Grabbing The Hot Gate - Episode 5

 

Gladys stared at her Bible for hours. Something was wrong but she didn't know what. Ever since she got that power, she had stopped having a desire to study her bible. When she received the ability to see visions, she felt good, excited. That was her third week of getting into the realm of this power; yet, it still felt fresh, rich and heavenly. She now imagined things, and saw it happen like a coincidence . However, for no reason, she had been extremely busy and hadnt had time for her quiet time. Who could have time for a quiet time when one had recently been promoted to the post of the managing director, to lead the best marketing team since the inception of the company?  
But being a Saturday, a work-free day, she picked up her Bible to read, but the words were becoming blurry to her. More so, the usual joy and hunger that accompanied reading the Bible were missing. 
At first, she attributed the new development to pain and stress from her weekly activities, so she took some seed of Opium Poppy, the herbal seeds she got from a store on Jumia, a Nigerian store, to help relieve such things as pain. Now, that she was awake, agile and fit for any work, she still couldn't get herself to study the Bible. She slapped herself and repeatedly said, 'Gladys Bolawole, the devil cannot control you'.
Maybe she would have garnered a lot of knowledge from the church, but her insatiable desire for more of God and the power that followed him had so much encompassed her being that even if Stella hadn't compelled her to pray, she would have gone to the prayer room herself.
The ordeal that was the most intriguing, yet the scariest of them all, was the moment they started praying one Tuesday

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/grabbing-the-hot-gate

. Stella asked her to speak in tongues and blank her mind. It wasn't hard to do. At that moment she wished she had used the lovely rosemary herb or Brahmi herbs, they would have helped her focus.
'Just feel like water, feel everything becoming empty', Stella said and reduced her voice gradually like the dying down of a storm amidst a roaring forest.
 That instant, things began to happen. It was as if she saw herself like a leaf flying in the sky. Everything was happening so fast. She saw herself moving into the church. She became two.  A cord was attached to her praying self, and the other body was moving towards the church. The experience was so cool. She was excited. She could feel herself from both sides. It was a silver cord. Immediately she got home, she searched the Bible for it, since she had read something around that. Her problem didn't start with her inability to read the Bible. It started like a sprout. The moment she sat to read the bible, something would surely happen  at first, it was only phone ringing, neighbors chatting away, dogs barking, birds chirping. But today, she was tired, which was absurd because she had enough sleep. Being tired, when it came to reading the Bible, wasn't one of her features. That was unusual. Something was wrong. She had to talk to someone, and there was no other person than Stella.
'Gladys, hope all is well? Stella said as soon as Gladys' call got through to her.
 'Please, can I come to see you?' Gladys said as she stared at the City Flower laying in a corner of her room with the hope she would get excited about her new ways, but she couldn't feel the joy in reading it.
'This night?
'Yes. I really need to hear your comments on something'.
'My comments? Of course, you can. Just state it'.
'So, can I come to your place?
'Not right now, I'm only receiving your call as a courtesy. I want to lock myself in a room to pray. If it was someone else, I wouldnt answer'.
'I am having a bit of trouble here. Remember that day we were praying at the back of the Church?'
'There are many times weve done that'.
'Yes, this last Tuesday meeting'.
'Oh yes. I felt God's glory radiating through you. The energy you exuded was so great that I was refreshed'.
'Yes, I think I have a problem. I saw myself and I could feel myself in two places at once. I have been seeing for a while now, but it became more pronounced that day'.
'Hmm... That's a spiritual transportation'.
'I know. It doesn't feel right.
'Why do you think so?'
'Ezekiel, in his book, said, I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and then he would proceed to describe things of the spirit'.
'Yes. That's right'
'But I feel mine'.
'You are meant to feel it'.
 Gladys rose from her fluffy bed, which she had covered with a blue flowery bedspread, and she paced about in the room as she adjusted her hearing aid. 'You don't understand me. I'm not supposed to feel it'.
