The news of the stealing and my subsequent eviction from the school left my mum devastated. She had noticed that attitude of stealing and cautioned me seriously but she never knew that my condition was worse than she could have ever imagined. What happened in school hit her like a storm and she continued mourning for days. My dad had to invite her best friends, Mrs. Don and Mrs. Owolabi to help in consoling her.

“Ore mi (My friend), you have to take it easy on yourself. You are taking this too far,” Mrs Don pleaded.

“Don’t even bother talking to me because I will not listen. Do you really understand what is at stake? My only daughter, we are talking of my only daughter, disgraced out of school, not for fighting, not for gossiping, not even for stubbornness but for stealing. S-T-E-A-L-I-N-G in my lineage. The child that will make them to call me ‘iya lawyer’( Lawyer’s mother) is now a thief and you are telling me not to cry. You are wasting your time,” My mummy said in tears.

“This is youthful exuberance. She will change,” Mrs. Don assured her.

“My intelligent and well behaved daughter suddenly, turned to a criminal and you call it youthful exuberance, please find another grammar to speak; I am not convinced. Something is definitely wrong somewhere,” Mummy cried.

“Are you trying to say that there must be fire somewhere, emitting this smoke?” Mrs. Owolabi asked.

“I strongly feel so,” Mummy spluttered in tears.

“If that be the case, then leave everything for me. I will surely get to the root of it,” Mrs. Owolabi promised.

“Ofcourse, we will surely find out what is wrong,” Mrs. Don promised too.

“Thank you my friends. You have always been there for me. If you help in taking away this shame from my family, I will be eternally grateful to you.”

“You don’t have to sound that way; have you forgotten that Judy is also our daughter. Whatever we do, is for ourselves,” Mrs. Owolabi told her.

“Thank you so much my best friends.”

When Mrs. Don and Mrs. Owolabi said that they would find a solution to my problem, I never took it with a pinch of salt. I could tell that they meant every word of it. These were women that doesn’t joke with me. They took me as their biological daughter and proudly showed me off to people. With them, I felt that my salvation was near.

Mrs. Owolabi swung into action immediately and brought a man whom she claimed was a prophet, to our house. The prophet said that I needed to go on 40 days prayer and fasting in a stretch for me to be free. Mummy was not comfortable with that.

“Prophet please, I only wanted my daughter to be free, I don’t want her dead. How can a teenager go on 40 days without food? There must be another way. Please help me.”

“It is only prayer that can deliver her. There is no other way out.”

“I believe in the efficacy of prayer. But all that I am saying is that my daughter cannot do the prayer by herself. Can’t you help us out?”

“I can. It is just that I just ended 90 days fasting and prayer on behalf of a client. I am coming from the mountain.”

“Wow! You must be a powerful prophet. Please help us out, we will settle you,” Mummy continued pleading.

“If you decide to give me money, no problem. But I am not doing it because of the money. I actually needed a break because food has not entered my mouth in the last 3 months.”

“Please do it for us. I and my husband will not forget you.”

“Prophet please consider our plight. I promised them that ones you come, the problem will be solved. Besides, the girl in question is like a daughter to me. Her deliverance is of utmost importance to me. After they have paid you, I will also settle you in my own way. What matters is for the girl to be free. Just name your price,” Mrs. Owolabi also pleaded.

“Before we start anything, you must have faith. Not just faith but a strong one. That is part of what will make your daughter free. If your faith is strong, she must be free before I leave here

The prophet finally agreed to do the prayer. My parents negotiated with him and paid the price that he named. Afterwards they sorrounded me according to the instruction of the prophet and started prayer. I was just watching him because everything seemed like a joke to me. My only target was his phone but it seemed the prophet was also very cautious of the phone. He never dropped it even for a second.

“I declare you free now. Take it!” The prophet said in a loud voice.

My mother tapped me and whispered, “Say I recieve it.”

“I recieve it,” I shouted.

“I declare you totally free. I saw the spirit of stealing, left you now. True or false.”

“False , I shouted!”

The prophet released a hot slap on my cheek and said,” I beat out the spirit that is speaking through you.” I shouted in pain.

“But you said that you saw the spirit when it left. Which other spirit is speaking through her. ,” My mother asked in anger.

“The Spirits are stubborn. As soon as one left, another entered. Some of them leaves by beating. It was the spirit that spoke when I asked the question. I will beat it out.”

“No! Please don’t beat my daughter,” she said firmly.

“It doesnt affect her . At this point, it is the bad spirit that is working. I need to cast it out by beating,” The prophet told my mother.

“Ore please calm down. She is going to be fine. Let’s allow the prophet to do his work,” Mrs. Owolabi pleaded.

“Mummy please don’t allow him. Please,” I pleaded in tears.

“Keep quiet, you foul spirit. You want us to allow you to keep tormenting this child. Get out now,” The prophet commanded. Another slap was landed on my face.

“The Spirit of stealing just left you now. True or false”

“True I shouted out fear, so that the prophet would not kill me.

“Glory! Glory!” The prophet shouted.

“Will you ever steal again?”

“Never, “I shouted even as I maintained a reasonable distance between me and him.

My mother and her friend danced around in joy .

My mother appreciated the prophet and added more gifts to the money he was given.

The prophet rose to go. He took 2 steps and stood still. All of a sudden he turned and sat again.

My mother and her friends were confused.

“I feel dizzy. Let’s me rest a little,” He told them.

I understand what happened but I refused to talk. I just waited for the drama to unfold!

Watch out for the next episode.