The Missionary's Journey - Episode 21

 

Meanwhile, Gabriel chased the boy across the empty streets. The boy laughed and his laugher echoed in the night. Rain began to pour and the road became slippery. Ifeyinwa struggled to catch up with them. Gabriel’s face was twisted in anger as he gained on the boy. The boy suddenly stopped in front of the tree close to the river bank. Gabriel stopped, believing he finally had the chance to face the boy . He looked at the tree and saw his sister completely naked and tied to the tree. She was barely conscious. "Anita," he screamed. She raised her head and stared at him with glassy eyes.

Two girls emerged from behind the tree and joined the boy, surrounding him and Ifeyinwa. He and Ifeyinwa held hands looking around, standing back to back.

 "Ifeyinwa, do something," he whispered. 

"My powers are gone, remember?" She whispered back, "What about your oil? The one you used on Janet?"

"I didn’t carry it. I wasn’t thinking."

"I told you were really dumb. You would be arguing with me," she sighed.

They looked around in fear as the boy and girls approached. Gabriel suddenly remembered his father’s sermons and preaching in church.

"There is power in the tongue," he whispered.

"What are you saying?" Ifeyinwa asked.

"You can do anything through Jesus Christ. You just have to have faith."

The boy and girls raised their hands, muttering an incantation

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

. Gabriel and ifeyinwa begin to feel great pain in their head and stomach.  

"My head o," Ifeyinwa screamed.

The boy and girls laughed.

"In the name of Jesus, I command you, die," Gabriel said weakly.

"Wetin this fool dey talk? You still dey call your false god when you wan die? O boy you funny gan o abi una no dey see wetin I dey see? One of the girls jested."

"The boy na idiot. No be today," the boy replied.

Why isn’t it working? What am I doing wrong? Somebody help us, Gabriel thought as he held himself in pain.

Ifeyinwa grunted, "To call upon any power you have to believe in it. Be confident. Remember what your father said," she collapsed clutching her stomach and started bleeding from her nose.

Gabriel’s eyes widened. "Yes," he spat out blood. Blocking the pain, he calmed himself and shouted, "Please help me, don’t put me and my family to shame. I call upon the name of Jesus whose name stands above all others with divine authority. Smite my enemies."

Lightning came down from above, striking the tree and smiting the boy and girls. They screamed and decomposed to ashes. The tree burnt and Ifeyinwa dragged herself up, running to free Anita. She freed Anita just before the fire got to her. The tree fell and terrible screams and wails could be heard from the tree as it burned.

Gabriel, Anita and Ifeyinwa held themselves tightly and sobbed.

*

Back at the house, the high priest continued bashing the preacher, laughing evilly without stopping.

Read " The Thorny Path " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )

. Suddenly he stopped and looked up. 

"No, the tree, it can’t be," his eyes widened in shock.

The preacher spat blood and moaned on the floor. The man looked at him with disgust, "This is all your fault, preacher." He brought out a knife from his wrapper and stared down at the preacher.

 Mrs Onyinmadu stood up. "Stop, you foul creature." The man turned to face her. 

"Let the wrath of God fall upon you," she screamed.

"You are just eager to die, this woman," the man shouted and walked towards her. He began to hear flapping wings. He looked up in surprise and thought, Flapping wings? Where is that coming from?. He squint his eyes and stared at the sky, "Are those wings? Is that a sword? What is that flying with a halo on its head? What is that?" He turned to face Mrs Oyinmadu questioningly.

She smiled at him, "An angel."

The high priest’s eyes opened widely as a heavy blow struck him. He felt pain like never before. He didn’t even know what hit him. He saw himself falling backwards, landing heavily on the ground. Only a thought raced through his mind, How? So this is the power of the Christian God. His heart stopped and his eyes closed forever.