UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS

-Dedicated to the People of Southern  Kaduna, Nigeria.

EPISODE 10

SOUTHERN KADUNA HEALED.

"Lord, why take her away and not me?" Kanbul grieved bitterly time and again, screaming on top of his voice until his nasal twang got the better of him till all he could do was grunt.
It was the worst Good Friday of his life. Not even the invigorating presence of Apostle Jarafi and friends would move his mumbled lips, much less his vegetative demeanor as he grew feathery into the night.



Saturday morning only refreshed his mourning. He could barely register a face. He had become a thoroughfare to condolences that they kept vanishing into vapors just as they came. It was thought that Mamza's arrival would lift the face of things but she either wouldn't talk to anyone than demand to see Helerina whose body had been confined to the morgue, by the order of her father.

Still downbeat, up till the EASTER SUNDAY, Kanbul wept inconsolably all morning long while everyone celebrated the resurrection of Christ. By evening, when people started arriving for her wake keep, he had become another word for tears. Nothing would sooth his nerves. Not with the burdening presence of her family - the Nwosus - all in thick blacks or the intimidating loitering of the hearse made ready to lift her body to cargo airport for burial in Southeast.

For the first time in two days, Apostle Jarafi was able to win his attention though he had to help pick apart his gummed eyelids. All he saw as he squinted through the twilight was a mammoth of heads sighing in pity. Though Ewaloju was in attendance, it mattered little to him as his cloudy eye marked out no one else than the Apostle.

"Apostle, can you raise her up?"

"Me? No," Apostle answered with utter shock and then cleared his throat, "but God can, though He is yet to raise up any through me."

"Can erm-can I raise her up?" Kanbul muttered.

"Well, yes, remember Elisha did, lots of Men of God, Bishop Idahosa and -"

He hasn't finished speaking when Kanbul stormed into the corpse room while Apostle prayerfully guard the door for him; holding off mourners to wait as he paid his last respect as her fiancé.

His heart pounded, loud enough that it deafened his ears. Now left to his sweltering eyes, he managed one last look at his was-to-be bride. Laid in state with cotton-wooled noses, gowned in a whitish floral satin, he shut his eyes and all he saw next was her walking the aisle in a wedding gown.

Immediately, he felt a urge to pray but a surge of doubts and regrets came and became overbearing as he thought aloud. 'Ewaloju had always been yours, but you dumped her for her lack of character, but didn't your mother say, 'love believes all things and that's why all things are possible for love'? "

Deflated, like a soaring balloon bursted through its shut eyelids, his suddenly punctured lids opened his eyes to reality. Lost on what to do next, Kanbul eventually managed to touch her; she was as cold as his heart. Then, he examined himself if he was still in faith and found out his faith was twice as dead as Helerina.  But instead of nursing hope for Ewaloju, he felt his love for the late Helerina had began to grow more in her death than when alive. Then he braced himself and banished the intruding thoughts of Ewaloju out of the dead room.

"Kanbul, you still have a form of godliness but your lifestyle denies the power thereof," a soft voice unplugged his blocked ears and he knew that was the Holy Spirit.

"But Lord, I was able to heal Yersinar, and several others through my little faith," he didn't hesitate to answer.

"You healed Yersinar? You have grown proud and faithless."

"Ah! Sorry Lord," he slapped himself hot, " I meant you used me to..."

"You believe I can use you to heal a body but doubted I can heal the sick land."

"How, my Lord?" Kanbul protested. "I sowed in the land."

"But grudgingly, because you do not believe in the healing of this land. Here, you wouldn't sow; Chibok, you wouldn't go. You were neither here nor there, wavering in your ways. Too attracted to a woman to believe I was sending you to Chibok. Or didn't you bind and cast out my Holy Spirit like a demon?"

"Ah My lord? I thought it was just my late father's will to go to Chibok and drop gru...." Then he took a break and continued soberly, "but I must confess you visited me severally, oh my God!"

"You became rather proud after the healing of Yersinar and several others, you cared more about your healing profile, you simply wanted Helerina healed to save your pride."

"I'm sorry Lord," Kanbul wept so aloud that it was hard for Apostle to tell the difference from those wailing outside.

"My gifts are without repentance," came the voice that took him to his knees, "even Judas was among the seventy that casted out demons in my name but how did he end?

"I gave you Helerina, first to build up her faith and help her unbelief. You started well but ended up attacking her, to save your ego."

"But Lord, you said in Matthew 13:57 that, a 'prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house'. That was what happened. And in verse 58, you did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.' She didn't believe."

"Yes, she had doubts but you didn't help her unbelief. Your anger, pride and unbelief rendered you ineffective like my servant Moses."

"Moses? But your servant Moses was the meekest on earth," he gibbered.

"Yes, of all you proud flesh. Pride goes forth before destruction,  what is written in Number 20:10 just after I commanded Moses to speak to the rock?"

