VESSELS OF WAR

CHAPTER FIVE

My journey home was depressing, the note I had gotten earlier at work slowed my mind and footsteps. Suddenly, the slow pace at which I carried my body had been jolted into a sprint.

Nara's  voice could be heard a mile away. I knew she had started with the tenants again. I fastened my steps to stop her from unleashing hell on who ever her victim was this time.

As I ditched walking and moved on to running, the voices that had now taken a temporary residence in my head pushed me to run faster, or blood will flow.

I got through the gate in time to see  Nara's hand wrapped round papa Esther's neck.
The man was on a height deficient side, just like me. Mine was more manageable just because I had two inches to boast of.

Oyibo my last child was comfortably balanced on her left hip. I couldn't understand how someone could have the strength to pre-strangle someone, and at the same time carry a baby.

           "Nara, stop!" I yelled from the entrance of the gate, forcing my legs to do the needful.

She ignored me and tightened her grip. The older man's eyes had gotten wider. I quickened my step to stop murder before it became a real murder.

When I got to where she stood creating chaos, I first of all took my daughter from her. Her face was dangerously distorted with rage.

         "Nara, please, you will kill someone o," I pleaded, pulling her fingers away from the man's neck. 

The force of a backhanded slap that landed on my face, distorted the shape of everything around me. My legs crumbled under my weight. Luckily, I had handed Oyibo to her siblings.

The entire tenants gathered around her and the man she was in the process of sending to the land of no return. Some spoke from their balcony, others yelled insults. Nara told them to come down and fight her if they were humans. Nobody dared to stand up to the challenge.

I got up from the floor where her slap had relocated me. My face burned form the effect of the injury to my face. I plastered my right hand on the trauma and moved forward for  the second rescue attempt.

Before I threw myself again into the eye of the storm again, I knelt down and prayed.

         "Dear Jesus, please come and deliver me from a very chaotic wife." I paused to listen. Maybe the spirit would speak or give directions. The only audible voice was the noisy yells from my tenants.

Not giving up faith, I continued. "Oh Lord, I thought you had banished the spirit of chaos from her and sobered her up. But father lord, as you can see, she's even worse than before. The demons, they have returned in their thousands."

I paused and sucked in quick breaths. "Mighty God, You know all power is yours. Please, get the demons in Nara to go on a vacation for a while, so I can calm this situation. Amen. "

      Having said that powerful faith filled prayer, I stood up and went to Nara with my new found boldness........well...... Some faith. Still nursing my inflamed face, I matched on with a little fear dancing somewhere in heart.

Nara's methods of instilling the fear of God in the tenants, was very traditional. She believed in fists and blows.

Even though, I was ghetto from birth, I realized that diplomacy paved way to better agreement and negotiations than a blow to the mouth.

        "Stay out of it!" Nara shouted, as she saw me move closer to her.

The man she held like a  squeezed jeans was almost dying, he had stopped struggling and hung in her hand like a rag doll.