DANIEL BAFFOUR-KODUAH

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EPISODE 18 & 19

Episode 18

Raymond felt the change of temperature and strange enough this time it wasn’t cold but hot. Real hot like burning lava and everyone started sweating right then.

The Reverend Minister thought he was sweating because he was only praying much harder. And he didn’t know the presence of the fourth party in their midst.

Mr Kpakpo came out of the thin air and, as usual, he sat on his flying mat. He wore a black smock and his eyes were black and not like the usual red eyes.

Raymond opened his eyes and he was the first person to see him in the room. He screamed and started pointing a finger at where Mr Kpakpo was. And it was evident from his face that he was afraid.

And that was when the Reverend Minister saw the mysterious man in the room. He was taken aback by the sheer hatred and anger he saw on Mr Kpakpo’s face. He feared instantly but he knew he had to look strong to his guests and cast whoever sat on the mat out from the room.

Miraculously Leonard could also see Mr Kpakpo and he could not hide his fear. He screamed and tried running away but that when he knew he could not move an inch or whatsoever.

And that was when he knew what it was to be afraid.

The Reverend Minister started praying, and this time he prayed with much power, sprinkling anointing oil at the exact place Mr Kpakpo was but the old man never moved an inch. And he watched as the Reverend Minister prayed all he wanted.

Mr Kpakpo laughed and everything shook in the room, like an earthquake. He came down from the mat and this time they could see him physically. And he stood in front of the Reverend Minister as he kept praying.

“Stop!” Mr Kpakpo commanded.

And just like a computer being given a command, the Reverend Minister’s mouth shut at the moment. He tried starting another prayer and that was when the truth hit him.

His mouth was shut and he couldn’t open to utter a word. And he was horrified. In his ministerial career, he had not felt nor seen anything like that and his heart pounded not knowing what awaited him.

Mr Kpakpo walked past him and a force took the Reverend Minister by surprise and slammed him on the ground. He was raised again by the same force and it held him in the sky and pinned him to the wall with his hands spread apart like a crucified fellow.

“Ye men of little faith. You filthy pastor! You serve no God and you dare stand against me. Your powers are quaint. You’re really lucky I have no beef with you.” Mr Kpakpo said, with venom.

He moved over to Raymond who was stunned and had fear written all over his face.

“And you, my little friend. I told you, no one can help you and you thought I was bluffing. You pay for your sins, Raymond.” Mr Kpakpo said.

“You raped my daughter and you killed her, you moron! I buried my daughter without her body and her mom cries every day, knowing her only child is dead because you only wanted to use her and blackmail her. You don’t deserve to live my friend. You don’t!”

And Raymond felt his heart being ripped out from his body. He could feel the veins and arteries tearing off and his heart coming out.

And when he looked at the old man, his eyes were white and he had the face of a demon and there were tears.

“You don’t deserve to live, Raymond and there are many things that stand in my way of not taking your life now.”

And miraculously Raymond’s heart was back to normal. And he sighed and fell on his face.

“For the wages of sin is death…”

Mr Kpakpo sat on his mat and he left the room just as he came.

The Reverend Minister fell heavily on the ground and moved over to the door and quickly opened it.

“Get the fuck outta my room now you, idiots,” he screamed.

“You worthless piece of shit. You had nothing and you just wanted to scam us to give you money. Azaa pastor. Give us our money back.” Leonard said angrily.

The Reverend Minister opened the safe he put the money in and threw the money together with the bag on them.

He logged into his accounts and transferred their money back to them.

“Now get the fuck outta here. Take your trouble and leave. I want no damn part of it,” the Reverend Minister said.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you are Azaa pastor. I wonder what your church members see in you. You’re just duping people and you’ve been exposed.” Leonard said.

“Leave!!!” The Reverend Minister shouted, losing his patience.

And the two friends left with their heads bowed. Raymond knew then, his life was at stake.

Episode 19

Raymond was desperate for help and there was no place that was able to help him.

He had sought the help of other powerful men of God and all they were interested in was the money he was offering but they couldn’t help.

Sometimes in the process of the men of God delivering him, Mr Kpakpo will appear out of nowhere like he usually does and he would whip these men of God severely.

There was one of the men of God Raymond had visited alone. And as he prayed for Raymond to deliver him, Mr Kpakpo appeared and that was the end of the pastor’s ministry.

He whipped him in front of his church members and made him confess the atrocities he had committed. Afterwards, he went off and till date, no one had ever bordered to find him.

Mr Kpakpo had warned Raymond countless times to stay off these men of God unless he does the right thing because none of them could ever save him.

Raymond was desperate and countless times he had failed to heed to the old man’s warning and had gone in search of help.

                *

Raymond confided in Dr. Marfo and told him his problems. He was depressed and had to talk to someone else.

Just as he had recommended someone to him for the abortion, he recommended a fetish priest for his friend this time and he personally promised to take him there.

Raymond had opted not to go but his friend convinced him to try Nana Gyampatrudu out because he was a powerful fetish and he solved people’s problems in just a visit.

Raymond told Leonard about it and the three friends made the journey to Nana Gyampatrudu’s abode.