'Who told you so?'
'It's not consistent with the word of God'.
'Hmm Gladys, what are you now? A guru of God's consistency'.
'No'.
'Did you notice anything strange?
'Yes'. 
She stared at her giant mirror and stared at her perfect body. She mindlessly used her finger to trace the curve of her body.
'I saw a silver cord'.
'Like a thin line...Silver?'
'Yes. It was like hands. They were two, actually. Each one was attached to the two bodies. I could feel it in both ways. It was amazing, wonderful and great but scary'.
'Wow. That's a feat many Christians in this generation would not be able to achieve. Even at the peak of their walk with God. That's a big gift'.
Gladys smiled. The mirror was right: she was beautiful. 
'The first record of such was in Ecclesiastes by Solomon. Is your Bible close?' Stella continued.
'Yes'.
'Ecclesiastes 12:6. It says remember your creator now while you're young before the cord of life snaps'
'Yes.'
'Do you now see its consistency with the word of God?'
'Not yet'.
'It means we ought to have it. It has to be a part of us'.
Gladys always knew when things were right. Even when she was an unbeliever, she always had a nagging thought that always led her into doing the right thing. Something wasn't right. She was soon becoming wrapped in a trap of weeds, and if she didn't do something about it, she would end in the bottom of the mountain.
'The silver cord is your link to the spirituals', Stella continued. 'You have to learn to use it. It's an exciting thing, really'.
'Thank you. Just that I don't...'
'Gladys, don't bother, I'll be here all the way'.
'Thank you'.
Then, Matthew called to confirm if she would be available to visit Japheth. Although they promised to visit him for more than two weeks, she had been terribly busy and Matthew insisted that she must be the one to follow him up because he wanted Japheth to see someone he was acquainted with.
She stared into the mirror and traced the bulging head of her hearing aid, and wished it wasn't in her life. It was true that every human had a sort of imperfection, but of all the imperfections that ever existed, why was she cursed with ear problem. 
She had been drawn to Japheth for no explainable reason. After she got the power she had always craved, and had gotten ready to know more of God, she just found herself always staring at him during Church services. Although the church was big to an extent, she still could see his figure at the front. He loved sitting at the front. Sitting at the front was a characteristic of every first-class student in her school. She was sure he was a goal-getter, and from the look of things he wanted to grow spiritually. 
Knowing that they would soon go to his place, she rubbed the cream she made from cinnamon and hot pepper on her body to have a glowing, wrinkleless skin. Even if God would want Japheth to be the one for her, she had to go prepared. 
She paused. Why was she suddenly obsessed with her looks? Something was wrong. She had to quickly talk to Sister Stella again. Not today, but definitely on Sunday after the Church service.
Just then, she received a message from Mr. Akanni. He said he wanted to greet her, and said so much rubbish that should be weeded out of his head. The most painful part of his message was that all the words were in capitals. The men of the present age ought to be flogged, and tutored on how to send messages to women. She couldn't fathom why someone would be obsessed with lies, telling her that God wanted him to marry her. Despite the numerous times she said 'no' to him, he kept returning with the assurance that God had sent him to marry her. Even the Sunday after their revival program, he waited till she finished praying with Stella. Gladys hissed as she checked herself in the mirror again.
Suddenly, Elizabeth banged the door and called from outside. She rushed out of the room, and wasn't concerned if she was putting on only her bra and pant. Elizabeth had seen her like that many times. And she had no fear of being seen, no one knew her house, not even the church members. They saw her as someone big in church, someone that was already grounded in the Lord. 
'Baby, what hap... Oh my God!' Gladys shouted as she ran back into the room to get her key. Elizabeth's face was blackened, and her fair face had the mark of her mother's hand on it. Her hair was scattered as if they were pulled in different directions. She was weeping without shame.
