DANIEL BAFFOUR-KODUAH

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EPISODE 15 – 17

Episode 15

It had been some days since Raymond had the strange encounter with Mr Kpakpo in his room and nothing had happened then.

He had forgotten about everything and had thought the old man was just playing some mind games on him.

In the past days after the encounter, Raymond had just laughed at the thought that some crazy man was just trying to get him to confess something no one ever knew.

And then how he miraculously got the necklace, made him wonder if whatever he experienced was real. Because he knew for a fact that no man could ever know where he had hidden Ama Konto’s necklace.

He had checked the drawers he put the necklace in countless times and couldn’t find it. The tape was gone too and that made him wonder. But he put these thoughts behind because what Mr Kpakpo had said has not come through.

He had not grown smaller or older and all he thought was the old man was one crazy fellow who thought he would fall for such antics.

                     *

Raymond woke up from his sleep and started planning for his day while he continuously stared at the ceiling. He had planned a lot and was so happy for the fact that he would be hitting some RZ’s with Ivy that night if all his plans go through.

The thought of it made him so happy that he got up immediately from the bed. And that was when he felt the sharp pains through his body and it was so painful that he laid back on the bed at once.

He had never felt that before. He tried getting up and this time the pain was so severe than earlier and it made him scream his lungs out. And it made him gasp for air.

He could feel his heart beating fast than the usual and it just felt like his heart was coming out from his body. He felt so tired that moving an inch was too difficult for him. His muscles were tired and his breath came in short whizzes.

He rolled over to the edge of the bed, crying and screaming in pain. He called Leonard using the telephone by the bed to come to his room asap. And at the point, he felt useless.

Leonard came as quickly as he could because he heard the pain in his friend’s voice. He rushed to the bed and helped his friend sit up as Raymond yelled in pains.

And that was it! Raymond was old! And he looked like a hundred-year-old grandpa with a falling face. It was the ugliest thing Leonard had ever seen. He had expected his hair to be grey but surprisingly it was all black.

Leonard couldn’t help it. He burst into heavy laughter as tears came in his eyes while Raymond sat on the bed angrily without knowing what was going on with his friend.

“What the fuck you laughing at, Leo” Raymond asked angrily.

“Your face man. Playing a prank on me? Your face is falling off Ray. I bet my grandma looks nicer than you, pal” Leonard teasingly said.

And as Raymond opened his mouth to reply, two of his front teeth fell right in his mouth and he spat them on the floor right away.

The two friends yelled and Leonard mysteriously wondered the kind of prank Raymond was playing on him.

“Gest me a millor, pleashe” Raymond gibbered.

“What?!”

“A millor!!!” Raymond shouted.

Leonard laughed as he went to the bathroom to get his friend a mirror.

Raymond could not believe it when he saw his face in the mirror. His once handsome face was gone and it was replaced with a falling face.

It was like a plastic surgery gone bad. And he could not control his tears. His face was gone and his two front teeth had fallen off. And it was like a dream to him. Leonard consoled his friend and wondered what could have happened to him.

The room temperature changed and the cold strange wind was felt again in the room but the two friends felt it. Raymond held his friend tightly and was scared to death.

Raymond could feel strange eyes watching him from every angle in the room.

And that was when Mr Kpakpo appeared from the thin air on a mat. The mat hanged in the air and when it went up and down like the waves of the sea.

Leonard could not see because it was only meant for Raymond’s eyes.

Mr Kpakpo sat on the mat and his blazing eyes never left the face of Raymond. And as much as Raymond tried to hide from it, he saw it everywhere in the room. And his actions made Leonard afraid.

“What’s wrong with you, Ray? Why are acting so strange man?” Leonard questioned with fear in his voice.

“I told you, Raymond. I told you. And you sat there, thinking everything I said was a lie. You’ll pay for your sins and you’ll be haunted like never in your life before.” Mr Kpakpo said, his voice so calm and deadly.

“Whatsh do you wanst frlom meeeeeeesh?!” Raymond shouted.

Mr Kpakpo laughed and the fury in his eyes multiplied by ten.

“JUSTICE!!!” His voice echoed. “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”

“For the wages of sin is death…” Mr Kpakpo said.

The room temperature changed and Raymond saw the darkness left the room.

“What just happened here, man? Who were you talking to?” Leonard questioned.

