Ade moved to the sitting room to join his family for their everyday night devotion. They were already singing when he joined them. He sat on his favourite couch, distracted. Chichi who had earlier noticed the change in her husband took charge of everything. She gave out the prayer points to be prayed, and led the sermon. Then she called her husband to say the closing prayer, and all he could say was "Thank you, Lord, for answered prayers, Amen." Chichi knew she had to confront her husband because even the children were noticing.
At their room, the pastor was tucking himself in when his wife entered. "We need to talk," she said.
"About what?" He asked.
Chichi sat on the bed and continued. "Ade, when you married me,I promised it was for better or worse. When God called you, I pledged to support you. Christ! I've been with you through thick and thin, so it's only logical if you tell me what's wrong with you"
The pastor shrugged.
"What does that mean, Ade?"
The pastor looked at his wife intensely while fighting back tears. He didn't know what to tell his wife. God, he did know, the problem was how to say it.
"Chichi," the man of God started "Let's pray for mercy. I need God's mercy," he completed while his battle with tears was still on. He asked to be prayed for because he couldn't brace himself to explain things to his wife. The Supernatural being who had been at his office earlier had emphasized the folly of him praying. Even if praying was an option, he doubted his ability to pray with his present state of mind.
His wife noticed the welling in his eyes and as an understanding wife, she chose not to prod further. She knew he was battling something which he could only come around to tell her once he gained the strength. For now, the best she could do was pray for him.
"Ade, whatever it is you're battling with, don't you forget 1Peter 5:7. Cast your cares on him for he cares about you"
Ade lost the battle. A tear trickled down his left cheek, and his caring wife wiped it off with a thumb. "And as for mercy Ade," she continued: "Hebrews 4:16 has instructed us to approach the throne of grace with boldness that we may obtain mercy"
If only she knew that Heaven had left him on his own, she wouldn't talk about boldness and mercy. Chichi's next sentence cut into his thought. "Let us pray," she said.
He bowed.
Sleep deserted him. He just couldn't sleep, and each time it seemed he was drifting, he'd wake up from a terrifying nightmare. His eyes were set on the clock when the hour struck twelve. He knew the countdown had begun. He could still hear the voice of the visitor. "Tick tock". He looked at his wife who was sleeping peacefully and he promised himself that he wasn't going to let anything happen to her or any of his beautiful children. He must find and rectify whatever it was he had done in no time. And it seemed he knew where to begin.