'Enter. Enter', Gladys said as she opened the door for Elizabeth. Immediately she opened the door, Elizabeth hugged her. She continually patted Elizabeth's head as she locked the door and led her into the house. She set her down on her bed, rushed to her fridge, and returned with a glass cup and a carton of juice. 
'Drink', she muttered as she poured the drink for her. Elizabeth was heaving repeatedly as she tried unfailing to stop crying. She would hold the tears for a while and burst into tears again. 
'Miss. G, I'll kill my father', she said after gulping down the drink. 
'Don't say that. What happened again today?'
'She was drunk. Then she met me watching TV. She thought I hadnt done my assignment, so she started yelling at me'.
'Have you done it?'
'Yes. I did it yesterday, immediately I returned from school. She then came near me and slapped me and started hitting me. She said my dad left her for another woman. That she would show me pepper for what he has done. God will pupunish my daddy'.
'Shhh', Gladys said and buried Elizabeth's head in her chest. 'You don't need to say it'.
'Why can't God just kill him?'
'Hey! That's okay. I'll talk to your mummy'.
'No. Don't talk to her. She likes you. Anyone who tells her the truth is always her enemy'.
'But she can't let this bad behaviour destroy your love for her'.
Elizabeth glanced into her eyes, blinked and shook her head. 'She is only angry. She will change'. 
'God pays everyone their due. Now stop crying'.
                        ***
Birds in their large numbers flew over her house, and made Stella angry. Her house was like a no-flight zone for birds. They were one of those that always sensed when something had happened. They knew she had removed the protection spell, and decided to have a field day. One of them dropped by the window and continually poked the window. Stella jumped down from the seat she placed on the balcony, and looked about. Different animals scampered from different directions and were passing different pieces of information to her. Someone with a powerful strange evil energy was moving towards her house.
How was that even possible? No one was supposed to know where she was. Lucifer said he had hidden her well from the whole lot of them outside and within Fortune City. He had either lacked power, which wasn't possible or had shown this person where she was. She could wager her life on the latter.
'Jiggs, we would be having a visitor', she said to her parrot. It rattled in its cage and flew out. Immediately Jiggs flew off into the air, Stella connected to it. She always connected with all her familiars far and wide. 
She rushed to her underground room to get her cauldron. Someone was coming to her place using an elder tree as a medium of transportation. She had felt the vibration in her spirit. All the demons located in her familiars around Africa had connected to themselves and were trying to get information about this person. She checked her latest spell and played with it. The truth was that even if the person was the most powerful witch in the world, she had the home advantage.
Jiggs croaked and flew towards the house like a mighty wind and crashed into the wall, shrieking. Stella had to hold its beak to keep it from shrieking. She wished the witch had come the next day. At least, she would have met Stella's protection spell. She was supposed to pick the concoction from the coffin she buried it in. 
'What is it Jiggs?'
It projected the image of Nancy, the mother of Gregory the third, the high priest of an American coven. She killed him in a battle in 1997. Now, his mother was coming after her in 2016. She dropped Jiggs and jumped about, wondering how she would deal with Nancy. The last time she had an encounter with Nancy, they had both ended seriously injured. Stella spent more than six weeks drinking lavender herb. She looked around to be sure she was ready to take Nancy on. She wasn't really prepared for a battle with Nancy.
She looked around the underground and hoped she would ever live to see it again. However, she wouldn't want her neighbours to see what would happen there. So she tried using a cloaking spell. At least, that would help for a while.
Just as she poised herself in front of her house, the elder tree appeared and Nancy strutted out. Immediately she strolled out, the energy of wickedness exuded from her. Cloud began to gather in the background. Her body was looking fresh, a sign that she recently drank a fresh blood. Her cold eyes scanned the whole compound and rested on Stella. Her red long full hair began to dance in the wind that was howling behind her. Crumbs from the elder tree flew towards her.
'Nancy', she squealed, smiled brightly, and waved at her. 'Hi'.
