#DECEPTION
Episode Twenty Four
© Kemiliz Aiyemo Omotayo
“What are you doing here?” He demanded authoritatively “and who have you been waiting for?” He added to his yet unanswered question.
Esther wished what had happened to Korah, Dathan and Abiram where the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up could repeat itself on her.
She looked up and saw on his face an indescribable burning rage, that which she had never seen in her entirety.
She would rather prefer to remain dumb as she had no answer whatsover for her husband. She looked down and began to sob silently as she watched her life ruined before her.
When Ben saw that she wasn’t ready to give reply to his questions, he dragged the phone from her and checked the message log. There was nothing incriminating there. He paused and stared at his wife for some seconds. Her reactions just revealed that all he had heard about her was true. He had been watching her from a distance as she was trying to reach Mr Charles.
He went to the call log and saw an unregistered number which he confirmed was that of the person she was waiting for. He tried the number but it wasn’t going through. He even had to use his phone to call the number still it wasn’t connecting.
” Let’s go home” he finally said and Esther followed dully. She had no strength to think let alone lie in defense as she normally does.
As they got back to the busy road, the couple’s heard someone calling out Esther. Ben there and then concluded that her lover had truly came. He stopped walking and turned around to see the other man who was now closer to them. He really didn’t know what to do to his wife’s lover as he’s coming face to face with him.
” Sister Esther!” Ben heard the other man call out her name clearly now. A lover shouldn’t be addressing one with ‘sister’ right?
” Good morning Prophet” Esther replied lowly while she bent in reverence to the man of God. Ben became confused.
Could it be she had been waiting for her Prophet all along? Why would she even be waiting here for him? Can’t they meet in church anymore? Is the Prophet her lover? Many thoughts ran through Ben’s mind all at once. He then decided to wait and watch as things will eventually unfold right before his very eyes.
Ben’s moment of silence gave Esther a little courage to think. “What if I act as if it was the Prophet I was waiting for? Would he understand? Would it set things straight for me? Would the Prophet even catch the glimpse and act along considering the fact that he is a man of God? I can’t just stand here and do nothing. Esther, think! Think! Even if Ben would not believe me anymore, I must at least make a conscious effort on my part” Esther deliberated in her mind.
” I’ve been trying your number sir, but it hasn’t been going through. I have been waiting here for you and the others since but my husband didn’t believe me” she said hurriedly breaking the silence and hoping the man of God would act along.
” Oh, it must have been my other line that you were calling. I left it in church as it’s battery was low and I’m yet to reach others as well” the Prophet acted to her surprise and relieve.
Ben wouldn’t take this. His intelligence can’t be played upon by this two. He demanded why the man of God would be waiting for a married woman in an odd place and not in the church. His guts would not just swallow this piss of shit he was being offered.
The Prophet insisted he wasn’t waiting for Esther alone but others that would join them soon as they were invited to a program along this route. Esther wondered how a man of God would lie without breaking a sweat. She wondered if truly he’s of the Lord for real. She then reached a conclusion that God was only using the Prophet to avoid loosing her home. She became glad that the Prophet’s timely presence was for her good and pressed down the thought of how on earth he had known what to lie about so quickly. Esther’s downcasted look was now replaced with courage and hope. Although it might not really end well for her, but was sure it wouldn’t be as bad as if the Prophet had not shown up at all.
Ben and the Prophet argued for some moments and he maintained that he would wait with them for how long it takes for others to join them there. Esther’s heartbeat began to beat fast with her husband’s pronouncement. She as well as the Prophet knew that no one was coming, but still she was hopeful that things will work out itself as it has always done.
At their waiting point, Esther’s phone began to ring indicating her mother as the caller. Without giving Esther any answer to her questioning look, Ben silenced her phone. Esther’s mother kept calling and this infuriated Ben. Why would she be calling at this time?
When the older lady had called her daughter for more than six times, she began to call Ben’s number. On the third ring that Ben refused to pick up, Esther said lowly ” maybe she’s at our place already”
Ben then suddenly remembered they had talked about her mother’s coming that weekend. She had even informed him herself before they talked about it. It wouldn’t be nice to keep an old woman who must be tired as a result of the distance she travelled waiting all because of some nonsense evidence of his wife’s infidelity he wanted to get. He picked up his call and Esther’s mother confirmed she was in their compound already and demanded to know where the two was when she had given them prior notice of her coming.
” I’m sorry ma, we’re on our way home now. We will join you soon” Ben apologized into the phone while looking at Esther.
” It’s isn’t over yet. For the fact that I didn’t catch you red handed doesn’t mean I’m convinced that you’ve been faithful to our marital vow.” He assured looking straight to Esther who couldn’t return his look.
” And I wonder what kind of of a Prophet you are if you can outrightly lie just to cover up your member” he added looking now at the prophet who had on his face ‘partially accomplished mission’ look. He left afterwards with his wife.
They got home to meet Esther’s mother really tired as she sat on the foodstuffs she had brought from the village for them. Ben felt guilty and repeatedly apologise for keeping her waiting.
A look at her daughter spoke a lot. She knew right away that all was not well between them. Even though there wasn’t a line of concern or worry on Ben, her daughter’s sulky eyes was something. She asked what was happening and they answered in unison that they were fine. They all went in and Ben retired to his room where he thought of what to do in this situation. He knew he could ask for divorce on the account of infidelity, but what would be his proof when asked? He had stayed with her all these years even in doubt but now that he was so sure that his doubts are true, how was he going to continue living with her as he can’t divorce her yet? He almost ran mad in thought. He couldn’t take this anymore but what was he going to do. He’s a true believer and would never find solace in another woman apart from his wife. That thought had never crossed his mind before until now and he rebuked to be pushed into the same sin his wife was committing. Maybe he should just let it all go for his own sanity.
