UNWITTING VESSELS (sequel To Vessels Unknown)

TWENTY EIGHT

         "No, he didn't!" I blurted.

Bolaji looked at me suspiciously. "Were you expecting a different action?"
My head shook and my finger waved off his words. "Those words came out wrongly. I shouldn't have said that." 

I jumbled the sentences in my head and decided that a simple head shake was just enough.

        "And after he prayed, what happened?" I asked Bolaji whose glares were coming at me hard.

He sighed and gave me the defeated gaze. "They passed out and in another thirty minutes, the got up and went home."

         "Did you observe anything else?"

Bolaji smiled. "Yes, they became normal, or should I say acted normal again and went home."

I nodded and dismissed him.

While he walked away, I stood in the mega sanctuary and wept. All that I worked for was going down the drain in my very eyes.

If other people got to know, especially those overzealous church folks and the self proclaimed Mobile Church police about the real thing going on in this church, I was sure that I would go back to face me I face you church office. I shuddered at that thought and raced back to my office.

Jacob stood in the place where I'd left him. I watched his tall length turn to gaze at me as I walked over to my gigantic table.

          "Don't you have some classes to attend today?" I glanced at the theology school time slots. His presence was irritating me and I so desperately wanted him gone.

         "I have a message for you!" He leaned on my desk, staring into my eyes.

         "Away with your messages of doom. I don't want them, would never want to hear of them anymore!" I yelled.

          Despite his overwhelming presence, I buried myself with the church's transaction folder. I ran my fingers on the big big numbers in millions, the mouth watering zeros behind huge digits.

So far this month, the church had raked in over nine hundred million Naira. Thanks to my kidnapping saga. It increased the church's revenue by ten percent. People from all over the world sympathized and donated.

What the devil planned for evil, God turned for good.
A wicked grin rose on my face and I looked up to see the confusion on my son's face. I was sure he'd been speaking but intentionally, I mentally blocked him.

           "You were saying?" Unending smile filled my face so much so it made him uncomfortable.

It wouldn't be surprising if he stood there and prayed or ran off.  I continued to grin while he chose the former.

When I couldn't take his madness anymore, I yelled. "Leave!"

His eyes flew to the door and then back to me. "Who?"

         "You!" I pointed defiantly at him. "Get out of my office!"

         "But Dad, I was hoping we could harsh out somethings." He tried to explain.
I shot him a murderous gaze. "Get out now!"

At this point, I felt it in my throat, rising and bulging with each wave of anger.
I swallowed to hide it's emergence. But it held me down, pushing my consciousness to the bottom while it rose to the surface.

My eyes caught my son's frightened face. He moved back a but before rushing towards me, "I am not afraid of you! Manifest all you want, but you must give me back my father!"

A disagreeing shrieking growl left my mouth, I just couldn't control it.

           Jacob took a seat beside my table and watched me intently. "Is this all you got?" He scoffed, waving me off.