THE VISITOR

LIZZY OYEBOLA YAKUBU

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LIZZY OYEBOLA YAKUBU

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CONTENTS
TABLE OF
COPYRIGHT PAGE
DEDICATION
AKNOWLEDGEMENT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE BOOK
REVIEWS

10 CHAPTER 1
22 CHAPTER 2
37 CHAPTER 3
53 CHAPTER 4
70 CHAPTER 5
89 CHAPTER 6
107 CHAPTER 7
126 CHAPTER 8

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COPYRIGHT
Published in Brazil in 2020 by De-Raconteur Publishers
Copyright © De-Raconteur (Lizzy Oyebola Yakubu - 2020)
The right of De-Raconteur to be identified as the author of this
work has been asserted by her in accordance with the copyright
laws.

All rights reserved: No part of this publication may be used,

reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in
a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without
prior permission in writing from the author. The scanning,
uploading, electronic sharing of any part of this book without the
written permission of the author will constitute unlawful piracy
and theft of the author’s intellectual property.

Permission is however given for any part of this book to be

downloaded and printed provided it is for FREE distribution,
provided NO ALTERATIONS are made, provided the AUTHOR'S
NAME AND ADDRESS are mentioned, and provided this copyright
notice is included in each printout.

For further details, please contact:

[Link]@[Link]
deraconteursite@[Link]
Facebook: Lizzy Oyebola Yakubu
Blogsite: [Link]

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DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to every child of God who war on their

knees in prayer to the Lord God almighty; see with sharpened
spiritual eyes things impossible for the natural man and fight the
spiritual warfare with faith.
Seek not yet repose, dear brethren! Fight on from the stance of
victory!

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I give all the glory to the name of the Lord who was and is and is
to come, who will forever be.

I acknowledge your hand in all I do and the putting together of

this great piece is not an exception. You have been so great to me,
dear Lord!

To the followers and subscribers of my Christian story blog, de-

[Link], of a truth, the impact of your support and loyalty
cannot be overemphasized. You have been key to my growing love
for God and story writing in general. The Lord bless you greatly.
Amen.

Friends and family members who have given in cash and in kind
to see this in print, I appreciate you greatly- my darling husband,
Michael Yakubu, Mr. And Mrs. A.A. Oyekunle, Esther, Eunice,
Elijah, Olajide Oduniyi and so on. I appreciate you all. God bless
you.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lizzy Oyebola Yakubu is a child of God, a journalist by profession

and a teacher by passion. She has a [Link]. In Mass
Communication from Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria. She has a
Master in Journalism also from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

She is a Christian inspiring writer (Read The Candle in the Wind

written by her here). She is also a Christian blogger (Check out de-
[Link] to read her writings).

She is the founder and provost of the fast-rising Christian writing

institute- De-Raconteur Writer’s College. She is also the founder of
the online home (The B.U.D. Family International) that houses
hundreds of Christian sisters all over the world who have goal-
Spiritual growth.

She is a filmmaker and scriptwriter. (Click this link to see the

movie ‘The Voice of Faith’ written partly by her and produced by
The B.U.D. Family) and you can also listen to ‘WHO AM I, LORD?’
a song written and produced by Lizzy in 2018.

She is graciously married to Michael- A sweet and godly

gentleman.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

The Visitor was written last year, under the divine inspiration of
the Holy Spirit. This storyline had been impressed upon my heart
for years but it was eventually given birth to, few months ago.
It ran for a week and some days on my Facebook wall before I
decided to publish the whole episode on my blog (de-
[Link]) so that it would reach a wider audience.
While going over this story again shortly before it was published, I
had tears in my eyes as this work of the Holy Spirit blessed me
anew. It felt like I wasn't the one who put the words together.
This is a must read for male and female; old and young- every
single person who loves the Lord and desires a great relationship
with the Holy Spirit.
THE VISITOR!

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WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT 'THE VISITOR'?

Patrick Debbie: The "Perfect Planner" knows it all. It is He who
can save the vilest sinners and it is He who can keep the righteous
safe through the storm. So much to be learnt from this story. God
bless you more sis Lizzy Oyebola Yakubu.

Hada Ssah: Jesus' blood can make the vilest sinner clean! God
bless you Mrs Yaks for blessing my life. I love you.

Victoria Agbo: Wonderful! That's all I can say.

Oluwatoosin Oladejo: What an end! This was worth reading all

the way. May God bless you and increase your wisdom. Amen!

Amarachi Olokor: This is superb.

Oniorisan Aderinola: Wow! What a mighty and powerful God we

serve!. What a story! Oh! What a blessing you are to our
generation ma. Ma, god's grace and anointing will never run dry
upon your life.

Ifeoma Mokwunye: Wow wow wow.... What can I say but God
bless you Mama Lizzy.

Latunde Akin: This drama nearly happened in a little different

dimension to my family. I singlehandedly stood against it, told my
wife to just keep mute as I faced the battle. I took 5 long years and
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now all the visitors are calm. God silenced them and we praise
him forever. Amen!

Oluremi Ajayi: What a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus...

Well-done, Mama Lizzy. God bless you and yours.

Lizzy Ibukun Adebayo: Woooow. Thank Mrs Yaks, I am always

blessed reading your story.

Blessing Omovigho Adebo: I am completely amazed by this story.

From start to finish. God bless you Lizzy Oyebola Yakubu.

Okoye Grace Adeyemi: God bless you ma, and more ink to your
pen... Learnt a whole lot here.

Chidirimma Chokhma Obiarangaonyediyanma

Okechukwunyerem: Wow....thanks... My faith is renewed.

Princess Enyi-Okoro: Wow! Wow! Wow! A story that produces a

lot of spiritual awakening. God bless you ma.

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CHAPTER 1
LARA...

As I wiped my shoes against the foot mat, the atmosphere smelt

really differently.

“What’sthat? Is something burning?” I thought as I turned the

door knob and entered.

The sitting room was dark so I groped at the walls to find the
switch. I flipped the switch when I found it and the lights came on.
There was no one in the sitting room.

I looked up at the wall clock.

9.30pm!

“Oh my! I am so late today!” I exclaimed as I dumped my handbag

and my lunch box on the dining table and rushed to the kitchen
to see if I could get the source of the horrible smell.

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The kitchen was very tidy and there was nothing on the gas
cooker. I checked the microwave, there was nothing inside. The
oven was also empty.

I stood transfixed for a while as the smell I had perceived from

outside grew stronger.

“What is that smell, oh Lord?” I asked, very dejected. I was very

tired from the day’s work that all I had planned to do was bath,
have my husband massage my shoulders and then sleep. I felt so
troubled that all wasn’t going as I had planned.

I took off my blazer and hung it on the door. Then, I started the
inspection of the whole kitchen. I couldn’t actually place what the
smell was but it sure was very offensive.

When I checked the freezer and the fridge and the gas cylinder
and couldn’t detect what the problem was, I gave up the search.

“My home is covered with the blood of Jesus! Lord, I give my house
and my family over to You anew. Keep us from all harms. Thank
You Lord” I prayed shortly.

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I sprayed some citrus air cooler and started walking to my

children’s room. I opened the door and the smell greeted me there
again!

“The Blood of Jesus!” I exclaimed. My eyes widened the more as I

realized that it was only one child that was on the bed.

I walked to the bed as fast as my leg could carry me, checked the
face of the child on the bed and my heart dropped.

“Where is Jemmy?” I asked aloud but Jeddy, her twin sister was
sleeping too deeply to give me an answer.

I flew out of their room to start the search for Jemmy.

My first port of call was our room. There, was my husband on the
bed, snoring so loudly. I scanned the room and realized that Jeddy
was not with him.

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I checked every single place in the house and even outside, yet I
couldn’t find my daughter. Tears was already gathering in my
eyes. I didn’t know if I should be scared or not. I swallowed hard
as I muttered some words of prayers.

‘The second sitting room!’ A thought came to my mind and I

hesitated.

“What would Jeddy be doing in our private sitting room all alone?”
I frowned slightly. Only Bode, my husband and I relaxed there to
enjoy the oceanic view at times. We met there also every weekend
for our couple’s fasting and prayer programme.

We often forbid our twins from entering the sitting room because it
was our sacred room of prayer, love and power.

On a second thought, I turned the knob on the door and it was

dark.

“Ofcourse she can’t be here. What was I thinking?” I said and was
about closing the door when the strong smell I had perceived at
the door wafted to my nose. I flipped the switch on very fast and

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there on the couch lay a woman and my Jemmy coiled like a

newborn around her chest.

“Who is that?” I asked myself as I walked briskly towards them. I

wasn’t expecting any visitor. My mum and my mother-in-law had
not told me they would be visiting.

The woman looked very elderly and familiar but I couldn’t place it.
The more I went close to her, the more the offensive smell
increased.

I gently pulled off my daughter from her chest, pleading the Blood
of Jesus. She stirred but resumed her silent snores.

I reversed quietly and shut the door.

I took Jemmy to her room, tucked her in her bed and hung their
mosquito nets. I walked to and fro their room, prayerfully before
exiting and moving to my own room.

Fuming as I entered the bathroom to shower, I was more furious

that Bode wouldn’t even stir at my entrance.
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No matter how much I had tried to wake him up, he had been
muttering ‘Don’t disturb me, I am tired’ and that was not usual.
No matter how tired my husband was, he would usually wait for
me to come home before retiring to bed.

I changed into my nightie and adjusted the satin bonnet on my

head. The sleep that had gathered in my eyes had disappeared. I
picked up my Bible and climbed up into the bed.

My heart was very heavy. Though the smell had subsided, I was
not clear what it was and why it grew stronger when I approached
the elderly woman!

Who is that woman?

Why didn’t Bode pray with the children and tuck them in bed
before sleeping?

Why didn’t he hang their mosquito nets?

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Why?

As I tried to calm myself, clinging to my big Bible, I felt so scared. I

turned to look at Bode’s face but he was far away in the
dreamland.

I jumped down the bed again and knelt down, leaning against the
bed.

“God have mercy. I do not know why I am feeling this way but
have mercy Lord. Have mercy Lord” I kept muttering till sleep
wrapped its arms round me.

I woke up to someone fumbling with my nightie. I shuddered all of

a sudden as if I had come in contact with naked electricity.

“Who is that?” I slapped off the hand and jumped up suddenly.

“What is wrong with you?” Bode asked loudly, his left hand
rubbing his right hand that I had slapped.

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“Oh,it’s you. I am so sorry. I thought it was someone else” I said

and he frowned.

“Someone else? Who would have the audacity to fumble with your
nightie like that if not me?” He asked and when I saw that the
waters of jealousy and suspicion were already gathering in his
face, I smiled it off.

“I
have been feeling somehow since I came in” I said and he
nodded.

“Come and sit with me on the bed. You will be fine” He said and I
shook my head.

“Bode, who is the woman in our house?” I asked and he frowned.

“That’s
my aunt. What is the matter? She can’t come to my
house?” He asked and I shook my head.

“ButI thought it would have been better if you had told me we

were having a visitor” I retorted.

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“Why should I do that? Is this your house? Did you build it?” He
asked, a strange look on his face.

“Honey, are you for real? Can I suddenly bring a visitor home this
way?”

“Anyway, that is my mum’s cousin. Her daughter in the USA just

gave birth and she needs to visit her. She is going to be here till
her visa is ready” He said and I started feeling uneasy all of a
sudden, slapping my thigh and shaking my head all at once.

“That is not nice at all.” I said and he looked at me defiantly. I had

not seen such look on his face since meeting my husband. He
fixed his eyes at me as if ready to argue.

“Honey” I said calmly, walking close to him. “I feel really troubled

about her presence. You know I wouldn’t object to anyone visiting
us but I feel somehow about her. Can we just pray about it?” I
asked, holding his hand. He gave a long hiss and shook my hand
off his.

