MY PRETTY ONE

BUSHMEAT! My love for it is not here. I often look towards buying it in abundance whenever I travel from Lagos to East or East to Lagos. The peppery way those women around Ondo Express spices theirs are my attraction. A reason I usually board private vehicles from Ikeja 7Up toll gate, Lagos or Asaba toll gate, Delta State.

At Asaba that fateful Saturday morning, I stood at the Toll Gate in search of a vehicle to board, a driver I could cajole to stop at J4, after Ore where I could buy the meat. There were scanty passengers but plenty vehicles, this gave most of us room to select which vehicle to enter.

Then, a Nissan Altima drove and parked at my front, the driver made a gesture to ask if I was going to Lagos. I sized him up and nodded my head distantly. At the front of the car sat a fine ebony lady. "Bros make we look for one or two other passenger's make we move." The driver said as I negotiated price with him, dropped my bag and entered.

Suddenly, a lady cat walked past the car. She wore a short gown, had a mini traveler's bag, a gold plated handbag and nylon. My mouth let loose. 'How possible could one person be this tall, this fair, this curvy and this beautiful? No. She could only be a Mami Iwota.'

I argued with myself and ran after her.

"Please! Sister, are you going to Lagos?" She turned, nodded her head in affirmation as I pointed at the car to her. "How much?" She sang. "The drive said 5K." I responded, embarrassing her with my glued eyes flirting on her.

"No ooh. I am looking for a cheaper vehicle; I don't even have enough money with me." She continued to sing on her calculated and enduring smiles. Her skin glittering against the shimmering sun. "How much do you have?"

"3K!" She said without thinking twice. I uneasily collected her bag; she held it firmly in protest. "I will borrow you 2K."

"No ooh, I don't want to owe any stranger."

"My name is Ikenna, I don't want to be a stranger to you." "She smiled and said Mr Ikenna, I honestly don't want to borrow from you, neither do I have more than N3k to pay."

"OK, I will dash you 2k." She hesitated, sized me up, let loose her bag and followed me.

The driver saw that I had hustled a passenger, rushed out, opened his boot, I dropped her bag, and she entered. We stayed for a while, the driver said, "old boy abi make we de move?" I nodded my head and he engaged his gear, we drove to Lagos.

As we entered Northwest Petrol Station, the driver made a sign for payment, the girl brought out N3k, tossed it to me, I added 7K, and we bought petrol and continued our journey.

"My guy, I beg, you know that place them de sell bushmeat?" I asked the driver.

"J4 nah." He answered. "You go help me stop ooh, make I buy meat." He adjusted his inner mirror, looked at me and began to laugh.

"Na weitin I just de discuss with my babe say we go stop there to eat meat." The driver said.

"We have identical and mutual craving. Na my guy you be I swear." I said teasingly.

"Wait ooh, are you in Man-dealers, Lagos Island?" The driver asked me, his eyes began to flirt on IJ as she whipper her name to me. He conspicuously adjusted the car's inner mirror towards her. But for his babe at the front, I would have told him to concentrate less we have accident.

Obviously he was carried away, just as I was. Who wouldn't be? Even the driver's babe was carried away as IJ presence violated my concentration. "I stay in Balogun market, Gbajumo to be precise." I answered him carelessly.

"No wonder, I have seen your face. I stay in Balogun too." Soon, we became friends, talked about business and other things while IJ was busy pressing her phone. I don't even know where to start to ask her for friendship.

At J4, we entered an open space and parked, sat in a shop and began to eat the meat insatiably. IJ was a hyena. I thought I like bushmeat, but I was her servant. Four of us ate, drank and discussed familiarly as though we were long lost friends.

IJ drank three cans of Black bullet and lost control, even in her drunkenness, she is very beautiful. Steve, the driver and I consumed a mini bottle of Action Bitters. His girlfriend drank coke but competed with IJ on the meat.

We relaxed and totally forgot we were going to Lagos. IJ drunkenly said she was enjoying the fun and not really in a hurry. We were done, as Steve was driving out, boom! He did not watch...

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55.

The way God took over the ministration baffled me tremendously. The sermon I studied overnight to dispense was no longer important. There were prophecies, there were deliverance, captives were being set free, demons were crying out and being cast away.

All to the glory of God. I was to speak for just 45 minutes, but the spirit of God took over. I did not know when I exceeded an hour thirty minutes, yet, it was as though I was just starting. The energy was unprecedented. The congregation was urging me to continue.

When I concluded, the whole church stood up to shout, to jump and to clap. Those who could not clap when I was brought to the pulpit earlier seemed to have borrowed extra hands to clap to God Almighty and not to a mere man like me.

