Recently, the Pees had been seeing a brother who was always standing with a heavily pregnant woman by his side near their house. And they knew that if they lived in their neighbourhood, it must be in somebody’s Boy’s Quarters for obviously, they could not afford the houses in that area.
So, the Pees would grudgingly exchange waves with them without offering them lifts: their three little children occupied the back seat. But surprisingly, when they got to the church, they would see the couple already there and they would exchange waves again while they hurry past.
One day, they saw the brother there alone. In the church, he approached them. When they saw him coming, they suspected his mission but could not run away because the only exit was the one the brother was using.
They exercised long suffering as they patiently endured until the brother accosted them and made known his mission. His wife had been delivered of their baby through a caesarean operation. He needed sixty thousand naira.
“What cell fellowship do you belong to Bro?” The Pees asked him. He told them. “Are you in the men’s group? Which one, Nehemiah or Joshua?” Bro. Pee asked him. “Bro, you have to go to the welfare office!” Sis. Pee said exasperated.
She was disgusted and angry. These poor brethren are all over the place now. They will not allow decent folk to worship God in peace! To the needy brother she continued, “Nobody has that kind of money to give out. We all have our own personal problems. It’s God that’s been helping us.”
Bro, my wife will look for some used baby things to send to you. But, please, do as she said, go to the welfare office. I’m sure they will help you. Okay Bro, God bless you!” Bro. Pee said, nicely. “Yes, I’ll get the baby some used things. Greet madam for me and please, take it easy o.”
The brother turned and walked away in confusion. The Pees escaped. They did not see the brother again. The angles had completed their assignment.
“People should go and look for something to do. All these begging and borrowing must stop in the house of God. They’re desecrating God’s temple.”
“I think it’s laziness,” his wife replied. That is right.
As Bro. Pee finished supper, his steward handed him his glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. He took a long drink and belched. It smelled like a fart. He faintly wondered why. But, there was good news on CNN. George W. Bush was getting ready to move into Capitol Hill while Clinton was moving out. He forgot all about it. But as he got up to follow his wife to pray with their children before they slept he felt nausea. He wondered why.
The feeling came on very strong. He went into the guest toilet and vomited: His wife fussed all over him blaming it on the fish the steward served and giving him crackers biscuits to chew explaining how dry things stopped vomiting. But by morning Bro. Pee knew he was sick.
Probably malaria, he said. No, typhoid, the family doctor told him. They treated him for typhoid but to no avail. Each time he belched, it smelled like fart. He mentioned it to his doctor. The doctor looked worried and invited him for some tests. Some days later, the doctor stopped by at his house, he wore a heavy mien, like an undertaker.
When the Pees saw him, they knew something was wrong. He told them, renal failure. Mr Pataki’s kidney had failed. “What?” screamed Sis. Pat. “He eats good food and doesn’t take alcohol. Aah, the devil is a liar. This is a joke. I refuse it; I reject it in Jesus Name. Hey, I say no to Satan…..” “Bro. Peter was too shocked to utter a word. Cold fingers of fear began to creep into his heart. His wife got up and started praying wildly. “I rebuke you, Satan. I rebuke sickness. I curse you in the Name of Jesus. I command you to die. Return to sender. Raboshkemamama….. Robozomoroboro Karakababa…”
In no time at all, Bro. Peter began to swell up with fluid retention. Treatment commenced immediately. He flew to England. He began to go through dialysis after dialysis. His brethren began to pray seriously for him especially his group in the men’s fellowship where he was very active. His condition deteriorated fast. His system rejected transplant after transplant so his only hope was dialysis. His pastor and his wife were heartbroken for the Patakis had been of great financial help to the church. Money began to run out. He was spending pounds per hour. They carried him from England, to France, to Switzerland; wherever an expert was said to be.
Soon, there was no more money to attend to business. All money was channelled into saving Bro. Pee’s life. Sis. Pat realised they were fighting a lost battle. Her beloved Pee was dying. She pawned off her jewels and sold off their properties. She began to lag behind in fashion. Y2K shoes came into fashion, she could not buy. Uglies’ followed, she could not afford them. New cars came out, they could not buy. New estates were built, they could not acquire houses. Men wore new suits – four buttons, six buttons, ten buttons, Bro. Peter was past caring. Their friends shied away from Sis. Pat now because she went around begging for money to keep her husband alive for he was barely living. When Sis. Pat spoke now, nobody clapped. She trekked often and used buses. Many brethren’s cars developed shaft problems so, no one helped her.
Their pastor and his wife embarked on a fast to seek God’s face concerning the Patakis. But their prayers seemed to be hitting flint rock. They persisted being people that hardly gave up. It was very difficult for them to break through in prayer. It was as if they were getting a ‘no answer’. They persisted, pleading the blood of the everlasting covenant and extending the fast and the prayer time. At long last, God gave his servant a Scripture, Psalm 41. They prayed more fervently, interceding for the Patakis. The Lord said to them, “Peter’s good deed account is empty. He never laid up any treasure. He gave where he would be applauded. He never loved my people. He treated those I shed my Blood for contemptuously. He loved mammon and worshipped him.”
They began to pray harder, standing in the gap. “You’re a God of mercy, what can be done to stop the evil?”
Finally, the Lord said, Ezekiel 18:32: for I have no pleasure in the death of he that sinneth but let him turn from his evil and live. They thanked God and worshipped Him and broke their fast.
Sister Pat was summoned. She came wearing old clothes, her face etched with pains; her palms hard and dry from doing house chores because they had no more maids. The pastor wondering where to begin; heard in his spirit, a dream, a dream. The pastor repeated what he heard … “Your husband had a dream, somebody sick?” Sister Pat squeezed her face in thought. “Tell us if you know,” he said.
She did. The pastor and his wife exchanged glances. He said to her, “That’s your husband.” He told her what the Lord said and gave her the scriptures. She broke down and cried repenting immediately. The shepherds prayed for her.
When she left, the pastor’s wife left the room to attend to something else. The pastor suddenly started as he felt a hand on his shoulders. He had no idea that someone else was in that room but he heard a voice, “Son, build me a compassionate army. Raise Me an army that will pay any prize to win souls into the kingdom and will pay any prize to ensure that the souls remain.” The pastor hastened to his knees and bowed down before the God of all the earth.
Sister Pat humbled and contrite fled home to her husband for he had been sent home to die. She shared everything with him and they repented and turned from their wicked ways. They began to give out the little they had left and not before long Bro. Pee had another dream. He went to the bank to draw money and he drew and drew – there was so much. He woke up, totally healed!
