It was dark when they parked outside what looked like a massive stone building. Father Michael cheerfully announced in his usual jovial mannerly, "welcome to All Saints Christian Fellowship. Then he led Luckson to a smaller out building which occupied by several beds, most of whose occupants where already sound asleep. A few others were getting ready for bed.
After greeting them, Father Michael proceeded to introduce the new comer.
"Boys I want you to meet Luckson Lungu, he shall be joining us here at the cathedral".
"Welcome Luckson ", cheerfully greeted one boy then three others were still awake took up the chorus.
Luckson felt overwhelmed by the genuine friendliness displayed by the four boys. It was a far cry from the frosty reception which he had received when he had joined Samson's band. It had taken some persuasion from Reuben, who had initially found Luckson wandering about aimlessly after he had been evicted from the mine house. Reuben had taken pity on the younger boy and taking him under his wing had brought Luckson with him to the band of street kids. But right from the onset he had been viewed with suspicion, and the matter of his admission to the band had been put on suspension while Reuben pleaded his case with Samson. After a what seemed an eternity and much pleading from Reuben, the matter had finally been settled and Luckson had officially become a member after being initiated to the band's ground rules.
But this was different even as the boys gathered around him smiling. Luckson could feel the genuine warmth.
"Hi I 'm Luke", said the tall well built boy of about 18years of age who had initially greeted him, extending a hand to Luckson. "This is Tatenda, Nyasha, Petros", Luke went on to introduce the three other boys to Luckson in turn who was grateful to exchange hand shakes with them. They would have stood there smiling and just enjoying the new found sense of camaradarie, if Father Michael had not intervenved in his usual jovial manner to remind them that it was late.
"I 'm sure Luckson must be exhausted. Can he get a bed?", said pastor Michael.
"Yes, there is one in the corner over in there", said Luke pointing to a vacant bed.
"That's ok I 'll leave you boys to sort yourselves out", said pastor Michael cheerfully walking towards the exit. "I 'm exhausted myself", he yawned as he exited the room.
Father Michael proceeded to his own room feeling a sense of satisfication.The boy had more open within the few minutes that Father Michael had introduced Luckson to the alter boys than he had in all the time he had spent alone with him.It was not lost to him that while they pretended to go to bed in his presence, he had no doubt that there would a lot more interaction between the boys and Luckson once he had retired to his own room. Naturally they would be curious about the newcomer.
He knew the inverse would also be true with Luckson being equally curious about his new friends as well as the new environment he found himself in.
In the passage of time as the days grew shorter and nights became longer, the bond between Luckson and the other boys got even stronger.
Luckson came to know of the talents among some the boys.
Notable among others was Luke who had the gift of the garb. The boy could play with words giving descriptions in a most vivid manner. He was a natural born poet who could effortlessly flatter with words. The way he arranged words was just beautiful to listen to.Then there was Tatenda a gifted illustrator who was able to capture images of people, animals and objects with a surprising degree of accuracy on paper. Some of Tatenda's illustrations were so life like that they seemed to be laying on the sheets of paper they were drawn on.
There were the twins, the dance masters who could come up with a dance routine to suit any song.
Then the rest of them, with some it wasn't so much that they possessed any specific talent but it was rather their characters that made them unique in a special way.
They were different from each other as, but in a way that made them complementary parts of a one unit. This was Father Michael's alter boys team.
In addition to serving with Father Michael in church, Luckson also got to know that the alter boys accompanied Father Michael on his reach out campaigns where he distributed clothing and even food items when they had the latter to the needy. Father Michael took a very keen interest in the boys education and did not let them compromise their school work. As long as they applied themselves in their studies, he allowed them to continue to serve with him, giving occasional guidance and counsel in his usual easy going manner. His manner may have been relaxed but the advice he gave was not to be taken lightly.
Luckson was not going to be an exception to the rule and was enrolled in the church school once he had begun settling into his new environment. That day Father Michael took Luckson along with the alter boys in the church's mini van to town to shop for a new school uniform along with other school stationary Luckson would need
What would otherwise have been a very simple routine process was turned into a big occasion, and before they knew it the mini van had been loaded with goodies for each one of the boys, making them all very excited.
That evening they returned to the cathedral exhausted from the day's shopping unexpected shopping episode and each boy had taken what was his, Luke directed that the empty cardboard box be placed in a corner, they would throw it in the rubbish bin the next morning.
Luckson asked that they give him the cardboard box instead. Asked what he wanted with the box, Luckson replied that Samson had taught not to waste in a box of the size as it could be adapted for use as a cardboard mat to insulate against the cold when sleeping on pavements.
An uneasy silence suddenly fell over the room. Father Michael who was standing outside the door unnoticed, had heard everything and wiped away at the tears in his eyes with a handkerchief. Even the alter boys felt sad at what Luckson had endured at his tender age.
Luckson felt in adequate, like he needed to do something to fit in with the other boys. It wasn't that the other boys were complaining, on the contrary, they were all quite friendly. It was just a feeling within him which he just could not shirk.
It had made him go to Father Michael in the church office and ask to be made a n alter boy. To which request Father Michael had answered him that he enough alter boys. When he insisted that he just wanted to be useful at the church, Father Michael had looked at him long and hard, before replying that he could go and think about how else he could serve.
That day when Luckson left the church office he felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was going to discuss the matter with the alter boys. They were the right people to advise him on how else to set e in church.