Wounded Pilgrim 20

AFTER THE FIRE

“Now what am I supposed to think with you two boys trying to tear down my ministry after all these years of toiling for my Lord?” It was Pastor Orori, Eliezer and Richy’s father talking to his sons now behind bars and him outside. The two boys hard slept in the cold cells of a police station on a Sunday night. Their father had hardly rested after preaching a mass moving sermon at his church back at home when he got the news. He felt like the devil was behind him like a mighty tsunami ready to devour him and all that he had with him in this sea of life. That Sunday He had been from preaching The Holy Ghost today a sermon that saw many come forward at the alter call to be prayed for their deliverance. Three people had been baptized at the river a kilometer from the church.

“Man of God sorry about what you have to go through. If its possible you take your sons home with you and with some elders go sort their issues at home the better”, Said the OCS when he arrived and was briefed about the case. It was going to be a bad case especially for Eliezer. The police hinted they smelled shisha in Richy’s breath and they would put up a strong case about including searching Eliezer’s house for the same. “Make your decision quick since today is Monday a short day when we need to present all the cases that have been gathered over the weekend. The law does not allow us to keep people for more than 24 hours without prosecuting them in a court of law.”

Bartholomew was standing next to him. He is the one that brought Pastor Orori to the station, since the old man didn’t know the city well. The pastor had to travel overnight with the night bus from the village to get in the city at five in the morning. It was the last bus and he was lucky to find an empty seat at such a time. He looked tired and sick for whatever was going on right before his eyes. Eliezer looked down most of the time obviously feeling ashamed of what he had done while Richy snored on the other corner of the dirty stinking room. There were other people in the room and some were half asleep as others stared on from the floor where they sat. Bartholomew remembers throwing away some rolls of something strange that he hadn’t seen into the dustbin after Richy went away.

“Officer get them for me we go home we talk from there” was all Pastor could say. Word was that Happiness’s father was on his way coming for his daughter and he was not ready for any sort of an embarrassment. After leaving the station they headed to the church grounds as Pastor Dube and Deacon Musa had asked them to. Bartholomew had hired a friend’s car to do the work easily. At the church quite a number of the church members were gathered outside conversing in low tones. Word had travelled so first like wild wind over WhatsApp groups of the Saturday drama. Happiness was there too looking much better than she had been yesterday. Bartholomew had taken her to sleep at Deacon Musa’s place that night. It was there that he learnt of the proceedings of the arrests and he was told to pick up the pastor from the village when he arrived in the city.

A few people rejoiced to hear that the police had allowed them to go home scot free without much push and pull so that the issues could be sorted “Kinyumbani”. God had for sure answered their prayers. Pastor Dube took Pastor Orori aside and for about ten minutes they had a deep conversation with each other. They came out and asked everyone to gather in the church verandah where there were a couple of benches. Pastor Orori prayed and later Pastor Dube started the meeting. He looked sad and disturbed as he spoke.

“The devil is an old boy and is always working overtime.” He began. “Am a pastor and I know what my brother pastor Orori is going through. It’s a battle he has been fighting for a long time. Not many months ago we had of another pastor’s son that killed his girlfriend just a fine a choir member on a Monday evening. And so we know on Sunday after we cast out demons here in the church some of them follow us right into our homes to fight us there. Mostly its our children that they fall victims.”

A few people took out handkerchiefs to wipe tears from their faces as the pastor continued to talk. He was such an eloquent speaker whose speech rose with so much progression that by the time he hit his climax he has no longer speaking softly but rather was now tough and some people were often at such times sobbing for being touched and some raising their hands as a sign that it was touching them. It was later agreed to have Richy at a rehab as Eliezer went back home to be with his dad for a while Happiness going to be at Deacon Musa for a while. This time would be likened to a probation and would be for a two or three weeks after which they would be brought back in church prayed for so they could go back to their house.

“Bartholomew please remain behind and see me at my office” Pastor Dube announced as people disbursed some to their homes and other to their various places of work. Bartholomew didn’t have the slightest clue but he knew all was well and he would probably be getting some congratulatory remark from the pastor.