Nancy glared at her as she moved forward with her rugged staff, which she carved from cedar. The pendant Nancy wore on their first fight now hung from the staff she held. 'Stella, the greatest witch ever lived, who has always been in hiding. How does it feel to always be in hiding?'
'It's boring and awfully peaceful. Sometimes, it always makes me lazy. Just last three weeks, I burnt my head while trying out a new spell', she said and parted her hair, trying to show Nancy. 'You might not see it. It's becoming too small like your life'.
'I can see craziness is still hiding in that tiny head of yours'.
 Stella giggled. 'Meanwhile, you forgot to say whose life has been dedicated to doing the most horrible works for Lucifer'.
Nancy growled. 'Oh, I forgot that horrible and foolish part. The part where you don't have a life, where you don't have a family'.
Stella nodded. 'Family sucks. They reduce the level of efficiency. At least, my hiding does not always bring about their death'.
'Yes. That's why I'm here to know why you killed Greggy'.
'Oh! I almost forgot, I had a hand in the death of one of your dead children'.
The dark cloud above had begun to grow darker. Nancys hooded eyes were turning red as the purple dress she wore suddenly began to change to red. 'He was my pride'.
Stella stared at her for a while. 'You're still proud. So how did I kill your pride?'
Nancys grip tightened on the staff as if she was squeezing a piece of paper. 'You killed my son'.
'But I heard he was a bastard like his mother'.
'You bastard... I'll make sure even the earth refuses your dust'.
Stella bared her teeth as she withdrew to give herself the chance to enjoy the view of her house. Jiggs was poised to aim for Nancy's raven. It would have been a great fun to watch the two familiars have a great tug of war, but she just had to deal with Nancy. Her regular self wouldn't have had a desire to destroy Nancy, but Heetah wanted her to and she was desirous of doing just that. 
She should have guessed Nancy was reciting a spell in her mind as she stared at her without making any move, but she was still rummaging through her head for what to start with when Nancy pointed her ugly staff at her and shouted, 'deliver my revenge'.
 Purple energy transcended from the staff, and hit Stella hard in the chest. She screamed and bent in pain. Her bones began to cackle as if they were boiling. Blisters and cuts began to appear on her body. Nancy had just used the spell of many cuts on her, and that enraged her. 
Stella screamed, 'Sylphs of Air I conjure thee, enter Nancy and make her air leave her, now!'
Nancy gasped and choked and grasped her staff as if it would remove the demonic force from her. Stella hurriedly cast a spell that restored her strength. She shook her head. 
When she was fine, she knew she didn't have much time before Nancy regained her strength. So she prepared to cast another spell. Probably one that would make Nancy end in a terrible way.
However, as she wrapped her hands in preparation to send a curse at her, Nancy pointed her staff at her and shrieked, 'Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. For dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust'.
The energy was so much that it took a great effort on Heetah's part for her not to be obliterated immediately. Yet, her hands began to crumble into dust. She shrieked and as she began to cast the counter-spell. The hand gradually began to reform. She cried in pain as the bones began to form again. From above, the familiars were having a great fight, and their feathers fell once in a while. She would have loved to see who was winning, but it would be at the expense of her life, which she still loved over fun.
'I told you. I'll send you back to the dust'.
Nancy repeated the curse, and held her there for a while. Her hands gradually changed into dust and poured on the ground. Stella yelled. That was the crux of it. She focused her energy on the mental picture of Nancy and yelled, 'It's the plague, and its going to kill Nancy now because there is no cure. It's the BLACK DEATH!'.
Nancy shrieked and fell, her staff rattling beside her. Stella wasn't going to allow her rise again. It was high time she used the Medusa curse she just learnt. 'I call upon medusas bones, turn her flesh into stone'.
