The Missionary's Journey - Episode 15

 

For three weeks, Gabriel was alone as Ifeyinwa skipped school. He didn’t see her nor did he know where she lived. He realized he had not even seen her with anyone else. Maybe she was like him, someone without friends. He spent three weeks walking home alone and playing alone till she showed up on the fourth week. He shouted with joy when he finally saw her, ‘Ifeyinwa’ he shouted . She turned to look at him but ignored him. She entered her class and he followed her into the class only for him to see that she was not there. He stared around in confusion. He tapped a girl sitting in front of the class and asked if she had seen Ifeyinwa and the girl responded that Ifeyinwa had not been in class today.

 He frowned and thought he had seen her not long ago. He turned and walked back to his class.

After school hours, as he walked home, he saw Ifeyinwa again but this time he walked towards her silently "Why are you avoiding me?"

She looked back, surprised to see him "Leave me alone please. Stay away."

"Why? what did I do? Talk to me."

She bowed her head and mumbled "See this idiot, I am trying to protect you."

"Huh, what did you say? Talk na."

"Leave me alone, I said," she screamed and ran away.

Students walking home paused, turning to glance at them, whispering among themselves.

Great, another gist to spread around in school tomorrow, he thought as he looked around to see students staring at him.

As she walked home she began to reminisce about the time she spent with Gabriel. She thought about why she is dulling herself

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-missionary-s-journey

. "I am meant to spy on him but I am getting attached to him. Don’t be stupid," she said and slapped her cheeks. She thought her people will be angry with her. 

"Weren’t you told to stay with the boy," three girls blocked her path. 

"What do you think you are doing, Ifeyinwa?" One of the girls asked.

"Can you people just leave me alone. If you want him, get him yourself and leave me out of it," she screamed.

"Seh this one dey whine me, I go slap this one o. Who you dey follow talk? Don’t forget I am of a higher rank than you are, don’t ever forget that," the girl in the middle spat at her.

Wiping the spit off her face, Ifeyinwa exploded "See Janet, your cup will soon full. I am warning you, don’t disturb me and get out of my way," she sidestepped the girls and tried to walk away.

Janet dragged her back by her hair and Ifeyinwa screamed. "I go show you," Janet threatened. The other girls held her while Janet punched her stomach and slapped her repeatedly. She kicked her in her midsection and continued to bash her. 

"Stop, what do you people think you are doing?" Gabriel shouted.

The girls turned back, hissed and continued beating Ifeyinwa. Gabriel ran towards them, trying to save his friend.

"E be like seh we go change am for this one too," Janet turned to face Gabriel.

One of the girls dragged her back "Don’t forget, we are not allowed to harm him. We don deal with this mumu girl already, make we dey go." The girls turned and ran away.

Gabriel knelt beside Ifeyinwa, cleaned her and carried her up. As he was about to carry her into his house, she whispered weakly, "Gabriel stop, I can’t."

"Calm down and rest. Everything will be fine," Gabriel reassured her as they entered the house and she was surprised that nothing happened. He took her to his room and placed her on the bed. He went to the kitchen to boil water and grabbed the first aid kit. He cleaned her and bandaged her wounds and gave her painkillers to numb the pain. 

"How are you feeling now? We have to report those girls," he said. 

"I am better and no, leave them. It’s complicated. Why did you interfere?"

"What kind of question is that? We are friends, aren’t we? I will always stand up for you."

"Really? Ifeyinwa smiled (so that is what having a friend means). There is something you should know about me," she said and got serious.

"It can wait, you have to rest."

"No you have to listen, this is important. You and your family are in danger."

"Huh, what? What do you mean? Danger from who or what?"

"Idiot, just shut up and listen." She sighed and began, "I belong to a community. A witch community to be exact. They have existed for years holding the inhabitants of this village in their palm, causing pain and sorrow to them. My father is the High Priest and my mother is one of the witches and I guess I am one too. I was born into it, it’s the only belief I have ever known. At first it felt good you know, having powers and being able to do incredible things but then I started getting invites to their midnight rituals, getting specific orders to do terrible things and believe me I saw hideous things. Strange things and abominations, things that you would rather pluck out your eyes than see. The destiny of babies stolen, little kids killed and eaten, the glory of men and women who could have been great stolen and used to fuel their power, the blood of kids used for bathing and supposedly stop aging. I saw all sorts of things. I began to distance myself from them but I couldn’t disobey my father. We all fear him, he is the strongest of us all and serve as a direct link to Ekwensu, the spirit we serve. I was told to get close to you from the moment you and your family came to the village, I was suppose to use you to spy on your father. I have not known any other gods since I was born. When the previous pastor came, I was curious, I thought the gods we worshipped were the same ones everyone else worshipped until he started talking about someone called Jesus and something called Bible and Jehovah. I discovered there was no blood spill or gruesome rituals in their ways and for a second I was tempted to join. I was afraid of my father but I thought maybe this religion could protect me from him till I heard that the pastor was caught having sex with his church members. I heard he was a crook and the witches descended on him and made him mad. They said the power of the gods was absolute as they utterly destroyed that man. I truly believed that till your father came. They attacked him and were completely defeated. I have never seen anything like that. The woman we both saw on the floor that day was Aunty Ngozi. She holds the second rank, second only to my father and Mr Justice held the third rank, he was blinded and killed. Your father destroyed them with ease. I was truly amazed and thought wow this is the power of the Christian God.

Read " Outcast " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. I felt a power that day we came to your house, I couldn’t enter. I felt like something was blocking my way. It felt like I was stepping into fire. I was so scared. Gabriel, around us all, there are beings, scary ones with horns and deformed bodies but normal humans can’t see them but I can, we can and I won’t lie, they frighten me and demand for weird sacrifice. I am afraid they will ask me to do something terrible too. After I spent time with you, I became attached and felt comfortable and free with you. You are the only true friend I have ever had. The mission means nothing to me now. Just last week, I was told to start the operation of using you against your father but I can’t, I couldn’t do it. Now that you know this, can you still be friends with someone like me, Gabriel? Answer truthfully?"

Gabriel looked at her with his mouth wide open and eyes wide with shock.