Jennifer……
I woke up with a slight headach. I just had a very bad dream and I hated having such during the
day. Something told me to woke up and pray. So I knelt down besides my bed and started praying
as the spirit led me. I heard myself praying for Ben. I prayed for his protection and that God rescue
him from the snare of evil. By the time I was done I felt relieved and my heart at peace.
Even though a few minutes later, thoughts of the humiliation I was going through because of Clara
rushed back to my mind.
My family had been calling to ask what was going on others shouting at how l was humiliating
myself. I had switched off my phone after I kept on receiving calls of people mocking me and
asking what was going on.
Well, the damage was already done and I couldn’t manage to tell the whole world what was
published on the social media was a lie.
I had to let the rumours die on their own. I knew the hard part would be going back for work the
following week.
I was sure my boss being the internet kind of person she was, already saw the news and I had no
idea what awaited me.
I prayed for God to help me though that difficult moment. I had not realised that there was no sign
of Ben in the house as I kept thinking.
Deciding to check his room in case he was sleeping, I found it empty.
” Where could he be?” I whispered to myself and then it clicked. ” Oh no. He went to confront his
wife! ” I panicked turning on my phone to find out where he was.
The phone rung and cut for the third time and I started worrying. ” Oh God save his life from that
woman” I prayed loudly walking around the house.
I was still pacing around and it was almost getting dark outside when I heard car outside. I rushed
out to meet him and his facial expression as he locked the car door, expalined how bad he was
feeling.
” Ben, what happened to you?” I asked steeping forward to receive him. He held me in an
embrace and cried.
” Oh God what did she do now?” I panicked squeezing him harder.
” She almost made me sleep with her she kept staring at me and I could feel my inside warn me to
stay away from her but my outside obeyed her orders…. I swear I tried to fight her away but I
failed. I don’t know how but I felt someone waking me up as she sat on me and that’s when I
quickly left” he spoke his voice shaking. A combination of fear and pain written all over his face.
” I know how much you are hurt but trust God to guide us through. I had a bad dream and I felt the
urge to pray, thats how I started praying for you.” I told him as I sat him down.
We talked at length and in the end called the priest who asked us to go and see him the following
day.
I noticed he was still down that evening as as we watched some movie. He talked less and would
nod or murmer answers whenever I asked him.
” Do you want to sleep you seem tired” I ask him and he looked at me like he didn’t understand
me.
” Ben are you okey?” I shook him and he startled looking at me.
” Sorry love, did you say something?” He responded
” Go to bed Ben, you seem tired” I rubbed his back. ” Am scared of sleeping alone. I can’t stop the
images of Clara from my mind and it’s really disturbing” he said almost in a whisper.
” Okey fine. I will move in your bedroom tonight if that will ease your fear. But remember what the
priest said about being prayerful and not to be afraid. We are going to be okey” I comforted him
and we both stood to go to his bedroom.
I needed to change from my clothes into a night gown so I left him laying down and went to my
room. I just had my pyjamas on when I heard a loud crushing noise from my back. I jumped in fear
and turned to look at what it was just to find Clara standing behind me covered in dark clothes her
face looking exactly like I had seen her before in my night mares.
I screamed aloud calling for Ben. ” Clara is in my room I shivered holding on to Ben who came
rushing and held me close.
“Where is she?” He asked looking back inside my room.
” She was standing there!” I pointed my shaky fingers but there was no one. Ben looked at me and
back at the empty space. ” Are you sure you are not imagining things?” He asked concerned.
I thought my mind was playing games with me so I tried to fight back the fear. That night we slept
cuddled with Ben in his room after saying some prayers and I woke up early to go relieve myself
from the bathroom.
I stood there frozen looking at the image of Clara staring at me, I wiped my eyes to make sure I
wasn’t imagining things but when she spoke audibly, I knew it wasnt my imaginations but she was
somehow there with me.
” I wanted Ben to suffer and probably die in his madness, but you just had to play a good girl and
change my plans. You will pay for this Jen!” She shouted extending her covered hands towards
me.
For a moment I felt powerless and defeated. I was almost loosing myself but my inner spirit spoke loudly. ” No weapon formed against you shall proposer. You are annoited by the blood of Jesus
Christ, he is your redemer and rescuer”.
I can’t remember where the strength came from but I started shouting back the words I was
hearing inside myself, binding the power of evil forces as the priest had told us before. I saw her
struggle to stand as she panted and panicked uncomfortably. She screamed one more time and
disappeared just before Ben came rushing to the bathroom to fetch me.
“Love are you okey?” He asked looking around as I kept panting and muttering some words.
” Am fine now” I sighed.
” she was standing right here I saw her clearly”
Ben looked around and he shook his head. ” This is too much, we need to make sure that woman
is not a threat to us anymore. I just thought of something, we need to go to the priest and today I
want to ask him to come with us so that he can help pray for my house.”
” What? You mean go back to Clara again?” I asked him.
” Yes love, waiting for this to go on and on will lead us into more trouble and Clara will start
thinking she is winning.” He spoke calmly.
He was right, the danger with letting things sort themselves out will lead to more damage.
The priest was not reluctant to do as Ben asked him. We all took off with the other members of the
Chrastmatic Renewal movement to go and pray at his house.
