This blog was submitted by ICC representative Sylvia Thompson.
Dasappa could not stop staring at the clock. His weary eyes refused to turn away from the timekeeper’s “ticking and tocking.” For the past three months they had come to his house. For the past three months they had pounded on Dasappa’s door–demanding that he give in to their blasphemous ultimatum. Dasappa cringed when the pendulum stopped swinging–alerting him to the fact that ten o’clock was fast approaching.
“Maybe they will not come,” he whispered to himself. “Maybe they have given up.”
Suddenly, the sound of angry boots barreling through Dasappa’s entryway permeated the Indian sky. “Open up,” screamed a gaggle of Hindu radicals as they pummeled Dasappa’s door. “Let us in!”
Dasappa gasped and shoved his fingers in his ears–desperately trying to block out their enraged wails. Yet, this time the Hindu radicals were not taking no for an answer. Using the butts of their rifles, the incensed mob broke through Dasappa’s door and charged into his living room–searching furiously for the man who would not give in to their concessions.
“There he is,” yelled a Hindu radical, pointing his gun at Dasappa’s shaking body. Then he pushed his rifle into Dasappa’s chest and growled, “Give us your land so we can build our temple.”
Dasappa looked down at the simple cross hanging around his neck then slowly raised his head. “Never,” he said softly. “This is my home.”
“We don’t want you here!” “There is no place for Christians in this village,” screamed the Hindu radical as he grabbed Dasappa by the collar and dragged him outside.
Tears fell from Dasappa’s eyes as the angry radicals doused his home with gasoline. An unexplainable feeling of helplessness filled his heart when a single match was lit–turning Dasappa’s home into a ball of flames.
“Next time, you’ll listen,” remarked one of the Hindu radicals as he kicked a pile of ashes into Dasappa’s face. “Next time, you’ll give in.”
“Never,” whispered Dasappa as he stared down at the simple cross hanging around his neck.
Crossing The Bridge