"And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock," Kanbul volunteered without blinking, "And he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?"

"Must 'WE' fetch you water out of this rock?" the voice emphasized. "You see,  pride then the anger of hitting the rock twice? Even you arrogated miracles of healing to yourself, and with anger, you are no less an unbelieving believer like Moses."

"Lord! But Moses had faith that water would come out of the rock, and it wasn't a dead faith," he argued. "He added the work of ... erm hitting the rock erm Oh! But he didn't speak to the rock as instructed, I see."

"Believing is work of obedience in the direction of Faith, what did I say in Numbers 20, verse 11?"

"And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye BELIEVE ME NOT, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

"Oh Lord, help me!" Kanbul was knocked down in godly sorrows, wailing beside the corpse.

"I know your works, you are called by my name but in vain, you have a name you live but dead like the church at Sardis. My people called by my name are proud, prayer-less, you don't seek my face, wicked and sinful, that's why your land remains sick."

"Ah Lord! Don't resist me again like the proud, I would be slow to anger from this moment on. Please, help my unbelief!" Just then he looked up, "but if you must punish me like your servant Moses, why didn't you heal Helerina, the same way the water gush miracle still happened?"

"I healed Helerina already that same hour, but you were too angry to know she was healed."

"What!" Kanbul jumped up and stood mute for the words of the Holy Spirit to echo back.

"So, why then did she die Lord?"

"She's not dead, she sleeps."

"What?" Kanbul cringed, became confounded that he didn't know when he fell down. He crawled towards the corpse and took a second look at the lifeless body  wrapped in perfume and white sackcloth. "I know she sleeps and would be raised up in the last days, but..."

"Look up at this fan," the soft voice beckoned, "is it spinning?"

"No," he answered halfheartedly and went further to explain, "because there's no electricity in this village to power it. But I have faith it can work still," he added enthusiastically. "Lord, should I do the work of turning the power knob?"

"Look at the fan again, is it spinning?"

"Okay, yes it is spinning. And that's because of the breeze from outside blowing the blades."

"Signs and symptoms are like the blades of this fan, always spinning on the breeze of doubt blowing to and fro. But the power is cut, you let her breathless body deceive you the same way you let her persisting pains deceive you she wasn't healed."

"Oh! My Lord" He said out of panic, not knowing what to do next that he faced the fan and said "you stop!". And without waiting for any response, he clumsily shut the window.

"Did I not tell you, if you believe, you will see the glory of God? If you hadn't come here, I was going to send My servant, the little Yersinar to wake her up."

"What?" he quickly spoke to her like he spoke to the fan blade: "Helerina, wake up now !" Then a sneeze from her froze him dead, the following cough jeered him back to life and he couldn't wait to loose her grimacing face from the sackcloth.

"She's awake! Hele is awake!" he screamed as two of the mourners broke through the windows and the door respectively to help loose the sackcloth, with Apostle leading them.

As Helerina walked out of the door, two of the standby undertakers fled, one peed in his trouser while the fourth stood spellbound with rest of the people starring at her tirelessly, amidst a gross of frightened mourners that had fallen over one another awkwardly.

Now cheeky Yersinar was the first to fly into her arms, "Aunty, I was just waiting for my turn to pay respect and pray that you wake up like our sunday school teacher told us that Jesus rose up from the dead today"

"Oh dear! Thank you so much, God showed me plenty things that I will tell you later." Helerina replied and then Kanbul felt humbled that the Holy Spirit was going to resurrect Helerina with or without him.

Mamza who was in the consoling arms of Ewaloju was next to join in the snowballing fold of hug even before Helerina's family cluttered round her.

"I forgive you Ewaloju," Kanbul said patting her in the shoulder.

"I am sorry I was rude, actually came here to say that. Felt so bad that I had to change my name to Iwaloju."

"You must be kidding!"

"No, I'm not. A lot of people, exes, have complained about my character, yours hit me and my new name in Yoruba language means: character matters most unlike the former which meant beauty is."

"You should have waited till someone changed your surname." Kanbul added as he walked away to sit Helerina down comfortably.

"I can't wait!" Iwaloju answered as Apostle stood on a table to address the mourners turned well wishers.

"For all of us who have come today to bid off Helerina, it's our unbelief that we bade off today." Apostle Jarafi preached tearfully like he never did before as the people of Kafanchan, down to Jama' started having faith that Jesus died for their sins and confessed him as their Lord and Savior, anew.

BY CHRISTMAS EVE 2017, Kanbul had paid off all his father's debts. Both he and Mamza were already living in the all but painted new Doya Penthouse. The zest of his mother in daring impossibilities amazed everyone on how she had taken the whole of Kaninkon kingdom for Christ.

