SHATTERED

╣TWELVE╠

“Good morning sir, how may I help you?” the nurse seated at her desk in the reception greeted Logan as he walked into the hospital.
“Good morning, I am here to see the huge man that was brought in here yesterday afternoon.” he said.
“Okay, Is it Mr Russell Brown?”
“Yes” Logan nodded though he didn't know the huge man's name.
“Walk down through that corridor then turn to your left. He is in ward two.” the nurse gave him direction.
“Thank you.” he smiled
“You're welcome.”
        He followed the direction of the nurse to Russell's room. He knocked on the door that had an indication of ward two on it but he got no reply, he waited patiently for some time before deciding to open the door. He walked into the room and saw the huge man lying on the hospital bed, looking emaciated. He sat on a chair near his bed, taking the man's hand that a drip was fastened to in his.
“Russell, someone is here to see you.” he said softly. Russell's head was turned to the other side, facing the window so he couldn't tell if he was awake or not.
“I know you wouldn't have expected anybody to visit you but here I am… I came, I came to see how you are doing. Russell, you are not  the only one who has attempted suicide… I too, I've tried but God saved me. If that man had not walked into the cell at that time, I would have drank that poison that day and perhaps, six foot under by now. Then, I thought suicide was the only way out and the only option to gain freedom. I didn't know there was another better option…”
“What better option?” Logan heard Russell's hoarse voice. He was glad he was listening.
“If I had committed suicide, I'd have entered into more bondage, I'd have been trapped in hell forever but I was so lucky, God sent Mr Hartford,a police officer to save me. Through him I gained eternal freedom. John 3:16 says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life, in other words, eternal freedom.” he sighed. Russell removed his hand away from Logan's hand.
“Why did you come, even after what I've done to you, you still care about me?” Russell turned his head now facing Logan, his eyes were red and puffy from crying.
“I had to, because you didn't hurt me one bit.”
“When I made your life a living hell?”
Logan darted his eyes from him to the window before looking back at him.
“Have your friends visited you?”
“No…Logan?” Russell called him.
“Yes?”
“How can God forgive me, when I killed my own father because of jealousy? I found out in the will that my father gave me the least of all the possessions he had, my younger siblings had more possessions than I did. When I confronted my dad, he told me that I was the oldest that's why. I got angry and decided to take law into my own hands. I shot my father while he was sleeping one night. Days later, my girlfriend found out, I don't know how but she did find out. I threatened her not to tell a single soul, that if she did I'll kill her but she refused she told me she can't keep such evil as a secret so I decided to strangle her to death and for years no one got to know about the two people I killed… for good twenty years, not even my siblings knew about it. I still lived my life, I married a beautiful woman named Kendra and we had children together. One faithful day,…” Russell swallowed hard, sobbing. “My family and I were eating lunch on. It was a Thanksgiving day. We heard a rough knock on our door. I went to open the door and saw that my house was already surrounded with police vehicles, they arrested me and I stood trial for two months and I was sentenced to life in prison.” he cried.
“How did the corps get to know about the murder?” Logan asked, listening intently.
“My DNA fingerprint… as years went by, technology improved so they were able to get my DNA from the body of my dad and my girlfriend. After serving five years life sentence, I got a horrific news of my wife's death.” he wiped his tears away from his face with his thumb.
“My God! What was the cause of her death?”
“Hypertension.”
“I am so sorry about that.”
“I wasn't even able to attend her funeral. My children now are orphans. I know my children would have said I am the cause of their mothers death…anyway, that's the truth.  She died Fifteen years ago. There us no need living anymore when I'm going to spend my entire life here in prison. I am fifty five years with my dreams and vision aborted.…if I could turn back the hands of time ha!” he sighed shaking his head in regret. “I wouldn't have done what I did… it's too late now, it's just too late…” he wept.
“It is not late Russell…Jesus who saved me can save you too.” Logan said as he took hold of the man's weak hand.
“You don't understand Logan, you don't.”
“I do… I too was convicted of murder, I killed a female colleague at work because she refused to abort the pregnancy I caused. I was married and didn't want to ruin my reputation at work and that of my family, I didn't want my wife to know I was having an affair but she refused to abort the pregnancy. I decided to poison her and she died. You see there is no difference between what you did and what I did.”
“What is the way out? I am sick and tired of my life.”
“Jesus is the way, he his the truth and the life,” Logan said.
“Can I pray for you before I leave?”
“Do whatever you what.”
“Heavenly father, I come before you today. Lord, I bring Russell Brown before you. Please have mercy on him. Proof to him that you are real and that you care about him. Let him know your plan and purpose for his life and lastly, grant him quick recovery in Jesus name I pray. Amen!” he prayed holding Russell's hand.
“Thank you.” Russell muttered.
“You are welcome.” Logan said and stood up, leaving Russell's ward.