*ENEMIES OF THE CHURCH:*
EPISODE 4
The room was as quiet as a grave yard. Reverend Leo sat with his hands on his head and his head raised up. He was totally lost in thought.
Alfred sat staring from husband to wife. Wondering what has gone wrong with the couple he once loved and admired.
Rachael sat impatiently waiting for Alfred to respond. She was anxiously waiting and hoping that Alfred would not say no to her.
Reverend Leo was silently praying for Alfred to say no. So that they can all move on.
Finally, he broke the silence.
*Alfred:* Seven million naira.
*Leo:* What?
*Alfred:* Seven million naira for what you want me to do.
*Leo:* You mean you will sleep with my wife if we pay you seven million naira?
Alfred knew that the Reverend was not happy with his statement and this confused him the more because it was the Reverend that called him.
*Alfred:* Reverend this is a sin against my God, myself and my wife and if I must commit this sin then I should commit it for a good reason. So, if you will give me the seven million naira, then I am game.
*Leo:* (disappointed) And what makes you so sure you will get my wife pregnant.
*Alfred:* Well, I don’t know, but I do believe that you saw the potentials in me which is why you chose me out of all the members of the church. I am not a guarantor that she must get pregnant. Mine is just to do the job, collect my money and go.
*Leo:* (shakes his head in agreement sarcastically) The job of slee-ping with my wife?
*Alfred:* Sir, it’s a hvge sacrifice I am giving to you o. Sacrificing my child for life, forgetting about my own blood for life, do you think it’s an easy thing to do?
Leo: Yeah right!
*Rachael:* It’s okay Alfred. We will give you the money.
Leo was shocked to hear his wife talk.
*Leo:* We will? Have you gone mad? Where do you plan on getting seven million naira from?
*Rachael:* Honey that is between us. (turns to Alfred) we will give you the money. My husband and I will raise the cash for you by Friday. So by Saturday you can start work.
*Leo:* Rachael! Friday? Start work?
*Rachael:* Leo plea-se calm down and let me talk to Alfred. (Turns to Alfred) Brother Alfred, thank you so much. For this you’ve done or about to do for my family, God will bless you richly. Expect my call on Friday.
*Alfred:* It’s alright Mummy, I will take my leave now. Goodbye Reverend!
He turns and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.
*Leo:* Rachael has the devil taken over you this de-ep that you no longer think before talking? Where on Earth do you plan on getting seven million naira within five days.
*Rachael:* (ignoring the question) Tell the doctor I nee-d to go home.
(She manages to stand up, though from the way she struggles, anyone would know she was still in pains, she starts gathering her things)
*Leo:* What? How can you go home, when you are not yet strong.
*Rachael:* Leo call the doctor, I am fine and I nee-d to go home now.
*Leo:* How can you say you are fine. See you, still in severe pains and you are talking of being okay and wanting to go home. Are you really bent on killing yourself?
*Rachael:* Is it your b©dy Leo? Is it you that’s feeling the pain? I said I am fine, so call the doctor now to prepare my discharge papers now, if not I will walk out of here and leave you to settle with the doctor.
Once again, Leo knew she wasn’t joking and so he steps out to inform the doctor that his wife had insisted on going home.
The doctors and nurses all c@m£ into the room and tried to talk to Rachael and also enlighten her on the dangers of going against the doctors advice but she remained adamant and insisted on going.
And so the doctors signed and gave her the discharge papers.
Leo was disappointed and sad at his wife and everything going on around him. He wished it was all a bad dream that he would wake up from but he just didn’t know how to wake himself up.
Rachael waited patiently for her husband to come inside the house. She stood by the dining table waiting for him. Leo who was fuming with anger c@m£ in and went straight to her at the dining.
*Leo:* Honey listen to me, this madness has to st©p now. I will not fold my hands and watch and support you to commit this abomination you want to do. You cannot sleep with Alfred.
*Rachael:* What do you mean I cannot sleep with Alfred? Am I doing it for the fun of it? Do you think I am happy doing this? You think I am happy that I want to get n-ked before another man that is not my husband? Do you think this is easy for me? Whatever I am doing is because I have no choice and I am doing it for both of us. I am doing it to save our name, your name, you will become a father and I become a mother.
*Leo:* No Rachael, you will become a mother, but not me, the child will be Alfred’s and not mine.
*Rachael:* What is this? What are you saying? We are paying Alfred off. He will have no claim over the child and will never come for it. Besides, we will leave this town for good. The child will bear your name and we will be the parents.
