*ENEMIES OF THE CHURCH:*
EPISODE 18
Rachael after driving for about 20 minutes saw the truck. She was excited and furious at the same time. She quic-kly picked her phone and tried to call her boys once again. But their lines were switched off.
*Rachael:* I can do this. I can do it myself. To hell with you guys. Useless idiots.
She threw her phone down as she increa-sed her speed.
*Rachael:* Alfred, I will deal with you. You and your useless wife. So, this has been your plan all along. You chose your foolish wife over me. You think you can abandon me and our child, right? You that I am re-ady to give everything. I am re-ady to sacrifice everything for you. But, you chose to be with your stupid wife.
I will deal with you today. Stupid man.
Rachael kept talking to herself.
Alfred who has been terribly scared from the moment he left Rachael’s house has not st©pped looking back to see if he was been followed. He saw when Rachael drive past them into the compound. He also saw when she drove into the wrong lane and he was happy that she missed them.
But just as he was beginning to relax that she has lost them, he saw her car coming after them. Alfred almost fainted out of fear. He kept on screaming and shouting at the driver to increase his speed.
Mrs. Alfred who un-derstood everything that was happening even though her husband had not mentioned anything to her just bowed down her head as she began to pray silently.
*”He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide un-der the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, You are my refuge and my strength, my God in whom I trust. A thousand shall fall by my side and ten thousand at my right. hand, but none shall come near me, only with my eyes will I see the reward of the wicked.”*
Mrs. Alfred kept on quoting the scriptures with her head bowed. Alfred watched as Rachael’s car kept getting closer. There was no escaping from the viper.
Alfred held his wife by her hand and opened up to her. He confessed everything from the start and how it all happened to his wife. How the greed for money pushed him into this mess. As Mrs. Alfred listened to her husband she cried.
*Alfred:* I do not want to lose you my wife because I love you. I agreed to what Rachael wanted because we nee-ded the money and I felt she will keep to her p@rt of the deal but she didn’t. Instead she wants to kill you and our kids and have me to herself. Right now, she is chasing after us, I am very sure she has a gun with her. I thought we would get away before she comes but she is right behind us, and I don’t know what she would do to us if she catches with us. I don’t want any harm to come to you or the kids.
*Mrs. Alfred:* Are you that afraid of her? Why are you so scared of her. Ap@rt from the blackmail she has against you, does she have something else?
*Alfred:* Honey you don’t un-derstand. I am scared of that woman because I don’t trust her. The way our Reverend died, I suspect she has a hand in his death. That woman is a snake and she can do anything. I am scared of her. And you should too.
Mrs Alfred looked at her husband who seemed so confused and terrified. She held him in her hands and they prayed together. They were still praying when they heard the sound.
Alfred jumped up and shouted.
*Alfred:* Driver what is it? What happened?
*Driver:* Oga, one moto don dey follow us since, I don dey look her for my side mirror since. Just now d moto one overtake me, I just use side push am naim she run enter bush go hit tree so.
*Mr. & Mrs. Alfred:* What?
*Driver:* I no know why all this small moto go dey won drag road with big moto.
*Alfred:* St©p the truck, st©p the truck right this moment.
*Driver:* Oga, I no un-derstand you o, just now you say make I fast now you say make I st©p. I know whether the moto na kidnapper dey inside?
*Mrs. Alfred:* St©p this truck now.
The driver slowly pu-ll-ed over. As Mr. and Mrs. Alfred rushed to the tree that Rachael had hit. She had fallen off the car and was bleeding seriously. She looked at them slowly before pas-sing out.
*Mrs. Alfred:* We have to get her to the hospital.
*Alfred:* No ooo, leave her, leave her there let’s just go. This is God that is fighting for us. Leave her let’s go.
*Mrs. Alfred:* You don’t know what you are saying. How can you leave her here? What about the innocent baby she is carrying? Come on help me carry her let’s go.
*Alfred:* Honey, plea-se leave this woman to die. If you were in her shoes she will let you die. She will still want you dead even if you save her now. So, plea-se just leave her now let’s go, plea-se .
*Mrs. Alfred:* Dear, we cannot leave her to die. plea-se let’s help her plea-se. Let’s get her to the hospital at least after which we can leave.
*Alfred:* We leave as soon as we drop her, right?
*Mrs. Alfred:* Yes!
Alfred then agrees, and together they lifted her into the truck as they searched for any nearby hospital.
