A Mentor of Faith-the priest stood tall on the pulpit, frantically broadcasting the weekly message of goodwill--as they were commonly called. He carried himself in holiness, as he was the purest of pure. He was the priest of this faith house.
Members of the faith sat in quiet attention, the words carefully penetrating their soul, even though this wasn't the first time they were hearing it. Eyes fixed, heart open. They moved in unison, as if tethered to the same invincible string, they listened in attentively. This had been the tradition one of the stronghold fostering the peace in the community.
Their faces wore the same expressions-- passive, wide-eyed, deeply devout. One flock. One mind. One sheep kind.
Only A closer look at this sea of faces would you find the odd one out.
Chike.
He was sited in a position that would be the middle of the congregation, yet his face wore a different expression--a discerning one.
At just 18, Chike had already begun to doubt the belief system that his whole community run on, he had started questioning it early, starting a rebellious crusade. However he failed woefully as his cause could not attract any members.
Reasonably it should be impossible to blame Chike for his unbelief, the boy had in his rights gone through a tremendous ordeal--losing his mom at just before he turned 15, during the series of 5 years his mom was stricken with illness would be one of those once he prayed. But it wasn't answered and no one cared to explain to his young mind why his mom died, and she was a faithful.
Therefore he steadied his mind, believing only in things that are logical and explainable, and this was not.
Yet he found himself attending each one, only two reasons could compel him-to honor his moms memory, and out of moral duty to his aunt and younger cousin. Hence it was unavoidable.
The priest voice thundered again, reverberating across the entire hall. Everyone waved again In unison to the disgust Chike.
More annoying was the fact he'd soon be leaving for college--and a second baptism was compulsory, he had long thought of excuses to give in order to escape this process but was without success.
A chill crept up his spine as the leaders' final words echoed. He'd heard those exact words before--not in another place, not in a different sermon, but this exact one. A strange déjà vu, vivid and sharp.
Worse still, he could feel the next sentence coming….before it was said. Word for word.
Then it drifted away. Like midst, as soon as he tried making sense of the memory. It collapsed into silence again.
Chike wasn't surprised.
For this was not the first time.
Emma tugged at his shirt, snapping Chike back to reality. He turned and followed the little boys eyes to his aunt, whose face was already twisted in the familiar mix of irritation and silent judgement.
She didn't speak to him until they were inside the car. Even then her voice was laced with forced calm.
"You have no choice but to go through with the baptism," she muttered, eyes still glued to the road. "It's what your mom would have wanted."
Chike didn't respond. He silently cursed at the one line in his aunts arsenal that always worked.
When they got home, the front door was ajar.
His aunt stopped at the threshold. Emma shrank behind his 6-foot frame. Chike instinctively stepped forward, reaching for the wooden broom propped near the door.
Just then he heard faint clatter from the kitchen.
Someone was still inside.
He tightened his grip on the broom, heart hammering in his chest. As he got closer to the kitchens door.
Then he froze.
There, hunched over counter, humming quietly stood Victor-his older cousin, and aunt first son.
Chike exhaled hard, dropped the broom, smacked him lightly, surprising even himself.
"Bro! You nearly gave us a heart attack!"
Victor laughed, half turning. "That's how you welcome me now?"
Emma darted in, yelling his name as he leapt into his arms.
"What are you doing here?" Chike asked, still catching his breath.
Victor ruffled Emma's hair, then grinned at Chike. "Tuesday is your baptism and Wednesday your baptism. Of course I wouldn't miss it." Chike's mood changed immediately. Victor clapped his shoulder. "Come on--I made breakfast."
At the table, the clink of spoons and plates echoed softly in the background. Steam rising steadily from the rice and chicken. For a moment, it felt like the world had slowed down.
Victor raised his cup.
"To Chike," he said. "Who stayed strong from the moment his mum fell sick--that young boy who didn't know tears, now look at him-almost a complete man. Heading to college." He turned and smirked. "Even taller than me now."
Chike chuckled, trying not to blush, but it was impossible.
"Chike says I'll be even bigger than both of you when I grow up," Emma added proudly.
Everyone laughed.
But Chike didn't.
His laughter died in his chest. Something tightened in his stomach. The air in the room suddenly felt too still--
He looked at their faces--warm, smiling, alive-- a chilling sensation echoed in his being.
Somehow he couldn't explain…but he'd felt this before.
His mothers laughter, the last time he had visited her and he knew in his guts he was going to loose her.
He couldn't explain how he did.
And now, sitting here, watching this happy moment…..that sensation came again.
This was the last time they'd be this happy.
His heart sank.
It was late in the afternoon.
Victor came out to find his cousin staring intently at the lawn. He called him a few times, but got no response. He got closer.
"I know you don't want to go through with the baptism," Victor started. For he knew his cousins defiance better than anyone. Chike didn't turn.
"its not like I have a choice," he replied flatly.
"You know….I was once like you."
Chike nodded, true to fact there was a time Victor, was doubtful--when he had listened to him, and even went along. But changed completely after undergoing the second baptism. However, no amount of sacred water and a sacred room lit by walls of fire was going to change his mind. Chike reaffirmed.
Victor suddenly smiled mischievously, one Chike knew too well. The one that meant they were about to do something reckless.
"Why not go check it out?" Victor asked casually.
Chike shrugged. His body said no--but there was no stopping Victor. He knew that from the countless experiences before. And like all the other time, Chike followed--drawn by his own curiosity, and a strange unease he couldn't shake.