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“So,I should tell her to leave? C’mon woman, use your brain. Use
your brain! She is my family member. I have heard that generally,
you women detest your husband’s family, so…”

“Bode? I detest my husband’s family? Really? Amongst the visitors

we have had in this house, how many of them are my direct family
members? I take care of your family as my own. This is a very
different case, honey. I do not even know this person! I suddenly
feel bad at her presence. And as a wife, I am explaining my
feelings to you. I am not even saying you should ask her to leave.
How on earth would I say such? I am saying that I am not at
peace with this visit and that you should let’s pay about it. Am I
wrong?” I asked, my voice quaking. In our five years of staying
together as a man and wife, my husband and I had never had a
heated argument like that.

“You are o! You are wrong! And you know what, Lara?” He asked,
jumping down the bed and picking his pillow. “You will eventually
have to leave this house if you are uncomfortable with my aunt
here!”

“What!!!” I exclaimed, very shocked.

“You are too spoilt! I have spoilt you! That is why you can actually
sit down there and tell me shit!”

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“Shit? Bode, shit?” I asked, my lips trembling.

As he was about moving out of the room, I ran after him.

“Youcan’t go out of the room, Bode. Why would you leave the
room for me?” I asked and he shook his head.

“Just leave me please. Go away!” He shouted sternly and pushed

me off. As I was regaining my stance, there was a knock at the
door. I frowned slightly and looked at the clock.

12.30am!

“Can I come in?” The voice asked and I was shocked.

Come in?

At 12.30am?

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Into our bedroom?

“Come…” My husband was saying when I raised my hands in

absolute disagreement. He eyed me as if I was an abominable,
destestable thing. “Come in” He eventually said and my mouth
became suspended. I was too shocked beyond words.

What is happening?

Why is Bode behaving this way, Lord?

Am I overreacting Lord?

What is wrong with me?

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CHAPTER 2
LARA...

I couldn’t append my signature on any of the documents placed

on my desk.

My head was hot, my eyes were sore and my hands were shaky.

The night before was a nightmare for me! I had never in my entire
life felt so lost, tired and worn.

“Mama, what is the matter?” My husband had asked as his aunt

entered our room. My eyes burnt with red anger as I walked back
to the bed and sat.

Our room was meant to be private!

My mother-in-law wouldn’t even attempt to enter our room, talk

less of barging in at midnight!

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“Olabode” The woman said as she entered and sat in one of our
cushions.

Gnashing my teeth against one another and tightening my fist into

balls, I knew I was turning red. I went even madder when I greeted
the woman and she didn’t give me a response.

“Olabode” She called again, nonchalantly, like she was the madam
of the house.

“Yes mama” My husband asked, bowing his head slightly.

“Is this the wife?” She asked and I frowned.

The wife?

“Iam his wife ma” I quickly corrected her. She eyed me from head
to toes and gave a long sigh afterwards.

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“Olabode,this thing here doesn’t want me here, right?” She asked

and my eyes widened at her words. My husband gave me a
knowing look, his brows arched.

“No, she doesn’t mama. She said she is not at peace with you
staying in this house” My husband said and I was dumbfounded.

I couldn’t believe my ears.

If someone had predicted that my husband’s response to her

question would be that slippery, I would have fought that the
person vehemently.

What!

What I had discussed with my husband as a bedroom talk, he

could open it all up in public that way?

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OH. MY. GOD!

His aunt sighed long and loud.

“But not to worry mama. I have corrected her. And I have told her
that if she isn’t comfortable with you here, she should rather
leave” He added and my eyes widened so much that one would
think they would fall out of their sockets.

“Youhave done well, Olabode. That is how a man should do. If she
cannot love your people, you cannot love her too!” She said and
my boiling blood reached the peak as I jumped up from the bed.

I quickly knelt before her, my heart beating really fast.

It all felt like a dream but each time I pinched myself, it felt so
real.

“Mama, I am sorry for everything ma…”

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“Sorry for yourself o” She cut in but I couldn’t stop. Two wrongs,
nay, three, would not make a right. I had to quickly salvage the
situation.

“I
love my husband and I love my husband’s family as my own. I
was surprised to see you around…”

“Why are you surprised? Is this your house?” She asked, her laser-
like eyes shooting directly into mine.

I flinched and whispered a word of prayer quickly as fear gripped

my heart.

“Yesmama. This is my house. This is my home. This is where the

Lord has planted me” I said and she burst out laughing loudly.

“Why are you angry? Is there anybody trying to uproot you from
this place? This girl is funny o” She said and laughed some more.

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“Mama, this is what I deal with o.” Bode said and I shook my head.
Every new statement he made ushered me into a new part of Bode
that I had never seen before.

“Ahhhh, Olamibode, if a child does not know his or her place and
is busy jumping here and there, a good parent will always have
pankere (cane) under their bed.” She said and laughed. Bode
joined too. “The fear of pankere is the beginning of wisdom o jare”
She completed and I stood up suddenly.

“Pankere?For who?” I asked at once, not believing my ears. “Are

you suggesting ma, that my husband should get a cane for me?”

“Yes!For you! For you!” Bode shouted, charging at me. “What is

your problem? I know. I know I have spoilt you. That is why you
can actually stand there and talk to my mum anyhow.”

“Your mum? I know your mum. She is godly, she is sweet, she is
nice, she is a mother indeed. She would never ever want the
downfall of her son’s marriage. I know your mum, Bode but I do
not know this woman here. I have never met her before so you
can’t just call any woman your…” I was going to round off my
statement when Bode’s eyes turned red.

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His chest rose and fell rhythmically, with his jaws shaking with
anger. He pulled me by the collar, filled my face with very hot
breaths from his nose. He was about landing a very thick blow on
my head when I screamed.

“The Blood of Jesus! The Blood of Jesus!”

As I screamed, I suddenly kicked him off, making him fall against

the bed as I jumped out of the room, my heart in my mouth.

Tears poured out of my eyes in quick succession.

Bode?

My Bode?

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I ran into my children’s room and banged the door against us

sharply. I turned the key twice, pushed a very heavy chair behind
the door and sat on it, breathing very hard.

“Jesus! Jesus! Jesus have mercy. Jesus have mercy” I cried

severally, holding my beating chest with one hand and covering
my whimpering mouth with another.

Tears rolled down my face as I tried as much as I could not to

wake my children up. My whole world seemed to be crumbling
before me.

Bode tried to hit me?

Bode?

I wept and dozed, wept and dozed, wept and dozed.

When I woke up, it was 6am!

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I jumped up from the warm rug where I had lay overnight, woke
my children up, prayed with them quickly, bathed them and had
my own bath too.

After dressing them up for school, opening the door for us to move
out of their room became another hurdle.

‘How are we going to go out?’

‘Hope he isn’t waiting anywhere to hurt me’

‘Is it safe to move out?’

I eventually summoned courage, opened the door and we all

moved out. My children ran excitedly to the dining room but I
walked cautiously, my right index finger bent between my two lips.

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“Oh my Jeddy and Jemmy!” Bode exclaimed excitedly as he

cupped his kids in his arms, planting a peck each on their cheeks.
The kids chuckled excitedly.

“I made you toasts and hot tea” He said.

“Yaaaaayy!” They exclaimed happily.

“Goodmorning, honey” I said calmly when our eyes met. He

nodded.

“Morning”

“How was your night?”

“Thanks”

“Okay” I said inaudibly, moved to our room and quickly changed

into a black armless gown. I picked my cream blazer and shoes
and moved out briskly as if someone was pursuing me.

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“I
am already late. I will be on my way now” I announced and he
nodded, without looking at my side.

“Bye mummy” The children said and I quickly pecked their tea-
stained lips, praying for them silently as I did.

I picked my handbag from the table where I had dropped it the

night before and jumped out of the house.

It was when I knew that I had moved out of our compound that I
wore my blazer and shoes.

“Havemercy, Lord. I am so sorrowful. Strengthen me oh Lord” I

muttered as I drove down to the bank in Lekki where I worked.

Everyone who came in contact with me that day knew that I

wasn’t the Lara they had seen the day before!
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Lost in the thoughts of what had transpired the day before, I

didn’t know when my boss appeared in front of me.

“Lara!”She shouted and my head cleared up at once. I sat up

quickly and reached for the mouse as if I had been working on my
computer. “What is the matter with you. Lara?” She asked,
somewhat sternly, somewhat concerned.

“It is well boss. I am sorry”

“You should better be. You know very well that to avoid mistakes
in your daily activities here, you must leave all worries at home”

“Yes, boss” I said.

“Concentrate,sign all documents that you are to sign and forward

them to me immediately” She said and I nodded.

As soon as she had closed the door, I jumped up, picked up the
envelope on my table and walked briskly to her office.

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“What is it, Lara?”

“Ihave a letter for you, ma” I said and she squinted as she
adjusted her eyeglasses. She stretched her hand and collected the
envelope.

After reading it, she shook her head.

“I
can’t approve this. You know that I can’t approve this. Two
weeks is too much”

“Two weeks is too much?”

“Except you want to lose your job” She said and I nodded. I was
expecting her to say that.

“Ma, I must remind you that all my life, I have spent in this bank.
I was twenty-two years old when I started working here. I am
thirty-five years old now, so you can do the mathematics ma. I
have never demanded for a leave like I am doing now. I have never

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demanded for anything special from this bank. Everyone can

attest to the fact that I have served this bank with all that I have
and that I am. If after thirteen years of working here, I still cannot
get a two-week leave, then, is this even a job? Ma, you can take
the job away, then” I said recklessly, not even knowing what I was
saying.

“Lara,what’s the matter with you? Why are your words so strong?”
She asked, her eyes widened.

“Iapologize. My family is on fire now and I have to quench it. You

are a woman, so you can understand” I said calmly.

“Still,
two weeks is not something that…” She was saying when I
bowed slightly before her.

“Iwill finish up what I have to do for today ma. Thanks for

approving my leave. The Lord will uphold your own home too.
Thanks” I said, bowed slightly again and started moving to the
door.

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“Lara! Lara!” She called after me but I had become intentionally

deaf to her voice. I finished all I was going to do, moved to her
office to drop some files and waited before her for the approval.

She handed the letter to me.

“A month has been approved, Lara. Go fix your home. The Lord
will go with you” She said and I smiled largely as I winked slowly
at her.

“Thanks boss”

As I moved towards my car, my stomach rumbling from lack of

food, my phone rang. Squinting to look at the screen, I saw the
name.

My mother-in-law!

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CHAPTER 3
LARA...

By the time I got into my car, my phone had rung three good
times.

Still my mother-in-law!

“Isall well?” I muttered as I settled down in my car and gulped

down a bottle of water that I had kept in my car which had gone
hot from the weather.

I picked up my phone and dialled her number.

It had not even rung at my side when she answered the call.

“Hello Lara”

“Hello mummy, good afternoon ma”

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“Afternoon my dear. How are you?”

“I’m okay ma”

“Ki lo sele? (What’s the matter?) You know you can talk to me”

I smiled shortly wondering if her son had gone to report the recent
happenings to her.

“Mummy, all is well o”

“Are you sure? Your voice betrays you, my darling” She insisted.

“Justpray for your girl, mummy. It’s fine, though” I said,

stubbornly. It felt as if she had heard about the issues from her
cousin or my husband and she wanted to confirm from me. I
wouldn’t want to be a part of such.

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“Iwas praying for you this morning when I got a disturbing

revelation about you. That is why I am calling” She said, totally
smashing my thoughts.

No one had reported me to her!

I was glad. I sighed and readjusted myself in the car seat.

“A disturbing revelation about me?”

“[Link], feel free to talk to your mum. Is there something going

on?” She said, her soothing voice caressing my broken heart.

“Mum, I would have loved to talk to you but you know, Bode and I
agreed never to allow the third party in our…”

“Forget that! According to what I saw, there is fire on the

mountain. Sometimes when something is about to fall and scatter,
it is not in any way bad to let in the third party, girl! Let me in. I
am a child of God. I wouldn’t worsen situations. I will salvage it!”
She said and I sighed, a rueful smile on my face. I just wasn’t
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used to opening my mouth to talk to people about my

circumstances.

