THE STRANGE PROPOSAL
Part 16
©Franca Uwuigiaren
My children were excited when I later told them their mum had finally surrendered to Jesus.
“Wow!” they chorused.
“We need to celebrate this,” Boma whispered.
“Of course, it calls for celebration because Satan has lost.”
“Thank God,” Alabo said.
“I will join you to cook in the kitchen today,” Dokubo told everyone.
“Who doesn’t know you like food?” I said, rubbing his head.
Together, we prepared yam and tomato sauce. The kids ate together, but I had to carry some food to the bedroom to eat with my wife.
By now, the boils on Oroma’s body were so big in size. It was like they were increasing every minute. Her eyes were almost covered with big boils, coupled with the smell from her body. I looked at Oroma and almost cried.
“Devil, you’re a liar,” I murmured.
I had told the kids earlier that we would have to sit in the bedroom so we could study the Bible together and pray before going to bed.
Since Alabo told us about their healing, I have been observing them. Though they’re frail, I could see life coming into them. For instance, Alabo, who wouldn’t eat anything, someone I would beg just to eat a few spoons, ate three big pieces of yam. I have no doubt that before the end of the week, noticeable changes would be observed by all.
Anyway, we sat together after dinner to have the bible study. They bombarded me with questions, and I answered. The ones I couldn’t, I promised to give them a response the following day. This was to enable me search the scripture and divide it accurately.
We prayed together, holding hands. Everyone of them gave prayer points. My joy was that my Oroma, who would not care whether prayers were on in the house, was now praying. The children took turns to pray for her. By the time we were through, she had tears on her face.
I understand that she was in pain. I had to go out and get pain reliever for her. By the time I returned, she had taken off all her clothes. She told me her body was on fire, so I increased the speed of the fan for more air. There was nowhere Oroma didn’t have boils, even on her palms. I was angry in my spirit. I went to the kids and told them to continue praying for her.
To remove my wife’s mind from the pain, I decided to tell her my experience with a particular company I worked with. As she was listening, her phone rang; it was her mother.
“Didn’t Papa tell her he is lodging in a hotel? I know Mama wants to know if her husband and children are here.” Oroma said to me as the phone rang again.
“Answer your call.” I told her.
She picked the call and raised the phone to her ears.
“Good evening, Mama. Didn’t Papa tell you that…”
“Your father and siblings are in the hospital.” Mama announced in tears.
“Ahhh!, Why?”
“Accident, oo.”
“Jesus!”
“Your father doesn’t hear word. When your brother’s car suddenly developed a fault this morning, I told him to leave the car and go for public transport, but your father wouldn’t agree. You know how he does his things, ay.”
“Ahhh! So how are they?”
“They’re in the hospital, ay. They all had injuries.”
“But I told Papa not to bother coming, didn’t I? Now see!”
“How they escaped death, I don’t know, because the vehicle is beyond repair.”
They were silent for a moment.
“How are you?” Mama asked.
Oroma looked at her body, then at my face.
“I’m getting better. God is at work in my life.”
“Are you sure, Oroma?”
Oroma forced a smile, as if her mother could see her.
“Yes, ma!”
She told her mother she would reach out to her father and siblings before she sleeps. As soon as Mama cut the line, she stared incredibly at me.
“What?” I asked.
“I remembered what you said earlier today, that the angels of God on assignment in your life will stop them. That you have sent forth your word and God will bring it to pass.”
“Well…”
“They were stopped.” She said emphatically.
I smiled.
“In the book of Numbers, Balaam and his donkey were stopped by the angel of the Lord. Initially, Balaam didn’t see that there was an angel on the way and he started beating the donkey until the donkey opened its mouth to talk.”
“As in, the animal talked like human being?”
“Yes.”
Oroma began to laugh.
“My dear, God does things His way. The most important thing is that the angel of the Lord stood in the way with a drawn sword. The donkey saw it and couldn’t pass, Balaam’s eyes were opened, and he saw the angels with sword. All I know is that God stopped your family from coming to Lagos, to beat me up and forcefully take you to the shrine. Your family is lucky they survived it. The Egyptians didn’t survive it when they wanted to stop the Israelites from leaving Egypt. Anyway, God honoured my request, like Elijah, in a way suitable to Him.”