“I need help man. I need help, please help me.” Raymond cried.

To their surprise, Raymond’s front teeth had grow back and he could speak well again.

“I’m in deep shit man,” he lamented.

Episode 16

“What do you mean Ray?” Leonard said. “Talk to me, buddy”

Raymond bit his lips and cried harder.

“I should have stayed clear off Ama Konto like you said, man. Her father is tormenting me because he thinks I have something to do with his daughter’s disappearance. And…”

“Do you have anything to do with that?” Leonard chipped in sharply.

“Don’t be silly my friend. How can you ever say that Leo? What do you take me for? That man must be crazy, thinking I have something to do with Ama’s disappearance. And I can’t believe you asked me that stupid question. If you ever …”

“Yo, chill okay? I just wanted to know. I’m sorry.” Leonard said.

“You better be.” Raymond hissed.

The two friends sat in silence for a while but Leonard left because he had some things he needed to attend to.

Raymond sat alone in silence and thought about everything that was going on around him. And at a point, he cried and consoled himself. And he knew unwanted mysteries awaits him in the coming days but he was just unready for that.

His life was changing and there was nothing he could do.

                *

The previous weeks after Raymond’s encounter with Mr Kpakpo in his bedroom had been hectic for him. And he had feared every moment he lived.

He had been disgraced countless times in front of the whole school and the students and staff thought he was going mad. Students had started making fun of him.

Mr Kpakpo had appeared to him one fine morning at the assembly in the auditorium and of course, he was the only who saw him.

He was giving instructions to the students on the podium when he started feeling the strong cold wind around him. And he knew Mr Kpakpo was around. He tried being brave but there was fear in his voice and he started stammering that very instant.

He started looking all around him and had totally forgotten that he was standing in front of the students and staff.

There were screams all over the auditorium when the strong cold wind took Raymond by force and slammed him down the ground with brutal force, breaking his hands and nose. He was bleeding but he didn’t feel it.

Again, it carried him to the sky and this time around, it was like he was dying by a rope.

He screamed and screamed. And his eyes looked like it was coming out from its socket, the veins on his neck was visible and he gasped for air.

The students started shouting and they screamed for help. Those that tried to help Mr Raymond or even touch him were thrown off balance by a strong force and they wondered what was happening.

The school chaplain, Rev. Joseph Adu, was around and he started praying. And much to their surprise, he was also thrown off balance when he tried saving Raymond from whatever was holding him up there.

The brutal force broke two of Rev. Joseph’s ribs as it threw him to the wall. He got up immediately and surprisingly ran off without looking back. It was so hilarious that for a moment they had forgotten that Raymond was held up in the skies by some demonic power.

The brutal force brought Raymond down with a strong force after fruitless attempts by those around to save him. He rolled on the ground a couple of times. He was brought up again, much against his will and they could hear the heavy slaps on his face.

Raymond knelt down and gasped for breath. And he pleaded but no one could hear whatever he was saying. He cried and he pleaded. The room became dark for a few minutes and it went away.

It was the same experience Leonard saw the other day at Raymond’s room and he wondered what his friend had gotten himself into.

Raymond took to his heels and for the first time he felt the pains in his body but he went on anyway.

Leonard followed quickly and caught up with his friend.

Both students and staff were frightened and that event was on everyone’s lips. But no one knew the whereabouts of Rev. Joseph Adu after he ran off.

                *

Leonard caught up with his friend and took him to the sickbay. Dr. Marfo attended to him pretty quick and Leonard sent his friend to his room. And he had so many questions on his mind that he needed answers to.

“What the fuck went on there, Ray? What have you gotten yourself into?” Leonard questioned.

“It’s Ama Konto, Leo. I raped the girl and recorded her. And when I found out that she was pregnant, I…, I.. I.. t..took her to some man but she died in the process of getting rid of the pregnancy. I did a nasty thing to her. I cut her body into pieces and I buried her in someplace deep in the forest. Her father found out and he’s looking for revenge. I need help, Leo. Please help me. Please!” Raymond cried.

Leonard couldn’t believe what he had just heard and his heart bled knowing that he had a hand in what has happened to Ama Konto. But he was determined to help his friend.

