My daddy drove off to Mr. Femi’ s house to know why his wife sent for him. So, I decided to go my room. I was lost in thought that I didn’t know that Ken was following me. As I attempted to open my door, I heard his voice and was startled.

“Can I come inside?”

I turned to look at him and tears filled my eyes.

“Ken, I prefer to be left alone,” I told him in tears.

“I insist, please,” Ken begged.

I had no choice than to let him in. He didn’t even allow me to settle down before asking me the most dreaded question.

“Sister, what happened to the baby milk?”

I looked at Ken and whispered in tears,” I took it.”

“But what is your reason for taking it?”

“I don’t know. I have already left the house when a force moved me back. I stood and peeped from the curtain till the woman left the living room. I quickly went in and carried the milk.”

“Where is the milk now?”

“I have thrown it away.”

“Why would you do that?” Ken asked in anger.

“I don’t need it and I couldn’t take it back to her. Please forgive me. I don’t understand what is happening to me ?”

Tears filled my brother’s eyes as he rose to leave my room.

“Ken, I’m sorry. Please forgive me,”I cried.

“I’m not angry with you ,” he said and left.

When I heard the sound of my father’s car, I quickly ran out to know the latest news concerning Mr. Femi because he was my hope of deliverance.

When my father came in, he sank into one of the sofas in the sitting room. It was written all over him that all was not well.

Mummy tried unsuccessfully to make him talk to no avail. We all sat waiting for daddy to talk. All of a sudden he blurted out,” My friend is dead. No more hope!”

My mummy wept until she had no more strength. As for me, I resorted to fate because I looked like there was no more hope for me.

From that moment, my stealing habit got out of hand. All my parents effort to search for solution did not yield any result.

They resorted to beating and starving me but it did not help matters too.

Mrs. Don, who was as heartbroken as my parents decided to help out. She told my parents that someone gave her the contact of a native doctor who could help; but they were reluctant. Though my parents were not regular church goers, they detest anything fetish. My mummy never delayed in pointing that out to her.

“Though one of my greatest heart desire is to see my daughter become normal, I don’t want to involve myself in anything fetish,” Mum told her.

“My sister, I will not deceive you. People out there device means to solve their problem. When you are sleeping in the night, you normally hear sound of vehicles. Where do you think they were going to? Most of them went in search of solution to their problems. In the morning, everybody will come out smiling.”

“I, go out in the night in search of solution. God forbid. I will rather take her to a church. Though I am not a born again, I prefer church to a native doctor’s shrine,” Mummy said firmly.

“Is there any one that is not praying? All of us are praying. After all, have you not contacted a prophet. Did anything come out of it?” Mrs. Don asked her.

“Ore mi, we need to clarify something; it was Bola that brought the prophet with the conviction that he was powerful. At the end nothing positive came out of it. All the same, I will not give up; I will search for a church by myself.”

“You know that when it comes to church issues, I am versatile and knowledgeable than you. I attend church more than you. The truth is that even Pastors’ seek solution from native doctors.”

“Then those ones are not real Pastors,” Mummy said firmly.

“Forget that issue. Do not judge so that you will not be judged. Anyway, at this point, delay is dangerous. It is not a time to be debating whether you like native doctor or not. First thing tomorrow morning, I will contact someone to confirm the address of the baba. What matters is the result. I am convinced that the end will justify the means.

I, my mummy and Mrs. Don set out early in the morning for the native doctor’s place. It was not easy locating the house of the native doctor which was at Lagos suburb. Everywhere was neat which made me to wonder if that was really the home of a native doctor. I could recollect that the native doctors I use to watch in movies looked dirty.

“He must be an educated native doctor,” I concluded.

The baba welcomed us, calling all our names, which made us, look at one another in wonder.

“Whoever directed you to this place meant well for you because no problem that enters here leaves.”

Mummy was beaming with smiles as baba was talking. I was not left out of the excitement either.

“Madam the , problem started from your house hold. Somebody from your household is responsible for your daughters problem.”

“What is this man talking about?” I signaled my mother. I believed that she understood the signal. the baba’s story was so funng and unrealistic to me. If it was when I was still the courageous Judy, full of confidence, I would have refuted what baba said.. But fear of my father’s beating and people’s mockery had turned me to a shadow of my old self. The only thing that kept me going was assurance from my mum that the phase of stealing would surely pass.

“Baba I don’t get your point,” Mummy said but Mrs. Don tapped her to keep quiet.

Baba brought out a concoction and gave it to my mum. He instructed that I must drink a teaspoonful of it daily by 10:00PM. He added that after taking the concoctions, I would sit right for the next 2 hours before going to bed.

“She must never close her eyes not to talk of sleeping. If she does that within these two hours, the concoction will not work.”

“Baba this seems a bit difficult. Judy is a teenager. How easy will it be for her to sit from 10:00pm to 12:00am without sleeping or even dozing off? Is there no other way out?” Mummy inquired.

“Woman! There is no other way,” Baba thundered. “Nothing good comes easy. Sacrifice is required for her to be free. The sleep that she will deny herself is the sacrifice she is making to appease the spirits that are fighting her. Another is that when she sleeps later, she will be able to see the member of your family that is responsible for her problem. I must warn that she should never close her eyes within the 2 hours. If she mistakenly do, quickly report to me.”

Watch out for the next episode.