TANGLED S2 EP4

Season 2, Episode 4.

"Brother, what's going on here?" My mom asked again but this time we could see someone sitting on the floor at the main church entrance.

"I don't know ma, I just entered too" the brother answered.

"Iya Agbebi, why is she on the floor?" My father asked as he saw her face. 

The woman was sitting on the floor looking unkempt and tattered. 

The moment she sighted my father, she started talking and shouting but what left everyone confused was the fact that she has been sitting on the floor, crying and shouting not saying anything until my father got in and she set eyes on him. They were all surprised and we were confused as well.

I was fondly called my mother's handbag because everywhere and anywhere you see my mother, you will always see me there. Well unless when she's in the toilet or having her bath. I remembered she told me how I do cry after her when she's going to have her bath, then I was much younger. I would keep crying until she takes me with her to the bathroom even when she has already bathed me.

I got used to it and it became so bad that I won't allow her do anything while I'm awake without having me with her. She told me how she beats me and left me to cry while she takes her bath or do whatever she wants to do before attending to me. It was after much beatings I stopped. But I guess I didn't completely stop. I just got wiser and grant her permission to do some things without disturbing her.

Even in church, you can hardly find me alone unless I am in children's church while she's at the adult session.

It was a vigil. There was no children's session separately for the vigil so I had the opportunity to stay with mom that night and I got to witness this drama.

Let me tell you a little about who Iya Agbebi is. 

Iya Agbebi is the women leader in church and she always leads a Friday prayer team during the day for all waiting mothers, pregnant women and infants mothers.

The 'Agbebi' is the act of midwifery. Definitely, all the women who belong to the categories of child bearing must go through Iya Agbebi.

The surprise now was what might have happened to her that rendered her useless, looking all tattered and helpless at the same time. The Iya Agbebi we knew was a smart woman, a cheerful  mother to all. 

My family, my father to be precised was who she saw that made her started talking.

"I will confess. I will tell you everything" she was crying and shouting. The more she shouts, the more attention is being drawn to her. Maybe if she wasn't shouting, many people wouldn't have known something was going on in the compound because the church was very big.

"Right from start, I have been working in the church while I'm an agent in the 'Fitina group' and my name is Safina" she started talking and breathing heavily. 

Immediately we heard that we knew what it was but it was unbelievable. Iya Agbebi! What a life!

"We have always operated in the church and we always renew our strength with blood. That was why I volunteered to join the group of midwifery and first aid departments in the church" she continued. Everyone was murmuring with amusement and shock all written on their faces.

Pastor Alfred was already called upon to come and witness what was going on. He could relate and my parents too could easily relate with what she was saying.

"I want to apologize to Kate your wife because all the 7 miscarriages she had, we were incharge. Her case got us angrier because she was a covenant child which her mother came to seek from us" my father became angry the more he listens to what the old woman was saying. She continued anyways.

"The group and I has rendered many women childless even barren because we use their wombs for sacrifice. We've planted disunity in different careless families, knowing fully well that the family that prays together stays together. The moment we light up the quarrel gas, they will say hurtful words to themselves, leaving them to swim in the pool of unforgiveness and then we keep wrecking their relationship" she stopped crying and bowed her head.

"We have nailed some people's pregnancy to the palm tree and we have tied some people's destiny to the wall. Anyone who abuse us or doesn't give us the regard that we desire, we don't hesitate to handle them our own way. The last person that disrespected me was Mr Olatade's wife and we took her life at the point of labour" she kept nodding her head in affirmation to all she's saying maybe incase there are doubtful persons there.

"A lot had gone wrong and we have quenched the fire burning in different churches and homes. We have done so much harm than good, once a church gets too hot for us, we leave but we found so many lukewarm Christians in this church and that was why we made it our abode"

"The last encounter we had was what killed the last standing 2 founding member of the group, Jimakia and Katurina. I'm the only one left and for the past few days, I have been feeling pains all over my body as I am being flogged by an invisible hand" she rounded off.

Soon she began to vomit blood.

People started raining insults on her. Some were speaking in their local languages and I couldn't understand what they were saying. Thank God we were inside the church and not on the streets people would've carried stones, sands and maybe woods, whatever they find to stone her to death. 

"Let's burn her alive, very evil woman" someone shouted from the crowd but the pastor asked them to calm down because there may be more for her to say and also so we don't end up being murderers in the sight of God. 

She kept vomiting blood. It was gushing. Soon she started gasping, trying to catch her breath. Moment later, she passed on.

The vigil that night was totally different. Mixed reactions and feelings everywhere. Songs of Victory as well as fear of the unknown filled everyone's lips but through it all, the songs of praises was more that night.

The vigil was over and everyone went back to their houses.

Christmas finally came and we couldn't celebrate it as usual at our family's house but God gave us testimonies to end the year.

It was New Year's eve and there was news for my family.

What's the news?

Find out in the next episode.