PRIESTESS OF KEBRA.
Episode 17.
By Amah’s Heart.
Dembe finally found an excuse to leave the priestess house.
Instead of sending a servant to get the medicine from the physician shop for Aprin he decided to go by himself.
He promised that he won’t be gone for long.
Dembe ran off through the short road that will link him to the tent makers house.
When he got there They were happy to see him.
He also met Hannah and was so happy that the fragile baby has turned into a healthy and happy girl.
He spoke with the tent maker and his wife.
He asked them to put his wife in their prayers. Dembe wanted to spend more time with them but he knew he had to run.
They all prayed together before he left. He went to the physician shop, bought the prescribed drugs and returned back to the house.
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Lydia was on her way out another day, she kept looking round if she was being followed but there was no sign of the stalker.
Lydia has gotten her freedom belt and was ready to embark on her journey.
Today was a fellowship day in the tent maker’s house and she was too excited and can’t wait to share her Joy with other believers.
Lydia crossed over to the market side and just when she was about to enter the lone road she noticed somebody was looking at her.
She doesn’t need to turn back and check because she knew it was the stalker.
Lydia slowed her pace, since she was familiar with all the small roads round the market, she decided to apply one.
As she entered the road, she took to her heels, running from corner to corner. All the apian ways was not strange to her.
She ran right back to same road that she came from and within a minute she was coming right from the road which she passed before.
She sight the stalkers back view walking up the road and probably searching for her.
Lydia picked up a heavy stick and started walking towards him.
She walked straight to him without him knowing, when she was behind him she lifted the stick and hit him on the back.
The young man turned in fear and went into shock the moment he saw her.
“Please don… don’t hit me.
He cried out, shielding his hand from Lydia.
He looked very familiar.
The moment Lydia recognized who he was she screamed out his name.
“Lukas… Lukas???
The young man straightened.
“Oh may God be praise… Lydia??
They quickly embraced each other.
Lydia wrapped her hand around him for a very long time she remained speechless.
When she straightened, she wiped a tear and said.
“Why… are you following me. Why didn’t you come to me? I noticed you since three weeks ago. How did you find me….What brought you to Kebra? How is Father? Are you alright…
Lydia had alot of questions which she couldn’t wait to get an answer.
“, I’m sorry for stalking you. I was not too sure of who you are. I was very young when you were sold off as a slave. Is been thirteen years now…very long time. Father told me that you were sold off to this city and that God will lead me to you. I have been here for almost six months and had even become a trader. I don’t want to return back to Kish without a good news of you. That would have hurt father greatly. I rented a small inn where I sleep at night. I don’t know the exact place to go and look for you Lydia. I was in this market one day trading my wares when I saw you walk past. Since I wasn’t sure that it was you I quickly waved it off until the third time I saw you. My prayer everyday was for God to lead me directly to you and when I saw you again a month ago I decided to start following. I know that you usually pass the market to the lone road, I kept a close watch. I didn’t know that God has already answered my prayers over a month now. I saw you with the slave sash one day but you don’t wear it often that got me confused. It either means your master and mistress are good people or there is more to it. I was also scared that you maybe married off…I had my fear which prevented me from coming straight to you. I was willing to talk to you the other day but you took to your heels and I did not see where you dissapeared to…
He kept talking when Lydia hugged him again.
“, The stalking is all over now. I’m so happy you are alive and well. How is Father?
“He was not feeling too strong when I left home some months back but if he set his eyes on you he will be well again. Kebra is a big place filled with different opportunity but temples of different gods are mounted at every corner. I never saw a place to worship with other believers… I’m so happy that you are truly The one. Father prays morning and night for you, he will be so happy to know that you are alive and well. I will start planning on my journey back to him so that I can tell him the good news…
Lydia laughed out loud.
“,We will be traveling together Lukas because I’m free. I’m not a slave anymore. I have gotten my freedom belt and was planning on returning back to see you and father. Thank God you are here because locating home would have proven a little difficult for me…
Lukas could not hold back his Joy the moment Lydia told him that she has gotten her freedom belt.
Lydia took him to the tent maker’s house and introduced him to other believers who were happy to welcome him.
After worshiping with the believers Lukas and Lydia planned on the perfect time to leave Kebra back to Kish, their home town.
*********************.
Dembe knew that evil was locking around, he kept seeing trouble in his dream.
