• Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke

“Amaka! Amaka!” It sounded like she was still in a dream. But with the slight pain that came from the slap on her thighs, Amaka knew it was time to finally open her eyes. Her mother has a way of waking her up whenever she oversleeps. Each ‘Amaka!’ came with a slap on the thigh. And so, Amaka has learnt how to keep it to the minimum. Twice is enough! When Amaka finally opened her eyes that Monday morning, her mind immediately went back to the harrowing experience of the other day. During the family morning prayer, Pastor Kehinde’s voice kept ringing, sending occasional shocks to her body. At breakfast, she was usually quiet and benumbed. “Amaka, this one you are behaving like ‘Holy Nweje’ this morning?” quizzed her mother. Mothers have a way of seeing the unseen. They call it ‘motherly instinct.’ But even to every member of her family and her close friends, something is off with Amaka since she returned from church the day before. She hurriedly finished her meal and headed to school, hoping that the craziness of the Warehouse Road and IMSU Junction would help unclog her mind. Her experience had increased some of the questions she had about faith in the past. Now they include things that had appeared insignificant before: “Should I go to church next Sunday?” “Will the pastor in my church behave like that to a visitor?” “Should I invite my friends to my church or not?” “Do some people become mad when they become ‘too spiritual’?”

“Amaka! Amaka!” Her mind skipped a bit. This time it was her friend Favour. “Amaka, I am really sorry about what happened yesterday.” Pleaded Favour, as if she was holding brief for both herself and Pastor Kehinde. “It’s alright dear. Let’s meet after lectures,” says Amaka, dismissively.

Yet her mind was never dismissing the rest of the story. It kept replaying. It recalled how Pastor Kehinde had thundered “How many of you fasted this weekend?” while ferociously moving towards her.

“You again!” fired Kehinde. Only then did Amaka realize that she was the only one who didn’t raise her hand in the church.

“Let me tell you, here in this spiritual citadel, we fast to break the yoke of Satan. We do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit!”

“Brethren, you are the people of the Kingdom. Some churches have become theaters of carnality,” he addresses the entire congregation.

With a dramatic swirl, he turn back to the shell-shocked Amaka, “Young girl, like I told you, you need deliverance, immediately after service.”

“I can see the spirit of carnality in you.”

“But today, we shall cast it out by the power of the Holy Ghost!” He blasted into the microphone with an obvious rage.

And the congregation answered with a resounding, thunderous “Amen!”

He moved back to the front and continued.

Amaka, who was dazed beyond reality, had by now lost track of whatever was happening around her. Her senses appear faded. The words blazing from the big speakers had blurred. The music blurred as well. All she wanted was to escape, to disappear, to go home. And so, when she heard “This service has ended,” she quickly made for the door without even waiting for Favour.

“Hey! Where do you think you are going?” This time it was one of the ‘prayer warriors’ who had blocked her way. Before she could utter a word, Pastor Kehinde had already covered the distance between.

She is circled. Seven ‘prayer warriors’ holding hands, each wearing a light piece of cloth similar to traffic jacket.

This time, she lost it. She couldn’t take it anymore.

“Please, I want to go,” she pleaded, trying to hold back the tears.

They all appeared deaf, jerking and murmuring some prayers – casting and binding – while Kehinde urges them on.

Amaka made for the exit but was held back by the circle. The prayers were rising. Her tears were flowing.

“Just get out my way! I am fine. You guys should just leave me alone. There is nothing wrong with me. I will call the police here oo!” This time she was shouting, screaming, crying, blurting out whatever came out of her mouth. And yes, she was also fighting to break the circle.

The prayers kept rising! Deafening this time.

“Pastor! You people should leave her nah. She is just a visitor,” said a woman in her mid-60s, one of the respected members. Apparently, she had witnessed the madness and decided to reign in some wisdom. Both the Pastor and the circle appear distracted for that slim moment.

Amaka couldn’t wait for any detail, she just broke away and made quickly to the door while cursing at the same time, “Idiots! Ndi ara! God will punish all of you!”

Favour has been waiting all these while at the door. She regretted inviting Amaka. She didn’t see the embarrassment coming.

“Amaka!” Favour reached out towards her.

“Just leave me alone,” Amaka warned sternly.

She flagged down the next KEKE and headed home. It was to be the day her mind started working on matters concerning church belonging, Christian division, and the craziness that is practiced in some places in the name of Christianity.