the bride episode 3

The bride 3 (the end)

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"Her father is the cause of her madness", the herbalist said with a pitiful
face. Immediately he said that, expressions of surprise appeared on the
faces of all present, except for Nneka who was busy displaying her
incoherent pantomime. In their individual minds, they wondered how Nneka's
father who was long dead could be the cause of her madness which started
months ago. While the others were still reasoning the shocking assertion,
Nneka's brother stood up angrily and made to leave. In his mind, he was
convinced that the herbalist was another conman who used trial and error
method to dupe his vulnerable clients.

"Come let's leave this place. I should have known they are all the same",
he almost shouted at his mother as he was about carrying Nneka. His mother
who shared his opinion was about getting up when the herbalist said "your
father made a pact with a coven for his riches. He sacrificed your sisters'
marriages for his wealth". Nneka's brother turned around immediately and
faced the herbalist inquisitively. Kunle and Nneka's mother focused their
gazes on the herbalist as well. The herbalist moved his divination
materials again and continued. He told them that their father had a
covenant with a coven that none of his female children would get married in
exchange for riches. He also disclosed that his (their father's) death was
orchestrated by the coven because he was making efforts with another coven
to annul the covenant he made. He further revealed that their father would
have died if any of his daughters got married but since he was dead
already, the coven struck Nneka with madness to stop her from getting
married.

When they heard that, they were weakened. The thoughts and convictions they
had earlier had been all false. Their belief that someone was fighting
their family from the outside was wrong. All along, the problem had been
from the man they'd looked up to for saftey. The man they'd wished was
around to help find solutions to his daughter's problem. It was indeed a
heartbreaking revelation. Nneka's mother burst into tears and Kunle tried
to console her.

Nneka's brother paced the room as he was lost in thought. He couldn't
believe that the man he'd been looking up to could be such a monster. He
couldn't believe that the man whom he'd loved all his life would be so
callous to use his daughters' happiness for his selfish gains; mere wealth.
As they were all engrossed in thoughts, the herbalist jolted them by saying
"unfortunately, I can't proffer solutions to this problem. If there are any
solutions, you must seek for them from the Supreme being who made earth and
everything in it. Only him can rescue your daughter from the coven which
holds her sanity". After saying that, he gathered his divination materials
and stepped outside.

His statement plunged them into more confusion. They had known the cause of
their daughter's predicament but the only man who was able to reveal that
had no solutions to offer. It was as good as when they were in the dark.
They carried Nneka and left the room which served as the herbalist's
consulting room. As they walked past the herbalist where he sat outside
snuffing tobacco, Nneka's brother reluctantly asked him "which supreme
being are talking about?" The herbalist looked up and responded "there is a
being that owns the earth. He gives and takes life. He gives wisdom and
talent and wealth. He designs human destinies. He can do all things. People
seek him in different ways. I seek him using my herbs and 'awon olun elo
efòśé and others seek him through means they believe is more effective. But
to find him, you must seek him sincerely and spiritually".

With this little lecture from the herbalist, Nneka's people knew
immediately that he was talking about God, the Supreme being. The creator
of the heavens and earth. He who began before the beginning. The all
knowing and all sufficient God who suspended the sky with no pillars
holding it's weight. The one who takes no permission to do whatever he
wants to do. He whom every power in the heavens and on earth trembles at
his feet. The impossible specialist. They were convinced that since that
uncommon sermon came from the herbalist, seeking God in truth and in spirit
was their only hope of rescuing their daughter from the grip of the coven
where her father had deposited her destiny. have you read coolval stories?

They left there and went home with a different view to their problem.
Instead of patronizing fake prophets who they earlier believed would just
pray out the spirit tormenting their daughter, they resorted to attending
church programs and participating in the process of liberating their
daughter. They declared fasting for themselves and tried so much to rid
themselves of sins. They effectively adhered to the Bible verse that says
"the hands of God are not short neither are his ears deaf to hear our
prayers, but sins separates us from him". They sought for God in truth and
in spirit. At intervals, they invited the church's prayer warriors team to
pray for Nneka. Severance of any ties linking their family to any coven was
their major prayer point.

They continued in their new prayerful lifestyle and hoped on God for
breakthrough. One day, after their night devotion, they had retired to
their different rooms when they heard Nneka shouting. They hurried to the
room where she was kept and found rolling on the floor screaming. "My head!
My head! Leave me alone!", she kept shouting. As she shouted, her family
members started praying. While they prayed, Nneka's mother fell on her
knees and called upon God in tears. She challenged God to show his
supremacy over every spirit holding her daughter's sanity. After a while,
Nneka stopped shouting but her family members kept praying. While there
were still praying, they heard Nneka faintly calling on them to unbound
her. They reluctantly check and Nneka was healed. Their joy knew no bounds
when they heard Nneka asking why they bound her like a mad person. Their
prayerful and righteous approach had yielded results. The covenant had been
broken and Nneka was free.

It took months for Nneka to fully recover from the physical effects of her
affliction. She got married to Kunle in a court wedding after her kinsmen
were given their rights in money. They have won.

Is there any weapon more powerful than the combination of prayers and
righteousness?

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