Aprin cough had migrated to something more. She was coughing out blood.
She became so weak and couldn’t move like before.
Dembe prayed, asking God to divert the plans of the wicked far from his wife.
Sometimes he was too confused, tired and sad to even pray.
After attending to Aprin one night, he lay her down and supported her head with a foamy wedge.
Aprin coughed out more blood that night and Dembe cleaned her up.
“You are afraid Dembe. Please don’t be… I’m not fighting this sickness anymore. Let God’s will be done. He has been good to us…much more than we can count. The heavens and the earth belongs to him and his ways are higher than our way. Dembe don’t be scared or worried over me my love. I still thank God everyday for you… Dembe you brought light into my life and I can feel that God will use you to do much more. I wish God can take me home now… I’m tired already. Heaven feel so beautiful and peaceful. I saw it in my dreams recently again and I didn’t want to return back here when I was shown what heaven looks like. One thing I wish I can undo is to save my daughter who I discarded and cast off like everyone else. I can’t stop this heavy guilt…I wish i have saved her from dying or from harm. I know she is in a better place now and I may join her so..o… soon….
Aprin wiped a tear from her eyes as she began to cough again
Dembe heart choked with heavy emotions. His wife appearance was heart wrenching. Her hairs were gradually falling off, the bloody spasm she coughs out is so thick and it shock her entire body.
She weighs like a feather. Her eye socket went all in and the eye balls shoot all out.
The physician said her heart organs were damaged and is a great shock that she was still alive.
Another set of physician said her sickness was infectious and people should be careful around her but Dembe did not care nor believed the reports of the physicians.
He took over and never stopped caring for his dear wife.
“, I’m not afraid my lady, all I want is for this to all pass away. I hate to watch you suffer like this…it breaks my heart. Sincerely I have not had the strength to pray much this days because my heart bleed watching you like this. Our son Caleb is still very young and he crave for his mother’s care. I can’t give him all that…he needs you my lady….I need you too. Your mother weep at your sight. She burns incense and prays to her idol gods that can not help her. Your sister kept her distance, is either that she is afraid of getting infected or there is more to her attitude. My lady please fight more harder to win this. I also have something that I want to say….a secret that no one must know about.
Aprin urged him to go ahead.
Dembe opened up on the little baby that was tagged an abomination and it was believed generally that the gods struck her dead.
“….She is alive and well. She is the rejected stone that has become the chief corner stone in the home of the tent maker and his wife. They were childless for years and God decided to bless them with Hannah. that is her name now… Hannah. She is growing so fast and smart….
Aprin was dumb founded. She couldn’t believe what she just heard.
That night she cried but not cry of regrets or sadness but of joy.
She felt free and her spirit felt lifted that her daughter was alive and in good hands.
Aprin thanked Dembe, she felt so grateful that God used Dembe to save their daughter and also to save her from the power of darkness.
The following day, the cough suddenly reduced, after two days she stopped coughing and even spent time with her mother talking.
She began walking on her own effort without being guided even though she was still not strong enough but Aprin appears stronger than before.
She tried not to mention what Dembe told her to anybody even though she has wanted to publicly shame the idols who it was believed struck the baby dead because she was an abomination.
She couldn’t keep fully to the promise because the news was too good to be true.
she told only her mother who did not believe her. The priestess was certain that the child was struck dead by the gods.
Aprin sang, laugh and danced with her son and her husband.
They prayed together and Dembe was so thankful that his wife was recovering.
But after two weeks of making everyone feels that she was getting better she called Dembe that night to thank him.
She asked him to sing for her. Dembe did.
she later asked for a story and he thought of which one to tell her.
He has retold all the stories that he knows many times to her and yet she is not tired of hearing them.
He started one that Aprin usually enjoy.
He went on and on with the story until everywhere went still.
Dembe mentioned her name to know if she was still awake and listening but no noise came.
She looked so peaceful and relaxed.
He tapped her gently and no response came.
Dembe began to shake her and that was when it dawned on him that Aprin was gone.
Aprin died that night, leaving Dembe with their only son.
The news of her death saddened everyone.
Sheila put up a show by pretending to be heart broken too.
Sheila was glad that Aprin was off the way.
Now that Aprin was no more, she will wait for the mourning period to be over before going to meet her mother over making her the next priestess of Kebra.
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