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It was soon coming Easter.

The Apostle tell we to chop down plenty coconut leaf, cause the next Sunday is Palm Sunday. Him goin make the pickneys put on show right in the church! We no see so much excitement since Miss Fracas dog give birth to cat. Anyway, it was soon coming Easter.

Everywhere did lay down with coconut leaf. From the pulpit, right down the aisle, all the way out the door, down the step, and out the road. Some of we who never used go to church now go every Sunday cause you know you goin see signs and wonders! We see man who couldn’t talk, talk, and man who couldn’t walk, walk. Is Jesus Christ Himself who send the Apostle to Gibbeah.

The Apostle tell we to sit down. But that is lie, him never tell we. All him do is look at we and we know. That is how the Apostle good! Him know we before we know we! When him want people to do something, him just look pon them a certain way and them do it quick. Anyway, we sit down and the old man who play organ start play. Then Lucinda get up and run to the door. She waving her hand and telling somebody to come inside.

Coo pon the show! As soon as she step aside, the first two come in wearing pretty purple cloth, the expensive one that the shop have to order and take three week to come. Then two more little pickney come in. Them have candle in them hand and sheet over them head that tie round the forehead. Them look like little angel. Two more come in and still two more, a girl and a boy. You should a see what come next! A big boy come in the church pulling something behind him with rope. Him pull and pull, him even cuss pon the quiet, but the rope don’t budge. Then him make one almighty pull and lo and behold, is donkey him pulling into the church! People start clapping like clapping goin out of style. And who fi deh pon the donkey, but the nicest, sweetest, prettiest, beautifullest little boy. We did think that only Mr. Garvey nephews did so cute with nice skin and pretty hair, until we see say is wig the boy was wearing. A long brown wig on him head and cotton balls pon him chin fi make him look like Jesus. Talk bout excitement!

All of them line up at front of the church and start to sing My Cup Is a Running Over. The Apostle wave to the choir and everybody start singing too, but the little Jesus was the loudest voice. Is was the sweetest thing! So sweet that we never hear him right away, but then little by little some of we notice that one sound wasn’t goin along with the music. Is then another wave start roll over the church. This wave did tell you say something did wrong and was getting wronger. In no time all church did quiet cept for the little Jesus who nobody did tell fi shut up. Soon is was just the two of them, the Jesus boy singing My Cup Is a Running Over at the front and the Rum Preacher screaming bout the pit of Hellfire and damnation at the back. Him come in when everybody was looking at the pickneys, so nobody see him. Now him standing in the middle of the church aisle and pointing to the pulpit.

And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion, for we are many!

Those of we who did in front see the Apostle face go from pretty to ugly. Him scream out like the roaring lion and look straight at Pastor Bligh. Apostle York head turn red, like pig that choke and dead. Him vex! Him point at the choir and they start sing real loud. The whole o we turning head from left to right, cause one minute the choir a swoop up the chorus, then the next minute the Rum Preacher a burn up the back.

We perplex. After all, everybody did know Bligh when him did fenke-fenke, but here him look strappin, like David with a slingshot. And him loud! This couldn’t be the same man who pee-pee himself and make demon girl beat him down. Is couldn’t him. This man who we seeing now, nobody could a drive him out o him own church. But there him be. Even people who know say the Apostle come from holy Jesus Christ Himself start listen to the Preacher.

The Rum Preacher talkin bout woe this and woe that and woe to the man through who they come, but seeing him was enough. In him white jacket and white shirt and white pants. The sun sneak in and him blast open with light. Then all that white surround with black. Apostle York command The Five to grab the Rum Preacher. One grab him right hand and one grab him left shoulder. The Rum Preacher kick out but them catch him two foot and drag him out o the church. All the time, the Rum Preacher shouting and screaming and Hellfiring bout a man who need deliverance and who writing demon doctrine. Some say is accident, some say them do it on purpose. But all five of them crash into the wall near the doorway and the Rum Preacher head slam into it like battering ram. The Preacher quiet after that.

Outside, the Preacher in the middle of the road and him didn’t move. Him white suit did cover all over with black. Him roll over and try to get up, but crouch down low. Inside, the Apostle talkin bout how him disobey God Himself by inviting that abomination back into the church when First Corinthians clearly say we must expel the immoral brother. The Apostle say that God already pass judgment pon the drunken bastard and is our duty to leave God work to God and hand the man over to the Devil.

