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Episode 3.
©Miriam Edem
The next day I was still slee-ping when I began to hear cl@pping and singing going on outside. I sat up and saw my mother alre-ady awake and greeted her which she replied me,
“Who are they? I asked her.
“Your sister people, my mother replied not interested and I ran out to see them. They wore white, about 4 of them cl@pping, singing and staggering like our usual palm wine tapper whenever he has had enough, then I ran back to my mother.
“Mommy its the prophet o, they c@m£ very early when its just past 5 in the morning, I told my mother but she was not interested. I quic-kly changed up my night dress and ran out to join them. It was very few of us that c@m£ out while the rest remained inside, the only thing I was able to do was cl@p because I could not sing the songs as we marched round the compound countless time. Then they st©pped and began shouting and shaking while I just watched. They began to sprinkle water all over speaking in unknown ton-gues and I so much believed they were cleansing the compound, what did I know?
In the process of sprinkling the water they st©pped and shook their head shouting while I wondered what happened,
“You all are really in bondage ahhhh! I can feel it in my spirit! One said shaking and my heart began to beat fast.
“re-lease us plea-se, I prayed inside of me.
“I know that’s why I c@m£ for your help, something is really wrong, Sister Mercy spoke out and they shook for some minutes and began sprinkling the water again in unknown ton-gues and I was so happy.
They st©pped again and looked at us,
“Did you arrange the room I asked you to? One asked.
“Ermmm my sisters didn’t allow me keep a room here……..”Not here, I never told you here. How can we stay in a cursed place? One interrupted her.
“Sorry about that, but don’t worry I spoke with one of my friend who is away and she handed over the room to me, its very comfortable and you can use it, Sister Mercy replied.
“Good, because I nee-d to bath you all with my special anointed oil, so gather whoever you feel is interested and come round before 9pm for the bathing. Bring a big basin where you all will enter one by one while I will bath and conduct the deliverance service on you all. You, one said and pointed at me and I c@m£ forward.
“I nee-d a very fresh water from the stream, run fast before the villagers will start fetching and contaminate the water, make sure no one has tampered with it, he said and I looked at Sister Mercy who told me to hurry up fast.
“Just 1 calabash, it will be okay for us because we have our own holy water, the man added when I wanted leaving and I ran to the backyard, took a calabash and hurried off to the stream while I heard them shouting and speaking their unknown ton-gues.
I pas-sed the villagers on the road like jet hoping to get there first before them, and when I almost arrived, 2 girls were almost close to the stream. Seeing that, I ran and pas-sed them but in the process I sli-pped and fell but I protected the calabash like my life depended on it. Of course they laughed ha-rd at me because it was funny to them, but Sharon nee-ded her deliverance, and I didn’t look at the bruises I had, I quic-kly fetched the fresh water first and breathed out.
“Why were you in such hurry? One asked as I was washing off the dirt on my b©dy.
“Its None or your business, I replied and kept the calabash on my head.
“Why am I hearing cl@pping and shouting in your compound? Another asked.
“Mind your business, I replied and left quic-kly to avoid more discussions.
When I arrived home, they were alre-ady gone and I gave the calabash to Sister Mercy who thanked me,
“I’ll go give it to them, so get yourself re-ady okay, before 9pm we should be there, sister Mercy said and I nodded and she left the compound with the calabash. I felt so fulfilled when I saw that and it was there I noticed I had a big wound on my l@p because of the fall and I saw myself leaping to my mother who quic-kly noticed.
“What happened to you? She asked.
“I fell down because I wanted to be the first person to fetch the fresh water from the stream, I replied and my mother gave Me a hit on my head,
“Stupid girl! She didn’t see her son to s£nd to the stream huh? My mother angrily asked as I held my head.
“But it was the prophet that s£nt me himself and not sister, I replied.
“Did the prophet added you should wound yourself? Just look at your b©dy! My mother shouted and landed me another one.
“It was an accident, must you blame sister for everything? I cried.
“Shut up! If you had listen to me will you have injured yourself this way? My mom shouted.
“Take it easy Chi I’ll treat her wound, one of my sister said taking me while I cried following her.
There were bruises on my arms also and she applied medication on it,
“Sorry, its surprising you fell that way but the calabash was not t©uçhed, she said after she was done and I sniffed.
“I held it well because I knew if the calabash gets broken I won’t fetch the fresh water and no b©dy will lend me his or her calabash either, I replied and she looked at me and heaved.