I knew it was not the best thing to do but I always found myself
dying alone, secretly, not allowing anyone into my space.

“Mummy, can you just pray along?”

“Lara!C’mon! What is your problem? What is going on?” She

shouted worriedly and paused. “Lara, the Holy Spirit told me that
He showed you a vision last week which He instructed you and
your husband to take seriously. Is that right?” She asked and my
heart dropped as I covered my mouth in absolute shock.

One, I was shocked to know that what the Holy Spirit had revealed
to me the week before was a serious issue, relating to my marriage
and our peace. I was so sad to find out that I had failed the test
because obviously, we were not able to pray about the dream.

Also, the way God would go all the way to Abuja to reveal to my
mother-in-law what He had shown me, beat me hands down! That
what I had seen in my own room in Lekki, Lagos, God would take
all the way to Asokoro in Abuja! Wow!

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“Lara, I asked you a question”

“Yesmummy. I had a vision last week and I was led to inform my

husband so we could pray together but when I told him, he told
me that I worry too much about dreams and visions”

“Ah! Tori Olorun! (For God’s sake!)”

“So,when I pestered him, he said we would pray about it. We kept

postponing it till I even forgot”

“So, you didn’t really pray about it too?”

“I
did. But I just did it on the surface since my husband said we
would do the bigger prayer together later”

“Ah!See these children, ehn! Omodeo’mogun, o n pe l’efo (What an

ignoramus couple!). So, what was the vision like?”

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“Erm…Bode drove myself, Jeddy and Jemmy in his car. I was

seated in front with him while our children were seated at the
back seat.”

“Okay?”

“When we got to a bridge, he stopped the car for a very fat woman
who waved us down. I thought the woman would sit behind, with
the children but Bode asked me to go to the back seat while the
woman sat in the front seat.”

“Hmmmmm”

“As the woman entered the car, she became fatter and fatter and
fatter till the car started to somersault”

“Oh gracious me!”

“We started crying for help as the car somersaulted. Eventually,

the car hit a tree and stopped. When it did, the fat woman helped
myself and my daughters out. Jemmy was bleeding.”

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“Holy Spirit!”

“Bode came out of the car, checked us if we were fine, saw the
bleeding girl and sighed. He walked back into the car with the
woman sitting at the driver’s seat. He sat beside her. How they
reversed from the tree we had hit, I wouldn’t know but soon, they
were on the road with the woman driving fast and ruthlessly.”

“Jesu oooo!”

“Bode kept screaming ‘Stop! Stop! Stop!’ but she kept laughing
wickedly as she drove on. I was shocked. When I tried to stand so
I would take my baby to the hospital, I realized that my right leg
was fractured.”

“Holy Spirit! Ah!”

“AsJeddy went to the road to wave down any of the passing

vehicles, a car knocked her down. I sorrowfully wailed like a
widow as I saw her blood flowing down the road. That was when I
woke up”
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“Whaaaat! You saw something as serious as this and you kept

quiet? Lara!”

“Mummy, I was scared too. I ran to my husband but he was…” I

had started crying.

“See, this is not even the time to cry or beat about the bush.” She
said, urgency in her voice.

“So, what has happened in your home?”

“Ma?” I asked, fidgety.

“Lara, what is happening in your house right now?”

“Erm…ma, I…” I was saying when she hissed shortly.

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“You and Bode, are you on good terms?”

“No ma”

“Jesu mi o!” She exclaimed. “Did he hit you?”

“He almost did”

“Did you hit him?”

“No,but in self-defense, I pushed him off me and he landed

against the bed”

“Ah! These children ehn!” She exclaimed. “So, do you have a visitor
in your house right now?”

“Yes ma”

“A woman?”
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“Yes ma”

“A very fat woman?”

“Yes ma”

“Oh my goodness!” She exclaimed and I broke down into more

tears as the precision of her questions to the issues on ground
rhymed perfectly. “But why did you agree with your husband to
bring in a family member after such revelation?”

“Bode didn’t tell me before bringing her home, mummy. That was
what I questioned that became an issue”

“Thisboy ehn! Lord have mercy on my son and his family oooo”
She exclaimed in a shaky voice.

“Mummy, what should I do?”

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“You should have called me to…never mind, the deed is done. We

have to fight now. But, who is this woman? Did you see her during
your introduction”

“No ma, I didn’t”

“Ah! And at your wedding?”

“I didn’t see her, ma.”

“Jesus Christ, our King! Is her face familiar?”

“Yes ma. She resembles you a lot!”

“Ah!Asake niyen! (That must be Asake!)” She exclaimed and

paused. “She has two tribal marks on each cheek, right?” She
asked. I nodded severally.

“Yes ma”

“She calls your husband ‘Olabode’?”

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“Yes ma”

“Ahhhhhh!Lara! Ah, Lara, that woman is not ordinary! That

woman poisoned Bode when he was four years old!”

“Whaaat!”

“Yes!My husband personally ensured she went to jail for it. We

didn’t even know that Bode would survive, only God brought him
back to life. And yet, she is back to Bode’s life? In Bode’s house?
Oh Jesus!”

“[Link]. God!” I exclaimed as my hands trembled. I had never

heard something like that before. It felt so strange.

“Iwonder how she got Bode’s phone number! She is a distant

cousin. She is an unbeliever! She has psychiatric issues!”

“Whaaat!” I screamed as my blood started boiling. “Ahh! Mummy,

what do I do?”

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“See, she is fetish, so be very careful and prayerful. Do not take

anything from her. Do not exchange words with her. Try as much
as possible to keep Bode and your children from her. I will be on
my way to Lagos now. I pray I get a flight to Lagos because it’s
raining heavily over here”

“Okay mum” I broke down, wailing and sobbing intermittently.

“You have to be strong now, girl. Don’t panic. Don’t cry! Just get
your family out of that house safely”

“I don’t know if Bode will agree with me, mummy”

“He is no longer behaving like his normal self, right?”

“No mum”

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“Begin to rebuke and destroy every manipulation from the pit of

hell as you go home now. The Lord of hosts will go with you” My
mother-in-law said as she dropped the call.

“Amen! Amen o!” I cried as my whole body shook from an instant

cold.

My hand wouldn’t agree with me as I tried to turn the ignition key.

I was sweating all over.

Just then, there was a knock on my car window and when I

looked out, it was my prayer coordinator from the church- Mr.
James.

I wound down the glass, still shivering.

“Mrs. Jones, good afternoon. I came to your bank today to make

some…” He greeted with a smile. When he saw my face and got no
reply to his greetings and talks, he frowned slightly. “Are you
okay?” He asked and I shook my head.

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“You need to get home, right?” He asked and I nodded, weakly.

“Let me drive you home. You are looking like really blue. You can
rest at the back seat, right?” He asked and I nodded.

I struggled to get out of the car, staggered to the back seat, rested
my back and held my throbbing head so it wouldn’t fall off.

As he drove out of the bank premises, the worms in my stomach

protested noisily- and he obviously heard.

“Doyou need me to buy something for you?” He asked and I

nodded again.

“Will
Boli (Roasted plantain) and groundnut do?” He asked and I
nodded, yet again.

He drove to the front of a wooden stall.

“Giveme fresh boli please.” He said and started searching his

pocket for money. I was too weak to even pass the wallet I was
holding to him. He paid for the boli, groundnut and bottled water
he had bought and passed them to me at the back.

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I didn’t even say ‘thank you’ before I started munching at the hot
roasted plantain like a starved monkey.

I had not taken anything since morning and looking at the huge
task my mother-in-law had prescribed to me, I knew that I just
needed to eat!

“Irebuke and destroy every manipulation from the pit of hell

against my marriage, my husband, myself, my children, our home,
in Jesus Name” I prayed loudly as I munched at the boli.

“Irebuke and destroy every manipulation from the pit of hell

against the Jones’ family in the matchless Name of Jesus!” Mr.
James also started praying silently as we journeyed home.

Mercy, Lord!

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CHAPTER 4
I entered into the sitting room and threw my bag on one of the
settees, yawning as I did.

“Helloeverybody! I’m home!” I announced. The whole atmosphere

was eerie and the silence in the house was loud.

Where is everybody?

I walked briskly to my children’s room but they were not there.

Their school bags and lunch boxes littered the whole floor.

“Jedidiah!” I called out, walking towards our bedroom. “Jemimah!”

I called out again but there was no answer.

Opening the door to our room, nobody was in there. The only
sound I could hear was from the TV.

I removed my blazer and dumped it in the laundry basket.

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“Honey!” I called out as I checked the bathroom and even the

closets!

When I couldn’t find them, I jumped out of the room to go search

the other rooms in the house. I was about climbing the stairs to
the penthouse when I heard a shrill cry.

From the visitor’s room!

Jeddy?

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the entrance of the

room. Opening the door suddenly, I found my husband seated in
one of the chairs, looking lost. Jeddy was in another chair,
sobbing quietly. Jemmy laid on the bed, motionlessly and Bode’s
aunt was doing something in her closet.

“What is happening here?” I asked to announce my presence.

Jeddy ran to my side and hugged me tightly, weeping as she did.

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“Mummy, is Jemmy going to die?” She asked and my hair stood

straight as my eyes like laser shot at the bed. I ran to the bed and
touched my baby. She was almost lifeless.

“What is happening here?” I screamed as I pulled my gasping baby

into my arms.

“Woman, just shut up and let’s concentrate on what we have to

do. We have been coping before you came, noisemaker!” Bode said
and I frowned angrily at him.

“What have you done to my daughter?”

“She will be fine” Bode’s aunt said as she walked close to my side
with a black cup, obviously containing something hot as the
steam ascended out the cup. “When she drinks this thing now,
she will be fine” She said and my eyes widened.

“Drink what?” I asked suddenly. “What is in this cup?”

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“Itis herbs. It is just herbal tea. When she takes it, she will be
fine” Bode said. I jumped up quickly, trying to lift Jemmy out of
the bed.

“My daughter is drinking no herbal tea!” I said firmly. “What have

you people done to my ever-vibrant baby girl? What?” I asked as
tears laced my eyes.

Jemmy was very hot- hotter than the hottest pressing iron!

She had turned pale- almost white.

And then, she was bleeding from her nose!

And from her ears!

“Jessssuuuuuuuus!” I screamed loudly.

“Mummmy!” Jeddy cried too.

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“Leave this girl alone, let me treat her” Bode’s aunt said, bringing
the cup over. I looked her in the face and smiled ruefully, gently
lifting my baby across my shoulder.

“Mama, are you a medical doctor?”

“Iam more than a qualified doctor” She said, handing the cup over
to me. “Give her to drink now!” She said authoritatively.

“Inthe Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I refuse to collect this cup
from you and give it to my daughter” I said and started moving to
the door.

“What is wrong with you?” Bode’s voice stopped me halfway. “Why

are you always ‘overspiritualizing’ things? What is your problem?”
He raged on.

“You,Bode are my problem! A girl, our daughter is in such an

emergency situation like this and you can still be allowing a
woman who…” I stopped in my track as I looked at the floor.
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Drops of blood from my baby’s nose and ears filled the floor.

“Oluwa gba mi oooo (Lord, save me!)” I screamed as I tried to open

the door.

“If
you dare take my daughter out of this house, you will pay
dearly for it” Bode roared suddenly.

“Bode, do you know what you are doing?” I asked, my chest

tightening.

“Question me na! Call me names!” He said and I shook my head.

“Bode, what is happening here? Bode, see me, I am your wife.

What is making you to treat me like…” I cried, sincerely desiring
his fatherly and loving care at the crucial moment.

“Who are you? Tell me, who are you?” He asked, irritatingly. “You
asked me to see you? Who the hell are you?” He asked again and I
shook my head in sorrow. “When I see you, I see filth!”
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“Whaaat!” I exclaimed, my heart shattering into pieces.

“What did I see in you that even made me marry you? What?” He
asked, looking at me with so much disgust in his eyes. My brain
went on a break and my vision blurred.

“Bode, you love me! I am your wife! The Lord gave me to you!” I
still managed to say.

