Pastor was surprised to see Mr. Lekan in the parsonage. This was his first time of entering the church premises since Pastor was posted there. Still wondering what the reason of the visit was, Pastor welcomed him.

Good morning sir. I am happy to see you this morning. How are doing?”

“How are I’m doing is none of your business. Besides, I am not happy meeting you,” Mr. Lekan answered with a frowned face.

Pastor was taken aback by his response. However, his expression quickly changed from shock to composure.

“Sir I hope all is well? Anyway can we go inside the house and talk?”

“I am not a lazy man that sit at a place and expect people to gather money and he will squander. I don’t know how you expect me to go inside the house and sit with you to talk while people are rushing to meet up with their businesses,” Mr. Lekan mocked.

Pastor smiled to himself. Pastor’s wife heard the man’s voice and decided to come and know what was going on.

“Good morning sir,” she greeted with smiles.

“Madam, I will advise that you reserve the energy you are using to greet me. Use it to advise your husband. Tell him to stop polluting this environment with noise.

Throughout last night, I did not sleep. Is he the only Pastor in this area? Is he the only Pastor that knows how to pray? If the church is holding vigil, it is understandable. Why would he use microphone while praying alone. Who does that?”

Pastor and his wife exchanged glances. What he was saying was totally strange to them. Pastor’s wife made an attempt to respond.

“Sir, we don’t really understand what you are talking about.”

“Woman will you keep quiet! Do I look like your husband who you can talk to anyhow. You don’t understand what I am talking about. So I am a mad man. A stupid fellow, who cannot differentiate his left from his right.

That is why an elder like me would be talking and you said that you don’t know what I am talking about. They say behind every successful man , there is a good woman. In the same vein, behind a bad man is a bad woman,” Mr. Lekan reprimanded her.

“Excuse me sir. What exactly is the issue?” Pastor asked.

“Stop disturbing this environment in the night. If you want to pray, don’t use the microphone. That is how others pray. Stop wasting the church resources. If that microphone should spoil, you will force helpless members to buy another one. Is it fair? I must not hear your voice after all I am not the demon that you are binding.” Mr. Lekan warned.

“Sir sincerely, I don’t understand what you are saying. I was not in this compound last night. I went for a programme. You can see that any voice you heard was not mine,” Pastor explained.

“No. It was not your voice; it was a ghost. Don’t worry, by the time you give me sleepless night again you will understand. I know how to deal with stubborn people like you. First of all, I will go and report you to the elders of your church before I take other steps,” Mr. Lekan threatened.

He walked out in anger.

“What exactly was that man talking about?” Mama Ephraim asked her husband.

“My dear I am confused. He said that I did not allow him to sleep last night. How could that be possible when we are just coming back from a vigil this morning? Was it the prayer that I led where I went for programme that he was hearing or what?”

“This is strange. This man has been living in this neighbourhood and he has never disturbed us. In fact he has been so friendly. What could be the cause of this resentment?” Mama Ephraim wondered.

“My dear it is well. We will just commit it into the hands of God. He knows how to settle it.”

**********

Immediately Mr. Lekan left the church premises, he rushed to elder Femi’s house.

“Egbon, I am here.”

“Wow! My brother, you are welcome. Your face is beaming with smile, like someone that had just killed a lion,” elder Femi told him.

“Is it only lion, I also killed a leopard. I am just coming from your church now.” Mr, Lekan informed him.

“That is good. How did it go?”

“You needed to be there, I lambasted them. I thought your pastor was a brave man but I was proved wrong today. He was shaking like a woman. His wife wanted to talk but I shut her up.”

“Good. What exactly did you tell them?”

“I accused your pastor of disturbing my sleep in the night. I said he normally use microphone to do personal prayer. I even accused him of wasting members resources. He was dumbfounded.”

“This is good news. I have to get you drink for your efforts.”

“No it is too early for drink. I don’t need it. How will you be giving me drink when I have not paid the money you lent me?”

“See, I am ready to forget about that money. My problem now is for that pastor to go. If you can help me, I won’t ask you of that money again.

“If that is the case then. It is a settled deal. He will run away from that place. You will beg him to come back but he will not agree,” Mr Lekan promised.

“I have an idea. I believe that if we can do it, the matter will settle itself,” elder Femi informed him.

“What could that be? Please tell me.”

“I want you to go and report him to our General overseer. I will give you his address and even his phone number. Call him to book for an appointment, then you go and see him. Download all these accusations to him. By the time you are done, I will follow it up. If we can successfully do this, the rest will be history.”

“Then it is settled. You see in my life. I don’t like cheating. Whenever I notice it, I take over the fight. Just give me the address. As a transporter, I know the nooks and crannies of Lagos.”