SON OF THUNDER

CHAPTER 4

The news that James was missing spread through the entire neighbor like wide fire. People reacted to the news in different ways but most people insinuated all sorts of negative things about Angela. They accused her of knowing about the boy whereabouts. They believed that Angela knew more than what she was telling people and that she was in one way or the other responsible for whatever might have happened to James. The feelings of their neighbors were so strong that Angela feared that if she appeared in the street, aggrieved neighbors might pounce on her. She had no other person to share her problem with. At last, she decided to call her husband and inform him of the incidence since he had not been around all this while. Michael was heartbroken. He knew that his wife must be the one responsible for James’s disappearance. This was happening on Thursday and Michael normally came back during weekend. So he urged her to do her best before weekend when his job would allow him to come back.Angela summoned courage and went to look for James in his mother’s house. She got there and narrated the story of the missing boy to the mother. As soon as James’s mother got the kernel of the story, she flung herself on the ground and wailed to the entire village to come to her rescue as she could not comprehend the incredible story she was hearing. Her voice was so loud that within the twinkle of an eye, a good number of the villagers ha speed to her house to find out what was happening. She told them the disturbing story that Angela just told her. The villagers react angrily. They wanted to beat Angela up but James’s mother restrained them.“Please do not touch her because if anything happens to her, I may never see my son again. Leave her. Let her go back and bring my child wherever she might have kept him,” James’s mother cried.And that was how she saved Angela from being lynched by the angry villagers. They gave her one week ultimatum to produce the boy or face their wrath. She went back to their house feeing dejected and distraught. She regretted her life and promised God that if He let her out of the mess she is in, that she would turn into a new leaf and serve Him in truth and in spirit.Her husband came back during the weekend. He was visibly angry as he already knew that James had not been located. He had a serious quarrel with his wife; such like they never did before. He threatened to send her back to her family if she did not tell him exactly what happened to James. Left with no other option, Angela told Michael the truth.“So, you were so heartless as to send someone’s child to go and fetch water from the stream at an ungodly time of the night? Besides, can you claim ignorance of the fact that people do not fetch water from Shalala stream at night? Yet when he miraculously succeeded in his first journey, your wickedness did not allow you to let him be, rather you forced him to go back. Well, you have gotten what you were looking for. The sooner you find that boy wherever he may be, hale and hearty, the better for you. The villagers have already warned you and you can be sure that they make a good example of you. Get out of my sight now and go in search of that boy before I lose my temper,” Michael threatened with blood in his eyes.Angela was completely devastated because her husband’ tirade. With tears dropping from his eyes, she collapsed into the cushion in their sitting room. He told her that he would not share in the punishment if eventually the boy was not found; that she alone would face the consequences of her wickedness.Michael was restless and decided to help in search for the missing James. They spent so much money paying people, including the police to help them find the missing boy. Michael even went as far as promising a huge monetary reward for whoever found him.Some days later, some people went to the stream early in the morning and saw James lying by the side of the stream. They all took to their heels. They informed his parent. The parent rushed to the stream and recognized James as the missing boy. Initially, they all thought he was dead. So they sent for Michael and his wife. To their outmost surprise, James coughed and moved his body slightly. This encourages them. They took him and discovered that he was still alive; so they rushed him to the hospital.He was finally revived in the hospital but no one knew what actually happened to him. They tried to ask him about his disappearance when he was still in the hospital but he did not respond. The doctors advised them to give him more time to recover before interrogating him any further. James was later discharged when the doctor became satisfied that he could now leave the hospital and they took him home.The news spread throughout the whole neighborhood because could give account of where he disappeared to and how he re-appeared at the stream. His sudden disappearance and reappearance seemed mysterious to them.Michael and Angela pampered James like an egg while he was recovering. So when they felt that James had recovered enough to tell them what happened to him, they asked him again.But they were stunned by the response they got from him. James seemed not to be with his senses any more. He no longer talked nor acted as if he heard what anyone was saying. Michael and his wife became alarmed. They tried all they could do to make him talk sensibly but to no avail.They took him back to the doctor that treated him and reported the strange development. The doctor asked them to give him some time; that he would be fine with time. Michael and his wife did not have that kind of patience. They wanted immediate positive change so that their minds could be at rest. Someone suggested that they should take him to his mother. That he might get well after spending some time with her. Michael did not support the idea but when Angela insisted on taking him home, Michael obliged her but refused to go with them. Beside he was already due to travel again. So, he traveled and left James in the custody of his wife until he returned during the weekend. Angela later took James back to his mother as advised but James’s mother would not accept her son in such terrible condition.