I learned there and then that people can verbalize bad things, tragedies, death, violence and disaster, but few seem to have hope and to shout out about deliverance and that God Himself will protect. I remember bowing my head and wanting to pray, but the noise around me dominated my thoughts. I said aloud, but unheard by anyone but me and God — “Shut up and pray! Shut up and pray. Shut up everyone and at least let ME pray. I can’t even pray with all this noise! Shut up… please…”
Yes, the sound of the axe, chopping through the wood, pinging off thick steel nails, it silenced everyone eventually. Only Mavis sobbed, and somehow, her sobs came, one by one, between the blows.
Felix had somehow snaked his way through the trembling crowd to the inner door. He called, “Just one axeman out there, it’ll take him a while, but when he gets through to this door, we must all move back and give some space…” Then he shouted louder, commanding everyone to compact up and make space by the door.
It was Norman, John and Hedy’s father, who was that first axeman. By the time he was chopping on that inner door, others had joined him and one by one, they took turns, blow by blow. It stopped and someone began prising at the boards. Then the chopping resumed…. it was going to take all day at this rate! I couldn't help it, I swore under my breath, using a word that one of Felix's peers had used when we had been shoved in this woodshed. Then I apologised because I knew Father would not like me doing that... I just wished and prayed we could get out of here and move on to doing something about my father's abduction!
Luke Chatelain
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