UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS 5

-Dedicated to the People of Southern  Kaduna, Nigeria.

EPISODE 5

At realizing that Yersinar was an orphan, Kanbul went numbed with untold shock. The anger flashing through his icy mind dissolved immediately.

He shook his head disquietingly, refusing to wipe his streaming tears. "So, who are you with? I mean, erm, a brother or a sister or-"

"Ulama"

"Who? Who is that?"


"An Islamic teacher," Yersinar answered chuckling away, "they just gather us from everywhere. I was lucky to be found in Sambisa forest. Many others, from schools, streets, hotels, wherever!"

"What!"

"We are grouped into tents here based on our religion, or family if you have but I don't"

"You can have my chickens, I need to see mother now, tell her something" Kanbul departed hurriedly towards Mamza's tent.

"Okay, greet her for me!"

"Yeah! See you soon," he responded through the gaping distance between them. "but how old are you really?"

Yersinar responded from the distance by throwing all her fingers in the air.


20 MINUTES PAST 12 AM JANUARY 2017, still at Camp Rann.

"All things are possible!" Kanbul kept exclaiming to his mother face as they walked out of the tent where watch-night service just held. "All things are possible!"

"To him who believes" Mamza added.

"I know all that Mum but that's not what I'm saying."

"What then?"

"That scripture! Mark 9:23"

"Huh uhn?" Mamza wondered what her son was up to. She had never seen him awestruck by anything spiritual, much less left him in grim surprise.

"This same '...all things are possible...' your IDP camp pastor just declared for 2017, is exactly the word for the new year far down southern KayDee, unveiled by Apostle Jarafi even before Christmas, and then preached almost word for word!"

"So you think there's a spy or what?"

"No Mum, the nuances abound clearly but 'twas preached at same tempo, even I found myself sitting at the same isle on the 5th row just as I was seated in Southern Kaduna!"

"Everywhere. It's the same spirit of God, Kanbul," Mamza said and bursted into laughter. "Jesus the same yesterday, today and forever!"

"You won't understand Mum. This is deja vu. I'm beginning to think that Apostle is a true man of God!"

"Just beginning to think? Haba Kanbul! Don't tell me you don't attend his church again."

"I'm still the Theology School Assistant Superintendent there, Mum. Not that I don't believe, but you know, this word is just too, too- erm-"

"What does the bible say in 2nd Chronicle 20 verse 20?"

"Haba Mother, you taught me that since I was 7, 'So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: BELIEVE IN THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND YOU SHALL BE ESTABLISHED; BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS AND YOU SHALL PROSPER.' "

"So, when exactly would you put that to practice My son? Situations comes so we can manifest. This new year I want you to be established and prosp-!"

"Happy new year, Mum" Kanbul cut in, withdrawing from his mother into privacy.

"Whatever you do this year in Christ, Kanbul don't doubt!" She insisted as her black widow gown faded into the dark walkway.

In a jiffy, Kanbul had gotten busy on his phone with Ewaloju on his mind. This would be the umpteenth he had called her, sent her messages in the last 8 days, even till watch night service but without a response.

Worried but with a mustard size faith that his broken heart would finally be healed this year, he dared to dialed his newfound girlfriend yet again and on the fifth time she picked.

"Are you going to stay in the IDP camp forever?" Ewaloju's first words hit him in his ears, having him cringed with awry look at his earpiece and a wonder if he was speaking to the right person.

"No, you know I told you about my mother, she's-"

"Your Mother! Your mother! It's always your mother! I have a mother too, you know? You canceled our date because of your mother, you didn't come to KayDee because of your mother. What won't you do because of her, haven't you seen her now?"

"Ewaloju, you wouldn't even let me land. My erm, mother, simple though but I told you at times, she can be one tough cookie-"

"And you? Soft as vegetable!"

"No!" Kanbul answered coolly though it hurt him a bit, he bluffed and laughed it off like it didn't get anywhere near his chest pocket. "Mother said we should stay back here and help out a bit, you know the southern KayDee attack that happened the day I came to the camp?"

"And so what? How does that concern you, it happened in KayDee and you had gone to Rann."

He paused and held his breath for a moment. He wanted to tell her the attack took his father's life but sensed a lack of courtesy in her voice. "I was concerned it didn't affect you, been trying your line, I became really worried Ewa"

"Indeed!"

