The following days at the farmland were filled with murmurs. Each time I walked by, I could feel the workers staring at me, some with suspicion and others with curiosity. The sudden growth of the crops had stirred many thoughts in their hearts.
Some of the younger workers would whisper to one another and glance at me, then quickly look away when I caught their eyes. I knew they were discussing about me. In the evenings, when the day's work was over, I noticed that groups would gather secretly to talk. Their faces carried both fear and wonder, but I also saw the mark of doubt written on them.
One morning, as we gathered to begin the day's labor, the elder worker who always opposed me cleared his throat loudly and said to everyone; "Listen, all of you. We must be careful about this stranger. Since he arrived, strange things have been happening. Yesterday the crops sprouted overnight. But who knows if this is truly from God or from some dark power? We must not be deceived."
All eyes turned to me immediately. My heart beat faster, but I remembered the words of the angel Gabriel—fear not. With a calm voice, I replied; "I am not here to deceive anyone. The power that caused the seeds to sprout comes from the Creator of heaven and earth, not from any dark power. You may not believe me now, but in time the truth will prove itself."
The elder shook his head angrily and said; "words are cheap. Anyone can speak them. If you truly claim to be sent by God, then let Him show us more signs. Until then, I will not believe." Many of the workers nodded in agreement with him, while a few looked thoughtful.
David, who had been silent, finally stepped forward and said; "let us not be too quick to condemn. We saw with our own eyes that the crops sprouted unusually fast. Whether we believe or not, something greater than us is at work." His words calmed the workers for a while, but I knew the battle was far from over.
That evening, as I returned home with David, I could sense his wife Grace was still uneasy about me. She hardly spoke to me, and when she did, her words were sharp. After supper, she looked at me straight in the eyes and said; "Alfred, I don't know what power is working in you, but I beg you, do not bring destruction to this house. My children are innocent, and I will not forgive myself if any harm comes to them because of you."
I felt her pain and fear, so I replied gently; "Grace, I swear before the Almighty, I mean no harm to you or your children. I was sent here with a message of hope, not of destruction. All I ask is for you to watch and see. In time, you will know that I speak the truth." She looked away without answering, but I could tell her heart was torn between fear and belief.
That night, as I lay on my bed, I heard faint voices outside the window. When I listened carefully, I realized it was a group of villagers. They were talking about me. One of them said; "that man is dangerous. He must be sent away before his strange powers bring calamity upon us." Another said; "but what if he is truly sent by God? If we drive him away, will we not be rejecting God Himself?" Their voices faded as they walked away, but their words weighed heavily on my heart.
The next morning, something unusual happened. A heavy storm began to gather suddenly over the farmland. The sky became dark, and the workers began to panic. The wind blew so violently that some of the plants were almost uprooted. Everyone ran for shelter, but I stood still in the middle of the field.
Deep within me, I felt a voice saying; "stretch out your hand." I obeyed. I stretched out my right hand towards the storm and said; "Peace, be still in the name of the Lord of Hosts." Immediately, the wind calmed down. The clouds slowly cleared, and the sun began to shine again.
The workers who had been hiding came out one after the other, staring at me with wide eyes. Some fell to their knees, shouting; "surely this is the power of God!" Others ran away in fear, thinking I was too powerful to be near.
From that day, the whispers in the village increased. Some called me a prophet, while others called me a deceiver. I could feel that a division was beginning to rise among the people.
Later that night, Gabriel appeared to me again in a dream. His face was calm, but his voice carried weight. He said; "Alfred, do not be moved by their doubts or praises. Your mission is not to gain their approval but to deliver the message of the One who sent you. Stand firm, for greater trials are coming." When I woke up, sweat covered my body, and I trembled at his words.
The next day, David spoke to me privately. He said; "Alfred, the people are divided because of you. Some believe you, while others think you are dangerous. I don't know how long this can continue. I need to know, what is your next step?"
I looked at him and answered; "my next step is to keep speaking the truth. Whether they accept it or reject it, I will not stop. The time is short, and the trumpet is nearer than anyone thinks."
David sighed deeply and said; "then may God help us all."
After spending some minutes looking around the living room, I could sense that the man of the house was studying me carefully. He kept throwing quick glances at me as though he wanted to weigh if I could be trusted. I pretended not to notice but within me I knew that everything about me appeared strange in their eyes. After some time, his wife returned from the room with their children, and she had changed her face from the tense look she carried before to something more welcoming, though I could still sense a shadow of worry on her.
The man introduced his children properly, calling the older one Ruth and the younger one Mary. I smiled at them both and waved slightly, and Ruth waved back shyly. Mary just looked at me with innocent eyes and quickly held onto her mother's dress. The atmosphere in the room became a bit lighter.
Soon, food was served. It was a simple meal of yam and vegetable stew. The aroma filled the room and reminded me of home, even though I was far away from the time and generation I belonged to. I thanked them for their kindness, then bowed my head and prayed briefly before eating. They all watched me as I prayed, and when I was done, the man nodded slowly.
During the meal, the man asked me once again about my journey. This time I gave him more details about the angel, the portal, and how I landed on the farmland. Though his eyes were filled with disbelief at first, I noticed that the more I spoke, the calmer he became. He did not fully believe me yet, but there was something within him telling him that my words were not lies.
By the time the meal was over, the family seemed more at ease with me. Ruth even came closer and asked if I would tell her a story before bed. That request touched me deeply, for it reminded me that though my mission was heavy, it was also meant to bring comfort and hope to the simple hearts of people like this family.