He had told the priest the house was still in his name as he had seen it the papers inside the
secret vault. The more reason why she didn’t find it easy to change ownership of the house since
she had no papers.
The time we arrived at the house Clara was not there. Without waiting, the prayers started and we
moved from one room to another.
The environment in Clara’s room felt so intense I felt goose bumps growing on my skin. But like
the priest had encouraged us before. I had to fight the fear and have more trust in God.
A small thing with a combination of deep green and black fall off the floor we all didn’t see where it
came from.
The priest sprinkled his anointing oil on it and as we kept on praying with Ben holding my hand, he
told us that was the charm she was using for all her evil doings.
” lt is done children of God. This house is free and I will burn this outside,” he mentioned showing
us the charm as he lifted it with a piece of cloth.
After everything was done, the rooms prayed for and annointed with oil and the outside yard too,
the charm was burnt. We now sat down in his living room waiting for Clara to show up. But she
didnt.
One of the people we went with said, ” I know she will not come. This is the end of her in this
house and she can’t return here for the Lord God has anointed this place.”
We looked at each other with Ben as his phone rung. ” Answer it” I whispered to him and he
grabbed the phone sliding it open to answer.
” Hello!” He answered looking at me and I saw his face change.
” Clara ” he announced and put the phone on loud speaker.
” What have you done to my house Ben!” We all heard her shout loudly ” God is almight and he has helped me take back what belongs to me Clara this is over for you.”
She was silent for a couple of seconds and then her loud voice came.
” Oh you are mistaken if you think destroying that charm will save you. Remember I have your
mother and know where your son and sisters are. ” she said I could hear her laugh softly like she
was mocking him
” Where is my family you evil woman!” He shouted and I looked around seeing the men we went
with praying as well as the priest.
” I only have one request, I can’t come to that house any more, give me my things and I will tell
you” she responded
” I know you are with that Jennifer there, tell her you people have not won anything yet. As long as
am still alive, you both will never know peace. So give me my things today or forget about your
family!” She shouted before cutting the line.
” Oh God,” I sighed holding my face. ” What now Father?” I asked the priest.
” The battle is already won, do not fear. Just make sure you continue praying and God will lead
you to your family Benjamin he told us his eyes set on the now quiet Ben.
Even with the challenge of finding his family, we still felt comforted. Ben talked to Clara’s nephew
asking him to look after the house as he wanted to go back after all things were back to normal.
He warned the boy not to give Clara anything if at all she would go and ask him.
” She cannot enter this house, so just make sure you don’t go out to see her or anything” he
cautioned him and called the maid through the boys number not to go for work for some days.
The following evening Clara called, this time she put Benjamin’s mother on the line. He seemed
tense as the line cut.
” My mother said she’s being held captive by Clara and that she has threatened to kill her if she
doesn’t get her things this night. She wants everything that belongs to her from the house and has
directed me to some address. ” He explained throwing himself down in the bed next to where I sat.
” Fine let’s go and give her what she wants Ben. She’s crazy we can’t possibly think She’s bluffing.
Finding your mother is the key to discovering where your son and sisters are.” I tried to convince
him and so we agreed to get going.
Clara’s cargo was too much to fit into my car. We had all her clothes, shoes and everything
belonging to her packed in the large bags.
We decided to book a small van to transport the luggage to the point she told Ben but that was
before I called the police on her.
We just finished unloading the bags in the lodge we were directed to and the policeman stood
some distance waiting to see any signs of Clara to arrest her but she didn’t show up.
The unfortunate part was, we only were accompanied by one officer as the policemen had not
considered her harmful physically, claiming she was just playing jealousy wife.
” Where is that policeman?” I asked Ben as we kept waiting for Clara to show up.
” He was just standing there! But it seems he has disappeared” Ben responded looking at where
the officer was.
Several minutes later, Clara called and told Ben to take me and walk away or she will be forced to
tell her people to kill me.
” We can’t leave if she has not told us where your mother is Ben” I told him not wanting to leave
him alone as he insisted I left instead.
A tall dark man walked towards us later on and he threatened us with a gun making us run back to
the car.
” Oh God I hope my mother is still alive” Ben sighed sadly us he drove us away. We had nothing
else to do. Thinking Clara had paid off the police to play us, we were left with no option but retreat
back.
The only comforting thing was the fact that she would not come near us nor Ben’s house again. It
was like she was scared of meeting us in person and all we needed now was to trust God to keep
Ben’s family safe.
I asked Ben on the way home If there were other relatives still alive for him to call or ask about his
family.
” Father’s family is in Tanzania and the last time we saw them was years ago I don’t think any of
them is aware. My mother on the other hand is the only surviving of her family. Am not so sure
about the extended family as well.” He shook his head.
” lt’s only me for now and I know wherever they are, they need me ” he added sadly.
I kept my eyes on the road as we moved. My thoughts clouded and my body feeling tired. It was
past midnight. We had not had the time to sit down. The only good thing about everything was that
I was feeling more optimistic things will turn out well.
Even with people still spreading the pictures on the social media, I couldn’t afford to have some
more things to think about so I let it be.
We were driving in my yard when we both saw a person standing besides the door to my house. It
was dark we couldn’t see clearly.
” Who is there?” I whispered to Ben who shook his head as he steadly packed the car.
“I don’t know but let’s find out” he sighed pulling the keys from the ignition.
To be continued…