OPEN SECRET
CHAPTER TWO
Okegbemi Ebenezer
Anita rushed down to the house of Blessing so that the two of them can go and visit the herbalist. She hides her bible in one of the corner of the house. Blessing was getting ready when she entered.
“I pray that we are able to see the end of my mother-in-law, ahh, this is one of the reasons I always pray that my mother-in-law should die before I meet the man I want to marry” Blessing soliloquies to herself while she was applying the last touch of make up on her face.
“Blessing, don’t tell me you are not ready. I hope you know that I have prayer meetings with pastor and the prayer warriors in church today, so delay is dangerous” Anita adjusted her scarf in the mirror as she placed her bible in a corner of the room.
“Hmm, I hope things work out well” Blessing replied and tied her scarf. They moved out of the house in haste.
The journey to the herbalist place was far that they went through several villages and eventually moved towards the direction of a bush. Blessing was looking tired and confused.
“But you didn’t tell me that the place is as far as this” Blessing questioned.
“If I had told you about the distance, you will not want to come. Anyways, it is good we are there now, so you will have to talk with the baba and tell him what you need” Anita said to her and smiled.
Blessing in between fear and anxiety entered into the shrine of the herbalist.
“You are welcome my daughter. You see before your arrival to this place, my gods had shown me why you are here” The herbalist said to her.
“Ahh, baba, it is true and ….” He told her to remain silent as he was trying to listen to what his gods were telling him
“I should tell her to present her mother-in-law with this white cloth as present, if she collects it, she would be affected” The herbalist voiced out the words of his gods.
“You can hear the gods, go and present her with this white cloth and ensure that she collects it, you can also add some other materials to make it presentable. Once she collects it from you, she is finished. It is either she becomes paralyze or die before the wedding so put your mind at rest.” The herbalist assured her while she nods in acceptance.
Blessing thanked the herbalist and jumped to her feet as she rushed out to meet Anita who was waiting outside.
“I am sorry, I couldn’t go inside with you, I hope you know that we are fasting in the church today, so I don’t want something that would spoil my anointing” Anita apologized to her while Blessing looked at her scornfully.
“You!! fasting, you!!!…wonders shall never ends. Anyways, it went well, I am to give her this white cloth and all I wish will happen to her” Blessing replied.
“Really, thank God for that…I wish you success ahead” Anita prayed for her.
Anita and Blessing were friends on campus during their undergraduate days, they were best of friends that shares everything in common. Both were living a wayward life before they gave their life to Christ even though Blessing decided to go to church because of John whom she believed that she can win over to her side by being dedicated in the church and same goes to Anita. The two friends were both interested in John because of his calm nature and wealth. It took a long time of quarrel and settlement before Anita decided to let go of John because she was the one who introduced John to Blessing.
“I pray it works” The two friends journeyed back to the house while they pass through the long journey. “I swear I will not follow you to this place again” Blessing said to Anita who concentrated on the driving.
“Says who? I hope so” She replied and faced her driving.
They got home and blessing quickly changed her dress and went to her mother-in-laws house…
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John, I must say, you are a man. Do you know that it is not easy to abstain from pre-marital s*x even when you know that you are marrying the lady and only just two to three days to your wedding” Pastor Lawrence said to him.
“You are right sir, it was not easy but we have to obey it and concerning the pregnancy test you asked us to run, do we still need it” John asked the pastor.
“Yes, that’s how weddings are being conducted in this church, we are strict with everything we do” The pastor affirmed it again.
“But sir, we did two weeks ago, so why the need for another one again” He queried.
“You see, it is the rules of the church and it is a must we must do it and this time it would be by the church doctor not the one you did outside. We are only doing this to make things easier and to avoid unnecessary troubles” Pastor Lawrence smiled and gave John the look of have you engage in s3x.
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“Who is that knocking on my door like that; do you want to break it?” Mama “Nonsense” as she is popularly called shouted from within.
“I am” Blessing answered squeezing her face and hissed silently.
“It is only God that is ‘I am’ so identify yourself” She knew it was Blessing that was there judging by her tone but she decided to make her suffer a bit outside the gate.
“Blessing mama, it is me” She replied.
“Oh, it is you. The bat does not walk about in the day, what brought you to my house” She asked without opening the door.
“I want to see you mummy and I brought a gift for you”
“A gift, you can’t bribe me nor can you win me over, I already told you that if it remains just few minutes for you to be wedded, it will not happen” She vowed and hissed.
“Ahh, mama”
“What happen to your throat, you swallowed fish bone…You of all people, you have the guts to go and get a white cloth from an herbalist to cripple and kill me. You are still a child. Oh, I am now a fool right. Blessing, you will go back and tell your herbalist that you came home but didn’t meet me because I am more spiritually fortified and let this serve as warning to you, if you try what you do today; ahhh, you will smell fire” Mama Nonsense threatened her.
Blessing was shocked at what she heard, she was glued to the ground and couldn’t move but when she heard the other warning that followed, she jumped down from the step at the front of the house and run for her dear life.
“If you don’t leave now and I open this door to see your face, you will not return back in peace, idiot”
“Ahh, Jesus, wahala (Problem)” Blessing shouted and ran as fast as her leg could carry her. My mother-in-law is a witch o….
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“Why are you sweating like this” John asked Blessing as she entered the room.
“Hmm, actually there is nothing. I went to visit a friend but forgot something so I had to rush down and pick it” She lied and looked at the other side of the room.
John could perceive that she was not saying the truth but he let it slide since he could not tell if she was actually lying or saying the truth.
“Anyways, I have been here for the past two hours. I should have texted you about this but I felt since it is weekend I should come over” John said to her and smiled a bit while Blessing was cleaning her face and panting.
“I went to pastor today and guess what?” He asked.
“What” she asked in surprise
“He said that we are to do another pregnancy test tomorrow and this time by the church doctor” John said to her.
“Ahh, why again now, this is trouble oo”Anita said unconsciously.
“What do you mean, it doesn’t take long now and I will go with you in my car, so what is the big deal, after all, It is a free day for you and I” John said to her
“Hmm, eh!!, actually there is nothing but all this impromptu outing, you know I don’t like it” she replied.
“It is tomorrow ma, and you have today for you to relax and prepared. Good bye” He hugged her and left her room.
“Eh!!, I am finally going to be exposed, why pregnancy test again. Is Pastor Lawrence normal at all…First, Mama is a strong witch and my charm failed now pregnancy test…what should I do o…I must not be disgraced” She murmured as she picked her phone and dialed Anita’s number to brief her but her line was switched off.
“Ahh, problem””
To be continued…
I think Anita is behind this