When everyone was settled, the village chief stood and asked the gathering for a moment of silence to pay respect to the gods and the deceased child, who seemed to be extraordinary. Hardly had they begun when they heard the gods' voice in the same way they had heard it the previous day, warning the villagers. “Mind you, I don’t want to see any gathering in the next two hours around my sanctuary. I love quietness, and therefore urge you to heed this call, or I will strike the entire village with wrath.” The chief asked the gods, “Your Majesty, Lord of Hosts, we have Wani here at your command. What should we do with him?” The gods replied, “Deal with him mercilessly, but let it be where he stole the dead from.” The gods disappeared. Immediately, everyone looked astonished, but the police officers had warned the villagers about the consequences of taking the law into their own hands. They forcefully arrested and handcuffed Wani. Some villagers and the chief followed them. The people had mixed feelings of joy and fear of what might happen again.
The police took Wani directly to their office for investigation, while Lodu and the deceased's parents proceeded home for burial with the village chief and his followers. Before they reached home, the coffin floated up and did not come down. Women at the scene ran away, children cried, and those in the village were shocked again after hearing what happened in Kenyi’s village. Eyes filled with tears. The coffin hovered eerily, suspended in mid-air like a cloud-draped banner, defying all logic and reason. The chief of Kenyi was terrified, as he could not perform any incantations in another village. The village chief of the deceased’s parents was a Christian who would not accept any ritual other than prayers. "What can we do?" the chief asked. Kenyi and Lodu looked worried. However, Lodu believed in Christian incantations, although he was not a believer. He advised the people about a man he knew who could help bring the coffin down. He testified about the man, whom he called the man of God, living in the next village, Wioburu.
With a nod, the chief dispatched Lodu to retrieve the revered man of God, and the crowd settled in to await his arrival. Meanwhile, the police heard about the new development and came to witness the occurrence. Unfortunately, their vehicle would not stop but sped past the people faster. Nobody understood the cause, but the gods were probably involved in the unusual breakdown. The police van careened wildly through the village, covering countless kilometers, before finally succumbing to the mysterious forces that had driven it mad—six hours and countless detours later, it ground to a halt. Instead of going to the funeral, the police returned to their office without investigating the recent event.
Soon, Lodu arrived with Pastor Akera, who seemed filled with a deep sense of purpose. The villagers noticed that he appeared to possess spiritual power they had yet to understand. Akera called the chief and the deceased’s parents to listen to the story of the event. It was late in the evening, as everyone was tired and hungry. After hearing the story, Akera instructed the elders and villagers to follow his guidance and obey God's will. That evening, Pastor Akera guided the gathering in fervent consecration prayers and soul-stirring songs, their voices rising into the night air as they sought divine intervention and solace in the face of the unexplained events. They all agreed to fight the battle with one heart the following morning. Then, everyone retreated to sleep that night.
To be Continued
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