*ENEMIES OF THE CHURCH:*
EPISODE 7
Leo stayed in the h0tel room for two weeks before returning to his house. All throu-gh his stay, Rachael didn’t bother to call him or look for him. He had cried and prayed to God for Mercy, he had fasted and seek for direction and finally he decided to return home. When he got to the entrance of his house. His feet bec@m£ heavy and he didn’t know if he should go in or turn back. Rachael soon stepped out. She was looking happy and fresh.
*Rachael:* I thought you were never coming back.
Leo ignores her as he steps inside the house. He looked round as if he was trying to find something or someone around. He couldn’t tell if Rachael went ahead with Alfred or not and he was not re-ady to talk to her. He walks straight inside the house and straight to the bathroom. Everywhere was neat, just as he left it.
Leo decided to live and forget and does not want to know if his wife sle-pt with Alfred or not. Knowing would break him down and so he focused his attention on going back to church. He dressed up and prepared for the evening service. As he was about driving out Rachael st©pped him.
*Rachael:* Are you going to church without me?
*Leo:* Are you going to church?
*Rachael:* plea-se wait for me o, I am going.
Rachael quic-kly gr-abs her bag and went to meet him in the car, and together they left. Members of the church who had as-sumed that Rev. Leo travelled were so happy to welcome him back. Even Jim who seemed excited shook hands with him as he took his seat.
Rev. Leo was happy to be back, he told the church he was pas-sing throu-gh some challenges and he nee-ded time with God alone and that was why he was abs£nt from church. Then he mounted the pulpit and preached on the t©pic, *”HOLDING STEADFAST TO GOD”* he told the congregation the nee-d to trust God at all times and hold unto him no matter what.
After the message, so many people wept and reconciled with God for losing faith in Him, and then Reverend Leo did the unexpected.
*Leo:* Is Brother Gbenga in church plea-se? If yes, plea-se come forward.
At the mention of Brother Gbenga, Rachael sat up. She was shocked and didn’t know what was going on.
Brother Gbenga who was also surprised that Rev. Leo called him was shocked too. He stood up and walked to the altar. The congregation was watching, wondering what was happening. Reverend Leo went on his knees on the altar before Brother Gbenga and with tears in his eyes he started talking.
*Gbenga:* My Reverend what is going on plea-se? Why are you kneeling before me.
*Leo:* I know many of us would be wondering what is going on? But, I have a confession to make.
The whole congregation sat up, surprised and waiting to hear what the Reverend had to say. Rachael was feeling uncomfortable on her chair.
*Leo:* I kneel before God and before you tonight to ask for your mercy my brother and my friend.
Gbenga was still very confused.
*Leo:* Sixteen years ago, before I met with Jesus, I lived a rou-gh and unholy life, I drank and I smoked and I lived in the world. One night, I was on my way from a night club with my girlfriend then. I was so drun!kand reckless, I drove into a little girl who was trying to cross the road.
Gbenga fell on the floor, because he quic-kly remembered and un-derstood what was going on.
*Leo:* (crying) I didn’t see her enter the road, before I knew what was happening I had alre-ady hit her. I c@m£ down to check on her but she was alre-ady dead. I was so scared and terrified that when my girlfriend advised me to run away so that I won’t have to face the law, I didn’t think twice. I fled and ran away to the North. Where I stayed for three years. It was while I was there I met Jesus.
Gbenga began to cry like a baby.
*Leo:* God instructed me to come back to this same town and build His church. I c@m£ here to do the will of the Lord. And I started looking for the family of that little girl. I searched and searched but could not find them. I was told that the girl’s mom couldn’t survive the shock of losing their only child and she died a year later. And the father packed out of her house and no one knew where he was. All these years, I never knew that man, the father of that girl is the same Brother Gbenga, who had been with us for the past eight years in this church.
The whole church was shocked and was looking at the drama happening in the church.
*Leo:* Brother Gbenga, I am very sorry from the depth of my heart. I only found out two weeks ago and that is why I have decided to confess before the church and before you. I heard you have refused to remarry all these years because you vowed to catch and punish the killer of your little girl before you can move on. Well, here I am, I will not blame you for whatever action you decide to take, if you want to call the police I am re-ady to pay for my sin, but I want you to know that I am de-eply and sincerely sorry.
Brother Gbenga who was weeping uncontrollably stood up and walked out of the church with no one trying to st©p him.
Reverend Leo remained on the floor crying, with his wife staring at him without any emotion. Pastor Jim c@m£ up and helped him out of the church into their office. He c@m£ back and closed the service.
It was a quiet moment in the house of God.
___________________
It’s been a month since the open confession of Reverend Leo in the church but the news was still trending like it just happened courtesy of Stella and Vic. Helen was the one in charge of physical gossips.
This fateful Tuesday they met again in a salon where they normally make their hair and Helen was the one who started the discussion.
*Helen:* But babes una bad ooo, you girls keep upd@t!ngthe Facebook about the happenings in the church. How much Mark Zuckerberg don pay una for these upd@t£s wey una day do?
