MAMA IS A WITCH??
Episode 49.
Pastor Obinna arrived home and called back Maria as he promised. He spoke with Joe on phone and prayed for him and Victor used the opportunity to inform the pastor about Bianca madness.
“She was found today? The pastor asked.
“Yes sir, my dad called not too long and I’ll be going there tomorrow, Victor replied.
“Okay no problem just be prayerful and fear no thing, for nothing will go wrong. May the Lord be with you all the way, the pastor prayed.
“Amen sir thank you, Victor said.
“You’re welcome. Do you know I didn’t realize that today is Sunday, I was counting today as Saturday o if not my wife asked about Bridget and why she didn’t come with me for work tomorrow, the pastor said.
“Serious daddy? Bridget shouted and checked her phone and was bur-st out laughing and crying at the same time.
“Don’t worry I’ll take permission for you at work, so you better be on your way down tomorrow, the pastor replied.
“Thank you daddy, Bridget said.
“Alright, take care of yourselves okay and Joe you’re welcome once again, the pastor said.
“Thank you so much sir, Joe said and he dropped the call.
“But I thought my boss said that today is Saturday? Maria asked.
“But we traveled on Saturday na, abi we don forget? Fred asked.
“But its just as if we are still in Saturday, so you mean I have to be on the first flight tomorrow? Maria asked.
“Ahhhh you nee-d to start booking for the flight o, you know I’m just here and will not know when the days are pas-sing, Francis replied and Maria quic-kly took her phone to book a flight immediately for tomorrow.
“Where will we spend the night sister? Joe asked.
“The house isn’t conducive, I’ll take you to the h0tel I’m lodging then drop money for you here so you can help me find workers who will bring down the ru-bbish I saw the last time I entered there for you to stay, Maria replied.
“Okay, but you have to start going to rest your b©dy, you’re tired, Joe said and she nodded.
“What about you? She asked.
“Don’t worry I’ll stay with Frank, you all should go rest, Joe replied.
“Thanks guy, see you tomorrow, Fred said giving him knuckles and did same with Francis before they left.
“I’ll see you before you leave right? Francis asked Bridget.
“Sure and don’t forget to eat your food, she replied giving him a hvg and hvgged Joe too before following the guys.
“I’m happy for you, Joe said to him.
“Why? Frank asked.
“I mean you’re lucky, you have good friends and a lady that loves you so much and soon will have a job. Sometime I think about my life and ask myself where I will begin to start fixing it up after the wasted years I wasn’t good for anything. I wasn’t able to complete my studies when I fell ill, I have only my primary 6 certificate which can’t get me anything in today Naija. Or will I go back to school now when my mates are far far established? Joe sadly asked and Francis t©uçhed his hand.
“Did I hear you say you want to fix yourself? Brother you never made yourself healed but a superior power did and I believe he can resto-re to you what the cankerworm has eaten. Before I found myself here I was working on a poultry business I wanted establishing, but If God favors me with that job then I’m handing over everything to you and trust me you’ll be fixed because I’ll see to it that you succeed in it. But if the job doesn’t come no problem, we will do the business together and we will make it, Frank said and Joe smiled nodding.
“Yea all I nee-d right now is to get back on my feet, and I can’t do it with this crutches I’m holding. Don’t worry everything will fall into place so st©p thinking, Frank continued.
“Thanks bro, Joe said hitting him and Francis smiled.
“Now that sister is traveling, I’ll help her over here since I’m not doing anything, Joe said.
“With what? Francis asked.
“With the burial plans. With what they told us about mama I think she shouldn’t be kept for too long. Let’s get her buried and I have to start calling her family members, Joe replied and Francis hissed.
“Sorry brother looks like you’ll do that alone because I’m not interested in such thing, Frank said.
“Frank you won’t continue to look at what mama did to us but we will do our job as children to cover her n-kedness and honour her as the bible instructed us to. When the bible told us to honour our parents, it was not written except your parents is a witch……. “Dont forget that same bible said “do not suffer a witch to live”, Francis cuts in.
“She’s not alive anymore Francis, but we have to cover her n-kedness and bury her, there’s a blessing for that, Joe said and Francis looked at him murmuring.
“Let it go Francis, I’m the one she hated the most and I’m the one who saw the suffering and the weight of her wickedness so get over it and let’s do this for the sake of God, Joe said.
“Okay but where will we start? I mean what are we going to tell her family that their sister died for a week now and they are not aware? Francis asked.
“Are you thinking about that one? We have excuse o, you had an accident and I went missing so there was a lot on the poor Maria, I’m sure they will un-derstand after all they were not even close to her in the first place, Joe replied.
“You have a point though, I have about 3 numbers from mom family. If we can inform them it can spre-ad because mom phone has a pas-sword and we can’t get in, Francis said.
“Is it you sounding like this? Or is the Sim card now glued to her phone that we can’t get it out and get contacts again? Joe asked and Francis bur-st out laughing.
“You’re right, tomorrow morning before sister takes off you’ll get the phone from her then and let’s do something before she comes back, Francis said.
“Now you’re talking. I Can see food here, its time to eat, Joe said taking the food flask he saw.
