SOPHIA 12 – 14 by Praises Chidera Obiora

SOPHIA 12 by Praises Chidera Obiora

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Sophia was silent. She didn’t say a word. I waited for her answer like a child waiting for his mother’s instruction.

“Talk to me. Hello. Sophia.”

There was still silence.

“Talk to me. Don’t keep quiet on me. Did you do it? Sophia?”

Sophia ended the call.

I tried calling back.

I was desperate for an answer. My hands sweated as I punched on my keypad. I wiped my hands on the towel and dialed her number again.

It rang.

I waited for her to pick up the call.

I was frustrated.

I shouted.

“Did you do it? Did you do it? Pick the call and talk to me. Did you do it? Sophia. Pick the call and talk to me now. What did you do?”

The call ended again without her picking up.

I called back and her number was switched off. It was at that moment, that I realized what desperation could make a man do.

Even though I knew the number was off, I kept calling. I called back severally hoping that it will eventually be on. I wanted answers and I wanted them quickly.

A knock sounded on the door again. This time softer than the first.

I stood up and rushed to it, hoping it was Sophia.

When I opened the door, I found the same lady standing in front of my door with a nylon bag in her hands. She had a frown on her face.

“These are your clothes and shoes.”

I looked at her face and noticed she didn’t look as bright as she did when she had first knocked and walked in. She now looked like someone angry with me.

“I have a question.”

“I am sorry sir. I cannot answer any questions from you again. I only came to give you the clothes which you asked for. That is all.”

“Please, come in. I need your help. I just want you to help answer a few questions. Please.”

“I can’t come in, sir. I am only allowed to come in when I am serving your breakfast, lunch, or dinner.”

“Are you angry with me?”

“I have no reason to be angry with you. You are our customer and I am nothing but a staff here. You are always right. Please have your clothes so I can return to work.”

“Look all I want is one answer for one question. Even if you do not answer the rest.”

She stared at me.

Nodded her head.

“I am listening.”

“Is there a CCTV camera? Can I access it?”

“Why would you want to access our CCTV footage?”

“I just want to know what happened while I was sleeping. I fell asleep in the sitting room and woke up in the bedroom. I just want to know what happened to me. I want to see it.”

“I was on duty last night. She said you had too much to drink and slept off. So we took you to the bedroom. Back to your question. There are CCTV cameras everywhere in the hotel. But you can’t access it unless under direct order.”

“Direct order from who? Who gives the order?”

“You said you only have one question to ask, sir. I can’t answer any more questions. Please have your clothes. I have other jobs to attend to.”

“You do not understand what this means to me. I need answers.”

She dropped the nylon on the floor and walked off.

“Help me, please. I just need the truth. Please.”

I walked back into my hotel room and jammed the door.

Just then a sudden knock sounded.

I walked back to the door and opened. It was her. This time, she was holding a piece of paper in her hands.

“I know what you are searching for. I am only trying to save you. You take one wrong step and you will be a dead man. If you need answers, meet me here at my place tonight.”

I collected the paper and stared at her as she walked off without looking back.

To be continued…

My name is Praises Chidera Obiora and I am the best at what I do.

SOPHIA 13 by Praises Chidera Obiora

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By evening I decided to visit the address the young lady had given me. It was my second day out in the city of Abuja, and for the first time, I wasn’t embarking on this for pleasure, but business.

I didn’t know where the cab man was taking me to after showing him the piece of paper containing the address. All I knew was that I was determined to find answers and this young lady was the right person in the position to help me.

I kept looking out through the window, trying to study the road so I can find my way back to my hotel room.

The taxi I had hired dropped me right in front of a church where a deliverance session was being conducted. I heard people shouting and screaming as the pastor shouted “fire fire fire”.

I looked at the address again on the paper and it read “Mountain of grace and command ministries.”

I turned to the large signboard. It had the same address. Then I bent over and asked the driver.

“Oga, is this the only church here?”

“Yes sir. This is the only mountain of grace and command wey dey for here.”

I paid the driver and thanked him.

Just as the taxi was driving off, I turned to the church and found a woman manifesting demons. She was trying to run out of the church.

The pastor stood at the altar and began to call her back.

“Come here. I say come here. Who are you?”

Fear gripped me.

I kept staring at the signboard and asking myself questions.

Why a church? Why didn’t she pick any other spot where we could meet? Why ask me to meet her at this address.

I walked around the church trying to see if I could find a house. But there was none. It was just a lone church in a remote area, with people inside blasting prayers.

The hotel lady didn’t drop any number and I began to wonder why. Maybe she was scared of me going to the police and handing her number to them. I kept thinking as I circled the church like a security man. I glanced from left to right like a landlord supervising his property.

Then I was back to the entrance again. I looked through the window in search of the young lady. The church was made up of 90% women and it was impossible to know who was who since they were all facing the altar and I was standing behind.

I heaved a sigh and decided to walk into the church to sit at the back. If she was in the church, she will see me walk in since everyone was seated.

While walking towards the entrance door, I heard the pastor ask the demon-possessed woman.

