FRESH FIRE IN MY BONES (Episode 3)
Written by: Ebosa Monday
The next morning, Damilola entered the sitting room to his father foaming with anger. His siblings and Mother looked scared on sighting him.
“Dami, I will ask you this for the last time, did you bring any lion into this house yesterday?” Baba Aro asked.
“Bààmi, e kaaro. (Good Morning Father)” Dami greeted, prostrating on the ground like a typical Yoruba child would.
“Answer me now!” His father shouted.
“Bààmi, ko ye mi (I don’t understand)” Dami replied.
The older man angrily threw the wood in his hands at Dami, but Dami was quick to dodge it.
“I said, did you bring any lion into this house?” Baba Aro shouted out in fury.
“Ah, Bààmi, how can I do that? You know I’m afraid of lions, how much more bringing one into this house!” Dami said.
Baba Aro looked at him with a sharp gaze. “Then which lion did Shade see in your room and at the corridor?” He asked.
“Lion? In my room? At the corridor?” Dami looked confused.
The man kept quiet for some seconds. Various thoughts ran through his mind before he decided to question Shade.
“Omobirin, (Young Lady) come here!” He commanded Shade.
She remained where she was and couldn’t move close to Dami as she was scared.
It suddenly dawned on Dami that something odd had happened the previous night.
“Hmmm… Bààmi, have you heard of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah?” He asked his father.
“What are you spurting out of your mouth?” Baba Aro asked him.
Dami wasn’t moved; “He that keeps me do not slumber nor sleeps. He watches over me both day and night. The day I got saved from Satan’s bondage, I contracted a deal with Jesus Christ!”
“Gbénu sohun (Shut up)! I have warned you never to mention that name here. Dami, do not provoke me this morning. If you do, you will regret it!” Baba Aro said angrily and left the house.
The community was boiling hot due to a general announcement that was made about the two notable and notorious cult groups planning to fight for supremacy in the land. It was a one in a year activity but its effects and woes usually go beyond man’s imagination.
Damilola’s father was the patron of one of those cult groups. Damilola made it a routine to go to the street to preach and call people to repentance especially the cult boys.
At night, he would pray his heart out and in the day, he would preach his heart out.
He understood how bloody the fight for supremacy was. He knew how deeply demonic the boys can go to secure powers for them to win the fight. He had on several occasions, before his conversion, carried a basin full of human blood to the community shrine where they do their rituals.
With all the dark memories of the pasts, he spared no day nor night to pray and preach against this evil. To him he was not really making impact on the lives of the community dwellers, not even among the cult boys. He had but seven days before the fight.
“Hahahahahahahaha… Dami, forget it. You are wasting your time! Blood will flow in this community. Oh, how I love the sight of blood! It means more power for me!” Ronke exclaimed to him excitedly one day.
“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus!” Dami said with anger in his voice.
Ronke shouted and ran inside her house. Not too long, she rushedout boiling with rage.
“Dami, come, let me warn you. If you try that nonsense again, I will eat up your heart and your father will do nothing! Trust me!” She said with anger.
“Like I said before, I say it again, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus!” Dami shouted.
Ronke screamed and ran inside her house. She didn’t come out until the evening.
Damilola went to see Elijah.
“Bro. Dami, you know how dangerous it is now for you to see me. You father wants to kill me because of you. Please, spare my life and just go. I will be praying for you.” Elijah said.
“Bro. Elijah, you don’t need to be afraid. The Bible says in Isaiah 54:17, No weapon that is formed against us shall prosper. You have to have faith in God and believe Him for your protection. What actually brought me here is because of a burden in my heart. I can’t stand and witness another fight for supremacy in this community! The innocent lives that are lost are too much. Something must be done to stop this menace in the community!” Dami said mournfully.
“I understand, Dami, but your being here is a threat to my life. Nevertheless, the Lord has encouraged me to be strong. I see the end of my road, but that which my heart cries and long for, is the salvation of this community. I have been preaching for 15years now, and no one has been saved except you, who got saved just 3 months ago. And with the fact that you are the son of Baba Aro, the man behind the veil of darkness and satanic practices in this land, I know God has an assignment for you. I see the end of my road.” Elijah said with tears dropping from his eyes.
“Please, don’t talk like this. Nobody will kill you. We will do the work together to save this community. The terror and reign of darkness in the land must come to an end!” Dami said.
“Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (2Cor. 10:3,4). If we must cause a change in this community, we must shift some grounds in the spirit realm.” Elijah said.
“How?” Dami asked.
“For by strength shall no mortal man prevail. It is not by power and not by might, but by my Spirit, says the Lord. Dami, we need the Holy Ghost!” Elijah said.
“Heyyyy! Haaaaa! I can’t wait to get Him ooo. Just seven days remaining! Elijah, seven days!” Dami said.
They held their hands and prayed.
While they were praying, some boys broke into the house with Baba Aro.
They grabbed Elijah and threw Damilola to one side.
“Bààmi, leave him, please…” Dami pleaded with tears.
“Foolish boy! I told you to stay away from my son, yet you refused. Now you will pay with your own blood! Take him away!” Baba Aro said furiously.
Damilola wanted to follow them, but they carried him and threw him into an empty gutter. That was after giving him a serious beating.
According to Baba Aro instructions, Elijah was stoned to death and his head severed from his body.
Later, they went to carry Damilola from the gutter and took him home. He was locked up in his room.
👉 Be strong O Soldiers of the Cross! Whether in threat of death or life, brace up your sword and stand against evil and unrighteousness in the land!
👉 Death is the gateway to eternal victory for believers, but eternal misery for the sinners.
👉 Remember, Satan’s mistake of putting Jesus Christ on the Cross and allowing Him to die, is and still remains his (Satan’s) greatest regrets!
Watch out for Episode 4.
Have you learnt anything in this story so far? Please drop your comments.
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