“Beloved,” said the Apostle, “turn with me to Exodus Chapter Twenty:

Honor your father and your mother so that your days will be long in the land the Lord is giving you. Say that with me again. Honor your father and your mother so that your days will be long in the land the Lord is giving you.

The Apostle closed his book and grasped the podium with both hands.

“Who is a father?

“Come. Let’s check the scriptures deeply. King Saul, a terrible king, yes, but how bad a father could he be if he raised Jonathan? Now we have King David. Everybody loves King David but lo and behold, as Mrs. Fracas would say, his own son tried to kill him. How about Samuel, who spent so much time prophesying over people’s sons that he couldn’t even see his own sons growing into liars, thieves, and perverts. How about Joseph, father to the Son of God and he didn’t even notice his son was missing until three days later.

“Here is the truth. You don’t need a father or a mother. Let me say this again. You don’t need a father or a mother. All you need is the Heavenly Father. And another thing. I don’t want anybody to call the Lord’s name in this church. Oh, you’re quiet now. Let me say it again. I don’t want anybody to call the Lord’s name in this church. Who can tell me why? Why would I forbid calling the name under which all demons tremble? Well, let me ask you a question … Vixton, what is your father’s name?”

Vixton, along with the rest of The Five, was already standing.

“Adolphus, Apostle.”

“Tell me, Vixton, what do you call him?”

“Nothing that me can say in church, Apostle.”

Some laughed until they saw the Apostle’s face. “There’s a season for laughter and that season is not today. Vixton, seriously, what do you call your father?”

“Well … ah … Papa or Mr. Dixon or P when his ear take him and him can’t hear much.”

“Why not Adolphus?”

“Because …”

“Because he is the head and not the tail, the ruler, not the follower. Because he is the father, you show him due respect. Due respect. So tell me something, Vixton. If you show your earthly father so much respect, how much more should you show your Heavenly Father? Calling God by his first name like you and Him is size. Listen to me, cut it out! Cut it out! Cut it out! Until you can show me, until you can show God that you are more than babes in Christ, I want everybody to address the Father as the Father. He is not your son, or your friend, or your lover. He is your master, and me? I’m just like you. I am His serv—”

Before he could finish, singing disrupted church. The Rum Preacher was outside in the exact spot where he had been beaten and dumped the Sunday previous, singing “Rock of Ages.” His voice was thunderous, full of blood and melancholy. The Apostle heard his song and felt the hatred of Cain for the Preacher, newly able. York pointed at the choir, who erupted into “God Is a Good God.” The chorus rose above the song of the Rum Preacher and consumed it. But as soon as the choir’s song sputtered to a close, there was Hector Bligh, his voice rising. A few in the church began humming with him. The Apostle pushed away the podium in a rage and it fell, sending books skidding across the floor. Nobody dared speak. York pushed open the church doors.

Outside, the Preacher and the Apostle were face to face, separated by yards, years, and ever-mounting animosity. The Rum Preacher kept on singing, his notes rising and falling with the hymn. He looked younger. He seemed to have a new strength, and nobody knew where it came from, though some thought the bed of the Widow Greenfield. The Apostle had no time for Lucinda’s rumors. He turned away from the Preacher but stood in the doorway. Those who had turned to look turned back.

Hector Bligh stood firm. But gray spots blotted out his sunlight, moving left, right, and in circles. He looked up and saw a mass swirling of black that broke away when the John Crows scattered. “Rock of Ages” led to “Onward Christian Soldiers.” Three of the birds landed and met the Pastor with a gaze. Bligh sung. The first flapped his wings and took off, then the second and the third. They rose to a low height, no higher than the steeple of the church, then folded their wings and dove straight for the Pastor. Bligh clutched his heart, closed his eyes, and kept on singing.

The Apostle, his back to the road, folded both arms behind him and rubbed his knuckles. The Pastor’s voice had vanished amidst the scream of vultures. When the Apostle turned around his jaw fell so far that he grabbed his chin to prevent spit escaping. The Pastor was on his knees, in the middle of Hanover Road, with his eyes closed but his arms wide open. Before him, behind him, around him, all the way up to the church steps and down Hanover Road, were dead vultures. John Crows with necks broken, heads crushed, and wings ripped away. The Pastor was praying in a circle of untouched road as the sky drizzled black feathers and blood.