Oroma sighed deeply.
“Our spoken words are powerful. My dear, you see the tongue, it’s the most powerful part of the human body and is a very dangerous weapon. The tongue has the power to incite hatred and war more than any weapon on the planet. That’s why, in Proverbs 18:22, the Bible says that life and death are in the power of the tongue. We must learn to gain mastery and control of the tongue. Our ability to control our tongue shows our level of maturity. Words are powerful. Oroma, I told you the other time that your tongue is a weapon.
“True!”
“The words of our tongue can create or destroy. In Genesis 1:3, And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. That’s how powerful words are. As He said it, it came to pass. Anyway, let me not divert. God honoured my word.”
My wife nodded, then told me she would call her brothers and father. I sat on the chair and watched her speak to them. She also spoke to her father. Papa didn’t say much but told his daughter not to worry about them, that they would be alright. I told my wife, as soon as she dropped her phone, that I would call them the following day.
We went to bed but didn’t sleep much. Oroma was in pain. She sat on the bedroom in tears. I was angry in my spirit as I prayed for her. It was almost dawn before we managed to close our eyes.
Dokubo woke me up at 9a.m. We had morning devotion together without waking my wife. I wanted her to sleep. I supervised their bathing, then cooked breakfast for them.
It was about two hours later that Oroma woke up. I took care of her and ensured she ate. The smell was really unbearable, but I spoke to myself and the children, telling them we were going to act like we perceived nothing. We weren’t going to give the devil any chance to laugh.
It was almost twelve when I called my in-laws, one after the other. It took four rings for Papa to pick up. He didn’t even respond to my greetings before he called me a fool.
“You think I don’t know where you visit for your power? Just because I said I was coming to take my daughter for traditional treatment, you decided to visit a shrine to stop me. Are you happy now?”
I didn’t respond, neither did I cut the call. I allowed him to say whatever he had to say.
“My regret is ever giving my daughter in marriage to you. How can my daughter be sick, and you refused to allow us to come pick her up…instead, you went to the shrine. Ahhh! Your aim was to kill us, but we’re fortified. If not, I and my children would be six feet below the ground.”
I could hear him breathing so hard.
“In case you’re not aware, be aware now of what I want to tell you. I’m a confirmed wizard.” He said and laughed.
“Yes…I am a wizard. I will first put you in trouble that you won’t be able to extract yourself from, then your blood will be honey in my mouth.”
His statement actually made me laugh.
“Papa, I don’t care who you are. The Bible says, henceforth, let no man trouble me, for I bear the mark of Christ upon me. Papa, go anywhere and mention my name for in any strange altar, the fire of God will answer you. I trust only in the name of the Lord. I’m not afraid, Papa.”
“You’re a small boy, Obiama. I will show you. You will hear from me. By the time you bring home my daughter, you will see trouble.” He cut the call, and I shook my head.
Oroma stared incredibly at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Why is Papa threatening you like that? What kind of trouble is he planning for you? Why is he saying you will see trouble when you bring me home?”
I didn’t respond to her questions. She was quiet, looking into space.
“See, my dear, Papa isn’t a wizard. He is just joking. I’m sure he just said it to scare you. It’s not possible; Papa isn’t a wizard. God forbid!”
“Oroma, whatever he is, my God is bigger and mightier. The word of God says in Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?” My dear, I am not afraid. My God is a man of war.”
We had a little chat, and she told me to give her the Bible so she could study. I did, then went to the sitting room to join my children to watch television.
Suddenly, a face flashed before me. It was the face of my secondary school mate, Sarah.
“Sarah? Ah, ah!”
I haven’t set my eyes on her since we graduated. Why was I seeing her now? I stood up to go to the kitchen to close the door but instead found myself going to the bedroom. Oroma was focused on the Bible. I opened the wardrobe and got dressed.
“Are you going out?”
“Em…yes! I want to drop my CV somewhere.” I found myself saying.
“Okay!”
I took my CV and went out. I boarded a bus to a particular location where I had submitted my CV before but wasn’t called for any interview.
“Why am I even here?” I asked myself, knowing I had submitted my CV before in this company.
