UNWITTING VESSELS (sequel To Vessels Unknown)

TWO

When I stepped into the living room, a huge breakfast sat at the table with Brenda's signature on it.
My wife had ways of making food attractive, plus she would never let me eat alone. I bent over and kissed her. She glowed even more this morning, her smile radiant.

The twinkle in her eyes called my name. I flashed her a hurried smile, binding the spirit of distraction making its way to my thoughts. I couldn't get distracted, I got things to do in church.

          I grabbed some beacon and eggs and hurriedly shoved them in my mouth. Within thirty minutes, my Mercedes  Benz Xclass 2019 pulled into my own private packing space.
The buzzing of my phone made me sit back to take the call. Femi was on the line, His heavy breathing violating my tympanic membrane.
I quickly pulled the phone off my ear and switched it to speaker. The driver exited the car at my instruction.
      
          "What's going on Fems?" I asked, expecting his money woes stories again. His screams rang out as though someone was after him.

         "Adrian, Help!" He gasped, out of breath.

Pounding footsteps could be heard from the speaker phone. Screeching, shuffling and scratching made it to the phone as well.

         "Are you among animals?" I joked, stifling a chuckle.

         "Be serious for once! He paused, his breath fast and forceful. " I need help! "

        "Where are you now Femi?" I asked. This time, fear was creeping into my being.  "Are you alright?"

He didn't respond, but the shuffling continued. I gestured to the driver to get in the car and drive me to wherever Femi was.

         "I'm in church." He responded after a while, catching his breath.
        "You opened another church?" I tried to muffle my chuckle again. This guy was crazy.

His voice seemed to stop under a heavy breathing. "What's wrong with you sef? "Not that kind of church joor."

My laughter couldn't stay muffled anymore, so I let it out. "Hmm, I hope its not what I am thinking. Have you gone back to your people?"

         "My friend shut up!" He hissed.

I didn't relent. "You know that I am always honest with you o. Don't go congregating with criminals, please!"

        "Are you coming or not?" He cut off my thirty seconds sermon.

I paused, reviewing our conversation in my head. Femi, a street boy even before becoming a pastor. He was no stranger to crime and I personally didn't want  to associate with such lifestyle.
God had elevated me, I'd be a fool to plug in the key of self destruction.

After few minutes of self deliberations, I decided not to go help him, but played along to see what he was up to.
Although, If I was in trouble, Femi wouldn't hesitate to help me. Well, that was then.  But maybe now is the time to pay him back in my own way.

       "What church?" I played along as the driver slowed, obviously following the conversation.

      "Get here first, will send you the address right away." The call ended abruptly, and everything went quiet.

  Seconds later, A beep chimed on my phone.
                  'Fetch and clear.' the text message read. 

That's thirty minutes from where we were. But Fetch and clear left a ringer in my head. I understood what that meant. I couldn't meet up at that place, it was a reminder of things I wanted to desperately bury in the backyard of my mind.

     My thoughts danced all over the situation. I forced my mind to keep calm and think things through. My eyes crisscrossed the car, looking for any form of discernment in my spirit.