*Vic:* Ah don’t go there o, our church gist is the h0ttest in town o, do you know how many followers I now have on Instagram just because of my upd@t£s?
*Stella:* Ah, you too? My Instagram followers grew over night from two thousand followers to sixteen thousand followers.
*Helen:* Are you serious?
*Vic:* Mine is eleven thousand from one hundred followers.
*Helen:* Really?
*Stella:* Dey there!
*Helen:* But na wa o. In the church again o. A whole man of God.
*Vic:* The caption I used on my upd@t£ was, *”Popular Man of God kills a little girl and hides it for sixteen years”* Oh boy! Come and see requests to follow me, come and see comments.
The girls bur-st out laughing…
*Stella:* Mine was, *”Man of God who murdered a young girl in cold blood sixteen years ago finally expo-sed…”*
*Helen:* Haba, all this una caption is too much na. It was our Reverend that c@m£ out to confess by himself, it’s not like he was caught na. Why are you guys now doing it as if he was caught.
*Vic:* Ah, how will the story sell if we don’t add our own salt and pepper. We nee-d to put something that will make people want to re-ad it, you know?
*Stella:* Before nko, abeg leave that girl wey no know anything. Ehn! How about Brother Gbenga, so he just let Reverend go like that, after how many years of looking for his daughter’s killer.
*Helen:* Yes o, I heard he c@m£ back to church and told Rev. that he has forgiven him and he is glad he told him the truth.
*Stella:* Are you serious?
*Helen:* Yes o, they even hvgged in church and laughed together. That man have a forgiving heart. A heart of gold.
*Vic:* (smiling to herself) Done!
The girls turned and looked at her.
*Helen:* What is done?
*Vic:* Ah! The upd@t£ on Brother Gbenga and our Pastor. I just uploaded it on my WhatsApp and Instagram.
*Helen:* Ah! Just now, just now? You did not even confirm whether I am lying or not.
*Vic:* What is there to confirm?
*Stella:* For your mind now you smart abi? Anyway, I will take my time to do my own upd@t£.
*Vic:* Na you sabi, my news are authentic, sharp and first. So before Stella and others start upd@t!ngmine has gone far. That’s the deal baby!
*Helen:* Ehn girls, have you girls noticed our Reverend’s wife lately?
*Vic:* s£nior mummy?
What is wrong with her?
*Helen:* You’ve not noticed?
*Stella:* Noticed what na?
*Helen:* Hmmm, it’s like God has finally heard their cry o.
*Stella:* How do you mean?
*Helen:* I suspect she might be pregnant!
*Vic:* Ewoo Helen, na you talk this one. Preg what? Preg gini? As in how na?
*Stella:* After how many years? Abeg if you no get gist make you quiet. No come dey talk ru-bbish.
*Helen:* When have I ever talked ru-bbish? I said I suspect I didn’t say she is.
*Vic:* Okay, why you talk like that?
*Helen:* Okay see, recently I saw her vomiting at the back of the church. And I felt she was sick. Then she started spitting all over the place. And just last night I saw her buying a drug at the chemist.
*Stella:* Which Kain drug?
*Helen:* Pregnacare! Though she was alre-ady keeping it in her bag when I entered but I spied and I saw it.
*Vic:* Ah! that will be good o.
(She starts pressing her phone)
*Stella:* What are you doing? Don’t tell me you’ve started upd@t!ngo.
*Vic:* Before nko!
*Stella:* St©p that ru-bbish jare. Have you confirmed that she is pregnant? You are alre-ady posting.
*Vic:* we-tin concern me with confirm. I alre-ady posted it, sorry!
*Helen:* Jesus! Vic e be like say I no go day talk for your pres£nce again o.
*Vic:* Shoo we-tin concern me, you talk, you no talk, one way or the other people will still hear.
*Stella:* Lemme see what you posted!
(She collects the phone and looks at it. She saw the caption that Vic had used) *”After 12 years of waiting, Reverend Leo’s wife finally gets pregnant.”* Babe, but na wa for you o, what if she is not pregnant.
*Vic:* Ehn, na all pregnancy dey reach term? E mean say the belle get accident for road. Another upd@t£ be that.
The hair stylist who was irritated by the girls could not hold herself anymore, she quic-kly spoke up.
*Hair Stylist:* Sorry to interrupt, but what you girls are doing is totally wrong. Even if your church had the worst Pastors on the earth, it’s your duty to protect and pray for your Pastors. Not to sell them out to the world.
*Helen:* we-tin this one dey talk?
*Stella:* Yes, who call you for the matter?
*Hair Stylist:* Sorry but I have been listening and seeing what you’ve been doing. It’s wrong. The Bible says we should judge not, but you girls have been gossiping your church and Pastors since you c@m£ in here. You who are supposed to even protect them are the one selling them to the world. And even with fake news. Why? It’s totally wrong.
*Vic:* Hey Pastor’s wife, mind the hair wey you dey do. Nob©dy call you for our talk, you hear me? Amebo.
*Hair Stylist:* Sorry.
*Stella:* Sorry for yourself. Do your hair jare.
The lady continued with the hair as the girls continued insulting her.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 8
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