( continued from last edition ) AKPOKUGHE WAS LEGALLY MARRIED TO A PASTOR OF A SPIRITUAL CHURCH IN BOTH THE TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE AND THE WHITE MAN'S WEDDING. DURING THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY, AN UNKNOWN SHABBILY DRESSED MAN BREEZES INTO THE MARRIAGE VENUE INSISTING THAT HE WANTED TO TALK WITH THE HUSBAND TO BE. BUT THAT WAS NOT GRANTED HIM. JUST TWO DAYS AFTER THE MARRIAGE, THE FIRST MISSILE WAS FIRED AT THE COUPLE ONE MORNING BY THE SPIRITUAL HUSBAND. THAT VERY MORNING, THEIR ENTIRE SITTING ROOM BECAME ENGULFED WITH A STRANGE SPIRITUAL STORM WHICH KNOCKED DOWN EVERYTHING IN THE ROOM TO THEIR AMAZEMENT. THEIR TELEVISION SET, REFRIGERATOR AND TAPE RECORDER WERE BROKEN INTO PIECES AND A VERY SHILLING COLD PERVADED THE ENTIRE BUILDING. TO WORSEN THE SITUATION, THE PASTOR'S PRIVATE SPIRITUAL ALTAR CAUGHT FIRE. IT WAS THEN IT DAWNED ON THE PASTOR THAT SOMETHING MORE THAN THE ORDINARY WAS GOING ON. BOTH HIM AND HIS WIFE IMMEDIATELY RELOCATED TO THE CHURCH PREMISES. HE IMPLORED OTHER OF HIS FELLOW PASTORS TO JOIN HIM TO FIGHT THE BATTLE. A SPECIAL DAY WAS SET ASIDE FOR THE SUSPECTED SPIRITUAL BATTLE. WHEN THE DAY CAME, ALL THE MEN OF GOD ASSEMBLED THEMSELVES FOR THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE. BUT TRAGEDY STRUCK AGAIN AS THE PRAYERS WERE IN PROGRESS. A STRANGE STORM ATTACKED THE BIG CATHEDRAL AND SCATTERED THE CLERGYMEN. THEY FLED IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS FOR THEIR DEAR LIVES. EVERYTHING WAS IN PIECES ONCE MORE. THE CLERGYMEN THEREAFTER DECLARED A TOTAL WAR ON THE POWER OF DARKNESS. THEN THE SPIRITUAL HUSBAND APPEARED TO THE MOTHER OF THE PASTOR IN A DREAM IN THE FORM OF A MAN. HE ACCUSED HER SON OF SNATCHING HIS WIFE. THE MOTHER WHO WAS CONFUSED, TOLD THE MAN TO BRING THE CASE BEFORE THE WHOLE FAMILY BECAUSE SHE WASN'T AWARED WHEN THE SAID MARRIAGE WAS CONSUMATED. BUT SHE ALSO DIDN'T TELL ANYBODY ABOUT HER DREAM. THE SPIRITUAL HUSBAND BECAME REAL ANGRY AND HE APPEARED TO A CERTAIN YOUNG GIRL IN A DREAM AND TOLD HER THAT IF HIS WIFE IS NOT RETURNED TO HIM WITHIN A MONTH, THE ENTIRE VILLAGE WOULD FEELS HIS WRATH. WHEN SHE WOKE UP, SHE MADE THE DREAM KNOWN TO HER FATHER. LUCKILY, THE FATHER WAS A TRADITIONAL ELDER IN THE VILLAGE. HE QUICKLY MADE THE MATTER KNOWN TO THE VILLAGE CHIEF. THE CHIEF CALLED A MEETING OF THE ELDERS IN COUNCIL AND THE MATTER WAS MADE KNOWN. THEY QUICKLY CALLED FOR THE VILLAGE CHIEF PRIEST. THE ELDERS WERE NOT SURPRISED BECAUSE THE RECENT STRANGE HAPPENINGS HAD ALREADY GIVEN THEM THE IMPRESSION THAT SOMETHING SACRILEGIOUS WAS COMMITTED IN THEIR MIDST. THE CHIEF PRIEST CONSULTED THE ORACLE AND THE SPIRITUAL HUSBAND APPEARED AND SPOKE HIS GRIEVANCES. HE SAID THAT NOTHING WILL STOPS HIM FROM CAUSING A HAVOC IN THE VILLAGE IF HIS WIFE WAS NOT RETURNED TO HIM. BOTH THE PASTOR AND HIS FAMILY MEMBERS AND AKPOKUGHE AND HER FAMILY MEMBERS WERE SUMMONED BEFORE THE ELDERS IN COUNCIL MEETING. IT WAS AT THE MEETING THAT AKPOKUGHE NARRATED ALL THAT HAPPENED BETWEEN HER AND A STRANGE MAN IN A DREAM MANY YEARS AGO. SHE SAID THAT SHE AGREED TO MARRY THE MAN WHO GAVE HER FOOD AND WATER AS A MATTER OF JOKE AND NOT A SOLEMNLY PROMISED. THE ELDERS APPEALED TO THE SPIRITUAL HUSBAND TO TEMPER JUSTICE WITH MERCY AS AKPOKUGHE WAS VERY YOUNG THEN AND AT THE SAME TIME VERY HUNGRY AND THE WORST OF IT ALL, IT WAS A DREAM IN WHICH IN MOST CASES, PEOPLE DO THINGS WHICH ORDINARILY, THEY WILL NEVER DO OR AGREE TO IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD. THE SPIRITUAL HUSBAND AT LAST SUCCUMBED AFTER TWELVE DAYS OF AN INTENSIVE PLEADING BY THE ELDERS. HE AGREED TO LEAVE AKPOKUGHE ALL ALONE BUT ON THE CONDITION THAT THE HUSBAND MUST BUY SEVEN HE GOATS, SEVEN WHITE COCKS, SEVEN YARDS OF WHITE CLOTH, SEVEN YARDS OF BLACK CLOTH, SEVEN YARDS OF RED CLOTH AND SEVEN COWRIES AND CARRY THEM TO THE RIVER AS SACRIFICE TO HIM. THE PASTOR BECAME ENRAGED WHEN HE HEARD THE SPIRITUAL HUSBAND'S DEMANDS. HE TOLD THE CHIEF PRIEST AND THE ELDERS THAT HE WAS AN AMBASSADOR OF GOD AND HE WILL NEVER DANCE TO THE WHIMS AND CAPRICES OF THE DEVIL. THE CHIEF PRIEST TOLD THE SPIRITUAL HUSBAND THROUGH THE ORACLE THE WORDS OF THE PASTOR. IMMEDIATELY, THERE WAS A TERRIBLE WHIRLWIND AND EVERYONE FLED FOR SAFETY AND THAT CLOSED THE MEETING. TWO DAYS LATER, THE SPIRITUAL HUSBAND APPEARED TO THE PASTOR IN A DREAM AND HE SAID TO HIM, "YOUR WIFE CAN NEVER BE PREGNANT FOR YOU IN THIS WORLD." AND HE SHOUTED BACK AT HIM, "YOU LIE, MY WIFE MUST BECOME PREGNANT FOR ME."
And so the spiritual battle continues. Who wins! Who loses! Only time will tell. Keep a date with us. To be continued.
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