I suddenly felt my lungs tighten within my body, I couldn't breathe. The experience pushed me down to my knees and I stayed here sucking up as much air as possible.
What Bolaji didn't realize was that the presence of shukura had taken over the place.
He continued to look into my face, offering different assistance to help me breathe. Inside the paper bag that he handed over, I puffed air in and out to still my anxiety.
When I felt I got enough air in my lungs, I stood up and glanced through the dizzying sanctuary.
"Where are the people?" I asked, taking a casual walk on the stage.
Bolaji whose face had been riddled with scars looked at me in confusion. "The service had been over for the past three hours."
I leaned on the podium and glanced over the empty sea of chairs. "Who finished off the service?" I sent a gentle gaze his way.
"No one. When you passed out, all ministers disappeared from the scene."
"Including Jacob?" I asked, nodding to whatever answer he might give.
"Yes, including Jacob." Bolaji answered with a tiny bit of hesitation.
I stole a glimpse at his face. "What else happened?"
"The sanctuary was filled with people manifesting in ways that was alien to me." He paused and placed his fingers on his jaw, "I'd seen people manifest, but never like this. It felt as though they were possessed by a violent angry spirit. They went after each other, viciously."
His words forced my foot off the stage hurriedly. "That wasn't supposed to happen." I pointed out.
"What wasn't supposed to happen?" Brenda's voice filtered into our conversation.
Shocked, I looked over Bolaji to see Brenda by the door way. She sat there with her arms across her chest.
"Oh Brenda common! We are just discussing the ........"
"The happening?" She pointed furiously at thousands of empty seats. "Its unbelievable what you would do for your foolishness. Whatever it is!"
I was taken aback. Brenda had never spoken to me that way, and if she was doing that now, then, there was something she knew that was completely a secret.
"Brenda?" I warned. "You are crossing the line."
She hissed and gawked at me. "You are the one crossing the line. I have much more things to say but the most important one is you finding a way to clean up this mess. You can't come and mess up the hard work of everyone involved in building this church!"
I watched her wheel herself away, mumbling.
Then, I turned to Bolaji, "Please, continue."
The young man wiped off the sweat on his face and moved his feet involuntarily. " I think that's where it all ended."
I glared at him. "Please finish the story jor!"
He pulled his face up and focused on me. "I believe something more terrible possessed them. This whole sanctuary was filled with crimson light. Then, those members woke up, they screamed and ran all over this place." He pointed at the huge church auditorium.
"We were only able to monitor them from the CCTV and through screened the door. When Jacob couldn't take their screams anymore, he went in there and prayed for them!"
"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.
Rage, raw debilitating rage filled my chest. It was so smoking hot, I felt it would roast me. Then I felt it push out of my eyes, nose and mouth. The dark red glow, filled my whole being.
I felt as though I was high on an over dose of psychedelic drugs. It felt good and powerful.
Suddenly, it pulled me off my chair and made me grow taller than my original height. I looked up at the roof, I was almost there. When I looked back at my son, he appeared like an ant to me.
"Crush him!" I heard myself say loudly.
My foot moved round the big table and stood in front of Jacob who was relaxed in his chair.
He laughed as my new self lowered my gaze on him. "Have I not told you that no one touches God's anointed? Get back to your seat now!"
Something pushed me and placed me back on my cushioned chair.
"Now, you will tell me. What do you want with my father?" He asked, pointing at me.
I didn't respond but felt the furnace rise to my chest, it sat at the center of my sternum. It's light glowed out of my body as it made itself visible on my chest.
The glow from it positioned and radiated at Jacob's face. But he lifted his hand and it stopped, dancing between us.
I winced as it sucked in my own energy.
When the furnace glows, it must be targeted at someone or something. If a penetration isn't recorded quickly, it would bounce back on the main source and deplete their energy or even kill them.
He continued to hold it in place with his right palm, inhibiting it from going back into me and stopping it from accomplishing it's mission.
I felt my knees buckle and my body weaken. I crumbled to the floor, so tired it felt as though my bones had been hastily melted.
Suddenly, something rose from me. A being, I watched it because I could feel my body, my consciousness return to me momentarily.
It went straight for the furnace but Jacob still held it in place, baring it from accessing the spherical shaped globe.
"Give it up!" Lashula rose to the occasion. I whimpered at the sight of the thing that had lived in me for years.
The beast of ancient time, the warrior woman who had taken control of my mind.
She stood at seven foot plus. Her tail which took the shape of an alligator lashed at Jacob, he ducked, sidestepping it by an inch. I gasped from the corner where I hid myself.
And no, this wasn't a spiritual battle, it was so real, I felt my heart explode.
It came unto Jacob again, sticking its snake like head in his face, while forcing Jacobs head into its mouth. But my son as always, pulled away from the slimy stuff that temporarily covered his head. In his hand was still the furnace, glowing red hot.
With the other hand, Jacob raised his bible which had been laying on the table, "Leave right now, in Jesus name!"
Lashula growled loudly like something I'd seen in the movies. It's deep robotic voice shouted. "Shut up!"
It whooped Jacob again with it's tail, this time it got him in the thigh. Blood gushed out from from the deep puncture hole it left in his things. Jacob whimpered and fell to the floor and released the furnace.
Subdued by his wounds, he lifted his bible again, now speaking in tongues.
Before he could quote more scriptures, it was on him again, glowing in red after it'd captured and swallowed the furnace.
It's strength increased and its viciousness took another turn. Now bouncing on his chest, it hit him again, leaving lacerations and bruises on his torso.
I heard my son cry out in pain, but the only name on his lips was Jesus. Which he called repeatedly.
"Stop!" I rose to my feet, flying across my wounded son. "Stop, please." I begged, glancing over Jacob's body.
Lashula growled louder, its voice sent shivers down my spine. "You don't tell your master what to do!"
With that it lashed at me with is tail and left trickles of blood down my back. I felt the pain minutes later. I screamed out the pain, one that I hadn't felt in my lifetime.
With its claws, it pushed me halfway across the room, before it descended on Jacob again, trashing him on the floor.
My son screamed, wailed, shouted but no help came. Then I heard people banging on the door. I believed they'd been knocking for a while before I was able to hear it.
The commotion in the room stifled my hearing abilities. When I began to hear very loud banging, I knew then that they were about to break down the door from outside.
I rushed again to Jacob, who laid motionless on the floor, with his hand firmly holding onto his bible. I could still hear his mouth move in prayers. He continued to speak in tongues in whispers.
I was still bent over his bloodied body when I heard the door hit the floor with a thud.
Without warning, the beast Immediately went back into me. I shuddered at the effect that I passed out right there.