“We are eating together, plea-se check in that bag you’ll see an extra spoon, Francis said and Joe smiled shaking his head and took the spoon to eat with him……………
The next day Victor got to the office and went straight to his boss to ask for permission,
“Sir I got a call yesterday from my dad that my mom is terribly sick, plea-se I’m begging you, let me go see how she’s faring, Victor said.
“Victor, on Friday you called asking for permission that you’re sick, today your mother is sick, I hope tomorrow it won’t be your father? His boss asked.
“Sir I lie not, this is my last call when he called me yesterday night, Victor said showing his phone to the Boss while his boss just looked at him.
“Victor…. Victor…..Victor…., how many times did I call you? His boss asked.
“Sorry sir I didn’t count, I was enjoying the way you called me, Victor replied scratching his head.
“Oya come and go, in fact take tomorrow also so I won’t hear your father fell from palm tree, the boss said.
“Hey thank you so much sir, thank you, Victor said bowing his head and happily left the boss while the boss smiled shaking his head…………..
He called his friends on phone telling them he’s about to take off to the village,
“Guy no do anything rash o, Fred said.
“Make she behave herself sha and it will be cool, Victor replied and his father call c@m£ on phone.
“Guy help me end the call make I pick papa call, Victor said and Fred dropped the call and Victor picked up.
“Papa good morning, I’m on my way, Victor said.
“Okay, his father said.
“How’s mama? Victor asked.
“We caught her and tied her at home though. The prayer band team in church prayed for her but surprisingly this morning I woke up to see she has disappeared from the house. I had to s£nd search p@rties for her and they brou-ght her back to the house and I called the pastor to come pray for her, he narrated.
“Okay, did the pastor pray? Victor asked.
“Hmm my son I don’t un-derstand again. When the pastor entered, your mother screamed shouting on him not to go close to her, and when he insisted she shouted that she wants to see you and you should plea-se hurry down that there’s something she wants to say, He replied..
“Oh that’s very sweet, Victor said.
“Victor, I’ve I been in the dark all this while? I’m scared of the woman I married with what I’m seeing, i dont un-derstand anything anymore and the pastor has just been smiling and nodding His head all throu-gh without saying anything until you come down, His father said and Victor heaved.
“Don’t worry papa I’ll be there, just be calm and be prayerful I’ll be there soon, Victor said.
‘Okay, safe journey, his father said.
“Thank you papa, Victor said and dropped the call and hit the road immediately…………….
Just as Joe and Frank discussed, he made some calls to Nkiru family and an uncle who was in the city invited him home which he did.
“Joe you’re well? His uncle asked when he walked in.
“Yes uncle, Joe replied.
“Do you even know me? Its been years you’ve seen me because you’ve been locked up at home and your mother began showing strange behaviors that made me back off from the family. Look at you, you’re such a fine man, his uncle said.
“Thank you uncle and Sorry about my mom behavior, but I can still recognize the face though, Joe replied.
“Thank God, you say Nkiru is dead? The man asked and Joe nodded.
“I knew it myself just yesterday when I returned because I was almost slain in the hands of ritualist but God helped me. And Francis is in the hospital, he had an accident but he’s recovering and all of this happened simultaneously and it was all on Maria. The only thing she could do was to put mama in the mortuary and run around to solve other problems, Joe replied and the man shook his head and heaved.
“Was she sick or what? The man asked.
“Sir I don’t know, because Maria was not in the state, Francis who was with her before the accident said she was sound and healthy. But Maria found her on the Floor of her room dead and she wasn’t strangled or anything, Joe replied.
“This is serious, you know when you called to tell me this, as I dropped the call to call another of our family member I had a call again concerning Nkiru that she’s dead. The news has spre-ad o, how many people did you call sef? His uncle asked.
“Uncle my mom didn’t even have up to 10 numbers on her contacts that is related to her family, I’m sure those I called had to spre-ad the message and you know bad things spre-ad fast, he replied.
“True, that’s very true. Hmm first I want to thank God you’re well, it was a shame the first son was such a caricature but I thank God that first son is well same with your junior brother. And again this burial may not go really well because your mother was not in terms with her own family, her village or even in her late husband side, how will we bury her then? Because I’m quite sure the villagers will reject her b©dy to be buried on their soil because she doesn’t visit either. She lived a I don’t care life and a one man squad life. So I think we have to go to the village and have a meeting with the elders, if its for us to buy them with gifts and money then we will do it so we can get her buried, what do you think? his uncle said.
“you’re right sir, i thought of the same thing too and I know there’s a lot of apology we have to do. Even those i called this morning got angry at the mention of Nkiru, Its such a shame that my mom kept us away even from my dad family and she died leaving us with stress because of her attitude to people, Joe said.
“I’m telling you, but I’ll try my best to talk to them to keep their anger away from the children. Let’s just hope things go well because I won’t want to keep her too long there, let us bury her and get it off our sleeves. My condolence again, the man said.
“Thank you uncle, Joe said.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get to meet and know your family members and you won’t be strangers anymore. My children and wife are not at home i would have introduced them to you, he said.
“There’s always a next time uncle, Joe said.
“Yes plea-se and this door is open always for you, anytime you want to see me or you nee-d any help just walk in freely here, I have no problem with you my son and I’ll stand by you to bury Nkiru, the man said.
“Oh thank you so much uncle, I really appreciate, Joe happily said………….
TBC