NOT OF GOD✋✋✋
Episode 14.
©Miriam Edem
After a hour of deliverance, Agnes la-id still without moving and the pastor tou-ched her forehead,
“She’s weak, the pastor said to them.
“Is it over? The doctor asked.
“No, she has to bring out what is in her, they have to collect their properties, the doctor replied and went to Chinedu who was still sitting on the floor he fell lost in shock.
“Chinedu, the pastor called out.
“Is it true? What she said about my mother is it true? Chinedu asked and the pastor heaved.
“You mentioned my mother yesterday, was this what you wanted telling me? Chinedu asked.
“Honestly God didn’t showed me that aspect, but you’ve heard it from the horses mouth, your mother has been the one eating your children and that pushed your wife out of desperation to look for solution probably to keep the marriage, The pastor replied and Chinedu la-id himself crying bitterly that the doctor had to hold him up.
“What did I ever do to her? Look at what she has put us throu-gh, look at the pains we are facing, I wish I knew this before time, Chinedu said.
“Its not to cry Chinedu, look at your wife, she nee-ds you now and you have to be strong, the pastor said touching him and he sniffed looking at Agnes all dirty with the dust from the church.
“Is she okay now? Chinedu asked him.
“God is no magician, he takes his time to do a perfect job, the pastor replied.
“I want to know him, Chinedu said.
“Who? The pastor asked.
“Your God, he replied and the pastor smiled.
“Hallelujah! The man with them shouted.
“That’s good Chinedu but I have to hurry back to the hospital. I was to join my colleague over there at the village today, the doctor said.
“You can go my dear, thank you very much for your help God bless you, The pastor said to him.
“Thank you so much sir, thank you, Chinedu said shaking hands with him and he remembered Oluchi.
“Ahhhhh Oluchi is still waiting, she must be hungry waiting for us, Chinedu said.
“Should I bring her here? The doctor asked.
“Are we not going back to the hospital? Chinedu asked back.
“It was never a hospital matter in the first place, the only time the hospital can come in is when she finally brings out what is in her and we can rush her there because she will be extremely weak, the pastor replied.
“If that is so please help me bring her here, and have this for her breakfast, Chinedu said taking a note from his pocket but the doctor only smiled.
“Don’t worry about that, the doctor said without taking the money and left.
“Pastor we will take our leave now, but we’ll come back in the evening, the ladies approached them.
“Oh thank you so much, may the Lord increase you. Should I drop you off? The pastor asked and they laughed and he un-derstood that.
“Please drop them off for me, and take this for your transport fare in the evening, the pastor said giving one of them a note and they thanked him and left with the man leaving Chinedu and the pastor alone.
“Are you okay? Do you want to eat? The pastor asked him.
“Eat? Hungry? Pastor I can’t believe that I am back to being childless. Pastor I can’t believe that I have been carrying, singing and bathing a snake all this while, and what hurts more is that my mother is the originator of everything, what was she then protecting me for? Chinedu asked and the pastor looked at him for a while and breathed out.
“That is why it is very necessary for a man to know God and to hold him strong. There is evil in this world, that is why in the book of revelations when the devil was thrown down it was said “woe unto the earth” you can see your fellow brother and think he is a human being but alas he may not be of this world. My father was highly occultic, very dangerous human being that married 6 women with the intention to have sons so he can train them to follow his path and be brutal and untouchable. Unluckily for him, he was only able to have 3 sons and am the second.
He was very disappointed, so he opened up himself to teach us very very early even before we could tell our left and right correctly. But God said no in my case, and Chinedu I suffered. My father haunted me like an animal in the bush, and the missionary….. A white man who arrested me saw hell too but we stood our ground to follow this God. The missionary later left for his country, despite he tried carrying me with him but he could not succeed so I had to hide away from my family. I didn’t know what was school but lived in bushes like an animal, but do you know even in the bush, God was teaching me. I was so comfortable because his prese-nce was there for 3 good years, no one saw me in the face and many people thought I have died. When God was satisfied grooming me in the bush, he told me to leave the bush, and when I surfaced in the village I was so mad for this God, I preached the gospel and took it to my father doorpost with no single fear, this was me who was hiding knowing how terrible my father is.
My father could not believe his eyes and his heart was so ha-rdened and dark with hatred for me, but God told him the torture is enough and cut him off when he wanted sharpening his weapon to pursue me again and that was when I had peace in this life. So you are not alone, your own is even better sef that she fought protecting you for all those months, my father would have happily thanked them and joined for-ces to make sure I die, The pastor narrated and Chinedu blinked his eyes hearing such a thing.
“Then your God must be so powerful, Chinedu said.
“More than powerful and always shows up for those who love him. Let’s look at the bible, the pastor said opening the bible and Chinedu was so eager to hear…………..
The man returned after dropping them off and coincidentally met the doctor entering with Oluchi.
“Please tell them am in a hurry, I have to go now, the doctor said to the man after Oluchi left the car with the bags at the hospital.
“Okay I will, safe journey, the man said and led Oluchi inside who was surprised to see Agnes on the floor when she entered.
