THE WITCH’S DAUGHTER Episode 7 – Tim’s Stories
My dad was at the premises of the soothsayer now. He wanted to know what had happened to his son, me. He had vowed that no burial will take place until he found out what happened. The soothsayer didn’t look like one of those you will find in your villages. He was a handsome well dressed man who lived in a clean house. He was happy to meet my dad and said he was going to help. After my dad had finished explaining the reason for his coming, the soothsayer smiled and spoke.
“Your son made a pact with a witch while he was very younge. He took an oath and he thought it was all a joke because of his age. Oaths don’t work like that. Things happen differently in the spiritual realm. Now, the witch has come to hunt him. She is the one who killed him. However, all hope is not lost yet. His spirit hangs between the world of the living and the dead. You may lose him if care is not taken.”
My dad could not believe what he was hearing. I had never told him about my involvement with Lily. I was too afraid to tell him. He wasn’t too approachable to me. Now he was devastated and stands on the verge of losing his only son.
“What can we do now?” My dad asked. “What can we do now to save my son? His body lies cold in the morgue. He is as good as dead. Please, help me wise one.”
“The witch has his spirit now. She has a diabolical plan. She is impatiently waiting for him to be buried. On the night he is buried, she will come to his grave, resurrect him, join his spirit with his body and take him away to God knows where. That’s her plan.” The soothsayer explained.
“What can we do to stop her, wise one?” My dad was weeping now. “I am only a human and I am helpless. What can I do?”
“This is all I can do for now.” The soothsayer said. “I don’t have the powers to stop her. I suggest you see the pastor of your church. He may find a way out. The witch is very powerful. I may be destroyed if I attempt to stop her.”
My dad left the soothsayer’s house very distressed. He knew at any moment, he could lose his son forever.
Meanwhile, my spirit was begging Lily to let me go.
“Please Lily, I beg of you. Let me go. I feel too much cold. The refrigerator in the mortuary is too cold. It’s affecting me. Please, Lily.”
“Shut up!!!” She shouted. “It’s the refrigerator that is keeping your body from decomposing. You should be grateful for that. Once your body decomposes, you will no longer be able to enter your body and you will die for real. Not that you are not already dead now, you just have a little hope left.”
“That’s the more reason you should let me go. I will try to fix things when I get back, please.” I begged.
“Quiet, you fool.” She shouted. “You had your chances and you wasted it. Pray that your dad allows the burial to take place soon. This is because, the longer it takes, the slimmer your chances of going back will become. Soon, the spirit of death will come and take your soul for judgement. If he comes, I will leave you and escape and that will be the end of you.”
I was terribly scared and in my heart, I prayed to God with everything in me that I should be given a second chance at life. Deep in me, I had a firm conviction that all was not lost yet. However, my hopes were fading by the minute. It was like, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.
My dad was now at the hose of our pastor. He was a powerful man of God. He was respected in church by everyone because he was very careful not to do anything that was against God’s will. After my dad had explained everything to him, he smiled, patted my dad on the shoulder and told him to go on his knees for a prayer. After they had prayed, he spoke.
“Your son will be back. However, it all depends on you. This is what you should do. Bury you son. Yes, bury him. But do it privately. No one should know about it except for your wife and your son’s wife. I will be there myself. After he is buried, I will give you the way forward.”
“What??!!” My dad almost screamed. “If I bury him, that will be the end of him. He will die for real. No, I can’t do that. Forget it Man of God. I can’t.”
“My son.” The reverend gentleman said. “Do you remember in the holy book when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son and he accepted without complaining? It was because of his trust in God. He trusted in God’s judgement and knew everything will work out for good. Trust in God, my brother. Everything will work out for good. I can assure you.”
It was a hard and bitter pill to to be forced down my father’s throat. However, he reluctantly agreed to the pastor’s instruction, went back home and started making preparations for the funeral.
TO BE CONTINUED…