“You are very serious about this deliverance of a thing o, for your sake let’s believe you’re right, my sister said and I thanked her and left.
My mother kept a long face with me throu-gh out the day but I had to tell her about me leaving the compound for the washing but her eyes were deadly. That got me very upset because I didn’t know what to do after injuring myself to get water and I won’t p@rtake in the bathing. I told myself I won’t miss it for anything and I was re-ady to go against her wishes.
At 8:30pm Sister Mercy knocked on our room door to ask if I won’t be coming,
“She’s not going anywhere, my mother said.
“Chi what’s your problem eh? Leave this girl alone, Sister Mercy said.
“Leave this girl? Is she your daughter? Are you feeding her? She goes no where and that’s final! My mom shouted on her.
“Get healed from your bittered life! Sister Mercy said and my mother hissed loudly as she left. I felt like crying for my mother and I quic-kly la-id down not talking to her. At past 9pm I stood up to go out,
“Hey where to? She asked st©pping me.
“I want to relieve myself, I replied and left immediately to the backyard. I was really pained and ignored my sisters who asked why I wore a long face,
“Oh is it because of the washing? You can still go na, its one by one and I know the house, one of my sister said and I looked at her.
“Where? I asked.
‘Is it not sister Mercy friend? That slim dark one, its her house, she replied and I nodded knowing I can trace myself there.
“Thank you, I said and cleaned my eyes, before they could say JACK! I took to my heels forgetting I have a wound as I ran to the place…………
?♀️MARRIED?
Episode 4.
©Miriam Edem.
I think I ran more than I did in the morning because I thought my mother was behind me. When i arrived there, I saw my sister on a small white wra-pper that covered from her brea-sts down when I stormed in,
“Sharon? She asked and peeped to see who is pursuing me,
“What happened? She asked when she saw no b©dy.
“Sister are they done? I asked.
“I’m the only one left, hurry up and get changed okay, she said collecting one of the linen kind of wra-pper from one of my sister and gave it to me.
“Its we-t, I told her.
“Yes use it, its only 3, I am using one and one of your sister is inside bathing with the other, sister Mercy replied and I ran to a corner to change up to it.
The material was revea-ling and as it was we-t it just carved my b©dy out, but what can I do? after all i do bath in the stream with p@n-ties na. All I wanted was the deliverance to be done and over so I can return back to my mother and get prepared for her beating. When I c@m£ out sister Mercy got in and the girl just about my age who was inside c@m£ out and I went to her,
“How was it? I asked and she hissed.
‘Is it not they put me inside the basin, used candle round my head that the wax even dropped on my b©dy but they didn’t care, then they started putting water into my ears, washed my face as if it was fighting with them, and was shouting what I don’t know. I’m going o, she replied taking her clothes and I smiled with the way she kept her face.
I could not sit down so I had to stand and got worried if my mother will storm in now to scatter this place. I know by now she knows I am not at home and will be very furious and wont waste time to shout very seriously in the compound. I didn’t even notice when Sister Mercy was out until she called me,
“Sharon go in, sister Mercy said and I took off my sli-ppers and went in.
I saw the 4 of them shaking and the whole room was filled with candles of different colours.
One of them quic-kly turned the water in the basin into a big bowel and commanded me to take off the wra-pper and step into the basin. I just pu-ll-ed it off and was left with my p@n-ties alone as I squ-atted inside the basin.
“Hey! Ahhhh! Jah! And all they could say shouting as they round the candles on my head and landed me a dirty sl@p on my forehead in the name of anointing me with oil. The sl@p almost made me to tumble inside the basin and they began the washing. They bathed me as if they were washing clothes in the stream, and I almost cried out because I feared they will break my bones for me. Countless times they scratched the bruise I had on my arms that I prayed they should not go down to my l@ps else they will hear an outbur-st of cry that will st©p the deliverance.
But in all their bathing, I made sure I protected my bo-ob s. Despite they were seeing it like the small boys in the village do see me in the stream when bathing, they won’t t©uçh it because in my quest not to be like my sisters, I was determined no man will mess up with me either. I can’t count the number of guys I have opened a dirty sl@p when they dared me, so I had to protect my brea-sts before I’ll loose control and mistakenly sl@p anyb©dy when I feel a t©uçh there.
