary dropped the wood and swept her right leg against the thief's legs and she fell down. Rosemary had told me before that she had attended the Soldiers' recruitment training but failed the medical test. I believed her right then. I looked at the girl crumple on the floor and before Rosemary killed her, I decided to interview her, at least to know who she is. She was now sitting on the ground where she landed from Rosemary's force. 'Who are you?' I asked her again; this time gently. She was crying but it was only the tears that were coming out.
.jpg)
It was then I realized she had not even uttered a word since it all started. Not even when she fell to the ground. 'Why are you in our room'? I asked again. 'Can you even talk?' She shook her head then. I was now confused. Why was she shaking her head? So, I asked again, 'Can't you talk?' She shook her head again. 'Wait, is it that this girl is dumb?', I asked the girls. The girl then nodded her head and pointed to her mouth and then shook her head left to right. It hit me then. The girl is dumb but not deaf. That was the first time I am seeing a case like that. My anger changed to pity immediately. 'Are you dumb?', I ashamedly asked the girl to confirm. Again, she nodded her head. 'Can you read and write?' She nodded again. 'Get me a pen and note!' I said to my roommates over my shoulder. I collected the pen and wrote on the note, 'Who are you? Explain yourself.' I was almost in tears as I read her fine handwriting, 'My name is Mercy, I am Janet elder Sister. I am a student of Delta State University. I was traveling to Delta but our bus stopped for the night at Benin. So I decided to sleep with my sister till tomorrow morning. She brought me here around 12 am and went out to night class to read. She gave me the bag to keep for her. So I decided to use it as pillow so that it won't be stolen'. I held the note with the girls at my back as all of us read it. I became so weak I almost fell. 'The girl is innocent.' I needlessly announced. When we realized this, even I was ashamed of myself.
Rosemary just stood there with the wood She almost used to hit her, looking as if she was the one who had been beaten. I am not sure, but I think I saw tears in her eyes as she realized she had just punished an innocent Lady. So we knelt down; Rosemary and I, we knelt down and clasped our hands so she will know we were really sorry. With tears in our eyes, we told her, 'We are sorry. Sorry for accusing you wrongly and beating you for it'.
.jpg)
The dumb girl just smiled with bleeding lips from the blow I gave her. She smiled and looked into our eyes. And I could see pity in her eyes. She smiled and shook her head and then wrote in the same paper. 'It is Alright. I took the pain willingly. Please don't beat my sister anymore. I knew why you were beating me. Janet had always been a thief, right from home. But please don't report or beat her again'. Tears dropped from my eyes as I read her sacrifice. She deliberately allowed us beat her just so that Janet will be free. I lend my hand and raised her up as I used my cloth to wipe the tears from her face and blood from her lips.
It was then my own tears flowed from the corner of my eyes. This is what Jesus did for us on the cross of cavalry. He kept quiet and even died so that we can be saved. He never protested his innocence but bore it all for us. He gave his life for you ,What have you given him?
JESUS SAVES
JESUS LOVES