Things done change. Some people feel it, some people know it, but nobody see it. Is one month now. We know that Pastor Bligh bring shame pon the land and is God judgment that drive him out of the village. Last week service everybody on fire for the Lord. Praising and singing and shouting and clapping and even those dutty Rude Boys get baptize! But then the old preacher come back. None of we know how, cause him was so fool-fool before. Him step up the road with purpose like him is John the Baptist himself. Them say is Widow Greenfield to blame. Them decide to do something bout her.

This new preacher. Some people don’t trust nobody who look too pretty. Lucifer was the son of the morning. Nobody see what the Apostle do, and who him do it to nah tell. And that was just Thursday gone. Widow Greenfield should a look behind her.

She round the back washing clothes. The Widow scrub so hard that she never see them sneak up. By the time she look all of The Five surround her. One of them say something and she start cuss loud. Then all of a sudden she grab one of the clothes that she washing and swing after them. Them jump out of the way and Brother Jakes grab her and push her down on the ground. Then Brother Vixton, he step on her breast and cuss her. This time all sort of noise start come from inside the house. A thump, then a bump, and then a crash and a splat one after the other. Them turn her house upside down while Brother Vixton crush the Widow chest. The rest of them come outside. Them just shrug them shoulder. Then Brother Vixton stoop down and say something to the Widow and laugh. Widow Greenfield spit in him face. Brother Vixton still laughing when him stand back up and wipe it off. Him still laughing when him kick her in the belly. She bawl and curl up and Brother Vixton spit on her and them leave. But not before the other one, the one them call Tony Curtis, the one who couldn’t talk then but can talk little now, turn over her wash pan and all the water flood the backyard with the clothes sailing over the grass. Widow Greenfield in the dirt crying to herself.

May and October rained the most. Nobody told this to September, who snatched the pregnant clouds for herself. Rain fell on evil, rain fell on good, rain fell on church but kept none away on Good Friday. Lucinda and her flower circle of spinsters, widows, and neglected wives had decorated the church in purple. The Apostle had chosen Luke’s version of the crucifixion because it was the most Greek. Lucinda could not understand why he would consider one part of the Bible better than any other, but concluded that wisdom is as wisdom does.

It was the sixth hour
And darkness came over the whole land
Until the ninth hour for the sun stopped shining
And the curtain of the temple was torn in two
He called out in a loud voice,
Father into your hands I commit my spirit
When he said this, he breathed his last.

“Now turn to Ch—”

The scream came from the back, from one of the few not sharing in the Apostle’s good news. She left her seat and ran to the back door, where she screamed again. The Rum Preacher was coming up Hanover Road. His feet were bare and the rain had soaked his white shirt and pants, which clung to him, forming a network of veins. Others joined the screaming girl. The Rum Preacher continued in measured steps, his back bent slightly under the weight of the huge wooden cross that he pulled like Jesus. It was cut from a young tree. He braced the burden by his shoulders and steadied it with his arms. Between rain and tears, his eyes seemed to burn.

Good Christian people want to know why anybody would pull up chair next to the Rum Preacher. So people ask people who know people who can ask people and that people, a man, say him don’t business bout no chastisement from none of we and we could eat shit for all him care. Man is a man, and must make up him own mind, him say. Man no flaky like how woman flaky; them see one pretty boy and them brain turn to pudding, him say.

People think it funny that little by little more man and woman goin out to hear the Rum Preacher. Him wasn’t preaching to none of them really. Him preach to the road and the sky and to God. Another one of them that leave, a woman, say that when he talk to her is like him talking right through her. People say that there is no way the Apostle goin give Hector Bligh the church back no matter how white him suit look these days. But them who gone outside say him don’t want the church back. We perplex. Where else people goin find God if them don’t have church?

Gibbeah change. And time come for everybody to pick a side. This old man, who was fool to people one time, make sense now. Soon, two more join them outside. People who know people who know people who is the cousin twice removed of one of them, say that she out in the sun because church just don’t feel right no more. But everybody else think it feel right so that mean it right to them. See here, the Apostle tell the pickneys in Sunday school that if anything happen to them, they must tell their spiritual father first, who is he.