“Gibberish! That is what you are saying!” He said, so much hate in

his eyes.

“Bode, I do not understand what is going on here.” I started, a

newer confidence falling upon me. “But on a norm, if any of us is
sick or sorrowful or worried, the first thing you would do is pray.
What happened to that authority, my husband? What has
happened to…”

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“How dare you challenge my authority in this house!” He screamed

suddenly as if I had touched the most painful part of his sore.

“My consolation is that, I will get my husband back!” I said and

shot a look at the woman seated on the bed. She gave me a wry
smile, her cup of herbal tea still in her hands.

“You have lost me!” Bode said. “You have lost me, since” He said.

“Never!I cannot lose you! You are mine! None can take you from
my hand” I said with authority, my spirit really charged. Bode
burst out laughing falling into the chair as he did.

“This girl can like to feel herself!” He laughed on. His aunt joined
him.

“Orisirisi!
(Wonders shall never end!)” She exclaimed. “Just go.
Take your daughter with you and go. Go anywhere you want to go”
Bode’s aunt said and I smiled.

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“Mama, I will overcome!”

“Ah ah, are you in a battle?”

“Yesma. Since you entered into this house, things have not
been…”

“Ah, so I am the witch now?” She asked and clapped her hands
together. “This lady is fearless!”

“Afefetife
mama, a tir’idiadiye (Nothing is in the secret anymore
mama) That is why I am not fearless. My confidence is in Christ.
Jesus who has been placed far above all principality and power
and might and dominion and every name…”

“Who are you chanting incantation for now?” She cut in and I
smiled.

“That is what I have mama. If I cannot use the Word God, what
then can I….” I was saying when she raised her nose at me.

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“Lifehas gone out of the child you are holding, Mrs. Principality”
She said and my eyes widened. I had forgotten that I was caring a
child. Bode sat up.

“Lailai!
(Never!) See, arabinrin (Woman) I am warning you now! My
daughter must not die o” He screamed, raising his hands at me.

Panicking, I touched the side of Jemmy’s neck and noticed there

was still a weak pulse. I opened the door quickly and started
running out of the room, Jeddy following me closely.

“[Link]! Mr. James!” I called out, crying as I ran out of the

house. After driving me into our compound, I had asked him to
please still stay behind praying for us in case of anything. So, I
was hoping and praying that he hadn’t left.

“Mr. James!” I shouted as I opened the front door.

“If
anything happens to my daughter, I will kill you with my bare
hands o. I am saying my own now o!” Bode shouted after me but I

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wasn’t going to allow my daughter drink herbal tea that I knew

nothing about, especially after my mother-in-law’s instructions.

As I approached the garage, I saw Mr. James praying, sweating

profusely.

“Mr James, we need to go to the hospital immediately” I

announced and he quickly jumped to my side, helped to place my
daughter in the car and entered into the driver’s seat. Jeddy and I
found our ways into the car too.

“Mercy!Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!” Mr. James muttered as we

journeyed to the hospital.

“Jeddy, what happened? What happened?” I cried, holding my

baby’s hands and looking into her pretty teary eyes.

“Itwas Jemmy that poured that mama’s powder away.” She said
in her babyish voice.

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“Where did she keep her powder that Jemmy’s hands were able to
reach there?”

“On the dining table. It was black powder so Jemmy thought that
it was the charcoal we were playing with yesterday”

“Black powder?” Mr. James and I exclaimed together.

“Yes.”Jeddy nodded. “Jemmy threw it away so that it will not stain

the white sofas”

“So, what happened?” I asked, anxiously.

“That mama was angry when she saw Jemmy’s black hands”

“Okay?”

“And she carried that your white shoe…”

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“The one with the heel?”

“Yes”

“Ah! To do what?”

“To beat Jemmy on her head.” She recounted and my heart

stopped beating at once.

“Whaat!” Mr. James and I exclaimed. Jeddy burst out crying.

“Jemmy fell down and started crying. ‘Jesus, mummy.’ That was
what she was saying. And blood started coming out of her nose
and her ear” She cried the more.

“God, just have mercy on us! I don’t even know what to do now.
Just have mercy Lord” I cried bitterly.

Jemmy’s hands had become cold as ice, stiff and scaly.

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“Who is the woman? Your mother-in-law?” Mr. James and I shook

my head.

“My mother-in-law? Never!” I said and suddenly remembered that I

was supposed to inform her of the latest development. “Thank you
for reminding me. Please lend me your phone sir” I said and he
handed it over to me.

I dialed her number.

“Mummy, where are you?”

“I have reached Bariga. What happened?”

“We are on our way to the hospital o” I cried.

“What is the matter?” She asked, sounding very shocked. I

explained quickly to her and she asked me to place the phone on

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Jemmy’s ears. I did. She started to pray. She prayed and spoke in
tongues. She wept and quoted the scriptures.

As if the prayer was a poison, Jemmy suddenly coughed out very

thick, clotted blood. She started gasping for breath as she gripped
my hand weakly. I flung the phone away and started crying.

“Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!” I screamed.

“Hello, hello Lara” Mummy called out from the phone.

“Mummy, I am losing her already. Mummmmyyyy! Mummy!” I

wept as I pulled at the headrest of the seat.

“Never!”She exclaimed. “Scream it into her ears. You are her

mother. Use that authority and the one you have in the Name of
Jesus to scream at death. We are not losing Jemimah!”

“Amen!” I shouted vehemently, losing my voice. “Jemmy, I am not

losing you! I am not releasing you to death in the Power that is in
the Name of Jesus!”

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“Iwill soon be there. You are going to your hospital at Lekki,

right?” She asked and I nodded as if she could see me.

“Yes ma” Mr. James replied on my behalf. My mother-in-law

sighed.

“This is where we need the father’s authority. Ah! But where is

Bode now? Bode, where are you now? Ah! Let me call him”
Mummy exclaimed hopelessly, hissed regrettably and dropped the
call.

“We are now at the hospital” Mr. James announced as he sped to

the front of the reception.

I ran like a mad woman after the stretcher wheeling my daughter

to the theatre, tears strolling down my face like a fountain.

Holding my chest firmly with one hand, I held onto the door knob
leading to the emergency theatre as the realization that I might get
a lifeless Jemmy in few minutes dawned on me.

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Nooooooooo!

I fell to the ground, beating my laps as fear crippled my bones.

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CHAPTER 5
BODE’S FATHER

Looking into my wife’s face, all I saw was raw, fiery anger!

She looked like she wanted to see Bode quickly to deposit some
slaps in his face.

“Honey” I called out, picking her hand.

“Sir?”She answered, trying really hard to act like she was at

peace.

“All will be well.” I assured and she smiled, nodding like she didn’t
believe in my ‘wellness’ talk. The day before, she had called me as
I was supervising a work at a client’s site, saying that she needed
to go to Lagos to quench the fire in Bode’s family. With the way
she sounded, I was scared that instead of actually ‘quenching’ the
fire, my wife would sentimentally make the fire blow out of
proportion.

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I told her to go but I was at the airport some hours later on board
another plane to Lagos. Therefore, when she called to inform me
that she had reached Lagos and was in a holdup at CMS, I told
her I had just left Ikeja. She was so shocked.

“Mustyou always follow me around, honey?” She had joked,

chuckling.

“Where the snail goes, the shell follows, my dear.” I had replied
her. “Let’s go quench the fire together” I said with a finality and
she heaved a sigh of relief, whispering silently but excitedly ‘Thank
you, my husband’.

We met at the hospital and seeing the deplorable state of Jemmy,

our granddaughter and the fact that she had not come out of
coma, my wife was inconsolable!

She was even madder when she learnt that Bode and his aunt had
not paid a visit to the hospital since the ‘accident’.

Looking at the way my wife had balled out of the hospital, heading
for Bode’s house, I knew I had to intervene. We ordered an Uber
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car and soon it was on the way to Bode’s house- so my wife

thought but I had manipulated the address while ordering for the
car.

When we arrived in front of a hotel, therefore, she was shocked. As

she began to question the driver, I smiled at her and pulled her
out of the car and explained to her that it was too late to go and
‘quench’ the fire. She reluctantly followed me to the hotel room,
fuming all night.

“Let us pray for them, my darling. That will help a great deal” I had
told her and as we prayed, she wept. She told God everything,
more like dumping a bag full of complaints on the shoulder of
God. I saw everything, so I pulled her into a warm embrace and
prayed for her. She needed to be calm and I hoped that by
morning, she would have peace all over her spirit.

It seemed my prayers were partly answered because by the next

morning, she was wearing a different, brighter glow than the day
before. Though what I saw was not a full expression of peace, I
knew she was good to go.

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We knocked at the door of the Jones’ house.

“Come in” We heard him say from inside, so we turned the door
knob and entered. I held my wife’s hand so that my tight grip
would be an ‘alert’ whenever she is blown off the cover.

Bode and Alake, his aunt were sitting at the dining table, eating
and chatting, smiling at the same time. I turned to look at my
shocked wife’s face and smiled, reassuringly.

I was shocked to find them ‘feasting’ too but I was determined to

suppress my feelings all through my stay at their house-
especially for my wife’s sake.

“Dad! Mum!” Bode exclaimed, suddenly standing up and walking

briskly to our side.

“Unbelievable!” He exclaimed, hugging me tightly and moving to

his coldly stiff mother to do the same. She stifled a laughter.

“We decided to pay a visit, you know” I said and he smiled,

rubbing his palms together.

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“Wow! This is totally shocking!” He said, chewing the residue of

whatever he was eating earlier.

“Isthat not Alake?” My wife announced when Alake wouldn’t greet

us, a forced smile on her face. Alake stood up and smiled.

“I
didn’t know you will still recognize me, cousin” She said,
walking towards us. She genuflected and greeted us after which
we moved to the sitting room to wait for them while they finished
up their meal.

“Thisboy can still eat?” My wife whispered and I smiled, squeezing

her hand softly. She sighed.

“Wow! It is now today that my family is not around that you are
here, mummy and daddy” Bode said as he sat in one of the sofa,
picking his teeth with a tiny floss.

“Whereare they? You mean Lara, Jenny and Jemmy are not
around?” My wife asked, feigning ignorance.

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“No they are not o. Jemmy fell down yesterday and had to be
rushed to the hospital. They are with her, now” He said and my
wife frowned, sitting up straight, ready to talk. I stepped in.

“Fell
down? Where? How? Hope it is not serious.” I asked and he
waved his hands.

“It’s
not serious, dad. She will be fine” He said and my wife’s jaw
dropped as mine did too.

“So,you have not gone to visit her?” She asked and he shook his
head.

“No, I will go later in the evening or tomorrow morning”

“Ehn ehn! Bode!” My wife exclaimed. “And what of you, Alake?

Have you visited the hospital?”

“Iwill go in the evening, jare” She said, yawning. “I am expecting a

visitor” She said and I frowned.

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“A visitor?” My wife asked and Alake nodded. “Who is this visito…”

My wife was asking when Bode raised his hands, yawning loudly.
After that, he stretched noisily, as if to distract everyone from the
question my wife had asked.

“So, dad, to what do we owe this visit?” Bode asked and I smiled.

“We have to write you a mail, informing you of our visit, right?” My
wife asked, her voice containing some real ‘action’. Bode frowned.

“That is not it” He said and paused. “Mum, why are you sounding
as if you are here to fight me?” He said like a kid and I gave my
wife a knowing look.

“Sorry…Ermmm…it’s just that I am not happy that your family is

not around you because of a predicament and you are here sitting
down in peace, dining and laughing” She said.

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“Chai! Aunty Kemi, you have not changed!” Alake said, stepping
into the conversation. “What is the predicament in this case now?
Children will always fall down and…”

“Alake, but what are you doing here?” My wife asked suddenly, her
face growing really long. Alake looked shocked.

“Erm…You know, my daughter is…” She was saying when Bode

stepped in to rescue her.

“Her daughter in the US gave birth and she wants to apply for visa
to.,.” He was explaining calmly when my wife cut in again, a little,
forced smile on her face.

