Gods of the Earth - Chapters 3 & 4

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Chapter 3

Kola stared at the ‘human rabbit’ for a long time and then slowly retreated out of the room.

“This is indeed a huge breakthrough, what if I were to develop brain implants that could evolve speech organs in the gestation period of the yet to be born baby, or even in its pregnant mother. The possibilities are endless Muyiwa!” said Kola, extremely delighted at his friend’s achievement.

Muyiwa beamed with pleasure, basking in his friend’s praise as he ushered him back upstairs to his private living room.

“I too have something important to show you as I said earlier on the phone,” said Kola, accepting the glass of wine Muyiwa offered him.

“You told your wife that a colleague of mine performed the brain implant operation on you. That story was good for then, but now you need to tell her the truth; that it was the Translucent Man who placed the microchip in your brain.”

“Why do I need to reveal such sensitive information to her?” asked Muyiwa.

“To prepare her mind for the Visitation; the Translucent Man will appear to her soon,” responded Kola.

“He told you this?” asked Muyiwa, leaning forward.

“Yes. He will appear to both our wives soon. I have performed the ceremony he requested for, giving him full rights to my wife’s body.”

“Yes, he eventually gave me that option too, but he didn’t make the same kind of deal with me as he did with you. He didn’t promise me knowledge or anything…why is that?” asked Muyiwa.

“He is waiting for you to decide on the option you want. You kill your wife or you allow him to take her over.”

“Obviously I can’t kill my wife Kola!” exclaimed Muyiwa.

“Then when next he comes to you, simply accept the alternative deal. The problem with you is that you are still fearful of him. You should make bold requests from him or you will not get anything at all. What kind of knowledge or things do you want from him for instance?”

“Same as you I guess, in my own field. Knowledge that will restore speech functionality to animals, think of how much human kind will benefit if they can harness the knowledge animals have of plants, hidden treasures, perhaps even other beings that cats can see and we can’t!” Muyiwa’s eyes shone as he gripped his friend’s hands. 

“I feel you my friend but the sacrifice will be terrible,” said Kola.

“How do you mean?”

“I will never be able to make love to my wife Wunmi again, knowing it is the Translucent Man that her body houses.” Kola sighed and leaned back into the deep cushions.

“Yes, a great sacrifice indeed, but will he need to female bodies, and how will he live in both at the same time?” Muyiwa poured more wine into their glasses.

“I don’t know, but I keep wondering what he wants to achieve in my wife’s body,” mused Kola.

“Well as one who is a scientist, I can only speculate. Perhaps he wants to make certain changes in her body or their bodies as the case may be and evolve them to his own liking.”

Kola bolted upright. “I believe you are right Muyiwa! What other reason can he possibly have? Someone who can phase in and out of walls, and perform surgical operations merely by phasing his fingers into one’s body can only want one thing – the right to tamper with a human body that he can call his own.”

“What if he evolves something monstrous or something we can’t handle and then he begins to renege on his promises? What if he eventually enslaves us somehow with his superior knowledge?” asked Muyiwa.

“I’ve thought a great deal about that too, but as it is we really don’t have any choice now. He holds the aces.”

“So what is this important thing you wanted to show me?” asked Muyiwa curiously.

Kola stood up and raised his arms dramatically. Suddenly he whizzed out of the front door and reappeared shortly beside Muyiwa with a huge smile on his face.

“What! How is that even possible?” Muyiwa was on his feet in disbelief.

“That was the effect of a second brain implant. Now get this; I didn’t design it myself, the Translucent Man did, but made a duplicate copy for me leaving me with the blue prints for designing others by myself. No surgical operation needed, he merely phased his hands into my head while I was asleep.”

“This is incredible!” said Muyiwa, still in awe of what he had just witnessed.

“Something happened though and it still puzzles me. My wife came in and saw the Translucent Man as he phased his fingers into my head. She ought not to have seen him at all but somehow she did. I also noticed that the Translucent Man was a little confused. I’d say he wasn’t expecting her to see him at all.”

“Hmm, it gets more intriguing,” replied Muyiwa looking puzzled.

“But she did say something to me though, she said ‘maybe the Holy Spirit wanted her to see him’,” Kola stood up and smoothed his Buba down. It was time to go. His wife would soon be on her way back home.

Muyiwa stood up and they shook hands as they walked towards the front door.

“Do you think he will come to you or me first?” asked Muyiwa.

“Most likely me, he seemed pretty eager to see my wife now that I have performed the Take Over Ceremony as he called it.”

“May I ask what form the ceremony took?” Muyiwa looked at Kola with interest but also with concern.

“Well, he asked me for my wife’s name and after I told him, he said I would stand proxy for her. He began to speak in some strange language and wave his arms around in some mystical way. Thereafter he made me lie on our marriage bed and he lay on top of me. That part was really weird because suddenly I began to feel like I was a woman. I mean I really began to feel the strangest kinds of desires that Man should never feel, then he stood up and said it is done.”

“Hmm…do you still feel those strange desires now?” asked Muyiwa.

“No, they stopped as soon as he stood up from me,” Kola shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

“I think what you have experienced might be some mystical or alchemical transmutation of her essences into you as proxy, and his lying down on top of you symbolizes his taking over of your wife using you as proxy. I know it sounds complicated but that is what I can make out of that mumbo jumbo.”

