UNWITTING VESSELS (sequel To Vessels Unknown)

TWENTY NINE

             "Why?" I asked as he helped me sit at the foot of the blood stained bed.

I glanced at my wrist which was bleeding from the forceful way I pulled out the infusion line. And also realized some of that blood rested on the sheets.

            "You passed out." The kind man looked into my eyes with concern. You've been in coma for three days and we were hoping you will come out of it and thank God, here you are.
I flashed him a grateful look, appreciating the fact that people cared enough to wish me well. If only they knew how Lashula planned to mortgage their future for the new world battle.

A man in blue scrubs appeared at the door, carrying bed linings. He slowly walked to my bed and gave me a quick nod. I pulled the doctor away and we sat on a cushioned couch in the room.

          "My family, where are they?" My kind doctor looked up at the door and made a sign to some one.

          "Come on in."

A young man walked in with another woman in a wheelchair. I watched them closely but I didn't make the discovery of who they were.
I knew somewhere in my mind that I had a family, but couldn't remember who they were.

And facing me, the doctor smiled. "They've been dying to meet you."

I returned his smile with a look of confusion on my face. " Who are they?"

I caught sound of gasps in the room and even a frown of surprise from the lady in the wheelchair. My gaze went back to the doctor. "Did I say something wrong?"

He shook his head and took my hands again. "They are your family." He pointed to the tall young man. " This is Jacob, your only child. And this is," He pointed at the woman who was now visibly sobbing. "Your wife."

I shot my eyes through them and yet I remembered nothing. "I don't know them." I concluded.

The woman sobbed louder. "Adrian, its me Brenda." She yelped in between sobs. The young man rubbed her shoulders, still standing.

          "Can you give us a minute?" He spoke to the doctor.

Doctor nodded. "Of course."  And with that he stood up and left.

The young guy took his place by my side without taking permission. "Pastor Adrian, how was the journey?" He asked, ignoring the stares from his supposed mother.

            "It was cool." I answered, remembering my not so good dream.

              "Did you leave or did they force you out?"

I glared at him in surprise. "Were you in the dream with me?"

He chuckled but maintained his gaze on me. "Yes, I was."

My brows furrowed in surprise. "Then you know about Lashula?"

He nodded again. "And how it knocked you out!"

My fingers rubbed my brows before they descended on my jaw to support it. " Then you were there with me. Interesting!"

He didn't share in my surprise but moved his eyes to the floor. "Do you want to remember?"

I watched his fingers move towards the woman. "You mean her?"

         "Yes, Her."

I considered the weeping lady for a minute and nodded. "She seems to be in considerably about of hurt. So if remembering who she is will help, I say why not?"

The younger man nodded. And right there he cupped my hands in his and said a very quick prayer. Instantly, I felt a fog lift off my face and my eyes cleared.
Subsequently, memories rushed so fast into my head that I screamed from the pictures that bombarded my brain. I flashed my head in my hand and shut my eyes.

Moments later, I lifted my gaze and it downed on me who was sitting in front of me.

"Brenda!" I screamed and ran to her. She hugged me up, almost smothering me.

My eyes glazed with tears as Jacob relayed the happenings of the last few days to me. And how God miraculously healed him from that encounter with my entity. It was surprising nothing happened to him, not even a scratch.

And while I was battling for my life,  Femi returned with a different group of lawyers to take back the church, claiming I was almost dead. How they got to know that I was in coma still baffled me.

It made me think of reshuffling my security detail. The men in my inner circle was talking and talking to my enemies.
The other time, he was at my house and how he knew where I lived, I couldn't tell. Now he returned with a group of vicious lawyers to take back my sweat of so many years.

            "And what's the outcome now?" I asked my son who looked more tired than myself.

He glanced up at me, working his gaze between me and his mom. "Its still in court. Problem is that, there was a loop hole in the judgement they gave you the last time. It said, that in your demise," He pointed at me. " if a written will is absent, The previous founder or his offspring can take over."

My mouth opened in surprise. "How did we not see that?"

"Your lawyers said the briefly pointed it out to you, but you were too happy to pay attention to that tiny detail.

I waved my hand in his face. "No, that's not a tiny detail. In fact, it's a huge one."

           "I agree. So I fired the other lawyers and hired more profiled and experienced ones. But the judge demanded proof of life before he could rein in a judgement."

        "How about now? I am alive."

Jacob nodded. "I already sent it. We should be expecting the final ruling shortly."
I heaved a sigh and tapped my son on the back. This proved he knew more that I'd gave him credit for.

           The next seventy two hours was filled with so many activities that I wished I was still in coma. We won another victory against Femi, and I left the hospital, strong and fit.
Another problem was the church membership dwindled, fizzled out.

Rumors of me possessing people with some bloody light fed the conversations on social media and other online platforms.

Even some other pastors came at me with vengeance. I ignored their calls to resign and took to the streets to evangelize. Yes, I was doing it the old fashioned way.

And through out this period, Lashula went away and left me with my sanity.

            Trouble started when Femi reappeared in my office. How he got in, I didn't know. I guess he snuck in or even got help from some of those disloyal church employees. But that was one thing, I planned on figuring out.

There and then, Lashula rose to the surface and almost used me to strangle him.
If not for the timely intervention of my son Jacob, Femi would have been history and an end to stupidity.