Afflicted. Episode 9&10

Afflicted
Episode 9
The Bishop is trembling badly now.
He raises his right hand and points an unsteady finger at the Reverend.
BISHOP OSUANYI
No, I will not let you destroy this church with your evil, Ebow! This church is based on sound biblical principles! You don’t preach the Gospel anymore! You only preach prosperity and a load of garbage, and use your demons to perform those miracles! And you’re doing it all for money and power! No, I won’t let you destroy anybody anymore! I’ll let everybody know about you!
The smile vanishes from Ebow’s face.
His eyes are now hard and nasty as he looks at his uncle.
REV. OBUOBI
You know, that is why you’re like this, a nonentity and an under-achiever! Did you see how your church was filled tonight with people with money because of my prresence? You’ll always be nothing, just a two-pesewa irrelevant pastor! Grow up, Uncle! The world is changing! There’s money to be made!
His face was twisted with sick greed that absolutely disgusted the older man.
REV. OBUOBI
People are not interested in your ‘repent or burn in hell’ crap! They want to marry, have money, and sin! So you give them what they want by forgiving their sinful natures and promising them big monies! The church is now huge business, bringing in millions of cedis!
He gave a bark of a laugh.
REV. OBUOBI
You can be rich and powerful, but no, you always prefer the same old shitty way of doing things! I’m taking over your church whether you like it or not! You can choose to be with me, or wallow in self-pity. Don’t force me to hurt you! What is it going to be?
BISHOP OSUANYI
Oh, no! I will not let you! I’m a Christian, and I’ll not lose my soul because of you! They’ll know about this!
REV. OBUOBI
Alright, Uncle, have it your way then!
He smiles, turns and leaves the room.
The Bishop looks at Akoto miserably.
BISHOP OSUANYI
(weeping)
Sorry, my friend. I’ll get someone to help you! I’ve been so blind, Akoto. Please forgive me.
The Bishop also leaves the room, intent on telling the other pastors and Elders the true colours of Obuobi.
Quickly he emerges in the church room.
All the Elders, junior pastors and the Bishop’s wife are bunched together and chatting.
The Bishop sees Kesewaa and her parents preparing to leave.
They are chatting to Ebow Obuobi.
With determined steps the Bishop walks towards them.
Ebow Obuobi looks at the Bishop approaching, and then he gently takes his hand from his pocket.
There is a strange toffee with a white covering in his hand now.
It is the same toffee he had eaten before striking Maame Akua and crippling Akoto!
He unwraps the candy as he speaks a strange language under his breath in a chanting manner, and then he pops the toffee into his mouth.
Bishop Osuanyi has reached the little group now.
He raises his hand and he points at Ebow.
The Bishop tries to speak, and that is when Reverend Obuobi clamps down on the candy hard, breaking it.
Bishop Osuanyi grips his throat immediately as a great agony suffuses his body.
He cannot speak now as he fights for breath, his accusing eyes fixed with horror on the reverend.
He makes gurgling and choking sounds in his throat.
His wife sees him and begins to run towards him.
Reverend Obuobi bites on the candy harder, and it crumples to smaller pieces in his mouth.
Immediately the Bishop Osuanyi screams with dreadful pain; it feels as if every vein and muscle in his body has been severed!
Blood spurts from his mouth, nose and ears.
Kesewaa screams!
Mrs. Osuanyi screams!
Other people are also screaming when Bishop Osuanyi crashes to the floor.
Reverend Ebow Obuobi chews the candy harder!
Bishop Osuanyi begins to thrash terribly on the floor, muttering painfully!
Reverend Obuobi swallows the rest of the candy, and the Bishop goes limp!
People crowd around the Bishop.
An Elder who is a doctor kneels and checks for the pulse of the Bishop.
There is none.
Bishop Osuanyi Ayeh is dead!
Episode 10
The news of Bishop Osuanyi Ayeh’s demise sends shock waves throughout the country and through the Christian fraternity.
The story is told about how a hidden tumour in the brain has suddenly ruptured, causing the instant death of the renowned man of God.
People are also told about how the Reverend Ebow Obuobi had tried for several minutes to resurrect the man, and how he had cried and wailed at the sudden death of his uncle and mentor.
The story continues that he has refused to eat, and has quarantined himself in his office in the church seeking the face of God.
There is no doubt, however, that the new General Overseer of Golgotha Heights International is going to be the Reverend Ebow Obuobi.
At an emergency meeting at the church’s headquarters, delegates from all the branches nationwide and beyond who have heard or witnessed the amazing feats of Ebow Obuobi decided to affirm him as the new leader.
The next few days sees many people coming to the church and the Mission House to mourn the Bishop.
Many important and powerful people in society flood in daily to pay homage and console the widow.
And all the while Akoto Nyameboame is kept in chains in the Miracle Room whilst his mother is on admission in the hospital as her vital organs slowly give way and the doctors begin to consider taking her off the life support system.