Kanbul was visiting Apostle at his farm castle and both were at the front porch watching how busy long queues of trailers were being loaded with seed crops from his acres of farmland, when Apostle's erstwhile assistant, Pastor Thomas arrived. He arrived emaciated with the latest New York Times newspaper bearing Apostle Jarafi in cover page as the fastest, wealthiest farmer in Africa.

"Apostle, I have returned and never to leave this our Southern Kaduna any more." Pastor Thomas resolved as all three laughed till they started coughing. "Now I believe all I'm seeing on the tv. Tractor Preacher, please are there still seeds?"

"Or you mean fruits?" Apostle answered his baffled assistant who could barely comport himself. "But you can see this is end of harvest time already, what you should be asking is if I had enough Laborers."

"Sure you had them in thousands, it's everywhere in the news how you created employments but I still don't mind to work Sir, both physically and spiritually if you can take me. Apostle, country hard!"

"If my people are willing and obedient they shall eat the fruits of the land."

"Chai!" Kanbul who had been quiet all along couldn't hold it again when Pastor Thomas started thumbing the Times Newspaper through pages showing the Tractor preacher harvesting thousand folds in recession, government bargaining crop deals against bidding exporters, food industries sprouting up, farmers and people returning to Southern Kaduna, marauding killer herdsmen nabbed and curbed and peaceful coexistence with other religions. "I feel like sowing but it's late, " Kanbul added, regretting picking only a ton of seed from the three he was given.

"It's not too late," Pastor Thomas answered for himself, " I need seeds, tubers for next season."

But Kanbul, now crystal clear, he won't be around for next planting season as God was sending him to reach out the gospel to Chibok and take the land for Christ, he started discussing his mission with them.

"I feel so too, the Lord created Chibok," Apostle Jarafi concluded after three hours on table chat.  "And no matter how terrorized Chibok is, the fullness of that land is Jesus', like he healed southern Kaduna."

"I thought my father just wanted me to see my grannies in Chibok and take grubs to them last Christmas."

"Sure, I have enough grubs for them but it's obvious now that, it wasn't only your late father that wanted you to reach out to Chibok, your Heavenly Father was actually using him."

"My only concern now is its effect on  my relationship."

"You mean you haven't told Helerina?"

"Emm, em, you know since her resurrection, we have just been friends," his words drew Apostle's jaw   apart, "let me go and do that right now sir". He knew he had to leave before Apostle's next blink.

5 P.M AT HELERINA'S HOUSE
She still couldn't believe her crisis free life eight months after her healing and resurrection as Kanbul met her crying profusely and comparing her latest W.H.O genotype result with ABUTH, both AA with scan results of normal spleen and kidneys.

"So, I actually died for two days?"

"Certified by Dr. Clarke and Dr. Manji, before embalmment," Kanbul replied out of impatience as he wiped her tears. "This is the umpteenth time you would be asking me this and I-"

"Don't worry, it's because you had never died." She snapped causally.

"I was crucified with Christ, so I died, the life I live now is not-"

"Hey! My Pastor it's okay, me too was," she cut him short as both laughed and shared the snacks he brought.

"I'm here to tell you something, erm" then he hesitated at seeing the wrinkle on her forehead. "Okay, let me start by asking, why do you have to tell me no and yes several times in this our -"

"Friendship" Helerina added to his surprise.

"Where do I stand now? This is important to my next point. Is it a final yes, or I should call a friend?"

"Aha-ah-ah!" She chuckled and continued, "so, you are playing Who-wants-to-be-my-wife with me?" Both laughed again.

"Actually, I was hurting. That was why I said all sort of things, especially my 'Nos'. I was actually angry that I found love but in AS again. I really appreciate your stubbornness, Kanbul. Maybe, I would have committed suicide if you left me when I wanted out. But... let me tell you the truth, I didn't believe things would work. I accepted your proposal out of pressure when a lot of ladies started flocking around you since Yersinar's healing."

"Okay..." Kanbul gasped disappointedly and sucked in the shock with a glint of fear before he found his next words, "how about now that more ladies are still flocking around me, especially since you woke up, what are you saying?"

"I'm sorry, it's a No." Helerina said tartly and finally broke his heart as his back hit the wall. "You'll always be my angel and Believing-Pastor but I think I have a thing for Dr. Manji. He always appreciates you."

Two minutes of silence had passed on their dead relationship and he was waiting on what next to say when his phone rang. He picked it despondently, without a care who the caller was.

"Hello, where are you?" the voice matched Iwalojus, one he hadn't heard in almost half a year.

"I'm at Helerina's place." his weepy voice hit Iwaloju who immediately became concerned.

"What's wrong?" her question took him aback but when he wouldn't answer, she continued: "hope you know you owe me a Christmas date since last year and I'm not ready to entertain any excuse this time around?"

"Will you follow me to Chibok?" Kanbul asked Iwaloju daringly right in Helerina's presence.

"Anywhere dear"

THE END

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

Written by Bohbup.

All correspondence to: graphitorialccfmckeffi@yahoo.com
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