Mother and daughter went to the kitchen where she told her mother all that had happened in hush voice, exempting the details. Her mother blamed her for not ending her adulterous lifestyle as she had advised and promised to help restore his trust in any way.
Ben informed them that he was going to church giving her mother no chance to speak with him. He returned her phone to her and hugged her tightly before he left.
Esther and her mother became so confused. Of what they had expected, an emotional embrace was far from it. They didn’t even know what to do in order to convince him that she was not cheating on him as his attitude were off. They couldn’t even get the motives behind his attitude and therefore they were disordered for their next line of action.
Ben returned home later at night in a joyful mood. As if nothing ever happened in the morning, he joked about how Esther was getting aged faster and the need to worry less about their childlessness and enjoy herself. He insisted they ate together even when she said she was full. He kept smiling at her all through and this worried Esther alot. At some point, she wished he would just get angry with her. She now preferred the raging look on him that morning than all this loving attitude. She had no choice than to play along even when it seemed she was at the edge of a cliff, expecting a disastrous fall.
Ben didn’t even object when she said she was going to church the next day. He even had to ask why she was telling him what was apparent. She left for her church with her mother while he went to his. Esther waited after the service to see the pastor and appreciated him for helping her out the day before. She introduced her mother to him and he prayed for them. They returned home and everything went on fine. Esther’s mother spent two weeks with them against her three days plan just to make sure things didn’t go out of hand. “It’s not possible Ben was just acting all loving and caring, he had truly let go” Esther’s mother concluded. She left when she was convinced that Ben had nothing in mind against her daughter anymore.
Ben had decided never to disturb his head about her infidelity. He would love her truly as instructed in the word of God and hoped the guilt she should be feeling change her for good. He was a waiting father and wouldn’t worry himself to sickness before his children finally come.
Things went well between them as Esther was now truly open. She had nothing to hide anymore. Mr Charles, who was the only man she ever slept with apart from her husband was dead. His death was now a relief to her and Everytime his thought ever crossed her mind, she would hope he spending his life after in the most fury part of hell.
Their sexlife wasn’t that great but at least Ben has improved a bit. Maybe because the two are now kind of somehow busy or maybe it was age that was telling on them, but Esther was now able to be contented with her husband alone.
Esther’s dedication towards the work of God in the Prophet’s church increased with each passing day which was directly proportional to the reduction of her account balance. She would sow different kinds of seeds yet she still didn’t conceive. The prophet would always encourage her whenever she was getting weary. His words always worked on her.
One day after one of the evening service, she had waited to see the prophet in his office which has now become a normal thing. The Prophet had seen a revelation of the real reason for her inability to conceive and decided to share it with her.
” Sister Esther, the revelation I had concerning you when I was praying in the middle of the night was very bad” the Prophet began and waited for the fear to sink well. Esther as expected became afraid. She had been worshipping with him over a year now and has believed that every of his revelations and prophecies do come to pass.
The Prophet held her both hands from across the table. “Daughter of Zion, don’t be scared. The good Lord you’ve diligently served has seen your affliction and he’s now ready to grant you your heart desire. I will first interpret the revelation and then go further to explain the solution as the the God which I serve has shown me” the Prophet stated.
” Tell me Prophet, just tell me. I will do anything the Lord instructs just to be called a mother” Esther begged.
” I know you will, you have never given me any reason to doubt your obedience. You’re a true believer that have diligently served the Lord who is now ready to reward you. Just calm down and don’t interrupt your prophet because what you’re about to hear might disrupt your thinking, which isn’t even needed anyways. Remember, the way of the Lord is different from ours” he said quoting Isaiah chapter 55 verses 8 and 9
– For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
– For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
And Deuteronomy 29 verse 29 – The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Esther replied with a nod and then he continued ” sister Esther, it was revealed to me that you have willingly given out all the seeds you’re created with to that man you’re having affair with then, so as we speak, you are empty. The good news now is that seeds can be transferred from one person to the other but the bad news is that your husband isn’t spiritually potent to transfer his own to you…” He was saying and had to shush her with the finger signal when she wanted to say something.
” It is not an easy spiritual surgery that can be carried out by just anybody but very few of us who the Lord has given the power and license to. There after, your body can now readily accept your husband’s seeds” the prophet concluded.
Esther understood every of the Prophet’s sayings at once. She had come of age and knows the difference between her right and left, but still she would prefer he spoke to her literally.
She made a gesture to speak and the Prophet asked her to go ahead using not his mouth but his fingers.
“My prophet, prophet of the living God, please I hope you wouldn’t see it as rudeness if I ask that you explain to me plainly. I am willing to do all it takes to feel the joy of motherhood but I really do not understand you well.” She confessed with all humility.
“The Lord is very pleased with your utterance and…” He was saying then was caught up in spirit of whatever and bursted out in tongues.
” And the Lord just gave me the go ahead to let you understand in a plain language. You need to willingly make love with a powerful man of God, not necessarily me, who will open your channel with his seeds before you can ever be pregnant” he dropped the bombshell and went mute immediately as if hearing from the spirit.
” You mean I should…” She was babbling and the prophet affirmed his statement with a repeated nod and “as soon as possible”.
To be continued…
Smart prophet