“Please help me I don't want to die,” Okopi kept saying this, running and panting for his life. The old man continued to pursue him without showing any weakness. How can this old man be this strong? The old, wretched, and terribly looking man with a long beard, unkept grey hair and a wooden long stick in his hand. The man almost overpowered him when he shouted for help, but the man seemed not to be deterred from his assignment. He kept running and crying for help, but help did not come. He found himself among people in what looked like a marketplace. He shouted at the top of his voice, but still no one cared to listen. The old man was still full of energy running after him. Okopi didn't notice a stump in front; his leg accidentally stumbled on it, and he fell. It was the right moment for the old wretched man to finish his job. Okopi knew that that moment could likely be his end; he cried and kept on pleading with the man not to kill him. The man seemed not to have mercy. He wrestled with the old man but he was too feeble to match the old man’s strength, however, the old man overpowered him, and without saying a word, he lifted his long stick and was about to land it on his head, Okopi immediately sprung up from bed with a shout “Jesus”, his wife could hear him, he was panting and sweat bathed in sweat. He held his heart and mused, “Thank God it's a dream”. Fear took hold of him so that he couldn't say a word to his wife, who was asking what the problem was.
He checked his time. It was 3:00 am on the dot.
It was obvious he had a nightmare, his wife was curious to know. Recently her husband has been having a series of nightmares, and it calls for concern. This nightmare takes the same pattern as the attempted annihilation of her husband.
Both of them knew that there was a problem yet none of them wanted to face it.
“Babe”, she called him when he returned from the restroom. “This is getting out of hand o, what could be the problem?” The thought of her husband being involved in bad things crossed her mind, but she dismissed it. Her husband did not respond, rather he responded that whoever wants him dead will die. He went back to sleep, dismissing it as just a nightmare.
Neither Okopi nor his wife was a religious person; they hardly went to church unless invited for an occasion. However, his wife had told him to visit a prophet if he could foretell if there was a problem, so where.
From the beginning, they have been suspecting family members who are after his life. Hence, the frequent nightmares.
**************
“Politics is a dirty game, and anyone who wants to be involved must be ready to do anything possible to remain relevant in the system, and you know that people are evil, people do not like good things. Remember the heart of men thinks evil”.
At this point, Akopi was relaxed, he was happy that his friend was opening up to him. He took his drink and drank comfortably.
“So you need to meet the supreme being for absolute protection and fortification if not your opponent will just rubbish you anyhow”. Honourable Usen said.
“As you can see,” he continues “I have been a federal house member for two terms, I am going for the Senate next election, no man will be able to stand against me. So that's the deal, if you want to be in politics you must belong, outside that you can't make it successfully”
At this point, Okopi had made up his mind to represent his people in the national assembly as a federal house member. Having visited Usen several times, he gave him an appointment when they met, Honourable Usen opened up to him what to expect.
“I hope whatever we want to do doesn't involve shedding blood”? Okopi asked.
“Nobody talked about that,” he dismissed immediately. “It's just to introduce you to the supreme being, and he will sanctify you with his power, so you become untouchable. That's the first step before every other thing.” He sipped his drink.
“Get ready, in two months, we will have a meeting with other big men. You'll see your president, governors, and top politicians in this country”. He concluded and assured him of victory in the poll.
*******
It was the last Sunday of August, a day that was set for Akopi’s general family meeting. Akopi was a family name, and Akopi was the lastborn of the family of five boys and two girls. As a lastborn, his father decided to give him the family name, not as the leader of the family, but because of the love he had for him.
The day was bright, the meeting was slated for 4pm, Akopi and wife were already set for the meeting. They agreed that none of them would eat in the meeting. In fact, she warned her husband not to accept a handshake from anyone.
On arrival, the family head, Mr Kenneth, led in the opening prayer. After that, he reminded them of what happened the day that their father passed on, how he bought the Holy Bible and shared it with everyone in the house, saying that anyone who deviates from following God's way shall meet his doom.
Immediately, this statement hit Okopi as if he swallowed an ice, at that point, he had clarity of his recent misfortune. His mind wasn't stable, he lost focus, and he couldn't assimilate all that was discussed in the meeting. His attention was drawn back when he was told to lead in a closing prayer.
He prayed and immediately had a change of plans.
Photos from MetaAi