The Potter’s Hands
Written by Sonia Okehie
Episode 5
There’s a popular saying that bad company corrupts good manners. When a person is looking forward to changing and dropping off some bad attitudes in their lives, usually, the first thing they have to change is their circle of friends because they can’t easily get pulled back to their old ways if their negatively influential friends are still very much in their life. If you are someone’s partner in crime, they would be extremely furious when you begin to drift apart from them; worse still, when someone else is taking you away from them. Terry’s friends took things to the extreme by abducting Maya, simply because she had succeeded in turning their ‘Yahoo’ friend against them by drawing him closer to God. It was going to take a miracle indeed for her to come out from their evil den unharmed or worst still, not dead. All we can do at this moment is hope for God’s intervention in the situation, and also that Terry doesn’t do anything drastic when he eventually finds out that his friends were behind such evil schemes.
After receiving the information by the anonymous caller that Maya had been kidnapped, Terry died a thousand times. At that moment, it felt as though his whole life was coming to an instant end because the only woman he cherished with all his heart was no where to be found. The fact that the heartbreaking news was revealed by a stranger, made him believe that something was seriously wrong and it wasn’t a joke.
Immediately Terry was done absorbing the intense shock, he finally managed to say something. “Group of boys? Where did this happen? Did you see their faces?” He inquired as he panicked, “I can’t say for sure if I can be able to recognise their faces but this incident happened at Mango junction, around Arise chapel” the stranger nervously said. Without wasting any more time, he told the lady to wait for him at that exact place that he was on his way.
In an hour time, Terry arrived at the place and was shocked to find at that the kidnap happened close to Maya’s church. He needed no seer to be able to tell that she was on her way back from church when the abduction happened. The lady that saw the whole thing accepted to go with him to the police station to file a report for kidnap.
When they arrived at the police station that evening, they filed a report and wrote a statement. Investigation commenced almost immediately because Terry was willing to pay double of any requested amount just to make sure that Maya came back to him safely. There and then in the station, Terry searched through Maya’s phone to get her parents number and contacted them with immediate effect.
In no time, the news of Maya’s kidnap spread all over to her family, church, work and friends; a lot people now knew about the kidnap. Tension and great panic filled the air, prayers were fired continuously, tears poured down the cheeks of the soft hearted as they all awaited a good news about Maya’s kidnap but non was forth coming.
The worst thing about the whole situation was that there were no leads, answers nor clue associated with the case. Everything began to look like Maya just vanished off the surface of the earth, as no one was getting any vital information about her whereabouts or that of her kidnappers. The whole development was taking a huge toll on Terry, mostly because he had began to lose is mind. The young man was gradually drowning without his life saver, which was Maya. His life was meaningless without her and he cried to God day in day out for a miracle.
In no time, Terry lost weight drastically and looked like someone that was suffering from a deadly illness. Eating food became a Taboo to him because he lost appetite for food. Life began to lose it’s essence every passing day and he cried whenever the police officers gave him a sad news.
One cringing thing about the whole situation was that Terry’s friends who were behind the kidnap, usually comforted him whenever they came to his house to ask for fraudulent formulas. Things got heated one day when Terry couldn’t hold back his emotions and walked them out of his apartment. He was greatly pissed that they came to ask for fraud related favours, without realising that he wasn’t in a good mental state and also didn’t care about anything that wasn’t related to Maya’s case.
It pissed Terry’s friends to know that they still weren’t getting any help from their friend, even after taking away the supposed distraction which was Maya. Things were beginning to look super complicated for the low life kidnappers, but God was about to make it more complicated.
It’s been over a month since Maya was kidnapped and at this point, a lot of people began to give up hope of ever seeing the beautiful, kind hearted lady again; but not for Terry because he wasn’t giving up hope at all. Things got to the point where Terry had to step into the investigation and do his own, since the officers weren’t getting anywhere with theirs. Most nights, he would go to church and just sit down and cry. Prayer became heavy for the heartbroken young man that he had to subject to groaning and crying.
Life wasn’t the way it used to be again. One lonely evening, Terry went to an empty church auditorium and just laid on the altar. He cried till his eyes became heavy and weak at the same time. After crying for a while, he began to talk to God.