Contemplating whether to enter the company or go back home, a car stopped in front of me and i quickly moved away.
I was about to stop a bike that will take me to the nearest bus stop, when I saw two people stepped out of the car. Surprisingly, one was Sarah.
“Sarah!” I called out. She saw me and for a moment stared at me in shock before screaming loud. She almost jumped on me. We were so happy to see each other. She’s no longer the short girl with a low haircut that I used to know. The Sarah that stood before me was sophisticated.
“If you hadn’t called me, I wouldn’t have been able to recognize you.” She said.
We exchanged pleasantries and then she introduced me to the woman with her, and i exchanged pleasantries with her too.
“She came to drop off her CV here.” Sarah told me.
The lady bade Sarah goodbye as she walked towards the entrance of the company’s gate.
“What did you come here to do?” She asked me.
“I don’t know. Perhaps the Holy Spirit wanted me to see you.”
She laughed.
“Really?”
Then I narrated how I left the house and came to this place, only to see her.
“Actually, I went to see my friend, but surprisingly, she was dressed to come here. I had to drive her here.”
She looked around us then said, “Let’s go somewhere to catch up on old times.”
I entered her car, and she drove to an eatery. She ordered food and drinks, and we began to talk. After much chatting, she said, “Obiama, thank God you’re a Christian. I am in bondage. I need help. I have been going to wrong places for help. Look at me, a widow with no child to call my own.”
“Ah…so sorry, Sarah. What happened?”
She sighed.
“Obiama, the devil is messing me up because I gave him access. I used to worship the water spirit, and then I became a priestess. People come to consult me for any kind of issues, whether for politics, relationships, marriage, money rituals, name them. I have power, Obiama, and I consult the water spirit for solutions.”
“Hmmm.”
“The covenant I have with the marine is that I won’t get married or have children, but I couldn’t help it. I fell in love with James. Despite the warning of the Queen mother, I went ahead with James. He married me, but my marriage lasted for only three weeks because James slept and didn’t wake up. He wasn’t sick; nothing was wrong with him. My husband just died like that.
The Queen mother appeared to me and told me she killed my husband because I broke the covenant. How can a beautiful woman like me stay unmarried? I can’t even remember when I made such a covenant with her, but she insisted it’s the covenant we have. Obiama, I cried and cried because she killed my husband. She told me I can’t get married, I can never settle down with any man, but I can enjoy my life with younger men.
I thought it was a joke until I started desiring younger men between the ages of 17 to 25 years. When I see them, I no longer have control of myself.”
She paused, and I could see she was ashamed even telling me.
“When I see younger men, I lose control of myself. I woo them with money; I take care of them and give them enough money, but you see that money; they won’t be able to tell you how they spent it. That money is wind. The more money I spend on guys, the more money I get. When I finish extracting a man’s virtues, I dump him and move to the next one.
I have rendered many useless. Such guys will wonder why things are not working; they can’t get opportunities or favour in life. They’re just empty… they’re ordinary.”
“Haaa!”
“Anyone I have had s*x with in life will never amount to anything in life. Such a person will never make it. I could even inflict sicknesses on them if they give me a headache. Not many guys you see moving on the street have light on their heads. As long as they have slept with a marine agent, their light is off. Nothing attractive about them again. Nothing they put their hands to do works. They will struggle and get frustrated in life. The same thing I am doing is the same thing other male agents are doing, extracting the virtues of careless ladies looking for quick money.”
Sarah looked around her suddenly, as if she was afraid.
“Someone is calling me, Obiama.” She said, half-standing.
“No one is calling you, Sarah. Relax.”
For a moment, she scrutinized the faces of people coming in and those eating.
“I’m tired, Obiama. I don’t want this kind of life again. I have told the Queen mother, but she keeps threatening me. I don’t sleep, Obiama. My life is frustrated.”
Just then, a guy and a girl entered the eatery. Sarah’s attention suddenly diverted to the guy. She had undressed him with her eyes. I could see the spirit of lust possessing her.
“Look at me, Sarah,” I instructed with authority.
She looked at me and began to cry.
“I like him, but if I do anything with him…he will be useless…but you see the girl he is with…is a broken bottle.”
