Chereads / I AM PETER / Chapter 2 - Chapter 2:The Voice in the Night

Chapter 2 - Chapter 2:The Voice in the Night

The name lingered like a haunting melody in Blessings' mind: Peter. It replayed over and over, weaving itself into his thoughts, refusing to be ignored. That night, he lay on his mattress, staring at the cracked ceiling of his tiny room. The faint glow of the moon spilled through the window, casting eerie shadows that danced on the walls.

"Peter," he whispered into the silence.

The name felt heavy on his tongue, like it carried the weight of an identity he didn't yet understand. Why Peter? What did it mean? Questions bubbled in his mind, refusing to be silenced.

He turned to the small desk where his Bible lay. Though his parents weren't particularly religious, the Bible had always been there, a fixture of their home, its pages worn and creased from years of use. Blessings reached for it, running his fingers over the leather cover.

"Maybe there's something in here," he thought.

He flipped through the pages aimlessly, unsure of what he was looking for. His eyes landed on a verse in the Gospel of Matthew:

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

The words hit him like a thunderclap. He sat up straight, his heart pounding in his chest. Was this a coincidence? Or was it a sign?

"That can't be me," he muttered, shaking his head. "I'm not a rock. I'm barely holding myself together."

But the voice he had heard earlier echoed in his mind: "You are Peter. A rock. A foundation."

Blessings shut the Bible and placed it back on the desk. He couldn't bring himself to believe that the verse had anything to do with him. After all, he was just a fifteen-year-old boy from Ndeke Compound, with no special talents or achievements to his name.

As the hours ticked by, sleep remained elusive. He tossed and turned, his thoughts swirling like a storm. When he finally drifted off, his dreams were anything but peaceful.

---

In the dream, Blessings stood in a vast, desolate landscape. The ground beneath him was cracked and dry, as if scorched by an unforgiving sun. A heavy wind howled around him, carrying with it whispers he couldn't understand.

"Hello?" he called out, his voice trembling.

The whispers grew louder, circling him like an invisible force. Then, suddenly, the ground beneath him began to shake. Cracks spidered outward, and he stumbled, struggling to keep his balance.

Out of the ground rose a figure—a man cloaked in light, his face obscured by a radiant glow. Blessings shielded his eyes, his heart pounding with fear and awe.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I am the one who calls you," the figure replied, his voice resonating like a thousand echoes.

"Calls me? Calls me to what?"

"To be what you were created to be. To rise above your doubts and weaknesses. To become Peter."

Blessings shook his head. "I can't. I'm not strong enough."

The figure extended a hand, and in his palm appeared a small, glowing stone. "Strength is not found in the flesh but in the spirit," he said. "This is who you are."

The stone hovered toward Blessings, stopping just before his chest. He stared at it, mesmerized and terrified.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Carry it," the figure said. "Let it guide you. But know this: the path will not be easy. You will be tested, broken, and refined. Only then will you understand the true meaning of your name."

Before Blessings could respond, the ground beneath him gave way, and he plummeted into darkness.

---

He woke with a start, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Sweat drenched his body, and his heart raced like a drum. For a moment, he sat frozen, trying to make sense of what he had just experienced.

"It was just a dream," he told himself. But deep down, he knew it wasn't.

The sensation of the glowing stone still lingered on his chest, as if it had been burned into his very being. He glanced at the Bible on his desk, then at the faint light of dawn creeping through his window.

"Strength is not found in the flesh but in the spirit," he repeated the words from the dream.

---

The day passed in a blur. At school, Blessings felt like he was moving through a fog, his mind consumed by the dream and the mysterious voice. Joseph, as usual, noticed his distracted state.

"Man, you're even weirder today," Joseph said during lunch, chomping on a samosa. "Did you have one of your deep thoughts again?"

Blessings hesitated. He wanted to tell Joseph about the dream, about the voice, about the name Peter. But something held him back.

"Forget it," he said, shaking his head. "It's nothing."

Joseph shrugged. "Suit yourself. But one day, you're gonna drive yourself crazy with all this thinking."

Blessings offered a weak smile, but his thoughts remained elsewhere.

---

That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Blessings found himself under the mango tree again. The quiet of the night offered a strange comfort, as if the world's chaos faded away, leaving only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves.

"God," he whispered, his voice breaking. "If this is real, if this is really from You, I need a sign. I need to know what You want from me."

The silence that followed was deafening. For a moment, Blessings felt foolish, like he was talking to the air. But then, a gentle breeze swept through the yard, carrying with it a sense of peace he couldn't explain.

The voice didn't return that night, but something inside him had shifted. It was as if a seed had been planted, and though he didn't yet understand what it would grow into, he knew it was the beginning of something extraordinary.

---

The next few days were uneventful, but the dream and the name Peter stayed with him. He began to notice things he hadn't before—the way people's words carried hidden meanings, the way certain situations felt charged with an unseen energy.

And then, one evening, while sitting under the mango tree, the voice returned.

"Blessings," it said, gentle yet firm.

He froze. "I'm here," he replied, his voice trembling.

"The journey begins now," the voice said. "Prepare yourself."

"For what?"

"For the battles to come. You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build something that no enemy can destroy."

Blessings swallowed hard, his heart pounding. He didn't know what lay ahead, but he knew one thing for certain: his life would never be the same.