Chapter Eight: Son of Man:

Father got lonely and bored again. It wasn’t enough for him to have his children in Heaven. He just had to have more. Father called us into the biggest room in his house. Already, we had questions. Bayu turned to me in the front row.

“Why did he call us here?” she asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” I whispered. We all stared at that empty stage, wondering what was going to happen next. Finally, Father stepped out from behind the curtain. He held out his arms.

“My children!” he said. “I have some great news! I gathered you all here to show off my greatest creation!” Oh great, he got bored again. But, something felt different this time. I raised my eyebrow. What are you up to now? Father turned and opened the curtain.

“Behold, my greatest creation!” he shouted. We looked and saw something that put us into confusion. This creature walked around the garden on the Earth. He didn’t look like any of us at all. He didn’t look like any of the animals Father created in the past. There was no fur, feathers, fins, talons, claws, fangs, or a beak. He walked around on two legs. This creature looked to be right at home in the garden of this world. I stood up with a puzzled look on my face.

“What is that?” I asked.

“Man,” Father said. “I call him man.” The whole room was quiet. We watched this man creature reach up and pick a fruit.

“I don’t understand this,” I said. “Why did you make this?” Father turned his head.

“I was lonely,” he said.

“But you have us!” I said. “Why would you need him?” Our father held out his arms.

“Man was created in my image and shall inherit the earth!” he said. His voice shook the room. Not a single angel said a word. My stomach turned as I had a bad feeling about this plan.

“This isn’t right,” I said. All eyes fell on me. Bayu grabbed my hand, but I shoved her off. Father raised his eyebrow.

“Explain yourself,” he said.

“I don’t know how to put it into words,” I said. “This is not a good idea. You’ve been able to control everything without any problems in this new world of yours. We don’t know how this new creation will turn out.”

“Are you doubting me?”

“No, I just don’t think this is a good idea.”

“But, man can learn overtime.”

I blinked at Father as I looked so confused. “How?”

“I will guide him every step of the way. He may be new to this world, but I will raise him right. I can give him knowledge and gifts to make the world a better place. His children will carry on the legacy in my image. In the right time, I shall have him inherit the world. My children, you will all bow before him when that day comes!”

“But aren’t we enough for you here?”

“Yes.”

“So… why?”

All eyes turned to Father. He simply put up his hands.

“The world needs to be taken care of in the long run,” he said. “We can’t physically touch it ourselves. You, my children don’t have the power to do that. I can’t keep changing the world myself. That would not be fun.”

“You are not making any sense,” I said.

“It will all come to you in all due time,” Father insisted. “You might even come to love man once you see what he can do for the future.” The room broke into applause. I looked all around me. Couldn’t they see it? Couldn’t they see that this would lead to disaster for all of us? Even my Bayu stood up clapping. I clapped, but only with reluctance. Father kept his eyes on me. What was he trying to tell us? He must have been really bored to have thought this up. No one would hear me out now.

My doubts and instinct would cause a riff in the family and separate me from my Bayu-chan forever. Looking back, it feels like it was all Father’s plan all along. Everything felt like Father’s plan. Everything.