“Is your daughter Titi no longer living in Lagos?” She asked.

“She is” Alake replied, frowning slightly.

“At Victoria Island, right?”

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“Yes.”

“Ithink her place is closer to the embassy, why didn’t you stay
with her? Is this place not too far for you? We are almost entering
Epe o”

“Noit’s not too far. I miss Bode, that is why I am here” She said
and I frowned.

“You must really love Bode” I said sarcastically and she smiled,
nodding. “When last did you even see him?” I asked and she
avoided my face. “Have you seen him since the incidence?” I asked
again, intentionally stepping on her conscience.

“No” She replied.

“How can you then miss someone you haven’t seen since he was
four years? This guy is now thirty-two fa” I said again.

“What incidence?” Bode asked and my wife eyed him briefly.

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“Asake, can you excuse us? We want to discuss with our son” My
wife said and Asake shrugged.

“Ican’t leave o. I thought I told you I am expecting a visitor” She

said firmly and my wife started laughing.

“When your visitor comes, we will let you know. For now, excuse
us!” I asked authoritatively on behalf of my sarcastic laughing
wife.

“But daddy and mummy, she is also your family member na. Why
are you trying to chase her away from…” Bode was saying when
my wife removed a slipper from her leg and aimed it at his head.
Thank God he dodged it.

“Mum, what is that for?” He asked, obviously bewildered.

“We said we want a personal time with you, don’t we know what
we are talking about?” My wife asked angrily.

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“Nonetheless honey, this is a family man, not your once, little baby
boy, Bode” I said, trying to ease the tension in the room.

“Daddy,please tell her” He said sharply too like a small innocent

boy who is trying to be stubborn.

“Sorry,oya, help me throw my slippers. Pele (Sorry)” My wife said,

reluctantly. Bode brought the slippers to her leg and she slipped
her beautiful foot in it.

“So, Asake…” I was saying when she jumped up suddenly.

“I am leaving already, hmmmm, don’t kill me with your boring

family matters” Asake said, sighed and started moving out of the
sitting room. My wife looked at her disgustingly as she left. When
she was out of view, my wife went to the TV, increased the volume
so it was blaring loudly and resumed back at her seat.

“What is that for?” I asked and she smiled.

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“The walls have ears. But with this noise, even the walls will have
to struggle to hear what we have to say” She said and I shook my
head, laughing so loudly.

Bode looked so lost.

“What is the matter?” He asked and my wife cleared her throat.

“Bode,why have you not gone to see your child at the hospital?”
She asked.

“Nothing” He said, blankly,

“Iam highly disappointed in you Bode. If someone had told me

that you will become a wife beater, a bad father and all, I would
have argued it out” She started and I sighed, shaking my head. My
wife was starting on a wrong note.

“Mum, why are you giving me all these bad qualities? Did that
godforsaken girl say anything about me to you?” He asked and I
was lost for a while.

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“Who is the godforsaken girl, if I may ask?” I said and he stuttered

for a while.

“Lara of course!” He said eventually and I shook my head.

“How can you call your…” I was saying when my wife stood up.

“What is the definition of a godforsaken person, Mr. Bode?” She

asked, walking close to him, anger on her face. “Your wife and
your children, all that you have are in the hospital and you are
here playing love with your aunt. The aunt that you know nothing
about, Bode. What is your…” She raised her voice when Bode
stood up at once, looking very fiercely into her face.

“Youcannot, I repeat, you cannot come into my own house and

command things, mum!” He shouted, wrapping his fists into balls.
My wife looked really scared at that. The anger in her face
metamorphosed into fear. I saw as her jaws dropped and she
began to hit Bode’s chest softly.

“Ilove you my son. I love you” She began to weep. I covered my

face with my right hand, confused. I didn’t know what exactly to
do next. “I want your family to be even sweeter than my own
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family but I am not happy that…” She kept saying when Bode
pushed her hands off his chest. He sat down and placed his two
legs on the table.

“You shouldn’t just hear something from Lara and judge the whole
thing by her words. She is simply a foolish girl and I am done with
her for good. Period” He said and I blinked hard, not believing my
ears.

“You are done with your wife?” I asked.

“Iam done, period!” He shouted and I sighed deeply. My wife fell

against him suddenly, beating his laps.

“Ididn’t raise you this way, Bode?” She wept. “How can you say
that you are done with Lara? The Lara that you still surprised
with a car last month; the Lara that you still told me about last
week, saying she is a wonderful wife to you…”

“That was last week. Things changed this week when she didn’t
want to see my family member.” He said firmly and my wife
wailed.

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“Something is wrong with my son ooo, ehn! Bode, have you even
met this woman before? How did you know that she is a family
member?”

“Ihave heard you talk about Asake many times. I met her on
Facebook recently and she sent me an old picture where she was
carrying me at one year old”

“And you instantly wanted to connect with her without even

informing me?” My wife asked, going all emotional.

“She said it should be a surprise” He said and my wife started to

beat her thighs. When I realized that Bode was out of context, I
knew it was not something that should be handled slightly, so I
pulled my wife out of the sitting room, dragging her outside to
calm her down. She was sweating profusely, tears pouring out of
her eyes.

“Honey,
you can see that there are some manipulations
somewhere. You can see that Bode is under an influence.”

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“I can see oooo” She wailed. I patted her shoulder.

“Honey, that influence is obviously not an influence from God but

from the devil. It is like alcohol, but even higher. Therefore, you
cannot fight that devilish influence with the tool of the devil.
Anger, fear, agitations, sadness and all you are expressing now are
tools from your flesh instead of from your spirit. It will only
worsen situations.” I said and watched her weep for a while.

“I am sorry. I guess I actually became too emotional”

“You will do me a favor of going to the hospital now. Go and meet

Lara and start to pray. The head of their family is sick and of
course, when the head is sick, the body will be not be safe. We
must not lose Jemimah and we can’t stop life from going out of
her but whining and complaining. We have to swing into the
action of serious prayers.”

“Hmmmmm. But I can’t leave you alone with them in this house.
That is like one over three.” She said, fearfully and I started
laughing.

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“Honey, they that are with me are more than they that are with
them. Moreso, you people will be praying for me from the hospital
too, right?” I asked and she sighed.

After much reluctance, she agreed and we started moving to the

gate as I looked for an available Uber car online for her.

We stayed in front of the gate, waiting for the car to arrive when a
taxi stopped in front of the house.

A lady, indecently dressed with a very small top-like gown and a

bum shorts with different colours on her face and a waist-long
blonde hair on her head jumped down, chewing gum like a call
girl.

As she approached the gate, I stopped her.

“Where are you going to?” I asked.

“Excuse me, who are you?” She asked and my wife faced her.

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“Who are you? What are you doing in our son’s house?” She asked
and the lady smiled shortly, bowing slightly.

“Wow! Mother and father!” She bowed again. “Forgive me. I am a

friend to Bode. I am actually here to see him” She said.

“Like this?” My wife asking, pointing at her from head to toe. The
lady smiled.

“Hey Niyi!” She called at the gateman. Niyi came out. “Please tell
popcy and momcy that I am being expected by Bode” She said and
Niyi replied in the affirmative.

My wife looked into my face as the lady bounced inside, shutting

the gate behind her.

“Darling,who is that girl? What is she doing in our son’s house?

Where did Bode meet that kind of…” She was asking when the
Uber car that was to pick her up stopped in front of the house.

I ushered her into the car, despite all her struggles.

“Ican’t leave you alone here with these human beings. I am so

scared” She started crying.
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“Iwill be fine, honey. All will be well. Go and pray for us” I said
with a finality, waved at the driver and he drove off.

I sighed immediately the car was out of sight and turned to look at
my son’s house.

“Oh God! Why am I so scared? Why is the situation this scary,

Lord?” I muttered.

“Have mercy and take over!” I said as I entered through the gate.

Take over, Lord!

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CHAPTER 6
BODE’S MOTHER

I looked into Lara’s face but I couldn’t decipher what was on her
mind.

She looked so sad and far away.

She sighed intermittently, picked up her daughter’s weak, almost

lifeless hands and sighed again. She hadn’t even eaten! No matter
what I said to convince her to eat, she wouldn’t bulge.

By the time I got to the General Hospital, I learnt they had been
referred to an Indian Hospital in Victoria Island after an x-ray had
detected a big issue in Jemmy’s skull. I had to go down to the
hospital.

As soon as the Chief consultant at the Indian Hospital saw the

report from the General Hospital, he immediately ordered for a CT
scan to be done. He afterwards took it to a medical conference so
it would be interpreted. He said he would be joining us after the
conference to know the next step to take.

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That made her so tensed and she wouldn’t even look into my face
no matter how hard I tried.

She jumped up immediately the door creaked. The doctor entered

with two nurses behind him. He held a white file in his right hand.

“Areyou sure it was simply a shoe that was used to hit Jemmy’s
head?” He asked and Lara nodded. The doctor shook his head.
“Why is the effect that deep then? Like a whole mortal was used
against her head”

“Ah, doctor!” Lara exclaimed, her eyes widening. She pulled her
gown in between her legs and started some uneasy dancing on a
spot. “What are we going to do, now?”

“We will need the intervention of a traumatic brain injury

specialist to see Jemmy.” He said and I jumped up at once,
holding my chest in utmost shock. “If you agree and sign this
form, we will send the CT scan result to him so we can know what
to do”

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“Butdoctor, talk to me. I am a medical doctor too. What exactly is

wrong?” I asked and he smiled.

“Well, for now, she will need an intracranial pressure monitoring”

“What! Is her brain swollen?”

“Obviously! That is what the CT Scan says” He replied.

“Jesuuuuuus!” Lara screamed, stamping her legs against the floor.

“Please sign this form so we can employ the help of the specialist.”
He said and handed the form over to her. “It is going to be very
costly but it is necessary”

“3 million naira?” Lara asked and the doctor nodded. “No problem.
I will sign it right away” She said but I collected the form from her
and smiled at the doctor.

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“We will get back to you sir, as soon as we have consulted with
other members of our family” I said and he nodded, smiling too.

“Be fast about it because obviously, if the brain is too pressured,

there can be a damage to it” He said and I nodded. “Here is
another letter you need to help me fill, please” He said and handed
a typed letter to me. “I reported the assault to the police already”
He said and my eyes widened.

“What!”

“Yeah! It will be a criminal offense to administer treatment to an

assaulted person, especially kids without making the proper
reports” He explained. Lara walked up to me and collected the
form.

“Give me your pen, doctor” She said and the doctor extended a pen
to her.

“Asake… what is her surname, mummy?” She asked and I stood

there, glued to a spot.

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“My daughter, we have to take this issu…” I was explaining when

she faced me squarely.

“When this same woman poisoned your son years back, mum,
didn’t your report to the police?” She asked and I nodded. “This is
me being a mother too! This is me being the only parent Jemmy
has! We need to stop this woman from perpetrating evil” She said
and I nodded, smiling shortly and ruefully.

“Adeniran is her surname” I said and she quickly filled the name
on the letter, signed and handed it over to the doctor.

“Thank you. Kindly inform me as soon as you are ready for the
specialist” He said and I nodded. “And be fast!” He added.

He moved to Jemmy’s bed, adjusted the oxygen cap on her nose,

check the IV flow, pecked Jemmy’s forehead and started walking
out of the room.

As soon as he had left with the two nurses, Lara ran to my side.

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“Mummy, why didn’t you allow me sign the form? I need to do the
needf…” She was saying when I smiled.

“One, we have to inform your husband, no matter how sick he is.

Two, we shouldn’t be too hasty when we have not even prayed
about this issue” I said and she stood up, walked to the wall
beside us and started hitting it severally like a boxer. She kept
blowing, hitting and punching until her knuckles were bleeding.

I was shocked!

I was more shocked when she started walking to me with her two
hands bleeding. She had a sad smile on her face as she looked me
in the eyes with tears.