And him tell people other things. First him saying that Jesus used to walk with money and that if the Devil come to steal, kill, and destroy, we must steal, kill, and destroy back. And how we not to say Jesus name in church no more. And how we need to explore deeply what was really goin on between David and Jonathan. People who know people who know one of the men who gone outside say that the man decide to leave when him hear them things. Him didn’t like them things the Apostle was saying. That did sound like some queer business. Some pervert business. Him say the final straw was when the Apostle get into Onan and say that him sin was not backing him fist, but wasting him seed. The man never like that at all. Him say a man must feel shame if he ever back him fist. The man leave and go outside cause him no understand why man would want to jerk him own cocky and go blind when all around you see pretty girl who pum-pum tight. The Apostle shaking up things too much, him say, and the people just take what him say without even a grumble. We make him go. Him not washed in the true blood of the lamb. Many are called but few are chosen.

The Apostle on fire. Him tell the church that to heal the sick we have to exterminate the sickness. Nobody know what exterminate mean, but we sure it mean bringing down Hellfire and damnation. Him saying new things and old things too fast for some people. Them don’t know if him talking to God or the Devil, so they go outside too.

The Apostle warn bout this thing that hit Kingston like the Plague in Egypt in Bible Chapter Exodus. Some call it television and some call it TV. Is a box that show picture. The box not bigger than a banana box, but the evil! Him say it right to name the thing TV, cause TV stand for Totally Vile! Or Terrible Vice! Or Trash and Violence! Him say nobody in Gibbeah should ever buy a TV cause it soon go out of style and people goin back to redifusion. Him say that even radio allow straightway for demons, and one day soon and very soon God’s holy purging fire will consume the movie theater.

Him say God’s people must lean on God’s people and Gibbeah should watch who we let in from now on, cause the Devil people can take human form and demons are already among us.

Some people can’t deal with this so them gone outside to hear Pastor tell them bout the good news that God anoint him to tell the poor. People who know people who ask people heard from people that Bligh telling his little congregation what them need to hear even if it’s not what them want. Them say that if Hector Bligh can stand this Hellfire sun to talk bout righteousness, then they can stand it too.

It came to pass when nobody could remember what happened to the Majestic Cinema. From the start, the story was fraught with an incomplete ending, an unsolved mystery. While the who’s and why’s were often discussed, answers were tentative and the truth was never forthcoming. This much was known, even though not much was repeated. The Apostle York had said that God’s holy fire would consume the cinema and consume it did, even though not many were convinced of the fire’s divine source. After all, the Majestic was several miles away. That the proprietor was burnt to ash raised doubts. That two sneaky children from a neighboring village were also burnt to ash raised more. “The Lord was merciful, but also vengeful,” the Apostle said. His justice was swift and terrible to those who disobeyed Him and caused His people to sin.

That Sunday, the Apostle York recited eight woes of which the last was the first.

“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! Don’t be foolish, church. You know who this scripture is speaking about. He torments us even today. God is looking for people who will stand up in faith. God is looking for people who will carry out His command no matter how Holy, no matter how brutal, no matter how violent they may be. Who’s ready to be violent for the Lord?

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. Church, right now we have a problem. A problem of two heads, and one head is causing us to sin. He’s already lured three of you out into the wide road that leads to damnation. Beloved! A body with two heads is not twice as intelligent. He’s a monster! An aberration. The other head isn’t a head, it’s an abscess! The Lord says cut it out! Cut it out! Cut it out! Come now, church, who is ready to be violent for the Lord?”

Is the Sunday after Easter Sunday and the Apostle dealing with we hard. We no feel this fair. Things did hard enough searching the hymnal for hymn that don’t say Jesus. Now the Apostle say we not to have nothing to do with the things of this world cause everything is permit for the Devil. Some people start mumble. But the Apostle don’t say nothing that didn’t come out of God mouth first. Me not goin to be in the way when God come back to judge the quick and the dead. From me is little girl, the Bible say don’t cross with God cause Him would expose we and then Him would punish we. Plenty girl in Hell now feeling fire all the way up to them pokie cause them cross God. God knock down the wall of Jericho and kill every little boy baby in Egypt. God make river stink with blood and Him send Him own people to Babylon fi suffer hard. God kill all of Job pickney and fling Joseph in prison. Is six people outside now a listen to Pastor Bligh and God goin burn them up with Holy fire, just like him burn down the Majestic. You just watch and see.

Hector Bligh think him on fire for the Lord; him just a blaze up the street. Sun did hot but him extra hot. We no know what goin happen to church if anybody else start blaze. But the Apostle a deal with we hard. Him ask we question that nobody can answer. Him ask if we truly ready to follow God, cause all Jamaican people have is mouth. Him ask we again if we really, really, really ready to follow God, cause Christianity is not no play-play religion. Him say to follow God we have to move with God and you can’t move with God if you staying where you be. This is why God can’t bless Gibbeah. This is why there is a plague on the village and evil rising to flourish. The Devil re-staking him claim on Gibbeah but we must resist and stand up for God. Then him get harder, a fling scripture give we like cat o nine pon field negro backside.

