Sometime back I met a man on the footsteps of the famous Kottakkavu Christian Church in North Paravur where Saint Thomas, a disciple of Jesus Christ converted some natives into Christianity some 200 years ago.
The afternoon heat of that summer was terrible. I was tired and had to sit on the footsteps just to cool down. Church and its courtyard were empty of any human beings except one middle aged man Mr.Thomas who was sitting like a lost man .
When he learned that I am not a Christian, he expressed his disgust without any hesitation. He predicted that I and all other human beings who don’t belong to his sect of Christian faith will go Paathaal or hell.
He claimed that the heaven is reserved only for him and the followers of his sect of Christianity.
I did not commit any sin to go to hell in that beautiful afternoon except that I was little high on toddy and weed .
So I asked him what will happened to me and all others in the hell.
After many years all of you will turn into petroleum, He said.
He paused for a moment, then added
Arabs will one day dig the pathaal or hell and take out the oil.
I bowed to Thomas for revealing the secret of Petrol.
Later I learned that all his children are working in some Gulf countries
Suresh Pillai 