“Holy Spirit, what should I do now?” I prayed silently in my heart.
“I’m tired of this kind of life. Help me! I can’t continue like this. I have money…houses. I have four houses. This is the least of my cars. I’m 40 years without a husband and children.”
Sarah doesn’t look 40; in fact, she will pass for 33 or 35. She’s so beautiful with smooth skin.
“Sarah, do you actually want to be delivered?”
“Yes…I am being threatened, warned to keep silent. I don’t want to have anything to do with the Queen Mother and the water anymore.”
“Very well, then,” I said, glad.
I began to tell her she made a good decision by making up her mind to turn her back against the Queen Mother. I told her the importance of Christ death for her and the need to repent and surrender to Christ.
“He alone can save you.”
Then i excused myself, and called Pastor Moses. I explained everything to him, and he asked me to come with Sarah, as he would like to see her.
I went back, but Sarah didn’t know I was standing there. It was as if I had disappeared or something. Her eyes were busy communicating with the young man. I had to draw her attention to me by coughing.
“Sarah! Let’s go!” I told her, without sitting.
“To where?”
“To see my pastor,” I told her.
She looked at the plates of food we didn’t finish, then stood up immediately. I told her to drive while I directed her. To our dismay, the car just refused to start.
“Nothing is wrong with my car,” she said.
For another fifteen minutes, she tried to start the car; then, God opened my eyes, and I saw many hands holding the steering. Angrily, I laid my hands on the steering and prayed; then, I asked her to start the car, and it responded immediately.
Before we got to the church, I had to ask her to park the car so that I could pray around it. I saw what the enemy was planning. Even the Bible says we shouldn’t be ignorant of the devices of the devil, so I wasn’t ignorant. I tried to be sensitive and alert in my spirit.
Thank God, Pastor Moses was in the church, waiting. I introduced Sarah to him. I was with them for more than thirty minutes.
My joy was full when Pastor Moses led her to Christ. He told her that a lot of prayers would be made to deliver her.
Before I took my leave, Sarah went on her knees to thank me. She told us that Pastor Moses is a true child of God because the moment she set her eyes on him, she saw the seal of God on him.
“When any agent of the dark kingdom sees a child of God, they know.” She explained.
Listening to Sarah talk opened my eyes to many things. Our youths need to turn to God genuinely. Living a careless or lifestyle contrary to God’s will put them in trouble. A lot of light would still be shining if they had shunned fornication and focused on God, if they had followed the right path instead of seeking short cuts. Some of our youths are now after quick money not minding who they sacrifices for it.
It’s heartbreaking to see young people succumb to the pressures of the world, embracing death over life.
I shook my head in pity. Well, thank God for Sarah. Another soul won for God. I just couldn’t imagine Satan’s anger. I smiled.
I know God orchestrated my meeting with Sarah. God wanted her to be set free from the shackles of the devil.
Before I finally took my leave, I collected her phone number so I could communicate with her and keep encouraging her.
Oroma was just waking up when I got home. She wanted to know if I was able to submit the CV.
“I later realized that my going to that company was to meet my secondary school class mate.My dear, the Holy Spirit orchestrated the whole thing oo.”
I went further to narrate my encounter with Sarah and how I took her to see the pastor.
“My joy is that she has been snatched from the hand of Satan.” I told her.
“Thank God oo. Hallelujah! The devil is really after the youth… destroying their lives and destinies. The web of darkness that ensnares our youths can take many forms oo. It may be the temptation of substance abuse, the lure of immoral relationships, or the pressure to conform to societal norms that go against God’s teachings. Whatever the form, it is crucial to recognize that our youths are not alone in this struggle. Satan, the enemy of our souls, seeks to destroy and devour them, and he will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.
“But God is always near, ready to rescue and restore those who call upon Him. His love and grace are the antidotes to the poison of sin and shame, and His word is the lamp that guides us out of the darkness and into the light. When our youths find themselves entangled in the web of darkness, let us point them to the One who is able to set them free. Let us pray with them, cry with them, and walk with them until they are standing firm on the solid ground of God’s truth.”
“You’re right Obiama. May God save our youths.”
“Amen!”
I left her to the kitchen to see what to prepare for dinner.
To be continued…