They are just waiting for her son to come around and sign the consent form, but it seems the man cannot be found anywhere.
It is his long-time friend, Miss Amina Mohammed, who has stood firm that the woman should not be taken off life support.
Every day she comes to the hospital, totally breaking down each time, to visit the woman and speak to her.
Amina goes to church every day to pray for Maame Akua, and ask God to bring back Akoto.
It is on the third day of Akoto’s disappearance that Amina wakes up in the middle of the night sweating.
She has had a strange dream!
In the dream she had been running in a maze, calling out Akoto’s name, asking where he is, telling him to come back, and asking God why she can’t see her friend.
As she runs through maze screaming she suddenly comes across a tall man in a black suit and a white shirt.
He is wearing a black tie, and has a hat on his head, and he is wearing dark glasses, and he has a ring of hair around his lips, forming a moustache and a beard.
He looks incredibly handsome, and he tells Amina to go back home.
Amina tells the man she cannot go back without Akoto, and the stranger simply replies that Akoto is fine.
Amina has the same dream the next day, and the next.
On the third night, however, the tall stranger in the dream takes her hand and leads her out of the maze, and as she turns back to look she sees that the maze, indeed, is the church building of Golgotha Heights International!
She goes to the hospital in the morning to visit Maame Akua.
AMINA
(wiping her tears)
Don’t worry, Mama! I think God has listened to our prayers, and He is sending a stranger to help us out!
On the fourth day after the strange dream Amina decides to go to the Golgotha church out of curiosity, at least to see if Akoto is really there as the stranger in her dreams had shown her.
At that same time, Kesewaa has cooked some sweet yam and kontomire stew with red oil and fish, and also prepared some goat light soup, and she sends it to the church.
She takes it to Reverend Obuobi’s office.
She meets a lot of important Pastors and Elders of the church who are trying unsuccessfully to coax the reverend out of the office to eat something light, at least.
Elder Ampofo sees Kesewaa and smiles with relief.
ELDER AMPOFO
Oh, my dear Kesewaa! We hope he listens to you! The church needs a leader, and yet he can’t stop mourning! It is so sad!
KESEWAA
(demurely)
Please let me try!
Kesewaa approaches the door of the office and knocks on it.
She begins to speak, telling the man of God that they are all sorry about the passing of the Bishop, but they need him.
ELDER AMPOFO
(whispering)
Tell him you prepared some food for him.
KESEWAA
Reverend, please, I’ve prepared some food for you, because I care so much! If you don’t come for it I’ll leave, and I’ll not come back again!
They all wait, and then, incredibly, the key turns in the lock, and the door opens slowly.
The Reverend Ebow Obuobi is standing in the doorway.
He looks very haggard and forlorn, his grief showing like a dress.
His face is gaunt, and his cheeks are hollowed, his lips very dry.
His eyes are swollen and red, as if he had been crying, and indeed his cheeks are still w€t with tears.
The pastors and elders approach him, all of them crying now, and they embrace the man of God who is hurting so much for the loss of his uncle.
Kesewaa looks at him, and tears swim in her eyes.
Finally, the man of God stands back and addresses the gathering.
REV. OBUOBI
(gravely)
Forgive me for abandoning you in a time like this, but I’m first a human, and there is no person I loved more than my uncle who has been a father to me. I’ve sought the face of the Lord these few days, and I saw an angel handing me a staff with flowers on it, and a golden crown was put on my head. The Lord has spoken, and who am I, a mere mortal, to say no? I accept the Leadership of our noble church.
There is applause, and happy smiles of relief from the pastors and elders.
They hug him again over and over.
ELDER AMPOFO
We’re blessed!
SENIOR PASTOR GYASI
We’re indeed blessed, and from this very moment, in a vision the Lord granted me, you’re to be made an Apostle, and the Ordination Service is going to be tonight, in this very auditorium!
There is more applause and happy remarks.
The new Apostle looks at them gravelly.
REV. OBUOBI
I thank all of you. I shall go home then, and make myself presentable for this evening’s grand Ordination. In my dreams too, I saw Kesewaa standing on my left side all the time! It appears a new Mother of the Church has also been chosen. Kesewaa, my dear, do you accept the hand of a humble man of God in marriage?
Kesewaa is stunned!
This is beyond her wildest dreams!
Mother of the Golgotha Heights International Church!
She will be the most powerful woman in the church!
And she will travel all over the world to every branch of the church.
She will be famous, shown on brochures, in magazines, on television!
Wealth, power and happiness will be hers at long last!
She will receive more popularity than being married to Akoto Nyameboame!
There is incredible happiness on her face as she bows her head demurely.
KESEWAA
Yes, Apostle, I humbly accept to be your wife!
She is aware of more laughter, more appreciation, more happiness!
She is almost faint, fearing she will pass out!
Finally, when the man of God tells her to set the table for him so that he eats, she picks the basket and enters, trembling with anticipation!
Oh, life is going to be grand!