Onesimus, The Run-Away Slave

The main characters in this story come from the Bible.  I have taken a little known man, Omnesimus, and formed a uplifting, high moral story.  He is only heard of in the new testament books of Philemon and Colossions.  The Apostle Paul, who wrote Philemon  sent this letter to Philemon to help him show mercy to this run-away slave.

This is a story that the young will enjoy!  It has excitement, drama and love but without language that would offend anyone.  I have gleamed information from encyclopedias and from the Internet concerning the area in which this story takes place, gaining information about the climate, agriculture and terrain of the land, trying to make the story’s setting accurate while still folding a fictitious story around the main character.   I have also talked to a person who has lived in the area my story takes place, and gained information here too.

The first few pages start with Omne’s childhood in what is now Turkey.  Then as a strong, husky youth he is taken by raiders.  He is treated, harshly, as a slave and for several months lives in the filthy camps of those who stole him.  Here he is befriended by another slave, a lad about his own age, who tells him about the God in Heaven.  This boy tells Omne that the gods of silver and wood are worthless!

After many months Omne is taken away from this camp and sold as a slave to a man who treats his slaves well.  This man had been visited by one of the men who help Paul and he believed in Christ too!  One day while Omne is working his team of oxen in a field near the river, he rescues his master’s young son from drowning.  This feat he did even though he had never learned to swim and this act nearly takes the life of this helpful slave.  As a reward for the valiant act Omne is given Martha, a most lovely and sweet young lady, for his wife.

With the passing of time children are born into this couple’s  home.  Omne and his family are treated almost like children of the master’s household.  Omne is respected by his master and the other slaves whom he is now boss over.  All goes well until Omne’s eldest son dies and Omne can’t accept his death.  He grows very despondent, and blames God for his son’s death.  Feeling that all hope is gone he steals from his master and leaves his beloved wife and children.  He tries to run away from God but in the process finds that God is ever with him even through 2 robberies and beatings that nearly kill him while traveling clear to Rome.

In Rome he meets Paul, who along with Luke and several others applies soothing balm to his battered body and coaxes life back into his body once again.  At last Omne is able to forget the past, accept his LORD again and full of hope and love returns to his family and to his master.  Paul wrote a letter and sent it with Tychicus, one of his trusted workers, to be given to Omne’s master. The two men then return to Omne’s master.  Though willing to forgive his slave Philemon still puts him through 90 grueling days of hard labor before once again taking him back as a trusted slave; but not really as a slave but as a son!  The freedom he has longed for so much for so long is finally his!

The author first did some writing when he helped with his school paper in high school.  But it was only years later when failing eyesight caused him to retire early that he thought of writing. 

He took a course from Hadley School for the Blind in Creative writing.

After buying his first computer his writing became easier and his short stories  keep  encouraging others.   Some of these were written just because someone asked for a certain story.

Today he and his wife, Dorothy live just out of Walla Walla, WA  where he continues to raise chickens and to grow a large garden.