The fetish priest lived in a remote area, Kotebontwe. It was a typical village where the people lived in huts and mud houses.

They had no electricity and their roads were poor. It was a village that was rejected and not many people knew of its existence.

Nana Gyampatrudu’s shrine was in the town’s cemetery and they had to cross a small river before they could get to the cemetery. The villagers could not hide their happiness when the Range Rover Sport pulled over at the community center.

The children were all over it and the adults just stood around admiring the beauty of the car. With the help of the villagers, they were able to get across the river to the cemetery to Nana Gyampatrudu’s shrine.

It was a big old shrine with two segments; a waiting area and the priest’s consulting room. They joined the queue after one of the servants at the shrine approached them to get to know them.

Nana Gyampatrudu was a powerful man and people usually come there for their problems to get solved, no matter how big the problem is.

The shrine room had lots of shrines. The room was decorated in three colors; red, white, and black.

Nana Gyampatrudu had a linguist who mostly conveyed his messages to those who come for his services and he hardly speaks unless it was a critical matter for him to address.

Nana Gyampatrudu’s linguist welcomed Raymond and his friends and asked them their mission.

“Let the great one hear we have come in peace. We have come from a long way because people have testified what the great one can do. We have brought our friend and he needs assistance urgently because his life is at stake.” Dr. Marfo said.

Nana Gyampatrudu whispered to his linguist in a strange language as he looked strangely at Raymond.

“The great one says you have come to the right place and whatever you have heard is true with no lies. Once again the great one welcomes you,” the linguist said.

“Thank you,” they responded.

“Please hear and relay to the great one that we have come prepared and…”

That was when Nana Gyampatrudu got up and danced around a for a moment. And then he spoke.

“The spirits tell me you’re a cursed one.” Nana Gyampatrudu said and pointed to Raymond.

“You have done something terrible to someone and the person seeks revenge. I don’t know who it is but I’ll soon find out.” Nana Gyampatrudu said and laughed.

He started with his incantations and started calling up strange names. As he continued to perform his duties, he fell heavily on the ground and shielded his face from something that looked very bright to him. But he was the only one that saw it.

And he screamed!

“Eeiii Bosom Panin Kpakpo! The great and merciful one. My Lord, to what do I owe this visit, Nana. Eii Bosom Panin Kpakpo! For you don’t visit unless it’s something important. I’m all ears, Nana. Speak for I heareth.” Nana Gyampatrudu said, with his face on the ground.

It was evident whoever Nana Gyampatrudu had bowed to was more powerful than he was. And it was evident it was Mr Kpakpo. He had mentioned his name and bowed down to him.

Mr Kpakpo, Bosom Panin Kpakpo, was furious and the blazing never left Raymond’s face and Raymond was just lucky he could not see this time around.

“At ease Gyampatrudu. The boy is a cursed one, my son and I cursed him for the terrible thing he has done to my daughter, Ama Bosomba Konto. He is mine, unless you want to start a war you can’t win with me, Gyampatrudu. I come as a father to you this time, if you help him in any way whatsoever, I will come to you as an enemy and you will regret it, my son. He has to do the right thing. ” Bosom Panin Kpakpo said, his voice so calm.

“Forgive me, my Lord. I do not wish for that to happen either. I will send him away.” Nana Gyampatrudu said.

Mr Kpakpo nodded and left the room.

Nana Gyampatrudu stood up and there was fury in his eyes.

“I could have started a war I cannot win because of you. You’re a cursed one. Bosom Panin Kpakpo is great and I certainly cannot go against him,” he said angrily.

“Do the right thing, Bosom Panin Kpakpo is a merciful one and whatever it is you’ve done, he will forgive you. Leave now!!!” he said and chased them out with his linguist.

                *

Raymond knew his life was literally over after the unsuccessful visit at the shrine. He had tried committing suicide on different occasions to end it all but he had been saved miraculously, one way or the other.

Mr Kpakpo had visited him a few weeks after he had gone to the shrine and he had beaten him mercilessly. Raymond had pleaded and screamed for help but none had ever come.

“You don’t like advice, my friend. Right from the onset, your friend advised you and because of your sexual pleasures you blackmailed him to help you get whatever you wanted with my daughter.” Mr Kpakpo said.

“And when I told you not to go seeking for help, you disobeyed me and went anyway. No one will help you, Raymond. No one!”

“What do I have to do to get out of this? Tell me!” Raymond cried.

“Is it money? I’ll double any amount you want. You just have to tell me.”

“Oh, you idiot. Do you think I want your filthy money? Do you think my daughter’s life is worth some millions of cash? Oh, you think you can buy me off with money, huh?” Mr Kpakpo angrily said.

“I want no part of your filthy money, you moron. You have to do the right thing”

“What right thing do I have to do? I’m sorry! I really am. Oh, I have regretted what I did. I’m so sorry sir” Raymond pleaded.

“Your sorries and fake tears ain’t gonna solve the problem. I need to bury my daughter. Her mom wants to see her body and my daughter deserves an apology. If her spirit accepts your apologies then I’ll be done with. Until then you will leave in fear and wish for the cold icy hands of death to take you but it won’t.” Mr Kpakpo tearfully said.

“For the wages of sin is death…”

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