____________
Pastor Jim had turned the office into something else. The place was well furnished and equipped that you would mistake it for one of those presidential h0tel rooms. In less than four months since he as-sumed the position of General Overseer of the church, the church purse had drastically reduced.
He had drawn a budget of 1.3million naira for the furnishing of his office in the church, but he had spent more than 4million naira on things he could not even account for. He had also st©pped talking with the Treasurer who was alre-ady furious and mad at him. He has kept to himself and does things all by himself.
On this cool afternoon as he sat in the office enjoying the coolness of the air conditioner, the office door flung open and Mr. Treasurer walked in obviously angry.
*Pastor Jim:* How dare you? How dare you barge into my office like that? Are you stupid?
*Treasurer:* Oh, oh, it has come to that, it has come to the extent you a so-called man of God, now call me stupid, right? After everything we’ve been throu-gh together.
*Pastor Jim:* Just shut up and keep that thing you call a mouth silent. What have we been throu-gh together, uhn? I am asking you, what have we been throu-gh together? You just barge into my office unannounced, without proper introduction, not even that we have an appointment together, you just barge into my office and you are saying after everything, after what?
*Treasurer:* Unannounced? I should announce or book an appointment of meeting before I meet you? Shoo see oh! Oh, oh, oh, so you think because you have ordained yourself as the new fake Pastor of this church you can now treat and talk to me as you plea-se abi?
*Jim:* My friend will you keep silent? You don’t talk to the servant of God like that.
*Treasurer:* Servant of God my foot. What servant of God? Anyway, I have come to ask you what you did with over 2.5million naira?
*Jim:* And what sort of stupid question is that?
*Treasurer:* Jim, Jim, Jim, how many times did I call you? Do not tempt God o. This one you are stealing without thinking twice. God is seeing you o.
*Jim:* And who is telling me about God, you? My co thief? plea-se, plea-se leave my office I want to rest.
*Treasurer:* See ehn, I have realized my mistakes o and I have repented of my sins. But, I want you to know I will confess openly and clear my conscience once and for all.
*Jim:* Since when have you repented? Since I blocked every chance for you to steal money from the church office? My friend go and sit down where you belong. You are only hungry and it is what is confusing your br@in.
*Treasurer:* No problems. On Sunday we shall see about that?
*Jim:* Are you threatening me or what?
*Treasurer:* I am not threatening you. I am only ma-king amends for my sins.
He turned and tries to walk away but Jim st©pped him.
*Jim:* I know why you are angry. I un-derstand very well. You see my friend, let’s forget the past. You don’t have to confess anything. See eh this is our money bag. Church business is a lucrative business and there is so much money in it. Listen eh, am sorry for pushing you too ha-rd . If you were in my shoes you will do the same. I was only scared that you would betray me that’s why. However, it’s alright! Have your seat my friend let’s talk business.
He led the Treasurer to his chair and they both sat down.
*Jim:* See eh, there is so much money here. And I want to compensate you. I will give you the sum of 1million naira, okay? You don’t have to confess anything. I will give you from time to time, okay? How about that?
*Treasurer:* One million naira? Pastor, have you even tried to check the account balance? The church account is going down and down by the day. What took Reverend Leo 9years to build you are squandering them in months. The church account was almost 18million naira when you as-sumed this position. But in less than four months since you entered, the account has reduced to less than five million naira. When will you st©p? Must the account go down completely before you st©p?
*Jim:* (a bit angry) What is your problem? What is your business with the account balance? I just said I will give you 1million naira and you are talking and saying something else. What do you want?
The Treasurer stands up and walked to the door .
*Jim:* Okay st©p, just st©p. I un-derstand you. I will make it 1.5million, or rather 2million I will give you 2million on a monthly basis. How about that?
*Treasurer:* It’s like you don’t get it. I said I have changed, I have repented, I don’t nee-d any money from you, even if it’s the entire five million. I don’t want.
*Jim:* (confused) Since when na? Since when did you change this change?
*Treasurer:* Since the day God used you to drive me away from this sinful act and open my eyes to see that I am headed for doom. I must say I thank you for doing all you did. Pastor Jim, from now on, you are on your own. I am not p@rt of your deals. I have decided to turn over a new leaf. I no longer wanna be a co thief with you. Good day!
He turned and walked out of the office with an angry Jim staring at him.
.
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I will be so busy from now till 4pm. See you later.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 19
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