"Okay, I lost my Dad in that attack!"

"What?"

"Burial is last week of this January"

"Seriously? So Sorry, I believe all is going to be fine. That means you've  been in KayDee all this while and didn't tell me!"

"No, Dad has been interred and there's no house to stay, I and erm moth-erm, I wld be back in two weeks time for father's burial, and then, I would go no where without you"

"So, you can't even come briefly just for my sake, see this guy! And you say you are in love!"

"Our house was burnt down to ashes! Where would I stay?"

"Sorry o! The hotels are burnt also, and the churches ba? You didn't send Christmas gift, or I guess; burnt too?" Ewaloju asked cynically, drawing out tears from Kanbuls ragged heart. "This is new year, where is the surprise gift you promised heaven and earth you would send?"

"All burnt!" He answered bluntly.

"Burnt! Of course burnt! I'm sure even your savings for the Valentine is burnt!"

"Wait, my dear. Does it occur to you I could have been burnt alive also?"

"See, Kabul I don't know what to say
again but it's like this thing isn't working. It's a new year, first 30 minutes, I've to start afresh, let's just say our love too is burnt, it's over!"

"What?" Kanbul asked as the phone toned off. He staggered and redialed again and again to no avail until his dial button got stuck. Head bowed, with glaciered eyes fixed on the phone screen, tears started dropping on his phone till all the buttons came soaked.

Trounced and pissed, Kanbul kept dialing with a breaking grip on his phone, then she picked up the call but wouldn't talk despite his several hellos.

"Your call credit is finished, please load in only one card" was the next he heard.

"Yes, it's finished!" Kanbul screamed and flung his phone into the bush. Wiped his tears and retreated into his shack wishing everyone happy-new-year along the way.

The morning after, he walked his mother after she had just finished preaching to all widows in the camp. In and out of season, Mamza was seasoned, always a genial figure in the camp that had her son puzzled  how she reined in her anger towards God, especially.

"Mum, how did you do that in there? Please don't tell me you're happy"

"Of course, I'm not happy but I've joy. Joy that my husband is seated with Christ above, the joy of the Lord is my strength."

"So, we aren't leaving Rann until it's one week to burial?"

"Yes, every family member that called and came visiting us even agreed we waited. His remains can't be in a better place - his blood brother's own morgue, so? Oh I didn't tell you, you have an hotel reservation on them. But me, I insisted I would stay in the church till burial day."

The words, 'hotel and church' brought the suffocating thoughts of  Ewaloju back to his fore. Fear immediately besieged his heart as eagles around the carcass. "Mum, remember I told you about Ewaloju"

"Yes, and I told you, love bears all things, believe things will work this year."

"My point is, it appears this heart-brokenness is a generational curse in our family" Kanbul voiced out to his mother's shock. "Pa'a Doya with his own mother were sacked out of her polygamous family. You, your family rejected you on religious basis."

"What do you mean?

"You and Pa'a separated and never came back before he-"

"Not true, we came back. Though I didn't get to see him but, his voice was physical enough, as his gifts were."

"Sorry Mum, what I'm saying is, at 33, my love life is zero, can't boast of a stable relationship. See, I told you my latest hold on love just slipped away yesterday, even before the dawn of January first for that matter. It's a generational curse. Don't you think so?"

"Don't be deceived Kanbul, Christ has redeemed us from all curses of the law. Do you believe that?"

"Mum, how more exactly do I believe again? I had faith she was alive and that she would pick up my call."

"It's not enough to have faith, even demons have know there's one God and they tremble, it's faith and work, did you do the work of dialing?"

"I dialed."

"You dialed her again, after I told you?"

"My phone" Kanbul looked around, "my phone is erm, Mum she said it's over!"

"Do you know it was over between me and your Dad, but I believed?"

"Ha! Not with that kind of girl, and she claimed she's a daughter of a Bishop, I had to spare you silly things she said."

"What could she have said? Love bears all things, believe all things and that is why all things are possible for love."

"Mum, can I ever find a woman like you?"

"You will find a better one, just believe."

                          ***

To be continued next week Friday 5pm.

This is a work of fiction, all Characters, names and incidences similar to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
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