“You see how my hands are bleeding, mummy?” She asked and
started laughing in a very sad way. She would laugh and cry and
laugh and cry again. I nodded, quite scared. “That is how I will
destroy the whole of Bode’s body if anything happens to my
daughter” She said as tears strolled down her face. She snatched
the form from my hand, signed it and stamped it with her two
blood-stained hands.

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“Iwant to go and submit this to the doctor as a deed of

agreement.” She said and started moving to the door. I ran after
her and knelt before her.

“Lara, please, let us…” I was saying when she pecked my forehead,
staining it with tears and sweat from her hot, dripping body.

“Thisis how I will kiss your forehead the day I get my daughter
back hale and hearty” She said, smiling. “But it would be a
goodbye kiss because I would be done with your son, finally by
then!” She said with a finality, went out of the ward and banged
the door behind her.

I held my chest in shock.

“Oh Lord, Jesus! Please intervene! Please Father, take charge of

everything! Lord, please take charge of everything” I cried as I
walked to Jemmy’s side. I picked my Bible from my bag, knelt
beside her bed and picked her hand.

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I wanted to pray but seeing her weak face and her shut eyes, I
could only weep!

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BODE’S DAD

“My son, I really love your house. You are doing a very good job
taking care of your family” I said as Bode drove us back home. He
smiled and looked into my face.

“Butmy wife would never see that o, daddy. I am taking a very

good care of her but she’s an ingrate!” He replied.

“Why do you say so? She doesn’t thank you?” I asked and he
shook his head.

“She does, actually”

“So, why is she an ingrate?” I asked, gently.

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“Why wouldn’t she want my family member in our house?” He

asked and I smiled.

“But did you inform her before bringing the woman home?”

“No, I didn’t”

“Why? She doesn’t inform you when she wants to bring her own
people around?”

“She does, I do too actually but on this case, I decided to keep it

from everybody. I wanted it to be a surprise, reuniting with my
long-lost aunt” He said and I smiled.

“Your aunt told you to do it that way? To keep it from us all?”

“Yes. And my wife also loves surprises, so I agreed but if you see
the way she attacked me the day she saw Mama, ah, she looked
like a fierce lion” He said and I started laughing.

“Bode, my son!” I hailed him.

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“Daddy,daddy!” He hailed too. I turned to look at the back seat

where Jeddy lay, sleeping peacefully.

I had entered the house and was almost asking the young
indecently dressed lady who had entered Bode’s house where she
was from when my wife’s call came in. She asked me to come over
to the hospital to pick Jeddy up as Jemmy had been transferred to
another hospital.

I was about going to do the bidding when the Holy Spirit

instructed me to ask Bode to tag along. He refused at first but
after a while, he obliged, promising his ‘visitor’ that he would be
back soon.

Immediately I got to the car, I started to fill the whole place with
the Blood of Jesus. I prayed silently as we joked and drove to the
hospital. As soon as we had picked Jeddy up and I realized that
she was asleep, I knew it was time to fire up my questions.

“But has she done that to any of your family members before?”

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“No, dad”

“So,did you ask her why she did so to this aunt?” I asked, still
smiling peacefully. He shook his head.

“NoI didn’t. I was really furious that she would even question my
authority” He said and I nodded.

“You could have asked her, my dear. You see, Lara prays a lot
right?”

“Awhole lot, dad. She seems like a soldier when she starts
praying.” He laughed. “Lara!” He exclaimed and laughed some
more. “But I love her for that o. I really do” He added.

“That is it, my dear son. Generally speaking, women are more

spiritually sensitive than men. This awareness that something is
happening spiritually brings them to pray. That is why, if a man
can be humble enough to listen to them as regards some issues
before making a final decision, they will never be led astray.”

“Oh, yeah?”

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“Yes!” I said and placed my hand prayerfully on his shoulder.

“Hmmm…well, I actually do that. I listen to her. I hear what she

has to say before making decisions but on this my aunt’s case, I
wasn’t just ready to…”

“Why?” I asked. “Have you thought about it? Why?” I asked and I
shook his head.

“No, I don’t even know. We just must have a deep connection,

that’s all” He said and I shook my head.

“Do you know what Proverbs 16:28 says? ‘It is honesty and love
that build a marriage, not the recommendations of outsiders…and
a gossip separates close friends’”

“Oh wow!” He exclaimed.

“Bose has told you so much about your marriage, right?”

“Yes, dad”
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“Thatyour wife is rude and spoilt and too proud?” I asked and he
looked into my eyes, shocked.

“How do you know that, dad?” He asked and I smiled.

“That she is barren because she has just two kids for you?” I
asked and he brought the car to a halt suddenly, looking into my
calm face with a lot of shock and questions on his face.

“Yes, dad! She said that!” He exclaimed. I smiled.

“Thatyou need a new wife to give you more children and teach
Lara how to be submissive” I added and he scratched at his head
suddenly.

“Yes, dad! You are so correct! But, how do you know that?”

“She did the same thing to me when my marriage was five and you
were four”

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“What? Did what? Told you that mum is proud and spoilt and
barren and that you need a new wife to give you children and
teach mum a lesson?”

“Yes, my son!”

“But why would she do that? Mum is her cousin!”

“My son!” I smiled, really grateful to God that the Holy Spirit was
having serious control over the conversation. “She even poisoned
you and was sent to prison for ten years for that” I concluded and
sweat broke out on his face.

“It
is a lie! Dad, that is a lie!” He exclaimed, holding my knee. “But
how am I not able to discern that? Why did I agree to…”

“Son, it is hypnosis! It’s not normal, it’s fetish. Once one is a target
for these wicked influences and one is careless, immediately the
enemy fires some hypnotic arrows at one, it would work!”

“Wow! How?”

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“Did you eat anything from her?”

“Yes dad. She brought vegetables from home as she was com…”

“Thatis one of the ways they attack. One must watch exactly what
one eats. You must sanctify it with the Blood of Jesus! And you
must be on guard spiritually every time!”

“Oh my God! So, dad, you were hypnotized too?”

“No,she came with the hypnosis on her tongue to tell me negative

things about my wife but I was spiritually alert so I spoke against
her with the Word of God on my own tongue too.”

“Oh my goodness! And she got me! She got me!”

“Yes, she got you! You who loved Lara like anything! You almost
hit her because of your aunt, the aunt you know nothing about!”

“Oh my God!” He broke down into tears. I brought out my phone

and played a short WhatsApp video.

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“See the video you sent to me last Friday” He collected it, started
seeing it and wept louder. “You made that video for your wife,
singing a very loving song for her. You loved her…”

“Ilove her! Oh my! Laraaaaa…” He wept on, holding the phone to

his chest.

“Of course, so, now, can you see that fine, we all need close friends
in whom we can confide and who confide in us. But if that drives
us away from our spouse, we certainly stepped over the line.”

“Oh my!”

“Your beloved Jemmy is in the hospital suffering from a head

injury from the impact of the shoe she had used to hit her head.
Now, her brain is being monitored so it doesn’t get damaged!” I
said and he held my hands suddenly.

“Dad, you said what???”

“I
am telling you! Son, until we know that life is war, we won’t
know what prayer is for. Prayer involves battle against spiritual

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forces in the heavenlies. We are men, so we feel the bulk of

prayers should fall on our wife’s shoulders. How wrong we are!”

“Oh my God!”

“How do you feel about sending your mother or wife out to do

battle while you sit at home?”

“Foolish”

“Yeah! But isn’t that what we’ve been doing when we have looked
at prayer as women’s work? It’s time to take the place of the
warrior, alongside the women, as we do battle together in the
Lord’s strength and victory as a people of prayer.”

“Hmmmm…Oh Lord, God!” He broke down further into tears.

“The Lord expects Christian men to be the spiritual leaders of their

homes. And the truth is, spiritual leaders pray! If a man is not
praying, he is not a spiritual leader. Prayerless men have
abdicated their place of spiritual authority and left their families
open to attack.”

“Oh gracious Father! He raised his hands, shaking with obvious

pain and sadness.

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“Couples that pray together are forging strong bonds that will not
easily break.”

“Hmmm! Hmmm!” He sighed over and over again.

Just as he wept on, Jeddy screamed at once.

“No dad, don’t go!” She screamed, throwing her legs and hands up
as she did.

“See the dogs, don’t go!” She screamed again, her eyes firmly shut
with tears strolling down her face.

Bode turned to look into my face with fear written all over his face.
I sighed as I laid my hands on her head, praying as I did. She
became calm.

“Dad, am I safe? I’m scared! Can you pray for me too?” He asked,
shivering like a lost puppy that had just been rescued from a pool.

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CHAPTER 7
BODE

“Just look at what you have done to your wife. See her over there!
Just look at her” My mum cried as I asked her about the
whereabouts of my wife. When I looked at where she was pointing
at, my heart was shattered!

My own wife, Lara was seated on a staircase not too far from the
ward, looking so lean. Her head was buried between her laps and
her long, beautiful hair was unkempt.

I couldn’t wait to console my mum since her own husband was

beside her, holding and petting her. I walked briskly towards the
staircase and slowed down as soon as I almost reached her. I
walked sadly towards her, unsure of exactly what to say to her.

“Lara” I called out and she stretched her folded legs first and then
raised her head, slowly as if, if she did it any faster, the neck
would break off.

When our eyes met, my teeth couldn’t control themselves. They

gnashed against one another as I fell on my knees before her. Her
eyes were bloody! They were swollen and full of dryness! – as if all

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the tears inside of them had been mopped away! Her nose too was
sore. Her face had grown so lean and long!

My heart ached. I felt like pulling her into a warm embrace. I felt
like pecking her forehead and feeling her heart beat against mine
but the look on her face scared me! She was so close, yet, she felt
so far away! It felt like she had placed a very strong barricade
between us that I couldn’t cross over.

“Who are you?” Her sudden husky voice came and I blinked hard,
almost shedding tears.

“My wife” Was all I could mutter. She looked into my eyes without
blinking, tears rushing to her eyes.

“Your mum didn’t tell you?” She asked and I frowned slightly and
shook my head afterwards. “I am done with you.” She said and my
eyes widened. “I am ending this marriage!” She explained in clear
terms but I still didn’t understand.

“Lara,can you speak in a language that I understand?” I asked,

my heart swelling up within me like the waves of a sea. She stood
up but she staggered like a drunk man, her hands dangling. I
stood up quickly to assist her but she pushed me away!

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I landed on the wall opposite us, holding a side of my head in

pain. Despite looking so weak and powerless, I was so shocked to
see her exerting so much strength on me.

“Do not touch me!” She screamed fiercely. After a short moment of
silence, she started staggering towards me, breathing so fast, yet
so weak. “You, I hate you! You are very bad! I will never, ever, I
mean, never have anything, just anything to do with you” She
said, her voice so weepy.

“Lara, I am so sorry. I was not myself when all these things…” I

was saying when she started shaking herself violently. After a
while, she stopped and then held her head in obvious pain,
panting heavily.

“Don’t you ever say sorry to me! I hate you!” She said very pitifully
again. She said it like she was very disappointed in me, not like
she really hated me. She seemed so lonely and weak and angry.

“Lara, I love you!” I said and she shook her head.

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“Ireally thought you did! How wrong I was!” She said and started
turning away, walking so weakly.

“Lord, have mercy on me” I muttered as I walked behind her very

silently. She turned back suddenly.

“Do not follow me! If you do, I will kill myself! I will break your
bones and then kill myself” She said and staggered on. I wanted to
stop to think about what to do when I suddenly felt the urge in
me. The love I had for Lara from the beginning swept me off my
feet. I ran after her and hugged her tightly from behind, weeping
as I did. She struggled but I couldn’t let her go.

“Iam sorry. I am deeply sorry my darling wife. I am sorry.” I wept

on and on. She kept struggling, screaming ‘Leave me!’ but I just
knew it was a camouflage. I knew she was hurt and needed to be
reassured of my love. I knew I had hurt her trust. I knew I had
been a very bad husband and protector. I just couldn’t leave her.

