The Devil’s Proposal 4

Click Here For Episode 3

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EPISODE 4

I didn’t know what spurred me up to stand from my bed that morning!

I had come back from work very tired and I had to do some laundries. I also made Blossom’s hair and made sure Sam was well shaved. By the time I was done with all these activities, I was sleep drunk and was grateful to God that Dave had to attend the leaders’ meeting so I had enough time to rest.

I had not slept up to thirty minutes when I opened my eyes suddenly.

What woke me? I asked solemnly, very alert

‘Go to Nita’s house now!’ I heard so resoundingly.

I sat up with a start.

‘My God! What has happened to her?’ I said to myself as I wore my clothes hurriedly.

As I got to the door, I realized I was wearing the other side of my clothes

‘Oh my God!’I exclaimed as I pulled it off and wore it well.

>>>>>>>>>>>>
The traffic on the way was maddening.

I picked up my phone and scrolled through. I clicked Nita’s number and dialed it. It rang for a couple of time before it hung up.

Different thoughts ran through my mind;

Has Nita killed her husband?
Or her child?
Or herself?
Or all of them as a whole?

I shuddered at the thought and quickly started praying.

As an intercessor, I really hadn’t been doing well for some days now. Even the prayer list which contained the names of the people I prayed for every Wednesdays and Fridays was under my pillow. It’s been long since I remembered them in my prayers!

Holy Father! I hadn’t stood in the gap at all! Forgive me Lord!

I knew the Lord had called me into a ministry of intercession and reconciliation and I had discharged all my duties well until the Holy Spirit connected Sam and Zoe together thereby bringing me close to the Al-Makura family once again.

I had not been praying for her again since we lost contact years back and she had really strayed! She had yielded to the Devil’s Proposal since the conception and inception of her family that I didn’t know what to do!
I am so sorry Lord.

‘’Take care of the situation in her home now and preserve their lives’’ I prayed as my car swerved into their compound.

‘Good afternoon madam’ the gateman greeted me, bowing slightly

‘Good afternoon, where is your madam?’ I asked as I closed the car door with a bang. He cleared his throat and placed his two hands on his hips. I watched on in anxiety.

‘The battle has been tough ma. My madam just sent her mother-in-law and husband out of the….’’ He kept on with the gossip and I lost interest as I realized that something bad had happened and if care was not taken, it would be worse!

As I looked up at the window upstairs, a bit scared of going inside, I heard that distinct voice from up there.

‘Anybody there?’ she asked with a shaky voice. It was Zoe!

‘Yes dearie. Mummy Sam is here.’ I said

‘Please come up here. My mum has died!’ she screamed and I was shocked and confused.

What should I do now?

Thank God I was on duty today. I said to myself as I opened my boot and picked certain materials and inside I ran, leaving the talkative gateman to his wailings -‘My madam o’
>>>>>>>>>>>
‘Where are you now Mr. Al-Makura?’ I asked as I placed the phone close to my ears

‘Who is this?’ I heard from the other side

‘This Lizzy, Nita’s friend from the campus’ I replied

‘Oh! The one who married one Bro Dave?’ he asked and I smiled.

Nita must have really had a crush on my husband to have told her husband about him!

‘Yes. Please I need you to be around now please. Nita is in a critical condition’ I said and there was a chuckle at the other end.

‘What a joke! Do you mean the person that just drove us away from her house? Abeg, leave that story madam. Ba na so!’ he said in Hausa implying he didn’t like it.

What was he saying?

Drove who from whose house?

That was when I realized what the gateman was trying to tell me.

I looked at Nita on the bed. Even in her unconsciousness, she looked hurt. Her face was long and worn. My eyes strode to the petite hands holding her hands tightly. She was dozing.

I had found Nita lifeless on the bed with Zoe holding her tightly and beating her so she could wake up from her slumber. I had checked her vital signs and I realized weak pulse which I quickly adapted.

After searching in vain for even a single vein in her hands, I found one in her leg and I quickly connected the already injected saline drip I had taken from the car intravenously.

‘Please, I would need you to be around any time from now. No matter what had happened between you both, it’s time to let go and face reality. She was lifeless when I saw her’ I told Zack on the phone and the line dropped.

I sighed heavily as I observed her again.

Her pulse was beginning to come up again and I smiled. I went closer to her, placed my hands on her chest and prayed for her.

‘May God heal your hurt. May he calm your storm. May he be your comforter’ on and on I prayed
I picked up a bible and stood up. I walked from one end of the room to another. I saw their lovely traditional wedding picture frame and I shook my head.

‘This is an example of people who had a very great wedding but a very bad marriage.’ I thought to myself.

I knelt down beside my bed and started praying, quoting scriptural references. I soaked their room with the blood of Jesus, I prayed for their marriage and all and then as I prayed on, the door of the room opened and there and then I saw Zack. I smiled
‘He still loves her’ I said to myself

‘Well done’ he said shortly, went to the bed, pushed Nita gently, waved his hand before her face probably to ensure that she wasn’t really conscious, smiled widely and moved to the wardrobe.

My smile disappeared.

