Chapter 20

Jesse playlist

I over came

By Ada Ehi

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Jeremiah 29

13 and ye shall see me and find me ,when ye shall search for me with all your heart and I will be found and I will turn away your captivity-

Jesse found himself meditating on that passage of the Bible, it was already afternoon,four days to the crusade ,the crusade crew were set to arrive today ,each day he fasted he became more stronger in faith,he had heard that the festival of the priest was also set to take place in four days time too,he had been speaking constantly to his father who had also joined in the fast and seven days prayer on the behalf of the umumiri community.

         π Holy spirit  be my comforter 

             Holy spirit take control

              As am walking along the way

              The way is so narrow

               Holy spirit ...lead me home π

Jesse hummed that song as he walked back home to await the arrival of his church crew.

Suddenly he felt another presence around him,he turned to see an old man clad in black wrapper cowries scattered all over his long thick dreadlocks,it was also carefully sewed into his attire,his charcoal painted eyes was blood shot red , it held rage,his attitude all together was quite fierce and ferocious, he was a scary character to behold all together.

"I had searched round the four corners of this earth for you,never knew you would come to me" ikuku spoke 

"Darkness and light have nothing in common ,what do you want" Jesse asked meticulous with the evil stranger

"You are a son of the soil, you are suppose to be a blessing to me and to Oshimiri not a curse like your father, am ashamed he came out from my very own loins" Ikuku spoke quite vehemently

"I can never be a curse,Jesus died on the cross and took all that away ,I am of Christ and can never worship a manmade God" Jesse replied boldly

"Hahaha" Ikuku gave a sadistic  laugh

"If you harness the energy of thousands of Snails and transform it into one Snail to run,it can never be fast enough to catch up with an Antelope" 

"Who are you" Jesse Demanded

"I am Ikuku ,the great son of Ikenga,I walk on sea,I walk on land without my feet touching the ground,I carry the staff of Oshimiri the greatest and the most powerful of all gods,I have come to warn you to stop misleading the people of umumiri they belong to Oshimiri,I once wiped the chapter of a certain man who claimed like you with only a mere wind and I can do it again"

"Let no man trouble me for I bear in me the mark of Christ Isaiah 54vs 15 Behold  they shall gather together but not by me,who ever shall gather against me shall fall for my sake'

The people of this community does not belong to you or your worthless god,listen to me priest a day of revival is coming when the Almighty God will set his people free from bondage and shackles that have held them bound"

"Hahaha,I find it difficult to believe my blood runs through your viens" Ikuku mocked

"I don't care to know your bloodline I reject you in the name of Jesus "

Ikuku staggered slightly and disappeared into the wind "Don't say I didn't warn you" his voice was heard in the wind,it whirled around Jesse knowing he was untouchable, the wind raised raised the dust of the red earth and danced away from the mountain path.

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Ikenna and his family  was allowed out of the hut to attend to nature ,it was seen to that his family was provided for,he lost appetite to eat ,all he could ever think about was to figure out a way to leave with his family.

Another privilege he was allowed to take a stroll round his father compound,Ikenna was forced to reminence on his boyhood days here,hours he had spent taking lessons in the shrine ,how he had watched innocent and helpless lives sacrificed to Oshimiri, even the red earth where he walked on irritated him ,it signified blood of the innocents that have been spilled to pacify an unseen diety,he remembered the day of his father Ikuku  coronation as high priest  his younger brother Ikenba had been offered as  sacrificed ,according to tradition before the high priest would be coronated the blood of his child must be offered (excluding the blood of the first child) Ikenba was only a baby,that had changed Ikenba whole concept of Oshimiri dirty,he was then done with the godforsaken tradition he was born into.

There was this sick faintness he felt every time he looked at his father,the gnawing pain of loosing his baby brother ,not being able to save him,Ikenba death had caused the untimely death of his mother,now how was he going to protect his daughter from this insane mawkish tradition.

"I see you are gaining familiarity on grounds which would soon be yours 'Brother'"

Obike drawled as devilish black eyes stared back at Ikenna

"Obike" Ikenna drawled his brother name too

"I heard of how gracious you had been to my dear wife and daughter"

Obike gave a bland smile of indulgent amusement

"If you will call it gracious ,I believe I was overly generous giving the kind of brother you know I am"

Ikenna gave him a quick side glance of mingles incredulity and depreciation "you bet,its been too long Brother"

Obike studied his elder brother they both had the same colour only that Ikenna was more lighter and had this aura of freshness about him,they were both had striking features that proved they were birthed of the same mother only that Ikenna had a calm spirit while Obike was an apposite he was as wild as the whirling wind  their father possessed ,Ikenna was only seeing his brother now since his recovery knowing Obike was avoiding him,they had only sighted at arms length Obike giving him a brief mocking glance before walking away.

"I wish you had died " Obike spoke blandly Ikenna not surprised at his blunt honesty

"Believe me when I say I don't want this for myself ,I can never be like you and father ,that dark roaring beast in you carries no good"

"Hahaha" Obike laughed out in amusement "But you would soon hold the staff of that beast ,be careful brother for who you blaspheme on holds your life and that of your family in its palm"

Ikenna scoffed "Oshimiri is only good at taking the blood of the innocents, I will not bow to such a dark  wickedness and absurdity"

"Remember your daughter would be one of those so called innocent blood" Obike stressed

"To be sacrificed for the sake of your coronation in four days time" Obike gave a wicked laugh seeing the look of pain and fear in his brother eyes

"You come anywhere near my family I will kill you"

"I need to go prepare for the festival of the priest  Brother,so bad to have you home" Obike walked away leaving Ikenna cold at the thought of loosing his only daughter.