“Iwas careless! I wasn’t watchful! I allowed the devil to find a way

in our house. I am so sorry.” I wept, shaking vehemently as I held
onto her still. “I forgot that you are my wife. I forgot how much you
prayed for me. I forgot how much you saw ahead what I couldn’t
even see at all! I allowed a hole in our house and deadly foxes
rushed inside to attack us!” I wept on as the understanding of
what had happened dawned on me. At that point, she was no

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longer struggling with me. She had started weeping from her
heart.

“I allowed you to be heartbroken! I allowed my darling daughter to

be attacked right before my eyes, under my own roof! I allowed
Jeddy to see all these negatives. I was supposed to be a husband,
a father, a protector, a head of my family but I left the gate open!”
I cried and she burst out crying at that. She wept so much that
when she started coughing, it felt like her chest would be ripped
out.

I pecked her neck over and over again, staining it with my warm
tears.

“Iam back for good! I want to be a good husband to you again. I

want us to fast and pray together ag. I want us to make decisions
together. I want us to love and express our love again. I want us to
jump at each other in bed and whisper in each other’s ears…” I
said, taking my mouth to her ears. I bit the right lobe. She
shivered, chuckled and wept again.

“That tickles” She said and I smiled.

“Iwant us to fight for Jemmy’s life in prayers. I want us to push

the evil visitor out of our home. I want us to assume our place in
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Christ Jesus again!” I said and she turned to face me. She sobbed
as she looked into my face. Afterwards, she started hitting my
chest softly, sobbing as she did.

“I don’t want to forgive you! I don’t!” She cried.

“Iknow. I know I don’t deserve to be…” I was saying when she

pecked my forehead.

“Why do I love you this much? Why can’t I even control my heart
for once? How can my many days anger suddenly melt away like
this? What is this love?” She asked again and I sighed, smiling
heartily.

“You know I love you more than you love me.” I said and she
started hitting my shoulders, raising her nose as she did.

“Ofcourse, you do!” She said sarcastically. “My love is a million

times greater than yours. That has been proven, time and time
again” She argued.

“Well,
let’s start our marriage all over to prove that. Deal?” I asked
and she smiled, eyeing me.

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“Leave me alone!” She said and I smiled.

“Good girl!” I said, pecking her lips softly. She sighed very deeply
afterwards.

“Marriage is indeed a union of two forgivers! I can’t believe I just

gave in to you. Oh my!” She said and I smiled, holding her hand.

“Thank you so much for forgiving me.” I said “Right now, I need
you to come with me to Jemmy’s ward so we can command
calmness into her body as her parents in cooperation. Afterwards,
you will have a warm bath, eat, study the Word of God and relax.
Everything you need to eat, drink, wear, use and all, I have
dropped in the ward”

“Wow!” She exclaimed, looking all happy. “Thank so much my

darling. Thanks. I suddenly feel so calm! I suddenly feel like there
is a cover over me. I suddenly feel protected. Thanks, my
husband” She said so lovingly.

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BODE

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We were about driving into our compound, when Dad’s phone

rang. He picked it and placed it on loud speaker.

“Hello Honey”

“Hisir, have you people gotten home?” She asked with some
excitement in her voice.

“Yes. But we are yet to drive inside”

“Honey, you won’t believe that after Bode’s prayers for Jemmy, as
soon as you people left this environment, Jemmy’s little finger
moved” She announced with so much glitters in her voice. My eyes
widened as I looked into dad’s eyes. He smiled.

“That is what happens, honey. When the head of the husband

rises up to rebuke the oppressors, they just must leave. In just
few minutes, a praying father and husband would give a total
knockout to the powers that had been oppressing his household
for a long time. Oh my! Oh my!”

“Hmmmm…I know the place and position that God has put our
men but today, I am more awed.” Mum said, so glad.

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“The
Lord will perfect what He has started. It is not just a finger of
Jemmy that will move. She will soon be up, bubbling again in the
Name of Jesus” Daddy prayed. I whispered a firm ‘Amen’

“Amen o. Lara and I are moving out now to pray” Mum said and I
nodded.

“Fantastic!”
Dad exclaimed. “You women should remember that
your men are out here fighting, so pray for us too” Dad said.

“Sure! Our prayer point for you is that the Holy Ghost Fire should
descend upon that house and every occupant in it right now. Let
the Fire wash away every evil implantation in the house and let
every evil visitor and evil properties be expelled out of that house
now in the Name of Jesus!” She said with so much fire in her
voice. Dad smiled.

“God bless you, ladies. We move!” Dad said, hung up and faced
me.

“Areyou ready, son?” He asked and I nodded, stepped on the gas

and raced directly to the gate of our compound.

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The gateman opened the door and I sped in.

Holding my hand for a while, Dad said a very short fiery prayer,
patted me on the shoulder and winked at me to alight from the
car.

I knew it was time for battle!

We were about opening the door to the house when the door
opened by itself. Asake and the young lady she had recommended
to me bounced out, looking so angry.

“Bode, and where have you been?” Asake asked, fuming with
anger. She kept walking towards me like she wanted to enter into
me.

“What does it matter to you, mama?” I asked and she started

laughing loudly.

“You left myself and your wife in the house for a very long time
and you are asking for…”

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“Thisis not my wife in Jesus Name!” I shouted, pointing at the

young lady. “I am married and I know my wife. I know what…” I
was saying when she started moving towards daddy with a very
focused eye.

“Itis this man, right? This man here is the one that is entering
your head and…” He was saying when dad walked towards her,
his hands in his pocket.

“Asake, go inside the house, pack your load and go, now!” He said
authoritatively.

“Never! This is my own house! I was invited into this house and I
will never leave until I am done doing what I want to do!” She said,
poking a finger at my dad’s face.

“The Bible says the stranger shall be afraid and they shall with
fear run out of their closets! I command all you strangers in this
house right now to be roasted! Holy Ghost Fire, descend and
destroy every works of the darkness, now!” I prayed with so much
gusto.

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As the words got out of my mouth, the young lady started itching
her body uneasily and started walking very fast out of the
compound.

“Sandy, where are you going to?” Asake asked but the lady didn’t
answer. She simply kept walking and running at the same time.
“Sandy, your bag is in the house” She called after her but she was
gone.

“Now Asake, go into the house now, pick your belongings and…”
Dad was saying when she rushed at him, pushed him against the
fence, breathing heavily.

“You do not tell me what to do and how to do it. I am here to…”

“Ido not give room for you to talk, oh woman. The atrocities that
you have done in this house is enough. I command you and your
belongings to be rooted out of this house by fire now! The Holy
Ghost Fire should descend upon you and take away…” I was
praying when the gate suddenly opened. Four uniformed men
walked towards us, especially towards Asake who was still holding
dad to the wall.

The policemen rescued dad from her grip and informed her that
she was needed at the station.
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“Stationfor what? Why do I…” She was asking when another

policeman picked her two hands and placed them in a cuff.

As she struggled on, the fire alarm in my house suddenly started

to blare loudly. I looked into dad’s face questionably.

“Isthat fire?” A policeman asked as he walked towards the front

door. We followed behind him very smartly. As he opened the front
door, thick smoke gushed out like heavy flood, blocking
everywhere.

“Whaaaat!” Dad and I exclaimed. I tried to wade in the smoke but

it was too thick. Dad tried it too, it was not possible.

I stood afar off and looked at my house being razed down before
my very eyes. I couldn’t even guess what the cause of the fire
could be.

My dad walked towards me and patted my shoulders. “The

firemen will be here soon” He said and I smiled. I didn’t know how

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to feel exactly. I didn’t know if I should weep or if I should brace

up. I felt so calm.

Neighbors had started coming in with various hoses and buckets.

The more they tried to put the fire off, the more it increased.

“No, there can’t be fire!” Asake screamed suddenly. “There can’t be

fire oooo” She cried, struggling to be set free.

“Why?” A policeman asked.

“Ihave so many things in the house that I can’t bear to lose. I

need to…” She was explaining when I worked towards her.

“Things like what, mama?” I asked her squarely. She had started
crying, itching her body like she was having a bad reaction to a
drug.

“Letme just go inside and bring them out. Let me go inside and
bring them out ooo” She screamed, her face turning red.

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“Tell
me what they are. Just let me know if…” I intentionally
wanted to hear from her. I wanted to know what had been done.

“I will die if those things burn. I will die! Those things must not see
fire! Please let me go and bring them out” She screamed again.
“My throat oooo. My throat oooo. Water!!” She screamed again.
Dad stretched a bottle of water to me which I opened and raised to
her mouth.

As soon as the water greeted her tongue, she spat it out.

“Fire!
You have fire in your bottle! Why?” She wept, throwing her
tongue out for fresh air intermittently. I tried to feel the bottle I
was holding and it was very cold! I knew something was fishy and
I wanted to get to the roots of the matter.

“Mama, what did you keep in the house?”

“My things. I kept some in your children’s room. Some on your

bed. Some in the kitchen. Some in the store. I sprayed it
everywhere and it must not see fire! They said I will die if those
things see fire!”

“What are the things mama?”

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“Seeds?” She said and I looked into dad’s face.

“Seed of what?” I asked but she couldn’t answer me. She kept
trying to wriggle out of the police grip, looking at the burning
house with her mouth suspended. The policemen started to drag
her away like a sack of beans. She wailed aloud as she was being
bundled out.

As the firemen drove their big, red water tanker into our
compound, I moved to a side of the fence, picked up my phone
and tried to call my wife to inform her about the latest. As she
picked, all I could hear from afar was ‘Fire! Fire! Fire! Holy Ghost
Fire! Burn, Fire of God!’

I looked at dad, placed the phone on speaker and smiled.

“See the main cause of the fire, dad!” I announced, laughing so

deeply. I just couldn’t believe it! I knew that so much had gone
wrong in my house and all. I had been thinking of how to cleanse
the house and restore everything back to how it was. But who on
earth would have thought that two ladies, praying in one corner of
one hospital miles away would literally set the whole house on
fire?

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The Holy Ghost Fire!

“Isthe house insured?” Dad asked me as we eventually went

around the ruins shortly after the firemen had left.

“Yes, it is fully insured” I said, smiling.

“Thank God. I was already worried for you. This is really a very
difficult time for you” He said, sighing. I wouldn’t stop smiling.

“But this still feels so surreal to me! Just because a visitor entered
our house, my house was taken; my daughter’s health was
attacked, one of my cars was destroyed; my marriage was almost
destroyed too! Whaaat!”

“Yes!That is the devil for you! He will promise you a thing and
take one hundred things from you in return!” Dad said and I
nodded.

“Hmmmm…wow!”

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“We have different kinds of visitors. Some would come to our

house with nothing but will leave with plenty. Some will come and
leave as they are. Some people would come and leave us better
than they met us. Some would come with very bad intentions and
take so many things from us. Each person that comes to visit has
a different mission, a different spirit backing him or her, a
different aura and touch” He explained on.

“Hmmm”

“That is why my wife and I would always pray that no one will
come to our house to inflict pains and afflictions on us! That if the
person is planning such visit, the Lord should stop such! Or that
even if the person succeeds and comes over, our house should
become too hot and not conducive for them. Our house is a
habitation of the Presence of the Lord and it should remain so!”

“Hmmm….wow!” I exclaimed as I took pictures of the ruins. “This

whole ordeal, rather than break me has even left me very blessed,
dad!” I said and he looked into my face. “I have learnt so many
lessons in the past few days that I had never known in the past
thirty something years of my life!”

“Hmmmm…thanks be to God! Being able to see the positive in all

negativity is strength, boy! I doff my hat” He said and I started
laughing.

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“Dad, please stop!” I said, still laughing.

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CHAPTER 8
LARA...

“Okay, let us plan towards next month then. I have a whole lot to
do this season, plus I have a new baby to nurture.” My husband
finally agreed after months of pleading with him to allow us go
visit his aunt, Asake who had been released from the prison
because of her ill health.

“Which baby? Are you the one feeding him?” I teased and we
laughed together.

“Nurturing is not all about feeding, you know?” He said, smiling

sheepishly. I raised my nose at me as my baby belched loudly, his
eyes shutting up as he fell into the warm arms of sleep.