‘Mr. Zack, your wife is unconscious. Won’t you say anything about it?’ I looked at him as he picked up a file and quickly went through it.

Jesus, what should I do now?

I stood up from my bed and heaved a deep sigh.

There was really something horrible wrong with this family. It had a serious cancer that had eaten deep into its bones!
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I heard a voice faintly, as if from a very far distance!

‘See, mind your own business Mrs. Lizzy. Nita is my wife and I determine what I do to her in this house. You can’t be the one to dictate to me’ I heard that voice. It was so familiar to me that my heart ached faintly.

‘Well, I am not interfering into your family affairs sir but if your wife lies lifelessly here and you could still flip through files looking for God-knows-what, I bet it with you that you are wrong.’ Another voice said and I tried to figure it out. The voice made my already cracked heart to crack the more. The voice of my one and only rival!

‘You must be very stupid!’ I heard Zack say and bitterness grew in my heart.

‘I am very sorry sir. I didn’t mean to…’ Lizzy was saying again when I had the sound of something falling to the ground- he must have thrown something!

‘You must be very very stupid again this woman. Who are you to question my authority? God saved your damn butt that the shoe didn’t meet you’ I heard Zack’s voice again

What a disgraceful man!

How could he have shown his beastly attributes before Lizzy? How and why?

I opened my eyes slowly and I was double sure it was as red as a fiery furnace!

What had happened to me?

Did I faint?

I had never fainted in my life and if I had fainted, what caused it?

Exactly what?

It slowly dawned on me as I heard, ringing in my ears, the words of my barrister’s secretary as he broke the bad news to me.

I became extremely weak!

‘But see my brother; everything happening between you now is a devil’s proposal. You have been saying yes to it all along. Now, its time to say no! Please, for heaven’s sake have a change of…’ Lizzy was saying again, breaking my heart the more

‘You are mad! Now, leave this…’ Zack was saying when I sneezed very loudly that I thought one of my ribs had moved to my mouth.

I tried to stand up and someone ran towards me, held my back and quickly drew up the pillow to support my back. It was masculine and I was confused as I perceived my husband’s perfume. I looked up at him and he smiled!

Those horrible brown teeth!

But I smiled back at him!

‘What happened to you?’ he asked and I smiled again. I just wished that Lizzy could leave the room so I could display my madness.

‘How do you feel now?’ Lizzy asked, looking very shocked-probably from the pretense of my husband.

‘I am much better dear. Thanks’ I replied with a smile

‘She is better now. Now, go!’Zack said and helplessly, I looked over at Lizzy who was overly taken aback. I nodded.

‘All will be well Liz, please go!’ I said and Lizzy sighed aloud

‘Nita, please, you would need to get yourself together, eat and have enough rest. Your brain is under serious duress already. Please take care. Let me pray with you’ she said and Zack hissed.

‘Just go! We don’t need your prayers. Go!’ he screamed and I was shocked and very sad especially when I saw the big ‘I see!’ look on Lizzy’s face.

‘I will see you some other time then’ she said, obviously still in shock

‘If I should see you in this house again, chai! You would hate yourself!’ he said and I arched my brow

This man is mad!

No one can tell me otherwise!

First, it was my peace!
Then it was my sanity!
Afterwards, it was my companies!
Now, my friend…my only friend!

Zack is sick, madly sick! Over madly sick, ‘insaneously’ sick!

I watched as Lizzy walked out of the room and I sighed as I fought my tears from falling.

I must have fainted and her friend- the Holy Spirit must have informed her about my predicament.

The Holy Spirit still cared but I really couldn’t see any difference become things were not getting any better. In fact, things were becoming worse!

I scanned through the room and I saw my baby, Zoe beside me, holding the bed sheet beside me. She must have falling asleep while holding me. My pride!

Then, I looked at the man holding me by the waist. He was looking into my eyes deeply and I almost fell for it until he smiled- his teeth!

I hated Zack’s teeth! God forgive me!
They were like brown sugar. Exactly like that…like the bran of grains peeling off. Christ!

I looked away from him and tried to shove his hand off me. His filthy, dirty, contaminating, adulterous hands!

‘Please, could you take Blossom to her room?’I asked politely and he smiled, widely. Those teeth!

‘Anything for my Nita!’ he said in a funny way and I felt weird.

What was happening?

What exactly does this man want from me?

This is weird, oh Lord!

He opened the door, went out with Zoe hanging down his shoulder like a bag of beans and he closed the door after him.

This unfortunate, miserable man eventually disgraced me before Lizzy!

What exactly would she be thinking about as she drove home?

Ah! I exclaimed with a very loud, angry voice. I took in some deep breaths of air and panted for a while.

I was mad!

This guy wants me to be the shadow of myself while I lived.

He wants me to be a living dead!

What should I do?

The door entered and he came in with a tray of ‘Lucozade’ boost and a cup. I chuckled silently.

‘Of course this is becoming weird by the moment. Room service? By the man who rushed into the room and was scattering the files and all despite seeing me almost lifeless on the bed and even defied my friend’s caution and call to care? This is strange!’ I thought to myself, silently.

I was as weak as anything. I had never fainted in my life.

