🏋️STRENGTH TO CARRY ON 5 by Ebuka
Cont'd.
At dawn that same Sunday morning Bruce was set for church service. He met Iya Idris and Chike in the compound washing some wears in front of their respective apartments.
Except for Chike that responded and reciprocated when Bruce said good morning to them. Iya Idris did not even raise her head to look at Bruce. She felt hatred for him over what she had seen of him the previous night. Because of him also had she been beaten up by her husband same last night.
"I am greeting you. Iya Idris good morning!" Bruce repeated while unlocking the door of his car. Yet no response.
"Iya Idris?! Daddy Cynthia is greeting you" Chike called out wondering if the woman has gone deaf.
The woman finally raised her head reluctantly.
"Good morning" She said hastily but without regards. She left what she's doing and scurried into the house disrespectfully.
Her rude behaviour was s big surprise to Bruce. Besides his family has never had any misunderstanding with Baba Idris's family, not even for once ever since they lived in that compound. They've been good neighbours!
Bruce thought probably the woman might have had some misunderstandings with his wife Anika without him having knowledge of it.. Well it was about getting late for church service already. He turned on the engine of his car and drove out of the premises.
Iya Idris had been watching from inside through the tiny vertical space between the door and it's frame. She came out of the house immediately Bruce left.
Chike was surprised too but he pretended as if he didn't understand Iya Idris's nasty attitude towards Daddy Cynthia.
"Chike if you had seen what this Daddy Cynthia did last night, I swear you wouldn't want to give response to that so-called greetings of he's this morning"
"This last night?! What is it?!" Chike paused his washing.
"The morning greetings of an indecent person could cause a whole day bad luck to someone..." She threw her right hand round her head and snapped her fingers. "... Tufiakwa! Oloun maje! God forbid!.."
"Madam. Talk nah. Wetin happen last night?!" Chike has become so curious now.
"Holy Ghost Fire🔥... You men eeh!!!.. Don't worry I will tell you later" She said and went back to her washing. Chike hissed disgustedly at her.
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<CHURCH>
"Daddy Cynthia, see me immediately after service" The Pastor said to Bruce.
"Okay Pastor"
Immediately after the service Bruce went to meet with the Pastor in her office.
PASTOR: "Peace of the Lord brother Bruce. Please I asked you to see me for a reason. " Pastor Mrs. Agnes paused for a while. "..As your Pastor, I should not sit down and keep quiet while things go wrong in your family.." She paused one more time. ".. Your wife reported to me a few days back that she got beaten up by you. She even showed me the scars on her lips as evidence. Did you truly beat up your wife?!"
Bruce was silent for some time.
"Yes, Pastor I did, but had to render an apology to her immediately. That was my first, and will be the very last time I'll ever lay a hand on her..." He sighed. "..But there was this big allegation she levelled on me that got me so provoked on that day"
"Please Sir may I know what she said to you on that day?"
"She called me an evil man. That I was the cause of her inability to conceive again. My wife said I tied her womb spiritually..."
"Like seriously! Anika said that to you?!" Pastor Mrs. Agnes exclaimed in pretence.
"In fact too many nasty comments she made on that day. Honestly I felt badly humiliated" Bruce shook his head in dismay. There were tears in his eyeballs which he was preventing from dropping off.
"This is unbelievably shocking! Remember I told you Anika was possessed of Marine evil spirit the day you presented her before me as the woman you wanted to marry. Although you declined of the prophecy, but it was revealed to me by the Holy spirit. Don't you see her physical appearance?! It's not just ordinary beauty"
Actually the Pastor had advised Bruce against getting married to Anika in the first place. But then he stood his ground.. Was it that he doubted the Pastor as a result of the emotional feeling and the love he has for Anika? Or could it just be because of her beauty?! Bruce was now in a state of confusion.
"What next should be done now to..to destroy the Marine spirit controlling her?" He's worried.
"Do you know for how long I've been praying and fasting on her behalf in private. See, the demon is a very strong one. Anika is the first daughter of the Marine queen. Quite unfortunate, you should continue to bear the cross Sir" Pastor Agnes kept on instilling more fear in the man.
"Pastor are you saying there's no solution to the problem. Please help me out?!" Bruce's plea was touchy but the Pastor cared not.
"You should give me some time to commune with the holy Spirit in prayers, and let's see the final say of God concerning the situation. Meanwhile ask you wife to come and see me during tomorrow's councelling"
It was such a moment of dejection to Bruce. He became so sad... So depressed that he lost appetite for lunch when he got back home from church that afternoon. He lay down on bed for siesta but sleep refused to over take him.
Bruce had to intentionally shut his eyes, but the situation seemed worse. It was as if his head was revolving around the room.
Then he opened his eyes, laid on his back and began to look upwards into space.. He remained like that for hours until suddenly he heard the engine sound of a very familiar car. Anika and their daughter Cynthia is back.
The nextt morning being Monday, two armed Police officers in company of those female hookers that came with Tolu on Saturday night stormed the compound. They confronted Bruce as he was coming out of his apartment to go to work.
"Officers this is the house. And he's the one we've reported to you about at the station. He lives here. The fair hooker angrily said pointing accusing finger at Bruce.
"Yes na the man be that oga police!" The black hooker cut in.
Both ladies were dressed like real whores now. Almost naked.
Bruce halted abruptly by the entrance, unconsciously he let go of the briefcase and dovetailed both hands upon his head. He was about facing the embarrassment of a lifetime.
This surprise attitude of Bruce's the moment he sighted the people coming in towards his own apartment, has done all the explanations. Therefore the police needed not going ahead again, to ask the man coming out of the house if he knew those two ladies.
"What is it again with these two filthy trashes?! Oh my God! Now Anika my wife is around!.. Tolu has finished me" Bruce lamented in his heart.
He felt if the ground under his feet should open up now and swallow him, instead of himself facing this kind of reproach...... A reproach that someone else has brought upon him. Something he never bargained for.
Meanwhile the noisy dropping of the briefcase onto the floor when it suddenly left Bruce's grip had attracted the attention of Bruce's family. So Anika and Cynthia hurried out of the house, to know the cause of such thunderous sound, and where it came from.
"Daddy Cynthia. What is it?! Who are these people looking for?!" Anika's heart beat skipped
Cynthia was busy struggling to lift up her daddy's heavy briefcase off the ground.
Behold! The neighbours have already gathered to know what happened.
**See me see wahala ooo!**🚶🚶