*Leo:* You can keep deceiving yourself Rachael, you and I know that child will never be mine. No matter how far we may go, no matter the name the child may bear, it will never have my blood in his veins, it will never be mine.
*Rachael:* Well, that is what you believe, and I can’t change whatsoever you chose to believe.
*Leo:* You surprise me dear, you really surprise me.
*Rachael:* plea-se I don’t have time to argue over what has been settled. What we should be talking about is how to give Alfred his money.
*Leo:* Who is we? You and who? Am I the one that gave him a job to be paying him? Don’t even involve me at all.
*Rachael:* You lie, you are involved and you cannot run from it. Anyway, this is what I have resolved. You will take from the church purse.
*Leo:* What?
*Rachael:* Yes, you will take from the church purse, the tithes and offerings and the seeds the people sowed and donated for the church new building.
*Leo:* Have you gone mad? I should use the church purse for your selfish aim? What do I tell the church?
*Rachael:* What are you supposed to tell them? You owe no one any explanation, you are the General Overseer of the church and nob©dy dares question you.
*Leo:* I am the General Overseer not the owner of the church. It is God’s church, it is God’s money, I have no right over it.
*Rachael:* You lie Leo, you lie, you will collect that money and we will go ahead with our plans.
*Leo:* Listen Rachael, you have allowed the devil overwhelm you. You have allowed him take charge of you and I will not be a p@rty to it and since you will not listen to me, I am sorry but I will have to call your parents and inform them of what you are about to do. I will also let the church know that our marriage is over the minute you sleep with another man.
*Rachael:* What?
*Leo:* Yes Rachael, since you will not listen to me I have no choice but to make this decision.
Rachael suddenly bur-st out laughing and Leo was surprised at what was funny and ma-king her laugh.
*Rachael:* Oh Leo, Leo my husband, you will never cease to make me laugh. You see, I am always one step ahead of you. I am always smarter than you, remember?
*Leo:* How do you mean?
*Rachael:* Listen dear, I have you in my palms and you will pl@yalong with whatever I decide. Whatever you are planning on doing, just respect yourself and don’t do it because you will be the one to regret it.
*Leo:* How do you mean?
*Rachael:* Sixteen years ago, before we got married, you ran into a six year old girl with your car on your way from a night club. You were drun!kthat night remember?
*Leo:* I remember, what has that got to do with us.
*Rachael:* Calm down my dear husband, that child died on the sp©t, you were too scared so you ran away and I helped you clean up your mess. The little girl’s parents didn’t see who had hit their child and so the case was buried un-der the carpets, well I will want you to know that that little girl you killed that night is Mr. Gbenga’s daughter, their only child.
*Leo:* What?
*Rachael:* Yes dear, His wife could not stand the shock of losing their only child. She died six months after. Since then Mr. Gbenga has remained without a wife and a child. It’s been sixteen years but he has not been able to move on because the killer of his daughter was not found.
Leo placed his head down trying to swallow all his wife was saying. He remembers all she was saying. He was so drun!kthat night that he didn’t see the little girl. He had hit her and fear had made him abandon the little girl on the road. Rachael was there for him as she supported and helped him get away from town. And she remained to clear off every trace of the incident that would link to him.
After he gave his life to Christ, he had wanted to find the family of that girl and confess to them but he couldn’t trace them, and then Rachael has told him that if he tries it he would be thrown into the prison and he had decided to put it behind him and move on. And now he just didn’t un-derstand why Rachael was bringing it up.
*Rachael:* Leo, I want you to know that all the evidences you think I threw away that night I still have them. I don’t know why but something kept telling me not to discard them, I guess this is the reason. Leo, I still have them and if you dare think you will break our marriage or disgrace me for trying to save this family’s name then I will s£nd you to jail and you will rot there.
*Leo:* What? All these years you kept those things, so you can use them one day against me, right? You know that accident happened when I was still of the world, and you know how I tried to find that girl’s family. All these while you knew them but you kept silent about it? Rachael who are you? Who did I marry?
*Rachael:* Ask yourself that question darling? We are in this together and you cannot pu-ll out. You will collect the money from the church purse and you will support me while Alfred get me pregnant and we will leave this town together with our child and we will live happily ever after. If not, if not Leo, you will rot in jail. Don’t dare me?
Rachael picks her phone and walks away into the room with a surprised Leo staring at her.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 5
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