“You did bad Ray. You did really bad. But I’m gonna help you. There’s this powerful man of God I know. I’ll take you to him and he will free you. Don’t worry.” Leonard assured his friend.

“Let’s go now, bro. My life is at stake. I’ve been humiliated. Let’s go now!” Raymond said.

“Relax, I got you”

“I need help man, I need it now!”

Episode 17

It had been a week since Raymond was disgraced in front of the school and since then he had not been to school. He had avoided visits from staff members who had wanted to see him and know how he was doing.

And within the week, he had not had any visits from Mr Kpakpo and he had felt really good about it. But he had grown old again with fallen teeth and falling face. Sometimes he would go to bed an old man and wake up the following morning as a twelve-year-old boy with a manly voice. And he would scream and scream.

At certain times too, he would see and feel his body transforming from either being an old man to a young boy or from a young boy to an old man.

At certain times too, he would wake up as a month old child with pampers and poop all over him. And when Leonard comes to check up on him, he would feed, bath him and takes care of his needs.

Sometimes too he would dream of eating with Mr Kpakpo and when he wakes up, he would find the bowl he had eaten from right in front of him with his hands in it. And he eats with much gusto. And they were foods he never in his life would have eaten but he ate them anyway.

He had pressured Leonard to take him to the man of God he had talked about but Leonard had always said he would take him at the right time.

Raymond was anxious and he wanted everything to end so he could get back to his normal life but he wondered if he could even have a normal life again.

Leonard told Raymond to prepare for the visit because he was ready to take him to the man of God. Raymond really prepared and gathered lots of money because he knew he would need them for whatever guidelines the man of God will give him.

And as they set out to the see the man of God, Raymond was an old man but he would change as they journey and Leonard would laugh when he changes to a little child and cries for food.

               *

Leonard drove for about 4 hours before he made a curve that led to the church of the man of God. He drove for about 5 minutes and entered into a big compound. There were cars all over the parking.

The LIVING WORD CHAPEL was a big church. The auditorium could contain thousands of people.

And it had many offices and conference rooms within it.

It was a Sunday church service and Raymond and Leonard could hear thousands of voices singing praises and worship to God. They waited till the service was over and requested to see the Reverend Minister, Rev. Dr. Bryce George. He was an African American and he was the general overseer of the church.

The beautiful usher led them straight to the Reverend’s office and the old Raymond and Leonard could not take their eyes off her bouncing butt. She noticed but only smiled and left them in the office.

The office was big and comfortable. Pictures of the Reverend Minister and his family were displayed on the wall with other citations.

The Reverend Minister came out from a small door at the far end of the room and was surprised and startled when he saw his guests but he kept his composure. He had not expected anyone after service that very Sunday.

He welcomed his guests with smiles all over his face. He offered them some drinks but they rejected it because it was clear to him that they had not come because of his drinks.

“Welcome once again to the LIVING WORD CHAPEL. Please let’s pray before we proceed.” the Reverend said.

“We thank you Father for what you have done for us and as we begin this session ple…”

The Reverend Minister stopped at once and he stood up immediately and knelt. He started shaking like he was having a vision and the two friends wondered what was going on. It continued for a few minutes and it stopped and he sighed.

“Thank you, oh great one, for this revelation,” he said and got back to his seat.

“I know your mission here my children. And I assure you, you have come to the right place. Because no demon can overshadow the child of God. The spirit that is haunting you will no longer be of existence after I’m done with it. You shall be free, my son.” Rev. Dr Bryce George said, full of anointing.

“But there’s a little price you have to pay. Just a little token for the Lord,” he said smilingly.

“Oh, we came prepared, man of God. My friend just wants to be free from any evil sprit. Just name your price and we shall even add more when this is all over.” Leonard said.

The Reverend Minister smiled sheepishly at the sound of more money and Raymond was just happy his troubles would be over.

At that instant, they wired a lot of cash into the account number the Reverend had given them and he smiled when he got the notification. Raymond even added the money he had in the bag and promised more.

“Let’s get to business, my son”

The Reverend Minister called Raymond and asked him to kneel in front of him.

And the Reverend prayed and he spoke in tongues, calling the heavens to come down and heal Raymond. And the Reverend noticed Raymond was changing. He changed to an old man and to a young boy and to a toddler. And he prayed more, anointing his head with oil.

And that was when the room temperature changed.

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