Man spends three days in the deep, dark belly of a cold, cruel monster—dying slowly.

Product description: 23 pages, 4200 words with many images and sketches from the author.

INTRO

Harrison – not Harrison Ford – is trapped. It is day three.

Off the East coast of Africa, in a remote part of the ocean, 32 km from land, the Nigerian man is praying.

“God, I am done praying. I am giving it over to You. Let it be as it is in Heaven. You have never failed me in the past, I know You will not fail me now.”

After hours and hours of prayer, this is his last prayer – he stops – he is at peace.

It is dark – pitch dark – it has been for days. The only sound he can hear is his shallow breathing. It is getting shallower by the hour.

Then, there is a nibble, “what could that be?” he holds his breath. He listens.

It is so dark that his imagination struggles to penetrate the thick depressing lack of light. However, he ‘sees’ his wife and family. He shivers. It is freezing cold. Then a shiver runs down his spine – he thinks about his dire situation. It is a desperate thought that turns the shiver into shaking.

“ I have to keep calm and breathe slowly. I must conserve energy and oxygen,” he mumbles to himself. Then he forces himself to relax.

He has visited his family, and his wife – in his mind. He has given them his last thoughts. He has said his goodbyes – reluctant though. He wants to live, not die at this unholy depth. His soul is compressed.

A large, cold, cruel, monster-fish has swallowed Harrison.

It happened suddenly, without any warning. It showed no mercy. The sudden blast of the cold liquid and the churning of the tummy of the monster-fish is all he can remember. He is in the tummy of the death-monster – cold, wet and dark. There have been vague stomach gurgling for some time further down the belly. However, the tummy of the cruel monster has stopped rumbling. It is quiet now. Dead quiet.

Hours passed.

“There it is again; it sounds like something scraping against the tummy lining. Yes, I am sure it sounds like scraping.” Harrison sits up. He presses his ear against the cold tummy of the monster.

Excerpt:

Jonah three days in the belly of the fish

Let’s consider the well-known story of Jonah and the big fish. The chemistry of the tummy of the large fish could have harmed Jonah.

*Don’t miss the 5 important things Jonah did – find it at the end of this article

Sketchbook:’ Jonah being pursued by a large fish.’ Fountain pen & watercolours. Credit: Author. April 2020.

THE SHALSHELET

‘Words have the power to express ideas. But, as expressive as words can be, they can sometimes be limiting. Often music can give soul and meaning to ideas that words cannot.

This concept is also true with respect to the melody (trop) used to read the Torah. The tune actually acts as a commentary on the text itself.

The highest and most prolonged trop is called the shalshelet. The word shalshelet is from the word shalosh – three. The sound of this note curves upward and then down three successive times. Commentators suggest that when a shalshelet appears, it indicates a feeling of hesitation by a character in the text.

For example, when Mrs. Potiphar attempts to seduce Yosef (Joseph), Yosef refuses, va-yemaen (Genesis 39:8). Although saying no, Yosef, at first, may have thought about giving into temptation. The word va-yemaen has, as its trop, the shalshelet.’

Credit: Excerpt – The shalshelet: the musical note with a deep message. https://library.yctorah.org/2016/05/the-shalshelet-the-musical-note-with-a-deep-message/

Excerpt:

I have been through a shalshelet season more than 25 years ago. Have you been through such a season? Or, maybe you are in such a season? I think every person’s shalshelet moments or seasons are different. Thank goodness, I have recovered from that season of devastation. I made the right choices. But, how do one survive such a season or time, and what is the relevance of the shalshelet to this article? Here is the take away:

#5 – Your mouth is like the pen of a ready writer – the very thing you believe – speak it into existence using your own words.

The very moment we exercise our faith – and we believe – the situation will start to change. Sometimes it takes a while, and sometimes it happens quickly. However, it will change if we continue to believe. Okene believed that he would be rescued and that is why he kept moving around – he never gave up. He moved and worked in the dark – creating a platform. His actions contributed to saving his life. His continuous movement allowed the water to absorb some of the carbon dioxide in the cavity. It reduced the carbon dioxide in the air pocket where he was trapped in (toxic air-poisoning). We don’t know in detail what Jonah did in the belly of the fish, but what we do know it that Jonah repented, he vowed and believed that he would be saved. The fish vomited him out onto dry land. He believed that God would restore him, and He did.