CHEATED : EPISODE 21 – 40
Episode 29.
Mrs. Nwankwo could be seen at late evening with her Bible.
The thought of starting all over again in the things of the spirit broke her, but she was determined not to let her past hunt her.
However, it hasn’t been very easy for her as hasn’t been very supportive.
Each time she went into the room to pray, her husband laughed at her.
“You see this religious fanatics you’re doing ehn, it’ll take you nowhere.
Okay let’s assume there’s benefit in being spiritual, what benefit would be left for you to enjoy????
Remember you’re an old woman already…..a prodigal daughter.” He would say often, but she’d ignore him and try hard to focus on her prayers.
A few time, his words made her shed tears but she chided herself, saying prayer would set things right.
“I just wish I never did backslide. I’m just like a new Christian once again. Truly if one isn’t making use of what he has, he loses it.* She said with a sigh.
Favour kept thinking all day on what to do concerning the revelation given to her.
She didn’t know whether to pray for, or against her dad’s friend.
During her quiet time, she decided to put it into prayers.
“Lord God, I do not understand what the dream you should me not too long ago is all about.
I’ve been praying about it for sometime, but I’m really confused on how to direct my prayers, I ask that you teach me yourself in Jesus name.” She prayed in a simple language, to the best of her knowledge.
After prayers, she opened up her Bible to receive a reply from God, as she had been taught by her pastor in church.
At the end of the day, she got nothing.
She closed her quiet time and thereafter sighed.
“I’m not strong enough to draw insights from the Bible. I just wish God would direct me.”
CHEATED : EPISODE 21 – 40
Two Weeks Later
“Mbakwe? What are you doing here?” The powerful ruler in charge of the region asked on sighting him in his spiritual body.
“I’ve come to seek for higher power.” He said briefly with a voice of authority and determination.
“Meaning what? You just got promoted not too long ago. Have you even made use of the one you have earned?”
“My Lord.” He said with a bow.
“I need higher powers to not just fight, but conquer my fierce opponent. On my way home the very day I was promoted, I was disgraced a higher spiritual strength.”
“So? Powers are in levels, don’t you know? That you got defeated by someone who may have sacrificed more than you have done doesn’t mean you should take the one you have with levity.” He responded as Mbakwe shook his head.
“It is not like that. My opponent seems to have a power higher than I am. I do not know if the boy I encountered and my opponent’s power are the same, but I have to be on the safe side.”
“Mbakwe there is nothing I can do to help you. Your time has not yet come for yet another promotion. Be patient.”
“I’m afraid that is not possible in this case.” Mbakwe said, staring at him eyeball to eyeball.
“What you ask for is very uncommon, therefore the sacrifice you’d offer would be uncommon as well.”
“Name your price my Lord, I am equal to the task.”
“You have two options: either your son, or your sight goes for it.” He said mercilessly, causing Mazi to shudder.
“My son? Haven’t we done enough damage to him already?
He is poor not just because the owner of his glory has recovered it, but because I have sacrificed his great glory on this altar. Now you want to take his life too? He’s living a senseless life already!”
“Fine then. Your sight goes for it.”
“Sight? How will I be able to see the opponent I’m trying to attack and overcome?!”
“Make no lamentations here, Mbakwe. Besides, you’d be bountifully rewarded; the physical sight we’re asking you to give up as a sacrifice, would be replaced with a spiritual one, which would be open at all times, spiritually active or not.
That is in addition to your request.”
The ruler explained as he went silent for a while.
“Are you ready?” He asked, uncomfortable with the silence.
“I can see you’re indecisive at the moment. Well, you came here yourself so you have all the time to think about it. You may leave now, I have more serious issues waiting to be handled.” He said, dismissing him.
“What do I do at this point? I’m literally at crossroads right now.
Seriously, do they still need to request such steep sacrifices from me after everything I’ve given up?
I gave up my wife for crying out loud! The only woman I love!
I gave up my son’s glory and exchanged mine with one that isn’t even benefiting me or the society.
It all causes nothing but pain when you know everyone is aware you’re responsible for the pain in the society.
Now I’m to give up my only son or sight?
My life literally has no meaning!
None at all!!!” Mazi lamented, lost on what exactly to do.
At this point he flashed back to when he was newly introduced to the whole thing.