Few weeks after the Aunty Asake saga, we got to know that I was
few weeks pregnant. We were so shocked and happy altogether.
We had been looking forward to giving the twins a baby sibling but
it had seemed impossible for like two years.

Even though my husband was always saying he didn’t care

whatever the sex of the baby was in the first trimester, I could tell
he wanted a baby boy. I knew he didn’t want to be ‘the man from

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the gods’ among three ‘ladies’. So, well, God gave him his heart’s
desire!

The day the scan revealed that it was a boy, he was mad with joy!
He almost pecked the radiologist who had presented the result to
us out of joy!

The baby served as a bridge of reconciliation between us both. He

wouldn’t let me do anything! He got me almost everything I needed
before I asked. He would pray for me. He would tickle me till I
rolled over.

After such storm, especially the battle for Jemmy’s life, the
pregnancy was such a blessing! A comfort! And the Lord made it a
very easy ride for me. There was no spectacular discomfort during
the pregnancy. When I named him ‘Comfort’ and people say its
feminine, I would only smile and nod at them. Only I understood
exactly why I named him that!- His father named him ‘Bliss’
though and people prefer that.

But when I heard that Aunty Asake had been released from the
prison because of her ill health and that we should go and check
on her, my husband wouldn’t even answer me.

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“With this huge tummy and my precious baby? We should go and

greet that woman? Like seriously?” He had come against me
strongly. I knew how he felt but I was afraid that even though he
said he had forgiven her, he might not have totally let go.

Immediately Bliss turned two months, therefore, I quickly

presented my proposition again and I was glad that gradually, the
fence he built around his heart was falling apart.

“But honey, next month might be too late” I said, rubbing the back
of my baby boy that I had just breastfed. Bode moved towards me
and carried him, dancing with him in his huge arms, pecking him
intermittently.

“Honey” I called for his attention again but he wouldn’t look at me.
I was about calling him again when he looked at me, calmly.

“When do you want us to go?”

“Tomorrow” I said and his jaw dropped.

“Tomorrow? Who are we going to leave the children with?” He

asked, obviously disagreeing with my plans.
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“We will go with them, obviously” I said and he looked at me in

disbelief.

“Nothing is going to happen to us all honey! I have peace in my

spirit about it” I said and he sighed.

“We will pray about it tonight. By morning, if God is saying ‘yes’ to

this, we take off, then” He said and I smiled heartily, going
towards his side and planting a peck on his lips.

“You are such a darling!” I said with glee. I had seriously wanted to
see Aunty Asake. I desired to see her and if nothing preach Christ
to her. I felt sorry for being a part of her being ‘roasted’ and cast
into the prison. I knew it was a divine judgment that Heaven
served her, yet, I desired to see her in order to introduce her to
light.

I had just finished spinning some clothes when the telephone in

the phone rang. I picked it up.

“Yes honey!”

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“Can you come downstairs? We have a visitor” He said and I

frowned slightly, knitting my brows.

“Avisitor?” I asked when the line dropped. I quickly washed my

hands in the sink, changed my top and slid into a comfortable
pair of slippers.

As I descended the stairs, I saw someone that looked like Abel, my

husband’s cousin seated. I smiled as I walked towards them.

“Is this not Abel?” I asked to be really sure. He looked really

different from the last time I saw him at our wedding.

After exchanging pleasantries, he cleared his throat and handed a

white envelope to my husband. My husband handed Bliss to me
and started to unfold the letter.

“What is this? Your WAEC result?” He asked, still unfolding it.

“No sir. Mama Asake wrote you a letter. She asked me to bring it
to you” He said and my eyes widened.

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“Wow! I exclaimed excitedly.

“Who writes letter in this age?” My husband questioned.

“I
asked her to let me type and send via e-mail but she refused.
She said I must come to this place to deliver it” He said and my
husband cleared his throat.

“Ihope it’s not a letter bomb o” He said quite skeptically. Abel

chuckled but I simply raised my nose at my husband.

“Let me read it if you are not reading, abeg” I said and he spread
the letter widely, placing it before us in a way that we could both
read comfortably.

TO MAKE IT IN THIS WORLD, ONE MUST HAVE A POWER! ONE

MUST BE CONNECTED TO A POWER! ONE MUST HOLD ON TO A
POWER! THERE ARE TWO POWERS IN THE WORLD. THERE ARE
TWO WAYS. EITHER THE GOOD OR THE BAD. EITHER THE
POSITIVE OR THE NEGATIVE. EITHER THE GENUINE OR THE
FAKE! THE CHOICE IS OURS TO MAKE!”

WHILE I CHOSE THE BAD, THE NEGATIVE AND THE FAKE,

WHICH LANDED ME A FIERY ATTACK, YOU CHOSE THE GOOD,
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THE POSITIVE AND THE GENUINE WHICH INSTEAD OF

ATTACKING YOU WAS A FENCE AROUND YOU! A FENCE OF
FIRE! IT MAKES YOU UNTOUCHABLE! IT MAKES YOU
PROTECTED! YOU ARE SECURE IN IT!

DO I REGRET EVERYTHING? YES, I DID! NO, I DON’T! OH YES! I

DID REGRET HAVING TO TOUCH YOU AND RECEIVING SOME
FIREBALLS IN MY BODY AS A RESULT BUT I DO NOT REGRET
IT NOW BECAUSE I CAN SEE THAT NO MATTER HOW HARD I
TRIED, I WAS JUST NO MATCH FOR THAT POWER IN YOU,
AROUND YOU AND ON YOU! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH
GOD!

I AM GLAD THAT EVEN THOUGH MY MORTAL BODY IS

DETERIORATING, I HAVE A HOPE! I HAVE A HOPE OF GETTING
A NEW BODY IN ETERNITY! THE BODY OF IMMORTALITY. I AM
GLAD THAT THAT ENCOUNTER OF FIRE BROUGHT ME TO THE
LORD. EVEN WHEN I DIE NOW, I AM SURE HEAVEN WOULD
REJOICE WITH SINGING AND JOY.

I THOUGHT I SHOULD LET YOU KNOW THAT EVEN IF YOU DO

NOT MEET LIFE IN ME WHEN YOU EVENTUALLY VISIT, YOU
SHOULD REJOICE WITH ME THAT I AM IN A SAFE PLACE
FOREVER!

CONTINUE TO HIDE UNDER THAT FIRE! I SAW THAT FIRE!

BODE, LARA, BE UNITED! UNITY IN MARRIAGE IS ESSENTIAL
FOR VICTORY! THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
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ARE SO UNITED! THEY ARE THREE, YET ONE! SUCH UNITY!

WHEN YOU ARE DIVIDED, ANYONE CAN COME BETWEEN YOU
BUT WHEN YOU STICK TOGETHER UNITEDLY, IT WILL BECOME
A HERCULEAN TASK FOR ANY DIVIDER TO BRING YOU APART!
WITH UNITY, YOU CAN DO AND UNDO. WITHOUT UNITY, YOU
WILL BE DONE AND UNDONE!

HOW IS MY JEMIMAH? I BELIEVE SHE IS NOW BETTER. I

BELIEVE SHE CAN NOW MAKE USE OF HER RIGHT HAND.
EVEN AS JOB’S DAUGHTER WHOSE NAME YOUR BABY BEARS
WAS FAIRER THAN ALL THE LADIES OF THE EARTH, BECAUSE
OF THE GLOWING BEAUTY OF THE LORD UPON HER, THE
BEAUTY OF YOUR DAUGHTER, NO MAN CAN TOUCH! SHE IS
CONTINUALLY HID IN CHRIST JESUS! ALWAYS PUT IN GOOD
WORDS FOR ME BEFORE HER. I AM REALLY SORRY.

GREETINGS TO JEDIDIAH, A SISTER WHO IS A TRUE LOVER.

MAY THE LORD BIND HER AND HER SISTER TOGETHER IN
LOVE. I REALLY ADMIRE HER STRENGTH.

I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH ONE ADMONITION- ‘PRAY WITHOUT

CEASING!’ THE DEVIL LIKE A ROARING LION WALKS ABOUT
SEEKING WHOM TO DESTROY! PRAY ON! FIGHT ON! KEEP
BEING UNDIVIDEDLY UNITED!

ASAKE.

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By the time we were done reading, I was soaked in tears. I wept so

vehemently. I was glad that a sinner had come home. I was glad
that she had realized what she had done and felt sorry for it! Yet, I
was full of gratitude to the Lord!

If she had successfully divided my family, she might have still met
with the Lord and my own marriage would have still been in
shambles!

I was glad that the best Planner in the world planned it all! He
restored our own home graciously and also worked out her
salvation!

“Hmmmm…Glory be to the Lord” My husband said with a loud

sigh, rubbing his hand over his head. “Wow!” He exclaimed again.

“Where is she now? Is she still in Akure?” I asked, tears still

flowing down my face.

“Yes, aunty” Abel replied

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“We will go and see her tomorrow” My husband said and I smiled
at him, rubbing his hand lovingly.

“Thank you so much” I whispered. I felt really glad.

Abel’s phone rang and he smiled at us.

“It’s
grandma” He said and I smiled. I loved every talk about my
wonderful mother-in-law!

A mother indeed!

A mother who joined forces with my weak army to pull down the
strongholds of the enemy. Sweet mother!

He raised the phone to his ears.

“Hello
grandma…I am fine ma…My journey was fine ma; I am with
my uncle now…Okay ma” He said and brought the phone to my
husband who placed it on loudspeaker.

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“Hello mummy, ekaale ma”

“Kaale o”

“What’s wrong with you? You voice sounds so down, mummy” I

said and my husband nodded too.

“What’s the matter, mum?”

“Asake just died!” She dropped the bomb that deafened me for a
few minutes. My husband collected Bliss from my hands as I
stood up in shock. Abel jumped up too, placing his hand on his
head.

“Died?How? When? Where?” I scattered the atmosphere with so

many questions.

“Just now! She just passed away!” She said and sighed.

“Oh my God! Oh my God!” I exclaimed as I held my chest in shock,

tears running down my face.

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If only we had gone earlier!

If only my husband had agreed with me!

“Though it’s painful” Mummy started saying again. “I am glad that

she went home!” She said and I settled down in a settee again,
sobbing. My husband looked into my face and wiped my tears with
his hands.

“Beforeshe passed away, she looked much beautiful than she ever
was! Her rugged, burnt body looked better and fresher- and she
was singing beautifully! She kept singing ‘Oh Lord, my God when I
in awesome wonder consider all…” Mummy explained and my
head swelled the more as my heart exploded within me.

“Wow! Wow!” My husband exclaimed.

“She smiled all through as she wiped my tears. She looked so

hopeful and joyful! She wanted to wait for you people to come and
visit her but she said ‘I need to go now. I need to go now. This
place is not beautiful! See the beautiful city, see Jerusalem! See,
can’t you see?’ That was what she kept saying” Mummy cried.

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“Wow! Aunty Asake? Wow!” My husband exclaimed, blinking really

fast that I knew he was hiding his tears.

“Forgive her! Please forgive her” Mummy said, sniffing wetly.

“Who are we not to forgive?” My husband asked. “I read her letter

few minutes ago and I was like, ah, Lord, if someone who had dug
hands with the devil to eat like this can still make it to Heaven,
You must keep me Lord. In the Hollow of Your Hands, keep me
Lord!” He said, sniffing wetly.

“Iwill miss her though!” He said again, very emotionally. “Like,

very seriously!” He said, handed Bliss back to me and started
walking up the stairs, the letter in his hand.

“Mummy, we will discuss the burial arrangements on WhatsApp,

right?” I asked and mummy sighed.

“Yes, we will.” She said and we ended the call.

I am glad that even though my mortal body is deteriorating, I have

a hope! I have a hope of getting a new body in eternity! The body of

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immortality. I am glad that that encounter of fire brought me to

the lord. Even when I die now, I am sure heaven would rejoice
with songs of joy!

I remembered those words from her letter and sighed.

What a God!

What a Power!

What a testimony!

What an end!

THE END.

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