Immediately, Nancy became stone. At the same time, a bird dropped by her side. She turned to watch Jiggs land on the dead raven. It placed its foot on the dead raven and raised its head into the sky. Stella would have laughed, but her hands were growing slowly and painfully, and were sending tears to her eyes. She yelled and rushed to repeatedly kick Nancy. She had always been the one that knew how to send much pain to her. Now that she was dead forever, they would meet in hades.
 Although the hand was fully formed, the injury remained as fresh as a knife cut. She crawled into the house to sip in some Lavender. Ruminating on her life, she couldn't help but cry. There was no joy anywhere. Her grandmother had made her a witch almost a thousand years ago so as to avoid the pain and trouble of the world. But every corner of the earth was rigged with pain and trouble. She rested her head on the wall of her room, glanced about and laughed heartily.
'I made it again', she said with tears streaming down her small, tiny head to her tired, slim body. When she was refreshed, she made the elder tree disappear and then dragged Nancy's dead body, rather, body-turned-stone into the house. That was when she had Heetah's and Lucifer's time.
'Why did you allow Nancy find me? I thought I was well hidden'.
'She sacrificed ten little children for Lord Lucifer to reveal where you are', Heetah said.
'That's bribery'.
'That's how we roll'.
'That means I need human sacrifices to stay hidden again'.
'On the full moon'.
She knew that she should enjoy every bit of it, but maybe going to Church in Fortune City was having a toll on her. She needed an escape from her way of life, from Lucifer. 
However, she didn't have time to really think of it before Heetah sent pain into all parts of her body. She squirmed and crumbled to the ground. In those few seconds, her spirit went from being the agile woman she was to the sick old woman her spirit really was. When Heetah released her, she saw her phone's light blink. She answered Gladys' call, and later helped Jiggs carry its bounty into its cage. Afterwards, she went to get more Lavender. She hurried into the room to fix her hand, but Heetah wouldn't help her heal it fast. 
        
                    ***
'Who is that?' Mirabel said and peeped nonchalantly into Japheth's phone. He pulled it away and smiled. They were seated in his car, getting ready to go home. But one of the nurses pleaded with him to give her a lift to her place and was delaying them. Since they weren't in a hurry, they waited and were busy typing into her phone until Alexis called Japheth and he answered grumpily. 
'It's nobody'.
'Seriously?' She said and looked up from her phone. She was sitting cross-legged in her white gown, and he wished it was her waiting for him at home, and not Alexis.
'Seriously'.
'Then, let me see it'.
'It's Aunty Gbemy. You remember her'.
'Yes. That your very beautiful Aunt'.
'I won't really call her very beautiful'.
'That's your babyish opinion. Let me see her number'.
He gritted. 'It's true'.
She opened her palm.' Picture or I don't believe'.
She dumped her phone on her laps and turned to him.
'OMG. You have a girlfriend'.
He swallowed hard and wished she wouldn't find out about Alexis this way. 'She is not my girlfriend'.
'What's her name? Let me see The Phone', she said as she yanked the phone from his hand, rattling hers, and making it land on the floor of the car. She picked hers while she firmly held his phone as she scrolled through his call record.

Read " Don't! Look Closer " by the same author ( Akíntayo Akinjide )

. 'Alexis. Fine name', she said as he tried to collect it.
'She is just a friend'.
She winked at him. 'How many times have you called me?'
'We meet'
'Come on. You should be happy, fish'.
'She is not my girlfriend'.
He nodded and was saved by the other nurse, whom Japheth wanted to give a lift. He couldn't take his mind off what must be running in Mirabel's mind. She had just acted as if she didn't discover something big. After they dropped the lady, Mirabel talked generally, but refused to talk about Alexis. When they got to her house, she cuddled his shoulders.
'If she is the lucky lady, congrats. And remember to bring her to our Church'.
He nodded and watched her walk off. She didn't turn back to say goodbye.
'She is not my girlfriend', he shouted after her. But she didn't turn still.
 Whatever he had in mind about Alexis vanished when he met her in his bedroom, dressed like a pin-up model.