“Who are you? I said speak up.”

She groaned like someone in pain.

And muttered like a giant.

“Effiong.”

“Who did you come with?”

“My husband.”

“You came with your husband?”

“Yes.”

“What have you done to him?”

“I am responsible for his impotency. I made him impotent. My husband is like a woman. He cannot perform any longer. His thing is very small. I did it. I made him like that.”

The usher standing at the door started looking at me with side eyes.

I glanced back to see if there was another man around but it turned out I was the only one standing.

“So where is your husband now?”

“He is standing outside.” She groaned again and started twisting like a snake. My husband is standing outside.”

“Was that why you wanted running outside the church?”

“Yes, I wanted to go and call him. I want to go and call my husband.”

I was still standing in shock and watching when the usher who had been looking at me finally emerged from the church and asked.

“Sir, are you her husband?”

“God forbid. I am not impotent o.”

To be continued…

My name is Praises Chidera Obiora and I am the best at what I do.

SOPHIA 14 by Praises Chidera Obiora

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The usher began to laugh at my response.

“Brother you are very funny. I didn’t ask you if you are impotent. I only asked if you are her husband.”

I shook my head.

“I am not o. I don’t even know her.”

She laughed again.

“You are very funny. Okay, but are you for this service?”

“I am actually waiting for someone here.”

“Someone? Who?”

“A lady. She asked me to meet her here.”

“What is her name?”

“I don’t know her name. But she just gave me the address of this church. She wrote it on this paper.”

“Let me see?”

The usher stretched her hands and I handed over the paper to her. She read it and nodded her head.

“This is the right place. You are welcome. Did she say you should meet her inside the church?”

“I don’t know.”

“And she didn’t give you any phone number to contact her?”

“None.”

“And you don’t know her name?”

“I don’t.”

“How about her house? Do you know her house?”

“No… I just met her today.”

“Where?”

“We met at a hotel in town and she gave me this address to meet her.”

The usher tilted her head and stared at me for a moment. She stared at me like one who was trying to figure me out.

“You met her in a Hotel?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… And she gave you the address of this church.”

“Yes.”

“I think she wanted you to come for deliverance. Because that is what we do here. We deliver people.”

“How do you mean?”

“You see, you went to a hotel and saw a girl who gave you her address, and the address she gave you happened to be a deliverance ministry and she asked you to meet her there. I think that is a way of asking you to come for deliverance. You know these days when you invite a fine brother like you to church, they don’t come. So the best way to get you people to come to church is by asking you to meet us at the venue. I am a lady I know what I am talking about.”

“You don’t understand. I didn’t ask for her address. I needed some information about someone and so she gave me her address to meet here.”

“Where did she give you the address. I am sorry if you think I am asking too many questions, but I am only trying to help you because I can see you are lost presently. I want to help you find your way.”

“She gave me the address in a hotel.”

“Okay, did you ask her out or anything?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Okay, you asked somebody else out. Like you were with a woman or had just been with a woman before she gave you this address?”

I became silent.

I replayed her words in my head.

“Yes. I had just been with a woman.”

“In a room shebi? Or you were both drinking?”

“In a room.”

She clapped her hands like a student who had just gotten the answer to an exam question.

“Ehen! That is what I am saying. What did I tell you earlier? She saw you with a woman in a hotel room and immediately wanted to invite you here so you can be delivered. That is what we do here. It is a way of winning souls for the lord. Are you born again?”

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

She took a closer look at me.

“Come in and attend our church with us. I believe this is why God brought you here. So you can be delivered. Come in.”

I wanted to refuse the offer, but something kept telling me that the lady I was looking for was inside the church.

I took my first step toward the church when my phone rang.

I halted.

Brought out my phone and discovered it was a new number calling.

“Where are you?” A lady’s voice wafted into my ears.

“Who is on the line.”

“Tessy. The lady from the hotel. Where are you.”

“I am at the front of the church. About to go in now.”

“To do what there? I told you to wait there for me and not go in.”

I glanced back.

“Where are you?”

“I am waiting in a black jeep. Come up.”

The call ended and I turned to the Usher.

“I am sorry madam, I have to go. I think I found the lady I am looking for.”

“Brother, is this woman you are about to see more important than your encounter with God?”

“This is the reason I am here. To see her. It is important to me.”

She heaved a sigh.

“Brother, let me leave you with a word. When the enemy sees that you are about to be set free from the captivity of the devil, that is when he diverts your attention and takes you away from your place of breakthrough. There is only a little God can do when he wants to save your soul. He sets you on the path and expects you to choose for yourself. Is it the path to eternal life? Or the path to eternal destruction and condemnation?”

A bright headlamp flashed behind me, then a horn sounded.

I turned back.

I could not see who was inside, but I knew it was the girl from the hotel.

I returned my gaze to the usher.

“Brother, this is your choice to make, not God’s choice. It’s either you enter the church or go see the woman you said you met at the hotel.”

To be Continued…

#OpraDre SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12 SOPHIA 12

My name is Praises Chidera Obiora and I am the best at what I do.