The bride 3 (the end)
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“Her father is the cause of her madness”, the herbalist said with a pitiful face. Immediately he said that, expressions of surprise appeared on the faces of all present, except for Nneka who was busy displaying her incoherent pantomime. In their individual minds, they wondered how Nneka’s father who was long dead could be the cause of her madness which started months ago. While the others were still reasoning the shocking assertion, Nneka’s brother stood up angrily and made to leave. In his mind, he was convinced that the herbalist was another conman who used trial and error method to dupe his vulnerable clients.
“Come let’s leave this place. I should have known they are all the same”, he almost shouted at his mother as he was about carrying Nneka. His mother who shared his opinion was about getting up when the herbalist said “your father made a pact with a coven for his riches. He sacrificed your sisters’ marriages for his wealth”. Nneka’s brother turned around immediately and faced the herbalist inquisitively. Kunle and Nneka’s mother focused their gazes on the herbalist as well. The herbalist moved his divination materials again and continued. He told them that their father had a covenant with a coven that none of his female children would get married in exchange for riches. He also disclosed that his (their father’s) death was orchestrated by the coven because he was making efforts with another coven to annul the covenant he made. He further revealed that their father would have died if any of his daughters got married but since he was dead already, the coven struck Nneka with madness to stop her from getting married.
When they heard that, they were weakened. The thoughts and convictions they had earlier had been all false. Their belief that someone was fighting their family from the outside was wrong. All along, the problem had been from the man they’d looked up to for saftey. The man they’d wished was around to help find solutions to his daughter’s problem. It was indeed a heartbreaking revelation. Nneka’s mother burst into tears and Kunle tried to console her.
Nneka’s brother paced the room as he was lost in thought. He couldn’t believe that the man he’d been looking up to could be such a monster. He couldn’t believe that the man whom he’d loved all his life would be so callous to use his daughters’ happiness for his selfish gains; mere wealth. As they were all engrossed in thoughts, the herbalist jolted them by saying “unfortunately, I can’t proffer solutions to this problem. If there are any solutions, you must seek for them from the Supreme being who made earth and everything in it. Only him can rescue your daughter from the coven which holds her sanity”. After saying that, he gathered his divination materials and stepped outside.
His statement plunged them into more confusion. They had known the cause of their daughter’s predicament but the only man who was able to reveal that had no solutions to offer. It was as good as when they were in the dark. They carried Nneka and left the room which served as the herbalist’s consulting room. As they walked past the herbalist where he sat outside snuffing tobacco, Nneka’s brother reluctantly asked him “which supreme being are talking about?” The herbalist looked up and responded “there is a being that owns the earth. He gives and takes life. He gives wisdom and talent and wealth. He designs human destinies. He can do all things. People seek him in different ways. I seek him using my herbs and ‘awon olun elo efòśé and others seek him through means they believe is more effective. But to find him, you must seek him sincerely and spiritually”.
With this little lecture from the herbalist, Nneka’s people knew immediately that he was talking about God, the Supreme being. The creator of the heavens and earth. He who began before the beginning. The all knowing and all sufficient God who suspended the sky with no pillars holding it’s weight. The one who takes no permission to do whatever he wants to do. He whom every power in the heavens and on earth trembles at his feet. The impossible specialist. They were convinced that since that uncommon sermon came from the herbalist, seeking God in truth and in spirit was their only hope of rescuing their daughter from the grip of the coven where her father had deposited her destiny.
They left there and went home with a different view to their problem. Instead of patronizing fake prophets who they earlier believed would just pray out the spirit tormenting their daughter, they resorted to attending church programs and participating in the process of liberating their daughter. They declared fasting for themselves and tried so much to rid themselves of sins. They effectively adhered to the Bible verse that says “the hands of God are not short neither are his ears deaf to hear our prayers, but sins separates us from him”. They sought for God in truth and in spirit. At intervals, they invited the church’s prayer warriors team to pray for Nneka. Severance of any ties linking their family to any coven was their major prayer point.
They continued in their new prayerful lifestyle and hoped on God for breakthrough. One day, after their night devotion, they had retired to their different rooms when they heard Nneka shouting. They hurried to the room where she was kept and found rolling on the floor screaming. “My head! My head! Leave me alone!”, she kept shouting. As she shouted, her family members started praying. While they prayed, Nneka’s mother fell on her knees and called upon God in tears. She challenged God to show his supremacy over every spirit holding her daughter’s sanity. After a while, Nneka stopped shouting but her family members kept praying. While there were still praying, they heard Nneka faintly calling on them to unbound her. They reluctantly check and Nneka was healed. Their joy knew no bounds when they heard Nneka asking why they bound her like a mad person. Their prayerful and righteous approach had yielded results. The covenant had been broken and Nneka was free.
It took months for Nneka to fully recover from the physical effects of her affliction. She got married to Kunle in a court wedding after her kinsmen were given their rights in money. They have won.
Is there any weapon more powerful than the combination of prayers and righteousness?
Remember, we can be your writer.
