Dan receives an important text message and embarks on a London walkabout.

To access previous chapters, visit Jane Read’s Author Page.

 

Chapter 6.                                                                                                   

Dan                         

“My dear Sir, take any road, you can’t go amiss. The whole state is one vast insane asylum.’

James L. Petigru

             

We are dropped off near the bus stop, close to our flat. Carl goes across to the corner shop to buy some milk. I had been planning to go to church with Mark, but I’m too wired somehow so, I unlock our door, climb the stairs and sit down on my bed to think. I am staring at my laptop. Suddenly, I know what I have to do. It is all making sense. The signs I’ve been given.

‘God is angry. He’s letting me know that He is completely against Facebook!’

Obediently, I close and delete my account. Now I need to contact everyone I know and instruct them all to get rid of their Facebook accounts, right away. I phone Mark first. He’s just arrived at Church, but I quickly announce,

‘I get it. I know what’s going on now! God wants everyone to delete their Facebook. He hates all social media, WhatsApp, Twitter, Snapchat, all of it, but especially Facebook!’

‘What about phones?’ Mark asks just before the signal goes dead and his mobile cuts out. Of course! God is against phones as well. This is not the way he wants us to communicate at all.  I am so excited now. I start racing around the flat.  Carl comes back in and watches me for a minute or two. He clears his throat,

‘Um, you might like to put some clothes on.’

But I am focussed on the important work I must do. I phone my ex-girlfriend, Lizzy, who’s known me since school days. I’m talking fast, saying,

‘When we were together, I don’t think I told you enough times that I loved you. I’m really sorry. But it’s not too late to tell you now, is it?’

She hesitates …, ‘This is a bit of a weird conversation. Are you ok?’

I tell her to delete her Facebook, abruptly end the call and continue pacing around the flat, raising one hand, while whispering urgently to God. I’m working out His secret messaging system which is like Holy texting. We don’t need phones for that. All I have to do with my new powers is to say someone’s name, followed by the words: ‘Your will be done!’ and their life and the lives of many others will be instantly transformed by God’s power!

I decide it’s best to start with world leaders and the most influential figures first of all;

‘Barack Obama, Your will be done !’ I shout out and I know that through my words, the whole of the United States of America will be transformed. Carl doesn’t get what’s happening at all.  He stares at me for a few minutes then promptly leaves the flat again. At that moment I glance at my phone, and my heart starts to race.  I see that I have just received a text message from God himself!  This proves how important I am to him. It appears to be some sort of warning.

 

‘Just remember Dan, you do not need to be striving all the time. ‘Be still and know that I am God,’ is important instruction too. Choose carefully who you confide in about what has happened, because people might misunderstand and draw the wrong conclusions about you. Not everyone will be able to accept that the things you are talking about could be from God!’

 

I read it through again, more than once, staring at the words ‘from God.’

I’m breathless with excitement as it dawns on me that this is a modern-day miracle! I have never felt so elated. I know I must try out my new God-given powers right away, so I pull on a pair of jeans, grab my jacket and walk straight out of the flat, leaving the door wide open.  I feel completely safe. I am God’s anointed Son after all. Nothing bad can happen to me. There is no need to worry about anything. I walk purposefully onto the streets of London, to meet with my people.

I am feeling sensationally happy. It is as if some great force is controlling what I do and nothing can stop me or hold me back. It is a Sunday night and very quiet, so I stroll down to the local sports centre. A pizza delivery guy is just arriving on his bike, then another bloke emerges from the side door to pay for the order. I greet him with these words,

‘Keep talking to God, won’t you? He just loves it!’

‘If you say so,’ he mutters, quickly shutting the door. I turn to the pizza guy on the bike. Taking a firm hold of his handlebars, I stand astride his front wheel, facing towards him.

‘Do you use Facebook? I ask.

‘Yeah,’

‘Well just delete it. It’s a total waste of time.’

He pauses, staring at me ‘Actually I don’t look at it that much any more.’ Then he gets back on his bike and starts pedalling quickly away.

I set off, heading back towards the flat but something tells me to turn right down the Barons’ Court Road. I come across a couple of girls. I am convinced I know their names, even though I’ve never met either of them before.

I point at the dark one, grinning, ‘Your name is Lisa, isn’t it!’  She nods hesitantly. But I know exactly where this new prophetic power is from. I get the other girl’s name wrong, but I’m guessing that this could be because she doesn’t know God yet. So, I do the holy texting code over them both and walk on. They smile and glance briefly at each other as they turn to go, slightly ‘weirded out’ expressions on their faces.  I continue my forward march down the street towards a busy pub, where I come across two more people loading stuff into the boot of their parked car. I call out to them, ‘Hi there! Are your names Richard and Sarah by any chance?’ They say no, but suggest that I try inside the pub.  I don’t find any Richard or a Sarah there, but I do come across a massive, tattooed guy at one of the tables, so I introduce myself and shake his hand very vigorously. We quickly get into a debate about Christians and Muslims. He seems genuinely interested in me. Perhaps he senses my true identity. Next, I spot a younger guy and make my way over to him.

‘You play guitar, don’t you?’

He nods. I’m right of course. I feel pretty, damned elated about my new divine powers of prophetic deduction,

‘There’s going to be a really big band forming, so keep playing the guitar, keep practising, and soon you’ll be involved in the greatest party ever!’

He replies, ‘Oh right. Ok, um…. Thanks’

I go back outside. It’s raining. Someone is ringing my mobile. I think it’s probably Mark because church will have finished by now. But I hear Louise’s voice. I start rattling away non-stop to her, but she is sounding stressed about me being outside. I’ve no idea why. She yells upstairs to Rob. Two big guys are coming towards me along the street.

‘I sense you guys are about to steal my phone.’ I smile warmly at them. ‘You don’t need to because I can just give it to you. I won’t be needing it any more after today. God loves you both by the way!’

They are both quite a bit bigger than me and seem taken aback by my words. They simply ask, ‘What do you do for a living?’

‘I’m an actor. But that’s all about to change’

‘Oh yes,’ they laugh, ‘You look like an actor. You’ve got an expressive face!’  I realise that my holiness and divine authority have prevented them from carrying out a mugging. They don’t take my phone but leave me instead and walk on.  I think I should make just one more call before I dispense with my mobile altogether.

To be continued…