the leper
THE LEPER
THIS STORY RELATES TO A TIME WHEN LEPROSY WAS SEEN AS A SERIOS AND SOCIAL TABOO.THIS WAS A PERIOD WHEN BOTH KINGS AND IGNORANCE RULED THE LIVES OF PEOPLE.SHE LIVED IN A SMALL VILLAGE IN SOME NORTHERN DISTRICTS OF WALES. HER HAIR WERE GOLDEN, SILKY AND FALLEN TILL HER WAIST.HER EYES WERE BERRY BLACK WITH DEEP OCEANS HIDDEN IN THEM.SHE WORE A TYPICAL COUNTRYSIDE SKIRT WITH A LONG BOTTOM AND A PLAIN SHIRT WITH A PINK HOOD ON THE HEAD THAT ADDED TO HER BEAUTY.SHE HAD AN AIR OF CONFIDENCE AROUND HER.SHE WAS ELIZABETH THE ONLY DOCTOR IN THE VILLAGE. IT WAS UNCOMMAN IN THOSE DAYS FOR A PRESON BELONGING TO FAIRER SEX TO BE A DOCTOR AND THUS THIS BIAS ROBBED HER OF THE RESPECT SHE DESERVED.THE CHURCH REGARDED HER AS A WITCH AND CHILDREN FEARED HER .SHE HAD LEARNED THIS SCIENCE FROM HER HUSBAND WHO HAD LOST HIS LIFE IN EPIDEMIC OF PLAGUE.SHE USED TO LIVE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE VILLAGE ONLY OCCASIONALLY TO BE VISITED BY A RATIONAL PATIENT OR THOSE WHO WERE WAITING FOR TO BE LAID IN THE COLD TOMB.
THAT MORNING SHE WAS WATERING THE PLANTS WATCHING THE CATTLE GRAZING PASS NEARBY.SHE LOVED THEM FOR THEY DID NOT HATE HER OR RATHER DID NOT OFFEND HER.THE WEATHER WAS OFFENSIVE AND THE COLD BREEZE BLOWING BRUSHED ACROSS HER FACE AND SENT A CHILL IN HER SPINE .SHE SENSED OF SOMETHING UNKNOWN APPROACHING HER, SHE WAS POSITIVE THAT TODAY SOMETHING WAS GOING TO CHANGE HER LIFE FOR EVER. THE EVENT IN MORNING HAD TOUCHED HER SOUL RIGHT IN THE DEEPEST SPOT SHE WAS UNABLE TO FOCUS HER MIND. THAT AFTERNOON SHE LAY ON HER BED PONDERING ON WHAT AWAITED HER. BUT SHE WAS A DEEP BELIEVER IN GOD AND TRIED TO CALM HERSELF BY RECITING A PRAYER.AT THE SAME TIME JACK WAS WANDERING ON THE ROADS OF THE VILLAGE SEARCHING FOR A MORSEL TO EAT WHEN SUDDENLY A TAVERN OWNER SENT HIS TERRIER BARKING AT JACK.SOMEHOW JACK MANAGED TO SCAMPER TO A SAFE PLACE .HE SAT THERE CURSING THE DOG, JACK WAS A LEPER WITH A CRIPPLED FACE, DISFIGURED HANDS, CROOKED NOSE AND ROUGH SKIN.ONE COULD FIGURE FROM HIS EXTREMITIES THAT THE DISEASE HAD TAKEN A HEAVY TOLL OF WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ONCE A PERFECT AND HANDSOME MAN. HE WORE TATTERED CLOTHES AND A BRIGHT RED HAT WITH A GOLDEN BUTTON ON IT. BUT IN THIS VILLAGE FULL OF ADVERSARIES AND TABOOS NO ONE HAD BY ANY CHANCE THOUGTH ON THIS LINES.HE WAS JUST AN ISSUE OF NEGLECT AND ATROCITIES. HE KEPT ON WANDERING THE WHOLE AFTERNOON THROUGH THE STREETS AND FARMS UNTIL HE REACHED THE OLD CHURCH.HE COULD SEE THE SUN SETTING IN THE GREEN MOUNTAINS ACROSS THE SHADOW OF THE RUINS.THE SOFT MUSIC OF HYMNS SUNG BY THE CHORUS IN THE CHURCH FELT ON HIS EARS.IT HAD BEEN LONG SINCE HE HAD HEARD THIS SONG OF LIFE.HE COULD FEEL ELIXIR OF LIFE FLOW IN HIS SOUL.HE SAW ANGELS DANCING AROUND HIM AND LORD JESUS GIVING HIM THE DIVINE HEALING TOUCH.THIS DIVINE INTERVENTION CREATED IN HIM A URGE TO PRAY BEFORE JESUS.BUT HE KNEW THAT EVEN IF GOD WANTED HIM NEAR BUT THE VILLAGERS WOULD NOT EVEN LET HIS SHADOW ENTER THE PLACE.SO SULKILY HE CREPT IN THE PASSAGE SLIDING BEHIND THE WOODEN PANELS FROM WHERE HE COLUD OBSERVE THE WHITE FIGURE OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED ON THE CROSS,THE WALLS ADORNED WITH CANVASSES FULL OF CHRIST, VIRGIN MARY,HOLY SPIRIT AND HEROS. HE STAYED THERE MOTIONLESS LISTENING TO THE PREACHINGS OF FATHER.THE PRIEST WAS THAT DAY TELLING THE PEOPLE ABOUT SINS.HE SAID “SINS NEVER REMAIN HIDDEN, GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING AND HE PUNISHES THE SINNERS.LOOK AT THE LEPERS THEY ARE THE WORST SINNERS HENCE GOD PUNISHES THEM BY WITHDRAWING THEIR BEAUTY AND LETTING THEM PERISH IN AGONY.ONE HAS TO REPAY ALL HIS SINS THEN ONLY CAN HE GET SOLACE.WE HAVE THE MORAL TASK OF CLEANING OUR COUNTRY FROM ALL SINNERS SO THAT GOD WILL LIVE IN OUR COUNTRY.HENCE IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT ALL LEPERS IN THE COUNTRY WILL BE CAUGHT AND BURNED ALIVE ” AFTER THIS ALL THE LISTENERS SHOUTED IN UNISION.JACK WHO WAS LISTENING TO ALL THIS WAS STRUCK AND STAYED MOTIONLESS IN HIS PLACE.HE SHUDDERED AT THE THOUGHT OF BEING BURNED ALIVE. HE KNEW HE WILL HAVE TO ACT FAST TO SAVE HIS LIFE OR ELSE THESE FANATICS WILL NOT SPARE HIM.HE HAD TO FIND A SAFE PLACE. IT FLASHED IN HIS HEAD THAT EXCEPT ELIZABETH THERE WAS NO MORTAL IN THE VILLAGE WHO WOULD GIVE HIM SHELTER.