Brother Kingsley called me the next day, the news of the previous day hung in the air. There were testimonies upon testimonies. He told me that this is just the beginning of what God would do with me. All I need was diligence and steadfastness, then I will see the manifestation of God's glory upon me.

After some days, Brother Kings called to inform me that I would go with some members of the prayer warriors to represent him to a man who recently completed his building and would be doing the housewarming soon.

When we got there, I was asked to pray for the house and dedicate the building to God, a beautiful edifice.

The portraits that hung on the wall showed that the man is a big man in army. I prayed briefly, told the man I would wish to see and pray for his children. The man was surprised, but called three of his children of two boys and a girl, they were between 25-21 years. I told them that the Lord will make those who would interview them for their visa application to be busy, too busy to ask them any question, as they go to American embassy the next day.

They were looking at me dumbfounded. They possibly thought their father told me, but God spoke to me expressly concerning that.

A day after, the man called Brother Kingsley, he said he wants to know about that young man that came to his house, that his children have been going to the embassy for years with denials of visa, but just as I decreed, without any questions, three of them were granted visa.

For weeks, I was running and hiding from members, people would want to see or touch me and get healed. Others would want me to pray for them. I was scared I would soon run into trouble, because God's glory can never be shared with any man. I was asleep one night when God woke me up, He gave me a verse in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 10:13

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

I was praying and pondering over this when Amara's call came, it was unusual to see her call that early. I called her back after my prayers, she said God told her to tell me to be strong and vigilant. I should always bear in mind that all things work out together for good to them that love God.

I asked her to tell me further about this, she said she knew no further than what she just told me but I should be careful as she has started praying for me. Brother Kingsley called me that morning, he said I should come to church at once; his voice was monotonous, flat and withdrawn. It appeared as if he borrowed a stranger's voice. He had never spoken to me with such careless and dry tone before. Then, I sensed there was a problem...

As soon as we heard the sound, Steve, his girl and I jumped out as the veil of the Action Bitters we drank fell off our eyes. Steve miscalculated and his right-side tyre entered a culvert and made a serious noise.

IJ stayed back in the car, she relaxedly cushioned her head on the car's headrest. She was heavily intoxicated and restless.

The noise we heard was not as serious as what we saw. Soon, our customer called people for help.

The vehicle was lifted from the affected side and pushed out. Steve started the car engine for us to continue our journey, one of the guys who helped us to push the car out shouted for him to switch off the car engine. The car sump cracked and engine oil was gushing out from the engine.

In no time, a mechanic was consulted. He drained the engine oil, lose the sump and said we should take it to Ore where we could solder it, bring it back while he fix it and we continue our journey. The time was a few minutes passed 3pm, the sump had been soldered by a welder, yet, Steve was busy looking for where we could relax and have more drinks.

"Guy, let's hurry and leave to avoid Mowe traffic." I told Steve who had maintained a placid composure ever since the incident happened. "Old boy relax, I am not in a hurry to go back ooh. In fact, this problem though going to cause me a fortune but I am seeing it as a blessing in disguise."

"What are you talking about Steve?" I asked on a surprising tone. You see that my babe, Amara? For over 18 months I have been chasing her, 'make she give me something. For where?' Marriage this, marriage that. She maintained that there's nothing for me until make a commitment.

I have sent her transportation money over three times to visit me, either she spends the money and tell me stories, or visit Lagos and stay back at her sister's house. I would be the one that would drive to see her in her sister's place, spend my money and she will only give me a peck.

I traveled to the village, went with some of my elderly uncles to her village. We went with a bottle of hot and kola nuts. We saw her parents and I proposed marriage to her. You need to see as she was running around cooking and serving us.

That was how she relaxed to follow me to Lagos, even at that, she said she would be staying in her sister's house and be visiting my house. My guy, make we relax here and drink, around 7pm or so we will go back. No machanic would fix this thing at that time.

We will only look for a hotel and lodge." Steve concluded and began to lick his lips.

"You mean you are not going to marry her...?"

"Marry who?" Steve asked curtly. "After stressing me for close to two years? This is my only opportunity. That girl is an ogbanje, we could go to Lagos, and stories would change.

She might even insist on staying in her sister's place, won't come to my house until after wedding. I would be Aaron nah, Aaron that went home empty-handed."

"Chai Steve, what's your gain? Holes are the same nah."

"Nothing ooh, just to confirm if her own hole is made of gold or, is it not the same thing those girls at Lagos Island share to us freely?"

"How about that girl?"

