UNCLE THOMAS' HOUSE

Uncle took the trolley bag from Tatenda and quickly throwing it into the back of SUV, urged Luckson to get into the vehicle. "We really must be on our way, we have a long drive ahead of us", Uncle Thomas remarked to Father Michael, in the way of an explanation for his urgency.

"I understand Father Michael replied with his usual calmness and disarming. We were only hoping we could bid Luckson farewell.

"Off course you allowed to say your final good byes but make it quick", uncle Thomas walking around the car to the driver's side. Father Michael rushed over to the passenger side with the alter boys crowding around and Luckson rolled down the window as uncle Thomas got into the driver's side and slammed the door shut. Father Michael was only able to say, "Don't be a stranger", before uncle Thomas turned on the ignition.

The alter boys had to hurriedly shout their goodbyes as the engine roared into life and the SUV drove out of the car park towards the open gate. Seated in the passenger seat was watching Father Michael with the alter boys crowding around the old priest waving their raised hands at him, Luckson felt a sense of destiny. It was as though the most stable chapter of his life was ending and another which was yet to be explored was about to begin.

It had all had started with the drama with Samson's band of street kids which had led to him being caught red handed with the contraband of a loaf of stolen bread leading to his arrest. That day when a policeman had slapped handcuffs on his tinny hands, he could never have imagined , not in a million years how the incident how the incident would transform his destiny. It had been the lowest moment of his life leading a meteoric rise in his circumstances, almost as though he had taken a fall before a sudden rise In his circumstances.

He wondered if there was such a thing as taking a fall to rise. Looking back at the old priest and the gathered alter waving at the car as it receded into the distance, Luckson wondered if he had not dreamt it all up. The period during the seven years during which he had experienced a drastic change in his life, had seemed almost as miraculous as it had been dramatic in turning around his life. It had the most transformative and the best time of his life.

He would forever be grateful to Father Michael, who had ushered him into a new experience in Luckson's life. The priest had shown Luchson that he was stronger than he had imagined, that there was an inner strength that could be evoked. This strength which he had discovered within himself, which Father Michael had encouraged him in, had lifted him from a pauper to almost stardom status.

He had found dignity, a sense of self belief, a new confidence had never known before. Each time he stood in front of the congregation he had felt as though he was flying without wings, borne on the wings of the power of his melodious voice, touching hearts with every song that he sang.

As the car sped off beyond the gate into the distance, Matthew, one of the new choir boys, turned to Father Michael and innocently asked, "what did Luckson's uncle mean, by 'last goodbyes'. Does he mean we won't ever see, Luckson, again, won't Luckson ever bless our sunday services with his beautiful voice?".

Father Michael and Matthew looked eyes momentarily and the look on the priest's face said it all as his right hand went up subconsciously in a reflex action waving at the dimishing outline of the car as it sped off into the distance.

The eleven other alter boys to whom the significance of the statement had been lost suddenly turned to Father Michael.

"I don't know", Father Michael said calmly, "I truly don't know"., he reiterated watching the car vanish into the distance.

Luckson had caught that last remark, uncle Thomas had made to Father Michael and was mildly troubled at what uncle Thomas had meant by it. He wondered if it meant that he would never again, grace the stage at an All Saints Christian church service. An experience that had become the highlight of his life. It was the one event he had come to look forward to which his life had come to revolve around. Week after week, Luckson had come to live for that one moment when the gates of heaven seemed to open when he sang ushering the congregation bodily into a divine experience.

If he couldn't ever grace the stage, he could not imagine how he would carry on. The stage and the congregation had become an extension of himself like another part of him. He needed the stage and the feeling he got from the appreciative applause of the congregation was like an addiction he needed to get high.

While Luckson wrestled quietly with his thoughts, uncle Thomas's face was split into a smile which swung between stages of wild joy being outright fiendish. He seemed immensely pleased with himself as he set at the wheel of the SUV, as though enjoying some private, joke, punctuated with moments of dark humour. Apart from the subtle changes on his face he too like Luckson kept his thoughts to himself.

Each wrapped in his own thoughts, they drove in complete silence for quite sometime. Initially passing through the familiar part of town in which the chapel was located, then through the central business district of Sunshine city. Eventually emerging into suburbia in another part of city which Luckstone was not recognize.

It was the most beautiful place he had ever seen, much more grander than even granite park where he had spent the intial years of his life, until that fateful night when he lost his parents.

They drove through an incredibly scenic neighbourhood with lush green manicured gardens outside each property, every house a mansion.

Even Marble park where the chapel was located did not come close in grandeur.

Finally they entered into a driveway with manicured gardens on either side and stopped before a massive black gate. Uncle Thomas pointing a remote control at the gate pressed a button and the gate slid open on its rail.