BY THIS TIME IT WAS PITCH BLACK OUTSIDE SO TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS HE VENTURED ON THE ROAD TO HER HOUSE.AVOIDING THE STREETLAMPS HE REACHED THE PLACE.HE PEEPED THROGH THE WINDOW, HE COULD SEE THE OUTLINE OF LIZ RESTING ACROSS THE FIREPLACE.IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE AND A DRIZZLE HAD ALSO BEGAN.JACK HESISTATED FOR A MOMENT BEFORE KNOCKING THE DOOR BUT THE WARMTH INSIDE WAS TEMPTING SO FINALLY HE MADE HIS MIND AND KNOCKED THE DOOR.ELIZABETH OPENED THE DOOR AND IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE PERSON AS JACK FOR HE HAD BEEN AMONG THE FEW PERSON WHOM SHE HAD BEEN TREATING.SHE ASKED HIM TO COME INSIDE.JACK SAID “THEY ARE BEHIND ME,THEY WILL KILL ME FOR I CARRY THE SIN” SHE REPLIED “ ANSWER ME DO YOU REALLY CARRY A SIN ,ASK YOUR SOUL IF YOU ARE TRUE IN YOUR HEART THEN HENCEFORTH DON’T WORRY ABOUT THESE PEOPLE AND ENTER MY HOME WITH NO FEAR.” SLOWLY HE CREPT IN AND UNABLE TO CONTROL HIS TIREDNESS FELL IN THE CHAIR.HE NARRATED HER THE ENTIRE EPISODE AND ASKED HER TO PROVIDE HIM SHELTER FOR THE NIGHT.SHE ASHED HIM WHAT HE INTENDED TO DO IN COMING DAYS AND SUGGESTED HIM TO FIRST OF ALL REALIZE HIMSELF AND NOT MERELY LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE SAID.SHE SAID “JACK YOU SHOULD KNOW YOURSELF FIRST AND ELAVATE YOUR LEVEL, TRY TO FIND HELP AND IT WILL ALWAYS BE PRESENT AROUND, THINK OF GOD AND HE WILL GUIDE YOU TO SOLACE IN THIS UNWORTHY WORLD.” HE STARED AT HER FOR A MOMENT, TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND ASKED HER WILL YOU MARRY ME. SHE WAS ASTOUNDED ATFIRST BY THIS UNEXPECTED QUESTION BUT REGAINING HER COMPOSURE SHE ASKED HIM TO GRANT SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT. THEN JACK MOVED TOWARDS THE WINDOW FROM WHERE HE COULD SEE THE VILLAGES WITH BURNING TORCHES SEARCHING THE SINNERS. ELIZABETH KNEW THAT MARRYING JACK MEANT SURE DEATH AT HANDS OF THE CHURCH BUT AT THE SAME TIME SHE HAD TAKEN THE OATH THAT SHE WILL ALWAYS HELP THOSE IN DISTRESS AND NEEDING CARE.SHE WAS CAUGHT IN A GRIM SITUATION AND TIME WAS RUNNING OUT.HER MIND WAS DIVIDED OVER THE INCIDENTS BUT FINALLY SHE CALMED HERSELF AND MADE HER MIND. THEN LATE AT NIGHT SHE OFFERED HIM SOME SUPPER TO EAT AND THEN SHE REPLIED, “YES I AM READY TO MARRY YOU.” SHE GAVVE SOME BEDDING TO JACK AND THEN SHE SLEPT REMEMBERING HER PAST.NEXT MORNING WHEN SHE GOT UP THE SUN HAD ALREADY RISEN AND WHEN SHE CAME IN HER STUDYROOM SHE DID NOT FIND JACK INSTAED THERE WAS A LETTER IN BROKEN HANDWRITTING.
THANKS FOR YOUR COURTESY AND NOW I HAVE
RECOGNIZED MYSELF AND CHOSEN MY PATH I
WISH YOU MY BEST WISHES FOR YOUR FUTURE
AND HOPE YOU WILL PROVIDE HELP TO THOSE
WHO NEED IT
JACK
SHE READ IT AND THEN KEPT IT IN THE DRAWER AND STARTED TO FINISH THE DAILY CHORES.LATE IN THE AFTERNOON SHE WENT ON THE LAKE TO WASH THE CLOTHES AND SHE WAS TAKEN ABACK ON SEEING A RED HAT WITH GOLDEN BUTTON FLOATING IN MIDDLE OF THE LAKE.