"You mean your Mama Iwota? Old boy that girl fine ooh. This type, I could auction my goods from China just to touch her." Steve said, salivating.

"What if she refused? What if she did not agree to stay in a hotel with me? My guy, what qualification would a man possesses to touch her?" I asked Steve on an exciting tone.

"Well, I pray she is a real human being or not possessed, this kind of beauty, I no trust am." Steve said twisting his face.

"Guy. Why are you creating fear in me?"

"So that you could change your mind make I carry. That girl is good to be used as a sample, only to be parading around in front of your car." Steve stuttered and began to laugh lavishly.

A few minutes past 7pm, we were back with the sump clutched in our hand. Amara face was worried, she said she was calling Steve's number without the knowledge that his two phones were in the car. IJ was sober now, but did not know my phone number to call me.

The mechanic looked at the sump and nodded his head satisfactorily, but said he would not fix it that night. Steve and I began to beg him, Steve said he could use torch to fix it that he had an appointment that night in Lagos. Amara said she can't risk her life, rather, we could secure the car and look for a hotel to lodge....

From my house to the church would not be more than 45 minutes, I had received frantic calls from Brother Kingsley and other brethren, the calls were becoming unnecessary. My mind had rigmaroled to many things, but could not come to any conclusion. Aside prayer warrior department which I was drafted to, nothing, not even church treasury, or have I purchased any item, to be accused of misappropriation of church fund.

I was scared but God's words kept encouraging me. It could only be a misunderstanding. I sauntered to the church to notice that a group of people have already sitted and waiting for me. I greeted Brother Kingsley, other members, apologized for my lateness and quietly sat on a chair kept for me distantly away from others.

I may have already been convicted before my arrival. "Sister Jacinta, please tell us what you told me yesterday, same thing which you confirmed in the presence of Bro Kingsley." Brother Mark stood to say. He was the assistant prayer warrior. A robust man with mischievous looks and funny smiles.

"Just as I told you Sir, which I also confirmed in the presence of Brother Kings..." A lady stood up to say, I am sure I have never seen her, but she could be one of the congregants.

"I said to confess my sin and pray for forgiveness. I am tired of living in sin and double-standard with Brother Iyke, worse was his boldness in the pulpit despite our frequent sexual immorality."

"For how long has this wickedness been going on Sister Jacinta?" Brother Mark asked again.

"I cannot recollect, but I am sure it is over two months now. My conscience could no longer take it, especially whenever I see him mount on the pulpit to give empty prophecies, deliverance and messages."

"Bro Iyke, I know what Christ saved you from, but a leopard would never change its colour, you see 2Corinthians 5:7? It is not meant for you, non of the old things about you has passed away, no, your old ways of life is staring you in the face.

From today hence forth, you are not allowed to handle any microphone, you are not to give any prophecy neither are you permitted to pray for anyone, in fact, whatever prophecy or vision seen should first be communicated to the elders for scrutiny before dispensing it. Truth be told, you are ban from any prophecy until I confirmed you are fully repented and saved." Brother Kingsley concluded.

I wanted to say something, but I was forbade, the more I raised my hands to speak, the more I was ignored. However, Brother Benjamin pleaded for me to be heard, that even a condemned criminal has the liberty to speak. Then, I was told to speak briefly because I have wasted their time.

"I thank you my father in the Lord, Bro Kingsley. Where would I have been without the grace of God and your timely intervention? Yes, I know what God saved me from which I made a vow never to go back to Egypt.

Sometimes ago, you told me of God's instructions to leave on a certain period which is in a few months from now. I rather, as a father to bless me and let me go than to support or conspire against such drama.

This sister cannot say where we have been committing this evil, either in a hotel or in my house which I am sure she doesn't know. So, I accept all your conditions and sanctions as long as I am not thrown back to Egypt, I accept. May the will of God be done in our lives?"

As I was about sitting down, Brother Kingsley said we should pray and end the meeting. While praying, my heart was troubled; I was conspicuously offended on such gross conspiracy. "Peace... peace... peace." My soul sang. Peace of God that passes human understanding was what my heart sang, yet my head was blank to take a decision...

Steve made an unwilling and uninteresting face on Amara's suggestions of lodging in a hotel; Amara drew him aside probably to convince him about the idea. Steve is a good actor; he could make a name in the movie industry for interpreting of roles.

"What do you think?" I asked IJ who stood there aloof as her pretty face reflectively glittered against the cars' headlamps.

"It's obvious we can't trek back to Lagos, neither can we sleep inside this car in an open space. What happened here is an accident and very unfortunate.