“Father, I don’t know if you can hear me but I’ll still talk to you because I have no other person to talk to. My heart is heavy and I don’t see the need to be alive again if the one person that gave me another chance at a better life isn’t here with me. Why Maya of all people? Like she can’t even hurt a fly and always gives her all to people around her; why did such fate befall her? It’s killing me each day when I realise that I have no clue where she is, what could be happening to her at this very moment, whether she’s alive, if she has eaten today and the list continues. To be honest Lord, I don’t know how long I can hang on with everything that’s going on. I feel like this life isn’t worth living anymore for me and I’m at the verge of doing something drastic to myself. Without Maya, I don’t know how long I can continue in this good path and way of life. You are my source but she is my sustainer, so please bring her back to me. If Maya is found safe and sound, I promise to serve you with all my heart and never go back to my old ways, I promise to make things right with you once and for all and I promise to give you every bit of me without holding back anything. Please father, bring her back to me and her family. All this I pray in Jesus name, Amen!” Terry soberly said.
That day was such an emotional one for the young man because he empty himself before the Lord and also showed great vulnerability before him. One thing that touches God the most is a broken spirit and humility. When you come before God with brokenness, you are sure to get lifted right back to your feet because he will renew your strength and make you mount on wings like eagles. Terry didn’t know yet but he had triggered God with his heartfelt prayer and a miracle was bound to happen soonest because God heard his cry and was moved to intervene.
One of the fastest way to get something from God is to enter into an agreement with him. When you promise to do something for God in return of something you want him to do for you, be rest assured that you will have your prayers answered speedily. Terry’s prayer triggered God because he promise to truly change and turn to him if Maya gets found. Now, it’s time to fold our hands and watch a miracle take place.
Turns out that all these while Maya had been kidnapped, she was kept in a deep abandoned pit far away from town. Her kidnappers initially wanted her dead but kept refusing to make up their minds. They usually lowered food to her in a bucket tied with rope. The pit was usually thick dark at nights and dim during the day time.
It’s been over a month since Maya got kidnapped and she was looking extremely malnourished. It felt as though she had been struck by a plague but that never stopped her from praying and crying out to God every day. The pit she was kept in was quite deep and there wasn’t any means of escape. When she was initially kidnapped, they used a ladder and forced her at gun point to climb down the pit. The fact that Maya wasn’t used to hard life, made her unable to figure out a way out of the dirty pit. All hope seemed lost till one fateful day.
It happened that Terry got a secret information from one of his old time friend and was told to question his boys that something was seriously going on behind his back. At first when he got the information, he felt the person was talking about fraud related things so he didn’t bothered to inquire further because he was done with that lifestyle and could care less about anything anyone did behind his back. It was after the guy persisted that Terry had to ask what was going on.
“Guy wetin dey happen, this one you have just been sending me messages back to back about my boys. Dem no be my boys again oh, I don quit that life” Terry tiredly said one fateful morning, “Guy, I got some information from one source that your boys did something wey eyes see but no fit talk” His friend said.
At this point, Terry started picking interest in the conversation and pressed further. “What happened? Wetin you hear?” he curiously inquired, “Hmm, I hear say na your boys dey behind your babe kidnap. One of my guy wey follow them run the package tell me say one of your boys still dey owe am the balance of the work. Abeg no be me talk oh, investigate your boys, dem dey hide something!” the guy said and ended the call.
Immediately the call ended, Terry’s heart dropped and he almost collapsed. The shock he felt at that very moment was highly intense; suddenly, everything began to make sense as to why his friends had been acting strangely of late. Without wasting any time, he rushed to the police station to report the matter to the officers and also came clean about his previous fraudulent lifestyle; just so his friends don’t beat him to the game if things got heated. Terry narrated everything he was told concerning Maya’s case and didn’t leave any stone unturned. He made a wise choice not to confront his boys himself because they could have ran away, or worst still killed Maya if they found out their secret was out.
Without wasting a minute, the officers and Terry marched down to where the boys lived and did a massive arrest in the area. They tortured the guys till they confessed and agreed to take the officers to the place Maya was hidden.
What a heartbreaking thing it was for Terry as they all journeyed to the place Maya was hidden. He couldn’t believe that his so called friends could do such a thing to him. Too bad!
Shortly afterwards, they arrived at the place Maya was kept and a ladder was lowered down. Terry volunteered to go down the ladder to get her up because everyone was hesitant to take the lead.
As Maya quietly sat inside the pit, she could hear voices at the top but was too tired to say anything. She probably felt it was her kidnappers trying to come in but her spirit was brought back to life when the voice descending from the ladder became clearer and quite familiar.
Before Terry got to the button, Maya could already tell that her Knight in shiny armour was on his way to rescue her. Immediately his feet touched the bottom of the pit, she gently said; “Terry, is that you?”
Without even bothering to answer, he quickly reached out to her and gave her a warm hug. With tears in his eyes, he soberly said; “It’s me dear, It’s ok I’m here now. Oh Thank you Lord!”.
Written by Sonia Okehie
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@Sonia Okehie
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