‘My princess, come and boost your system with this first. You need it’ he said as he dropped it on a stool which he dragged to my side. I smiled

‘I really don’t have any appetite for that now. My mouth is bitter.’ I said and he laughed.

‘You have to have appetite o. You need this more than anyone else’ he said and I sat up with great difficulty. When I spoke, my voice was shaky!
I could smell something fishy!

‘Zack, do you want something from me? This your overly care is making me to be worried’ I said and he laughed.

‘It is good to see you look helpless Nita!’ then he burst out into laughter till my heart tingled in pain.

Who would deliver me from whatever it was that this man was planning?

‘I know you are intelligent and that is why I love you’ he said, walked closer to me, rubbed my cornrows and smiled, flashing to me his filthy teeth again!

‘Zack, what is happening? Please, don’t hurt me. I am very weak right now.’ I said with a fearful voice as his eyes were as red as blood and they spelt mischief.

‘No, no, no! there won’t be any problem as long as you cooperate with me. All I want from you is to sign this cheque’ he said and dropped the cheque into my laps.

50 million naira!

That was the whole sum of money in my company account and here he was, asking for it!

That was the only account that I didn’t change the signatory when I married him, so I still had access to the cash from the media body but the rest of my company accounts had him as a signatory.

Had he finished spending the money in those accounts?

He just wanted to completely ruin my life!

I looked at him and shook my head.

‘Why is it that you are asking for this now?’ I asked and he smiled.

‘When is it best to harvest cocoa? Is it in the first, second or third year of planting it?’ he asked and I looked at him like a moron.

Did he really expect me to reply that ridiculous question?

‘See, I will tell you because I bet it you have never been inside a farmland. If you harvest cocoa in the first year, that is a great loss because it wouldn’t be ripe, sweet nor would it bring money. See this media company thing. When we first got married….” He babbled on and I closed my eyes in a very deep thought

Now I get it!

He waited long for the money to pile up in my account for years.

Oh God!

Tears ran down my face.

I had missed it in marriage- brutally!

‘If I refuse to sign the cheque?’ I asked and he laughed loudly.

‘Drink this Lucozade boost and kiss this world goodbye’ he said

So heartlessly!
So wickedly!
So horribly!

‘It is poisoned?’ I asked to be sure and he nodded affirmatively, smiling and tears fell down my face as I looked into his icy face.

‘I would rather drink this thing you have prepared than to give you my sweat on a platter of gold. Bring it close’ I said and indeed, he poured the drink into the cup and brought it close to me.

Attack him!
Fight for yourself!
I had many struggles in my heart as to what to do.

If I died, who would take care of Zoe?

Who would even mourn for my loss?

I was never brought up as a coward, so I shouldn’t just allow this kind of thing deal with me.

I should deal with it.

…But I was weak…

My hands were shaking from shock and I was having a serious migraine. I was also seeing ‘double’!

As he brought the cup closer to my lips, I shook my head thereby falling the cup and its content on the bed. His face changed as he looked at me dangerously.

‘You are mad!’ he exclaimed as he deposited two heavy slaps into my face.

It seemed as if my jaws had shifted from their normal positions. I was weak, very weak.

Tears strolled down my cheeks.

This was not me!

I knew what I would do in this case on a normal day…Ah!

The devils in me roared!

I wheezed a couple of time and there and then, he poured the drink into the cup again and brought it close to me.

‘What would you gain from my death?’ I asked and the opportunity opened for him as the rink he held closed to my mouth jumped into my mouth….

It was acidic!

As it burned my tongue, I hurriedly spat it into his face and closed my mouth firmly, I still felt the acidic thing on my tongue.

I thought I saw death!

As my throat tightened, I sat up with whatever strength remained in me. I took hold of his hand and pushed him till we both fell down on the well rugged floor.

My head tingled as the mug fell on the floor and broke into pieces.

‘You still have some strength in you. Bravo!’ he exclaimed as he strangled me, holding my neck tightly

I had lost my voice!

I couldn’t say a word!

But my tears flowed!

Even as I died, I prayed that if there was another world, our paths shouldn’t even cross.

His grip on my neck tightened and I gasped!

Left with no other choice, I set my teeth on his neck and bit him, with all my might and my strength.

He screamed so loudly and his hands left my neck

I was relieved until I noticed a force.

As I looked up at his hands, I saw a broken piece of the mug in his hand, aiming at stabbing my back. My heart jumped into my mouth!

I turned suddenly and struggled with him.

Though he was heavier and more muscularly built, I fought well, perspiring like ‘A Christmas goat’

While the effect of the drink really worked fast, I overpowered him , took the piece and….

—deep into his neck I inserted it!

Everywhere was red!

‘Mummy!’ I heard that voice, overshadowing the deep scream of her father- My Zoe, my pride!

I looked towards the door and saw her shocked face.

I stretched my blood stained hands towards her, smiling faintly.

Her mouth still suspended, she looked at her silent father, back to my weak, outstretched hands and she ran away fast.

It broke my heart and my heart slowed down little by little till I fell on his chest!

…It continues

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Click Here For Episode 5