“I think I should just go Muyiwa, I’m getting freaked out,” said Kola, striding out of the door.

“Let me know if anything else comes up,” said Muyiwa as the door closed behind his friend.

Chapter 4

“And he said you were next in line for a brain implant? God forbid!” said Mary to her closest friend and cousin Wunmi, stroking her hair to calm her down.

“I should be the one strengthening you,” Wunmi smiled through her tears; “That was what the Holy Spirit said to me.”

“”He spoke to you, what did he say?” asked Mary hopefully, rising to her feet.

“He said we should prepare ourselves and I should strengthen you. We are not to expect any angelic assistance this time and little or none from Him directly. He said he has given me gifts, and that we should get ready to do battle against the gods of the earth,” said Wunmi holding her cousin’s hands.

“The gods of the earth,” echoed Mary thoughtfully; “As I was praying for our husbands late last night on my bed, I sensed an evil presence hovering over my husband. He was asleep so I merely whispered the name of Jesus over and over again till I couldn’t sense it anymore.”

“I felt that evil presence once before too, even before I saw this transparent or translucent man as he likes to call the being,” said Wunmi as they strolled towards the car park. The Service was over and people were still milling around. Pastor Adewusi hadn’t yet returned.

“That phrase just wouldn’t leave my mind but now I remember where I have heard it before,” said Mary stopping abruptly.

“What phrase are you talking about?” asked Wunmi as she opened the door of Mary’s car.

“While I was saying the name of Jesus repeatedly, a thought forced its way into my mind. I thought it was my imagination but you have just confirmed that it was not. I heard it in my mind – the gods of the earth are coming,” said Mary with a little tremor in her voice.

“Mary we have to get our act together before it’s too late. We need to start building ourselves up on our most holy faith again,” said Wunmi, feeling the dread coming upon Mary.

“It will have to be immediately after school,” said Mary firmly.

“Yes, but in the meantime the Holy Spirit might want to give us instructions or guidance so we need to get into the Word deeply, like we used to six years ago,” agreed Wunmi.

“It’s been so long, and we were so close to the Spirit then,” said Mary, beginning to feel troubled.

“I’m as guilty as you are dear,” said Wunmi, as Mary entered the car and she closed the door.

They waved and Wunmi walked towards her car and got in. She wanted to start driving but her hand froze on the ignition…

“You are mine now,” whispered a voice next to her ear. Wunmi screamed and looked all around her…there was no one…quickly she scrambled out of the car and ran back to the church…she knew who it was…the Translucent Man! 

She couldn’t possibly tell Pastor James, he wouldn’t understand. He was relatively new. She stood in the entrance where there were still people gathered…there was safety in numbers. She took out her phone and started dialling Mary’s number.

She can’t help you…you do something about this now!

“What am I to do Lord?” she whispered to herself almost in tears.

Same thing you did six years ago…resist the devil and he shall flee from you!

Wunmi entered the church…it was almost empty, except for the Ushers who were having a meeting and the Choir who were rehearsing. Swiftly she found an isolated corner of the building and began to pray in tongues.

She needed to stir up her spirit…courage would come from her spirit, not her soul…she had been given gifts by the Spirit…they needed to be stirred up too…this was the way. 

She hadn’t prayed for more than five minutes when she found herself beginning to sing…it was a song she hadn’t sang for years…it was the song she had sang after Aunty Hope had been buried…a song she had used to strengthen and console herself…it was the hymn – Guide me oh thou Great Jehovah…she didn’t know why she sang it…or how it had come unbidden to her lips…but she sang it and listened to the lyrics with her heart…

Guide me oh thou great Jehovah

Pilgrim through this barren land

I am weak, but thou art mighty

Hold me with thy powerful hand

She stopped when she reached the chorus of the second verse…for she had found the strength she needed in those words…

Strong Deliverer, Strong Deliverer, 

Be thou still my strength and shield…

It was done…she finished the song a little too loudly, for heads turned in her direction but she didn’t care…strength had come to her spirit…she was bold as a lion as she strode back to her car.

“I dare you!” she said out loud as she fired up the engine and drove out of the church…she had needed deliverance…whatever agreement or covenant that her husband had made with the Translucent Man on her behalf was no longer binding…deliverance had come!

She prayed in tongues all the way home…no longer would she be intimidated by Kola and his Translucent Man…yet somehow she knew that the worst was yet to come…they might get violent with her…or what if they inflicted pain on her…emotional, mental or even spiritual?

With a firm voice she cast down imaginations, doing the same with her mind by rejecting all such thoughts and replacing them with the promises of God.

Isaiah 59: 19 When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him!

Pro 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. 

2Sam 22:35  He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 

The scriptures flooded her mind unbidden…she knew them all…but she didn’t know where to find them…and yet…here they were coming into her mind.

“Thank you Holy Spirit!” said Wunmi gratefully bowing her head in worship…she was back in business! The Holy Spirit had brought her back up to speed.

She stepped out of the car and entered the house…thank God her children were away at a birthday party for Femi’s friend. She didn’t know what she would have done if they had entered the car with her initially when the Translucent Man spoke to her…she wondered why he had rendered himself invisible.

“Why didn’t you show yourself?” she whispered to herself savagely as she went upstairs to the bedroom. She opened the door and stepped in…the curtains were drawn and the room was dark. She switched on the light…Kola was lying on the floor in the centre of the room!