If you have enough money, let us stay in a hotel. Only that I do not want any problem, neither do I want anything rubbish tonight."

"What kind of problems and rubbish?"

"I don't know, any type of problem and every type of rubbish."

Somehow, my body began to ring a bell, began to rise against my jeans, I never knew I was this uncontrollably lustful. Steve came back to have a private word with me, his face tightened as though his heart was not ecstatic. "Old boy I didn't know that what I was searching for in Sokoto is inside my Shokoto.

See how easily Amara fell for the snare. It is left for you to convince your Mama Iwota. From now on, you..." Amara walked in between us and Steve paused. She said the mechanic directed her to a hotel inside the village, that bikes could take us there.

We took a few things we could use, IJ brought all her belongings, handed them over for me to carry. I obediently obeyed her and we boarded a bike to Promise Land Hotel at the boundary between Ondo and Ogun State.

The way Steve mounted the bike with Amara was obvious he doesn't want any disturbance onward. Invariably, states had been divided; everybody is now on his own. IJ and I mounted too, she sat at the middle. Her body was a magnet.

The bike man navigated towards the bumpy road, IJ's body vibrated on mine. I wish we could never get to the hotel, if only we could endlessly ride on this bike I wished.

Promise Land hotel is indeed full of promises. The hotel did not belong in that village.

It was a beautiful architectural designed building. The owner really invested money there, and the price of the room was cheaper than the room itself. We both booked a separate room and went to the bar to eat and drink.

The hotel disappointedly did not have Black Bullet, two bottles of Guinness stout may not do the magic Black Bullet could have done for me. Back in our room, IJ said she would use my phone to call her Aunty, tell her where we were for security purposes.

I gave her my phone, she went with it to the toilet to make call, while I was consumed with thoughts, imagining things. The showers was running, IJ was done making calls, I felt like going to peep, to admire the work of God, then my phone began to ring, an opportunity to see without peeping. "Iyke, your phone."

She shouted an express invitation to see.

"Jesus Christ..." I shouted as my mouth let loose. She shyly covered her boobs and mockingly scolded me to go out. But I have seen something; I have seen a near perfect work of God...

Holy spirit has been my comforter, so was Amara. She had urged me to leave the church for another but God did not or has not asked me to. I continued despite the sanctions, unfortunately, some members who are not aware of the sanctions usually come for me for prayers which I would systematically avoid.

Brother Kingsley strongly began to avoid me like a plague. I had been to his office severally to explain my innocence, but he was not willing to hear me out. Even, when I have some doubts about certain things in my belief, no one to talk to, no one to advice me. I became conspicuously a spiritual orphan without any guidance.

Yet I looked up to Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. My Bible became the only thing I looked up to. On my way home from church one lazy afternoon, I saw some people sharing flyers. I was consumed with so many things to notice one the people distributing the leaflet. A man came to me to toss some of the flyers and I collected them absent-mindedly.

It was about their church annual convention, but one thing caught my attention about the church Bible School which was advertised on the the leaflet. I have not really heard much about Bible school except theology. I was pondering on the church's advert when the word of God came expressly to me on 2 Timothy 2:1-15, verse 15 says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Through the address of the church, I went to make enquires, in a few days after, I enrolled for a Bible school under the tutorship of some knowledgeable men of God, through this, God opened my eyes on things I may not have learnt under Brother Kingsley. Then, there became this hunger to know Him, the more I tried to know God, the more I realized I would only know about Him, but never to know Him.

Apostle Paul, despite all the revelations to write more than half of the new testament said in Philippines 3:10-11 "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."

I graduated from Bible school six months after. It was an eye opener to word of God. I counted it all joy for the accusation and other persecution, because I found peace in me. I still enjoyed fellowship with the brethren. I never saw Sister Jacinta in the church again. One day at the church, God told me through the book of Deuteronomy 2:3, God was trying to tell Israelites that they have stayed on the mountain long enough, it is time to move forward.

I was struggling to understand the word, when I overheard my name through the blaring speaker. Brother Kingsley used my name for a sermon, "For some of you who keep asking about Brother Iyke, some have confronted me privately to know why Brother Iyke no longer minister, while others wish to know why he vehemently refused to pray for them.

Let me mention it categorically here, devils can never cast out devil. Iniquities were found in Brother Iyke. I sanctioned him, with an opportunity to repent and amend his ways, but no, not Brother Iyke. No lady is safe with him, not even a spinster, no not a married woman. Let me announce to you here once and for all, Brother Iyke is no longer with us, anyone who does anything with him does that at his or her own risk." The earth I prayed to open and swallow me. I have seen humiliation, but non like this...