Finally the washing was over and I jumped out of the basin feeling so free and gr@bb£d my wra-pper and went out. The face I c@m£ out with made my sisters laughed out because they pas-sed throu-gh the same thing, mhennn the washing was out of this world that I saw stars.
They c@m£ out and told us to hold our hands together as we put them in a circle and they began sprinkling water on our foreheads.
“Today you are free! I break the curses on your head by the sprinkling of water! Yea water is life and one of the element that was in existence even before creation, therefore I break the curse! Jah! None of you will go throu-gh it again! It is done, they said and I saw sister Mercy cl@pping which we joined her in cl@pping.
“Thank you so much prophet, Sister Mercy said.
“We are doing our job, oh hallelujah, they said and I left to change up as I saw my sisters very re-ady to leave that place with the speed of light.
“Ermmmm who will clean up the inside? Its messy o, one of the prophets said and I paused to look who will volunteer.
“Ermm Chinenye carry the basin and the bowl, Sister Mercy said.
“Ahh yes bring that bowl inside, one of the prophets said and I quic-kly left to a corner to change up. I saw as they were speaking silently to the water and poured it on the ground, and Chinenye carried the bowl while the rest of the children carried the calabash and the basin.
“Sharon, can you clean the place up? I heard sister Mercy asked and I didn’t feel like saying no to her after she brou-ght deliverance all the way from the city to the village.
“Okay sister, I replied her.
“Thank you, let me drop the children home okay, she said and I was done wearing my clothes but I was feeling uncomfortable in a we-t p@n-ties so I took it off after all who will know?
I got into the house as the prophets sat outside. I saw that they took their candles and left the lantern on for light and I mopped the place, but in the process one of them entered but I thought he wanted carrying something inside. I didn’t even look at him and the rest entered which I decided to lift my head, I saw them smiling at me as if they just won lottery.
“What happened prophets? I asked very confused.
“You don’t have to call us prophets, in fact we are your friend, one of them said.
“Okay I’m done, thank you prophets, I said and wanted leaving but they held me back.
“Why are you beautiful like this? Don’t go na let’s talk as friends, remember we are your friends, another said holding my hand and I noticed the other one kind of blocking the door.
“But prophet its late and my mother is looking for me I have to go back, I told them.
“Your mother knows where you are and you are very safe here, in fact it is a big honour and privilege that am holding you, do you know people pay us for everything? The one holding me asked.
“I didn’t ask you but I want to go, I said as I suddenly felt disgusted.
“Ohhh Come come come, one said carrying me on my w@!st into the inner room and I began shouting and tried running out but met the 3 entering and locked the door behind.
“Go ahead and shout who will hear you? So you have the mind to cover your brea-sts when we were bathing you ba? One asked and my heart began to beat fast as I slowly went backwards. It was me, a 15 year old girl in the midst of 4 grown up guys and I didn’t know what to do when the room was even dark.
“plea-se uncles let me go plea-se, my mother is seriously looking for me and may be here soon. She’s a Mad person o and if she finds out about this you all will die o, I said and they laughed.
“Come here my friend! I heard as one held me and threw me on the be-d and I screamed.
“Cover that girl mouth na! I heard one shouted and I was pressed ha-rd as if he wanted choking me. I began struggling to set myself free, at least to breathe but the other pinned my hands strong on the be-d as I flung my legs as if I wanted to die. I couldn’t see clearly as tears filled up my eyes and I wish they could see the inside of my heart, they will see how it was begging them from the de-epest p@rt of my heart not to do this. I felt a hand go throu-gh my l@ps and in the process he pressed my l@ps down tou-ching the exact place of the wound as he tried keeping my legs steady. At that point I felt like giving up,
“Don’t get me angry! Keep yourself steady will you! One shouted on me.
“Enter this thing na! The one pressing my n£¢k shouted and right there I felt a piercing pain entering inside of me. Every thrû-st they had on me took me throu-gh hell and brou-ght me back as they took turns on me there. I la-id lifeless on the be-d when the last got his satisfaction,
“Fast fast fast, the Hilux is re-ady let’s take off, I heard one said in my weakest state then I began to cry but they didn’t look at my face. They left the room and after few minutes I heard a car driving out of the compound.
I wanted leaving the be-d but I fell as i couldn’t feel my legs anymore, my th!ghs were peppery and my b©dy hurts as I cried out in the house alone begging for help…………..
TBC