“He who has ears, let him hear! If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Him say that is a special word for Gibbeah’s people of God. The word could be for one person or it could be for the whole church. Some of we have to get rid of the thing keeping we down so that we can fly high for God. We have to get rid of sin. The skirts that getting short and shorter. Them Little Richard and Tennessee Ernie Ford and Elvis records, even Peace in the Valley. The ganja, the friend who don’t come to church. The drinking, the fornication, the tobacco; we have to give up everything. Even husband have to give up wife, and mother give up pickney, cause them is the things that we turn into idol the most. Anything that have nothing to do with God have nothing to do with we and we must hate them things. We must hate anybody who don’t worship God the way we worship God, in spirit and truth every day and night. We must hate anybody who don’t see say that when God come to Earth Him was a man who did hard-up and hot and feel the burden of temptation just like we. Anything that God don’t have nothing to do with, we must hate it. Anybody who don’t come to church, we must hate like poison, that is what God say somewhere in the Bible. It don’t matter if is we own mother. The Apostle say that God say that Gibbeah must cut itself off from the sin that so easily entangle. That’s what him say. Him say we need to throw down everything and pick up the cross. Him say we need to hate father and mother and pastor who call themself father. Pastor who out in the street and right now dragging a precious few straight down to Hell. “We need to cut it out, church; we need to cut it out! Cut it out! Cut it out! We can’t serve God and the Devil,” the Apostle say.

After the Apostle done, we did want to kill the sinner man and sinner woman so bad that we did have to count to ten and then again. The Apostle a deal with we hard, but is so truth hard. Plus, nobody believe that after all this time scoring point for the Devil that Pastor Bligh all of a sudden on fire for Je … the Lord. This is the man that drunk from the day after him come. Imagine, Preacher gone to rum bar fi chummy-chummy up with drunkard and whore. This is the man who the Devil use Lillamae Perkins to turn into fool, she who drown herself. Him make all man shame that them is man. Plus, when him go fi baptize Mrs. Smithfield daughter, him nearly drown her. All them things we did think funny one time, but is that bastard make God leave Gibbeah. Is Apostle York who drive him out like how God drive evilness out of the temple. The Apostle a deal with we hard, but it better than the Pastor not dealing with we at all. Now him out o street a preach holy fire, but you no need much to do the Devil work. The Devil will take care of the Rum Preacher, so we must cut him off.

People already getting rid of the redifusion, and throwing way the short-wave radio. Anybody who not washed in the blood of the lamb we not talking to. Is time to be strong and upright. Is time to make sacrifice and we know who fi sacrifice first. Apostle York not fraid fi tell we hard things, that’s why we believe what him say. All we know say is that Deacon Pinckney could only see through one eye before the Apostle come to the village and now him can see through two. The Rum Preacher never bring one single miracle to Gibbeah. Him bring in the Devil fi take up seat like we and him is combolo. That’s why we glad bout what happen to him. We like how God use the Apostle to deal with Pastor Bligh case. Listen, when God use him man, God use him man!

The Apostle in church with the Pastor outside. The Apostle stretch out him hand and start say tongues, but this was no Abba babba tongues, is tongues we never hear yet. Outside, one of them scream and people run to the window to see the six of them scatter from him like ants. People say him was talking bout Jonah and Nineveh when all of a sudden him start bawl out, Jesus! Jesus! and start swing him hand like mad man. Me hear say him two eye go white and him start flap round like him blind. Then him knee buckle and him drop pon the road hard. We stay from up in the church and hear him head buck the road. Then him start shake-shake real hard and foam come out of him mouth. Then the foam turn to red. The Apostle stop speaking in tongue and the choir start to sing Bringing in the Shield We Shall Come Rejoicing. The Pastor still on the ground but him stop shake. Him white suit dirty. And him eye still white. Some of we couldn’t watch no more, cause we did glad, but we did sad too and that feel strange. Plus, we did fraid o God. We see what happen to people who take him name make poppy show. But we shall come rejoicing bringing in the shield. Little later, Mrs. Fracas say she look back one last time and just catch her in the corner of her eye. Widow Greenfield grab Hector Bligh by him two hand and drag him away.