“When you and your husband came to my son away, he was hale and hearty. And now, you bring him back to me almost insane. This is not the boy I gave to you people. So if you know how he was when you took him away, better restore him to that condition,” she said looking sad.“I brought him back because everyone keeps telling me that he will be okay if he spends some days with you,” Angela told her.“How will he be okay by mere staying with me? You alone know what you have done to my son and you alone know what to do to get him back to his senses. And whatever you have to do, you must do it fast before the condition gets out of control,” James’s mother told her plainly.Angela wanted to force her to take her son back but James’s mother raised her voice and her neighbors soon converged in her compound. She told them what happened and they almost beat Angela up again.“Please, do not hurt her,” James’s mother pleaded with them. I still need her to bring back my son in good condition,” she pleaded.Angela was given an ultimatum to bring James back in the same good condition he was when they took him away to their house. She did not know what to do and the people that had gathered there were ready to beat her up if she tried anything silly. So, she left with James. James’s mother wept bitterly and everyone pitied her because of her son condition.“You would have allowed us to teach that evil woman a lesson she won’t forget in her entire lifetime,” one of the angry men said.“You don’t have to do that. All I need now is the well-being of my son,” James’s mother cried.They consoled her and assured her that her son would be fine.Angela was confused. She was at a loss on what to do with James. Norah suggested that she should take him to man of God that was known for exorcising people of evil spirit and performing of miracles. Though Angela did not really believed in miracles, she had no other choice than to try it out. So, Norah accompanied them to the man of God’s church. They were reached there when the man of God was attending to other people. So they had to wait. While they waited, James still refused to talk. He was rather smiling mischievously. “James, you better stop tormenting your aunt. But the man of God will expose you today,” Norah scolded him.When it was their turn, the man of God asked them to come in. they went in and told him what was wrong with James but they did not tell him how it all started.“What is his name?” asked Pastor Richard.“His name is James,” Angela answered.The man of God called his name severally but James behaved as if he was deaf and dumb.“The devil has blocked his mouth and ear but God will do His job now. Don’t worry. Go and wait for us at the reception,” he told them confidently. They left. As he was getting ready for the casting and binding of the evil spirit, his receptionist knocked and came in. She told the Pastor that Chief Lincoln had come with his wife and they seemed to be in haste.“Send them in,” Pastor Richard told her.They came in full of joy and happiness.“Pastor, the Lord has done it,” Chief Lincoln said joyfully. “The Lord is good, all the time,” Pastor said.“Pastor, I am pregnant,” Mrs. Lincoln enthused.“Praise the Lord somebody!” the Pastor chanted.“Hallelujah‼” chorused Chief Lincoln and his wife“When you give to the Lord from your heart, he grants you your heart desire and blesses you a thousand fold. Have you come to thank the Lord for what he has done?” Pastor asked them.James suddenly started laughing aloud to the surprise of everyone present. They wondered why he was laughing and the Chief asked the Pastor who he was.“Who is this boy and why is he laughing?” Chief Lincoln asked the Pastor.“He is a case on my desk now. He has lost his sanity and I was actually about praying for him when you people came in,” Pastor replied.“You mean this handsome boy, God will restore back his sanity in the name of Jesus,” Mrs. Lincoln said pitiably.James laughed again and said: “Today, we shall know who actually needs the prayers.”He stood up and went and brings a television from the Pastor’s office and put it on the altar. To the amazement of the people, the television came on and behold, it showed the Pastor and Mrs. Lincoln in an ungodly act.The pastor shouted; “Oh my God!”“Sir, that baby your wife is carrying does not belong to you. This so-called Pastor is responsible for it,” James said and went to sit down smiling at the amazed people around him.Chief Lincoln looked at his wife inquiringly and instead of her denying it, she knelt down and apologized to the angry and dismayed husband.The Pastor tried to run away but Chief Lincoln pulled him back and descended on him. He was ready to kill the Pastor but he narrowly escaped his grip and ran outside.“Pastor, what is it?” Angela asked in amazement.“Go and take that devil of a boy you brought here. Get him out of here now!” he ordered Angela and ran out of the premises.Chief Lincoln dragged his wife out, slapped her several times, rushed to his car and drove off, leaving her there. Everybody was astonished and wondered what had transpired between them inside.Amidst all this commotion, James was still seated there and pretended as if he knew nothing about what was happening. Angela and Norah went inside and met him there seated with apparent unconcern.“What happened?” they asked him but of course, there was no response. He acted as if they were not there. They took him home disappointed.