Flashback
“Mbakwe who and what brought you here?” Arinze his old-time friend asked I shock on sighting him in his shrine.
“I’m the one Sir.” The man sitting beside Mbakwe sheepishly responded but was totally ignored by the duo.
“I’m asking you Mbakwe. What are you doing here?” He asked again, with a tint of authority.
“Guy I dey fin money na……this life hard. I no Sabi say you sef dey here.” He responded in pidgin as his friend didn’t nothing but stare.
“It’s alright. You may leave now.” He said, referring to the one who brought Mbakwe.
As soon as he left, Arinze turned to his friend and sternly spoke.
“Nwoke m if you know what is good for you, you’d get up and dash out of this place this very minute!”
“But I want to make money…….”
“It’s not worth it. You’d practically lose everything that gives you joy in this life.
The only thing you’d be useful in is to be used as a tool to perpetrate evil and that’s all.
Listen, I’ve lost my family to this.
I even go as far as advising people not to patronise me because i don’t want them to pass through what I did.
There’s is no gain in serving the devil.
As for me,I’m stuck here so there’s no going back.
Take this advice from me brother: it’s not worth it.” He assured, causing Mbakwe to think on his words.
“So what do you suggest I do now?”
“Go to a Bible believing church and work on yourself from their. They’re the opposite of what we do here spiritually.” He suggested as his friend gave him a sharp glare.
“Are you suggesting a church to me now?”
“Believe it or not, that’s the best for you. I was unlucky, and that is why I found myself here.” He said as Mbakwe thought for a while.
“But I can’t be rich as a church goer.”
“Says who? You will, in both ways! Both spiritually and physically. The thing is those there don’t know how to dig the gold God has placed in their hands, that’s why it looks like what you said.
If your really faithful in anything, you’d see the gold in it.” Arinze encouraged as his friend thanked him and thereafter left.
After three days of thinking about his friend’s suggestion, he decided to consult another person, who’d be a stranger to him, and that was how he met the ruler.
Flashback Ends
“I wish listened then.” He soliloquized as he thought deeply with so much regrets.
Favour and Gloria could be seen in the school compound after school activities were over for the day.
From the look of things, they were waiting for their siblings who enrolled for extra lessons.
“Favour will your mom come late today?” She asked
“No, she won’t be picking us today, dad will.” She responded with a smile as she nodded with a mouthed “ohh”.
“This place is so boring. Aren’t they done yet?” She asked tiredly, as they had waited for quite a while.
“Ehe Favour let me gist you.” She said all of a sudden as Favour’s face lit up immediately.
“I couldn’t go to the children’s section of our church last Sunday because we went very late, so I followed my parents to the adult church.
The pastor preached about something. I even had to jot it down so as not to forget. It’s something I haven’t heard before.” She said as she opened her bag in search for her book.
When she found it, she handed it over to her friend.
“The spirit of hatred and rejection?” Favour read, not understanding a word.
“Uh huh. I haven’t heard of it before.
I was confused when he called it out as our topic for that Sunday, until he explained.
He said the symptoms of those who have been possessed by this spirit are unnecessarily hated by their fellow human being,for no reason.
He said it’s a foul smelling spirit and how……” Gloria went on and on as Favour’s mind flashed back to her dad’s friend and the dream she had.
“That’s it! That’s the interpretation!” She said with excitement as her fingers clicked.
“Interpretation of what?” Gloria asked.
“That is why I don’t like my dad’s friend.” She responded briefly.
“Well if that’s it, it’s not his fault.
You should pray for him instead of judging him.” Gloria advised as she nodded.
“That’s true but….I don’t know how to actually intercede for someone.”
“Start from somewhere. Pray for the person like it’s you experiencing it. God sees your heart and he’d answer.” Gloria encouraged. There and then, Favour resolved in her heart to take action concerning her dream and intercede for him daily, no matter how small.
“What is this?
We’re losing grip of this soul!
We need to act fast before it gets worse!”
“So, have you made your choice?” The ruler asked on sighting Mbakwe once more that midnight.
“I’d sacrifice my son, Frank. I have lost everything already, I cannot afford to lose this battle too.” He responded, causing a smile on his face.
“It is done.”
CHEATED : EPISODE 21 – 40
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