“Aunty! She shouted at the door and that was when Chinedu noticed someone walked in.
“Its okay she’s only slee-ping, you can sit down, the man said and she confusedly looked at Chinedu who sat somewhere else with the pastor.
“Uncle where’s Ife? Oluchi innocently asked and Chinedu shook his head.
“Pastor please continue, Chinedu replied ignoring her and faced the pastor.
After some minutes of teaching, the pastor asked if Chinedu has any question to ask and the pastor yawned.
“You’re tired? Please have your rest, Chinedu said to him and the pastor turned and saw that the man was already slee-ping and Oluchi was even dozing,
“Are you sure? No let’s continue, the pastor said.
“No pastor you nee-d your strength, you know the deliverance is not yet over, Chinedu said and the pastor nodded.
“I’ll be back, but let us pray, The pastor said but Chinedu saw that he was dozing and he fearfully looked around him feeling strange,
“Pastor? He called out hitting his face and the pastor shook his head and stood up staggering,
“They are here, the pastor said holding his bible ti-ght still sleepy and Chinedu felt like crying for him knowing he has no power to stand against them.
“Pastor please what should I do fight this! Chinedu shouted shaking him but the pastor weakly fell on the chair there and Chinedu remembered him using the oil on his wife and it was just on the pulpit, he ran to it and carried it sprinkling it on him,
“Stand up! Wake up pastor! I command you to wake up! Chinedu shouted and landed him a slap and the pastor jumped up blinking his eyes and got the oil from Chinedu and the church became so heavy. Chinedu fearfully looked at the pastor shivering but the pastor held his hands instead,
“Maybe it is now for you to exercise that power I told you about, The pastor said to Chinedu.
“Your God does not even know me, what do you think I can do now? Chinedu asked.
“All you have to do is believe in him right now that he is able to safe us even now, the pastor replied and Chinedu nodded.
“We will pray together, for the first time in your life i want you to pour out your heart to him and trust me he will hear you, the pastor said and Chinedu closed his eyes and they prayed fiercely together.
The pastor began to feel warmth in his bo-dy and the spell in the church was broken and the man who was slee-ping woke up and met prayers going on and had to join.
After some minutes they released themselves after thanking God and the pastor breathed out sweating and smiled at Chinedu,
‘Thank you, at least for the slap, the pastor said and Chinedu shook his head.
“Ahhhh pastor it was not intentional I’m sorry, he apologized.
“No it was necessary, it woke up the spirit of God to react, the pastor said.
“What exactly happened pastor? I saw myself dozing off, the man with them said.
“They threw a spell at us but little wonder Chinedu was not affected why so? the pastor asked.
“Honestly pastor I felt it but I was anxious to hear more of your teachings and I didn’t want to yeild to it, Chinedu said.
“Now I un-derstand what they did, they used my weakness on me because I had the thought of resting my bo-dy after staying all night for prayers, so they served me the sleep in a full doze, this people can be so tricky but God is most powerful, the pastor said nodding his head and they saw Agnes awake.
Chinedu went to her raising her head on his lap-s,
“How are you feeling? He asked cleaning her face but she weakly looked at him saying nothing and he opened her stomach to see the dark circle was fading off.
“Pastor its cleaning, he said and they drew near and saw it.
“Praise God, don’t worry he will complete his work on her, just let her be there, the pastor said.
“Where’s Ife? Agnes asked and Chinedu heaved.
“Dear not now, you’re still sick think about yourself, he replied and cleaned the tears that flowed down her cheeks.
“Why do we keep going in circles? Will i start from the scratch now after holding a child and being happy to be called a mother? What will people say? She asked crying.
“Dear its not over yet, we will surely have our own and I am so sorry if I pushed you in anyway to go out of the way to give me a child, please forgive me, Chinedu said and Agnes painfully closed her eyes and Chinedu hu-gged her.
The pastor pitifully looked at them and sat down to rest after the shaking he just had,
“Are you hungry pastor? The man asked him.
“With what am seeing I’ll be on fast, but if you want you can eat and please take your rest I will have to be awake, the pastor replied.
“Pastor I have rested, don’t worry I will be in the gap interceding, you have to be strong, the man said and the pastor heaved.
“Its alright, the pastor said and weakly leaned his head on the wall while Chinedu was still holding Agnes as she held on the floor…………..
That evening the ladies returned and met the pastor teaching Chinedu and Oluchi the bible and the welcomed them.
Sister Grace decided to take a look at Agnes who sle-pt off again after she woke up, but she noticed something at her side, being inquisitive she bent and tou-ched her but saw a purple substance just at the side of her as she sle-pt.
‘Pastor come and see this, she called out and Chinedu ran there first and lifted Agnes to see her clothes soaked with it,
“She’s draining out something, let her be, the pastor said.
“Pastor don’t we think we should begin the prayers now? The other lady asked.
“I am not led to do anything now, leave her alone, the pastor replied going back to his seat and Chinedu sluggishly left his wife……
TBC