Afflicted. Episode 4

AFFLICTED
Episode 4
Chronicles of the Stranger continues…
Reverend Obuobi is strutting around with a pompous and haughty pride.
REV. OBUOBI
(shouting)
Hallelujah! Amen! Hallelujah!! Amen! Hallelujah!!
CONGREGATION
(screaming)
AMEN! AMEN!! AMEEEENNN!!
REV. OBUOBI
Bring him his wife and his children now!!
Mrs. Ampofo and her children, all crying, run
toward their husband and father.
She and her husband hold each other, and Elder Ampofo sees his wife of thirty years for the very first time.
ELDER AMPOFO
(weeping)
Oh, Mansa! Is that you, Mansa! Oh, you’re more beautiful than I imagined! Oh, is this Fiifi? And you’re Akwasi? Come to me children!!
REV. OBUOBI
(screaming)
I healed you! Didn’t I? I healed you!! Now you will know real power!!
The interior of the church is suddenly filled with great merry-making as the stunned congregation screams and dances and shouts at this most incredible and amazing miracle!
The praises session that day after the miracle is astounding.
Elder Ampofo, overwhelmed, empties his wallet into the offertory.
And, when the church closes, and the members crowd around an elated Elder Ampofo who wants to meet the faces behind the voices he has heard for so many years, Pastor Ebow Obuobi sits down with a contented and smug look on his face, and surveys them with pride.
Finally, they begin to leave, still shaken up by the miracle.
The members now approach Reverend Obuobi with reverence.
Some of the women even bow to him when they speak, and the men are barely able to look him in the eye.
And, before he and his family leave, Elder Ampofo shakes the hand of Reverend Obuobi, and as they are speaking he surreptitiously slips a cheque inside the side-pocket of Reverend Obuobi’s coat.
ELDER AMPOFO
(humbled)
I can’t thank you enough, Reverend. I will come and thank God later. The cheque is a personal appreciation. I hear you don’t have a place to stay yet. I was going to rent out one of my buildings, but I’ve informed the Bishop that you can go and stay in there for as long as you want, rent free.
REV. OBUOBI
(calmly)
Be blessed, Elder. This shows you love me. Blessings will be multiplied unto your life because you have shown appreciation for what I’ve done for you!
Reverend Obuobi leaves the church auditorium and quickly enters the chambers of the Assistant Pastor.
He closes the door, locks it, and quickly slips the cheque out of his pocket and looks at the amount.
His eyes open wide and a huge smile crosses his face.
The amount is Ghc 100,000.
Suddenly the man of God strikes a series of crazy poses and finally jumps and punches the air.
Next he takes a slim cheque book from his drawer and begins to write a post-dated cheque.
After that he takes a clean A4 sheet and writes his bank details on it.
Finally, he leaves the office.
When he goes outside he sees Bishop Osuanyi and the Nyantakyis standing near the brand new Nissan Xterra Akoto Nyameboame has bought for Kusi Nyantakyi as his birthday gift.
Reverend Obuobi approaches them with his arms wide and a divine smile on his face.
Sika Nyantakyi runs to him and embraces him.
SIKA NYANTAKYI
(reverentially)
Oh, Reverend! We’re so glad to have you in our church! You’re such a wonderful man!
Mr. NYANTAKYI
(cowed)
May God continue to fill you with more anointing, Reverend.
BISHOP OSUANYI
Amen, amen! Ebow, you told me you have something to discuss with them. They’re waiting.
Reverend Obuobi looks worried and a bit scared immediately as his kind eyes seek out Kesewaa.
REV. OBUOBI
(painfully)
It really hurts me to say this, my brothers and sisters. For three days I’ve been having continuous visitations from God. Unfortunately, it is about the man Kesewaa wants to marry.
Kesewaa shoots a fierce look at the man of God.
It is evident that she still does not trust him fully, but there is grudging respect and a little fear deep down her lovely eyes.
KESEWAA
(worried)
What are you doing to me, Pastor? Please, please! I love Akoto! I love him with all my heart! If you’ve seen something bad about him why don’t you pray to God and correct it, like these great miracles you’ve been doing?
Obuobi looks at Kesewaa sadly.
REV. OBUOBI
I wish it were as easy as that, my dear but, sadly, it is not. See, the visitations I am having all point to the fact that Akoto has lied to you. He claims to be a virgin but it’s a lie. He’s used many girls like that. He promises them marriage, but uses them for rituals instead, turning them into paralysed humans or making them go into a coma so that he will make more money. He has lined up blindness and paralysis for you, dear, but I’ve prayed, and God has diverted it to his mother. Soon his evil will catch up with him and he will break down completely because God is going to strike him and his mother.
KESEWAA
(stunned, shocked, dying)
Please! No, no, no! Akoto is real! Stop saying these evil things!
SIKA NYANTAKYI
(scared)
Kes, my dear! Listen to the man of God! Our Lord wants to take this great evil from your path! Akoto is evil, and we can’t accept our only daughter marrying a man like that.