IF I WERE YOU. (Editing)

TWENTY_

Pa Deji lifted his hands to the sky and planted his knees on the floor, but his lips refused to move.
His silence unnerved those in the room. As they knelt with him they stole questionable glances at him. After about thirty minutes, he stood up.

        "The lord has not given me the go ahead to pray." Facing the people who were still on their knees.

        "Now I don't know why the monarch in heaven is stopping me from continuing this evening, but I can assure you I will send word when I have been released to pray."

      Bishop watched him disappointedly as the Pastor walked out of his home. Minutes later the cars that brought them left.
Kaima who whimpered loudly when she felt a wide vacuum in her spirit, she subsequently understood her fears and public punishment was near.
Vivian's head lifted from where she'd supported it with her hands.

       "So what now?" She asked, directing her gaze to her father.
He simply stood from his kneeling position and walked out of the room.

She marched behind him, grumbling. "Why do we even have to wait for Pa Deji? Are you not a man of God?"

A disdainful gaze splashed on her from her father's eyes. "And aren't you old enough to pray for yourself?"

Vivian's eyes widened. She wasn't expecting him to come at her like that.
         "We are all in this for no fault of ours. You and mother towed this part and I want to be free from it now!"

Bishop hissed before searching for something in the clouds. It was evening already and night was already on the horizon. Still sensing her presence lingering near him, he took his eyes off the sky. "Vivian, please go away. You are not the only one who has a problem."

       "But I have suffered more than anyone!" Her voice traveled through the quiet evening. His head fell deep into his chest. "Please give me a minute, maybe I can come up with something."

Stomping her feet on the floor, she retraced her steps back into the living area.

          Kelechi was right behind Vivian. "Dad? Are you okay?"

Bishop swirled around to meet the eyes of the son he'd known. But out of curiosity, he glared at him suspiciously. "And how's that your concern, Aston?"
His son's gaze fell. "Its me now."

Bishop murmured in coherently, turning his body away from him.
With his hands gently placed on his father's shoulder, Kelechi stepped up close to stare into the face of a man whose mind was in a state of helplessness.

         "Dad? Did you say something?"

He flinched. But his son's gentle voice reminded him of a son he'd already lost for years.

        "Kelechi?"

A beautiful smile widened his lips. "Yes Dad, its me." Their embrace was spontaneous before they stared into each others eyes. Few drops of tears came off Bishop's face. "Gosh, I have missed you!"

         "Same here Dad. Same here." A sober looking Kelechi wiped his tear filled eyes. He swallowed hard before he spoke the next words.

         "I feel empty. I feel like I have lost track of time. Like I traveled through a time capsule without actually experiencing it."

Bishop Maitama listened as his son's gentle voice soothed his heart.
He pulled him into another hug. "Is he still there?" He pointed at his sons chest. A solemn nod was all he needed to know that the battle was half won.

His fathers gaze fell in defeat. "But not to worry, he's resting now. I came up to the surface when I felt his strength weaken."

Bishop stared at him in awe. He was hearing things he never thought was possible. That one person could carry the consciousness of two people and yet live to tell the story.

          "Him.... how long had he been there?"

A distant look fell on Kelechi's face. "All my life I guess. " He tried to remember.  "But he started showing up in my final year of secondary school. He was so much in my head that I couldn't concentrate, and ever since then, he'd been in charge. At first, I thought I was going crazy, but then I realized that he was not even me."

         "I take it that you have seen him?" A curious Bishop asked.

A nod gave him a positive answer. "Yes, he's everything Vivian describes him to be. Hairy, looks human but far from human. I would say a monster who desperately wants to be human."

         "So you didn't sleep with your sister?"

Kelechi's hand went round his head seven times. "God forbid. It was part of our bargain that didn't Come to light."

         "Then, how did he gain access to her? Because knowing your sister, she was still pure before all this nonsense started."

Kelechi's shoulders slumped as he let out a very pained scream. "That morning, Aston accosted me when I went to pick Vivian up. I was just by her door when he took over me. I could see what I was doing but I had no control over what he did to Vivian."

           "Oh my God!" Bishop's mouth flew open. "I have been blind all along. So blind I didn't realize that my children were dealing with deeper things."

His son looked up at him pitifully. "I am sorry. I tried talking to you but my voice was silenced. Don't blame yourself, you are just a victim as everyone of us."

His father rested himself on the balcony's rail. "That doesn't absolve me of my responsibilities. I should have paid attention not just as your father but as a spiritual head over this home. I failed woefully."

        "It's alright Dad. Lets just focus on finding....... Solu.....-.....tions." His speech slurred instantly.
Kelechi raised his head slowly as one who had been hit by a dizzying spell. "He's coming back up. But here is the secret. There's a hidden shrine under the church. If they are not found and destroyed, none of us will be free."

           Kelechi's weakened body began to slump as Bishop rushed towards him. "Where in the church? Tell me!"

His son fought as his eyes rolled up into his head. His father knew he was fighting when his hands and legs began to kick. "Woodlang. Ask Pastor Woodlang!"
A loud slap landed on Kelechi's face with the evidence of fingerprints. His father braced back away from him.

           "Anything else?" Bishop asked, Still keeping his distance. But he knew he had to keep him talking, regardless of what was happening to his only son.

A strangled cry left Kelechi's mouth. White foam escaped his lips, he grabbed his neck in an effort to free himself from the invisible hand that held him. His father knew he was choking but couldn't do anything to help him.

Bishop paced the wooden deck helplessly. "Kelechi? My son." He reached out to help him, but a force sent him crashing heavily on the floor.

          "Dad?" The choking boy called with much effort as his eyes bulged. The pressure on his neck forced the  veins on his head and face to become visible.

          "Kelechi!" Bishop screamed.

With his eyes blood shot, he managed to steal a quick glance at his dad.
         "Mom," He managed to say.

Another slap laced his face, then a whimper followed. But kelechi didn't stop.
Terrified, bishop glanced all over the place, looking for a weapon. But he also knew that the weapon of his warfare were not carnal, problem was that he hadn't maximized the power of his ordination.

          "Ask mom," Kelechi continue to string the words slowly. "Ask mom about the hidden red box."

Just then, Vivian and kaima rushed to the deck and dragged the bruised Bishop out.

The Maitamas were barely out of the balcony when a scream rose from Kelechi's voice.

          "Bishop David Maitama, come!"

Right there, they knew Aston was back in charge.