UNWITTING VESSELS (sequel To Vessels Unknown)

TWO

The driver as if on cue stared at me through the rare view mirror. His eyes, a question of 'What do we do now?'
Emass had been with me longer than most and knows most of my dealings. He knew what was going on in my head.

The possibility that Femi was planning an ambush was real. There was also the reality that he could be in deadly trouble.

I waited for the spirit to speak, but I heard nothing. But, anxiety had left me, a certain peace washed over me. So I instructed Emass to go back to church. There were more important things to deal with.
I had to find that girl that been in my head and I must take back what she took.

           The counselling wing of the church was filled to the brim. People stood by the isles, and some behind the pews, with more waiting outside.
The fourteen pastors who run the counselling sessions with me were all set and standing by.
Ushers and prayer groups were all at their assigned positions. They waited for me to open the counselling session with prayers.
They greeted as soon as I entered the auditorium. I waved at them with a bright smile while giving instructions to my assistant pastor.

            Stepping on the raised stage, I  ran my eyes throughout the auditorium, there was no sight of her. I even had Pastor Kelvin scan the place for me, yet she wasn't in the meeting.
So I gently grabbed the microphone and led the people in prayers. A sudden wave of uneasiness washed over me, I shook it off, focusing on the Church activities.

Jacob took over and started leading the people in worship as I made my way to my office. After saying a short prayer and scanning through my schedule, I went back into the auditorium, still focused on finding her.

Pastor King, my assistant pastor was delivering a power charge on faith. His text from Hebrew 11:6 sternly warned on the consequences of faithlessness.

          My eyes watched the faces of the people, some nodded, some dozed off, others in tears.
Humans will never seize to amaze me.
        'How can you sleep at the place of your expectations? Then why did you even bother to come if you were not hungry for the miracles you seek?" I shook my head disappointedly and took a seat close to my office.
He went ahead to lead the people in prayers of salvation, healing and deliverance.

         Ten minutes later, the sacrifice of praise went up in the building awakening those who slept and those who were absent minded.
When the Holy spirit took over. I forgot for a minute whom I was looking for and focused on the peoples needs.
Pastors went into the crowd laying hands on people randomly, the ushers and prayer groups assisting them.

     The counseling sessions lasted the whole day, rounding off my hectic day at 9pm. My front door opened up to me as soon as I got home.
Brenda hugged and smooched me as my exhausted and hungry self melted into her embrace.
Slowly I dragged my self to the meal sitting on the table waiting for me.

           After dinner, I sat on the balcony of my bedroom enjoying the bustling sounds of people doing their own thing.
My phone chimed again, Femi's voice came on as I pushed the green button. The empathetic thing in his voice was gone. He sounded like a lion looking for a prey.

        "So you ignored my call, even though you knew I was in trouble?" 

        "Were you?" I retorted.

        "Do you even know what being a pastor entails?" He asked scornfully. "Did your bible not tell you to look after his sheep?"

       "And, let me get this clear. You are now a sheep?" I asked dramatically.

       "Joke all you want, but remember we still have unfinished business."

My response came swiftly. "I don't have any business with you, how much more an unfinished one." Anger was walking slowly into my head. "And if you want to be a sheep, join the flock."

      "I would never be your flock. I started that church before you!" He hissed. "What am I even saying? I started it for you! The basic rules of being a Pastor is oblivious to you! " He barked.

I chewed down the outburst making way to my mouth. "Did you teach me any?"  I fired back.
    "Well, that's by the way." He said wearily. "I need some money. You know, a business deal had come through, and I would be needing some cash to execute it. And you should be paying me homage as a founding father for Christs sake!" He forcefully declared, hissing again.

         "Founding father indeed.  I didn't realize I'd become your private bank."  I sneered, wishing the grunt in my voice could force him to back off.

I fanned away the sweat his irritating voice was generating on my body.

    "The church,  men! The church!" He continued. "Get some from there, just get some cash."

The smacking sound of his lips irritated me  as through sucking on an endless weed.
I ignored the annoying noise. "Not giving you a dime anymore!" I declared, stifling the anger crushing my being.

     "Okay, you playing big boy now?" His horse voice dared,  breaking into a demonic laugh.

Oh I knew it! A demon resides in Femi's body. "How does a former pastor turn into a present devil?"
I cut the phone when his scornful laughter turned into a barking cough. He's heard in the background screaming for water.

Nonsense! Touch not my anointed, you people wouldn't listen, until God change am for you. I took a sip from my calming green tea, while rolling my eyes at the enhanced greediness manufactured by feeble minds.

           At some point, I wondered how God could have possibly spoken to Femi or even sent his spirit to him.  The guy was always high on weed or smoking his lungs out. In the past, he would climb the altar smelling like barbecued weed.

When the church first started, he took a weed fast. He smoked weed for three days on empty stomach, spoke in tongues and gave accurate prophecies.

"Was it God speaking to him then or was it the weed? but I won't judge. Nope,I just won't go there."
                                            
           The vibration from my phone tickled my fingers causing me to drop it on the floor. Femi's name danced across the screen again.

I pushed the red button. Enough of same nonsense for One day. When his calls became incessant, I shot him a text.

           "Man get a grip, zero funds. I got none to give." 

          "Lying is not looking good on you pastor, lying attracts pests!" He ended the text with an emoji of a cop.

I read it over and over again. Fear settled in the pit of my stomach. Femi knew too much about me, too much about our past.
Daring him would be disastrous, maybe even deadly.  "Thread with caution." I muttered to myself.

     I knew Femi's capabilities even before he became a pastor, and I would be a fool not to take this as a threat.
His gang kinda life never really left him, even though he tried to keep it under wraps.
The ghetto life where we originated from had a way of rearing its head, even when we are vibrating in the spirit.
Some of these old demons never really go away. They perch on a tree waiting for a comeback.
     
        I waved off the uneasiness I felt about Femi's call, as I walked back into my bedroom to prepare for the next days service.....