The last stone by Pius Adesanmi

Vanity of vanities, saith the
Preacher, vanity of vanities;
all is vanity. But the people
came upon the preacher and
saith: if what thou sayest is
true and all is indeed vanity,
what sayest thou of King
Jona, our taskmaster, and his
wife? And the Preacher saith
unto the people: who is King
Jona?
Whereupon the people spake
about their tormentor and
his wife and the abomination
of desolation they hath
wrought upon the land. And
they saith: O preacher, thou
knowest not King Jona and
his wife? And they saith: our
ground and inheritance
brought forth plentiful. But
whilst we perish of hunger,
King Jona and his wife
apportioned our possessions
unto themselves, unto their
children, and unto their
children’s children. And when
they hath filled their house
with our portion, King Jona
saith unto himself: What shall
I do, because I have no more
room where to bestow my
fruits? And he saith, this will
I do: I will pull down my
barns, and build greater; and
there will I bestow all my
fruits and my goods. And I
will say to my soul, soul, thou
hast much goods laid up for
many years; take thine ease,
eat, drink, and be merry.
After King Jona hath said
these things, his wife’s heart
was greatly gladdened. And
she summoned Orontolum,
Renokrim, Abatimus, and all
the other palace servants and
saith: now that the
inheritance of the people
hath yielded plentiful for my
husband’s barns, it is meet
that we call a great feast for
all the lords of the land so
we can rejoice and make
merry. Go ye now and bring
forth musicians who play the
horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp
and all kinds of music. Bring
forth the best robes and put
it on my guests; and put
rings on their hands and
shoes on their feet; and bring
hither the fatted calf and kill
it; bring forth the best wine
from the bridegroom’s store
in the land of Cana; and let
us eat and drink and be
merry.
And as they made merry,
one of the lords of the land
rose and did obeisance to
King Jona and his wife and
saith: O great King, because
it is appointed unto thee to
rule over this land forever
and to fill thine barns with
the fruits and goods of the
people, it is meet that we
name this district after thee
and in thine honour.
Whereupon King Jona saith: o
worthy servant, so let it be
written, so let it be done.
And the choice district of the
city bore King Jona’s name
henceforth. And another
servant rose and saith: O
king, it is meet that we also
name a road after thine wife,
our mother. Whereupon King
Jona saith: o worthy servant,
so let it be written, so let it
be done. And a choice road
in the city bore the Queen’s
name henceforth.
And one of the lords, who
came from the home district
of King Jona, rose and did
obeisance and saith: O great
King Jona, although thou now
liveth in the city by the rock
with the Queen our mother,
it is meet that I appoint her
one of the supreme courtiers
in our home district. And
there was great rejoicing in
the hearts of King Jona and
his Queen at this
announcement. And while
they tasted wine, King Jona
commanded his servants to
bring the golden and silver
vessels so that his lords and
their wives and their
concubines might drink
therefrom. They drank wine
and praised the gods of gold,
and of silver, of brass, of
iron, of wood, and of stone.
And the people saith unto the
preacher, behold King Jona
has built bigger barns to
store the fruit of the people
which he hath apportioned
unto himself; behold a
district is named after him;
behold a street is named
after his wife; behold his wife
is appointed a supreme
courtier in their home
district. Before our own eyes,
King Jona and his wife store
up great treasures on earth
and no moth or rust is come
upon them and thou sayest
that all is vanity? Pray,
preacher, where is the
vanity?
And the Preacher went out
and departed from the
temple. And the people came
to him and taketh him up
into an exceeding high
mountain, and sheweth him
all the worldly treasures of
King Jona and his Queen and
the glory of them. And they
saith to the preacher: behold,
with our eyes and out of our
poverty and deprivation we
behold the glory and
splendor of King Jona’s barn.
Pray, preacher, where is the
vanity?
And the Preacher saith unto
them: see ye not all these
things? See ye not King’s
Jona’s treasures which he
took from the people and
apportioned unto his own
inheritance? See ye not his
mighty castles and his barns
full of the fruits of the
people? See ye not the
district named after him and
the street named after his
wife? Verily verily I say unto
you, there shall not be left
one stone upon another that
shall not be thrown down
when the appointed time
comes. For all the fullness of
King Jona’s barns shall come
to nought and the souls of
the foolish who build bigger
barns for their earthly fruits
shall be required of them.
And that which was named
after them today shall be
erased and named after their
successors. For vanity of
vanities, all is vanity.
And great fear is come upon
the people for they look into
the Preacher’s eyes and saw
the truth.

#CONSENSUS 2015