IN HER SHOES (A Christian Story)

Na lie jare!

John's POV

God knows why.

Sultana died.

I don't know what killed her. It's best known to God. I can't fight him.

Sultana's POV

John stood up and left. I was shocked. He was probably heading to the graveyard. I smiled.

Thank you LORD!

I went to Mother's room. I overheard her praying. She was praying for peace and self control. She sounded tensed.

I knocked on the door. It was open so, at the knocking, the door opened wider. I stepped in. She was lying face down on the floor. I lay beside her and hugged her. She probably thought I was John because she didn't look up. Eventually, when she looked at me, she screamed.

I tried to calm her down by rubbing her back but she looked worse.

I heard John enter. He ran up the stairs. When he didn't find me in his room or the library, he came to my mother's room. He looked angry.

What now?

He pulled me up and shook my shoulders.

"You can't be here! You are dead for crying out loud!" He said.

His faith is dead. The Holy Spirit whispered to me.

He left. My mother looked at me and shook her head as if to say 'Something is wrong somewhere. I can't believe it. Or Na lie jare!' then, she left.

I almost laughed out loud. I only giggled.

What a family!

I went downstairs. My mother had left. Probably to the graveyard while my father was outside in the car. He was about to go somewhere. John said he had an important meeting which required his attention.

Soon, I was the only one- not counting the people outside- that was home.
Or, at least I thought so.

My left eye started to twitch. I was curious.

Suddenly, as if a veil had been torn off my face, I saw a woman right in front of me, staring at me eyeing me angrily. She looked really angry.

I was scared but remembering that I was a child of the Almighty, I pushed the fear aside.

"What do you want?" I said with a strange boldness.
She looked irritated because I could see her.

She didn't answer.

"What do you want?!" I said louder.

In a coarse voice, she said;
"Just because you can see me now doesn't mean that you can talk to me like......."

I cut into her words. I was a bit angry. Fear gone.

"I said, what do you want?!"

"I want you dead!" She eyed me angrily. "I want your blood spilled on the ground and at my feet! How could you?! How could you rise after burial?! How?! Are you even normal?!......"

I looked down at her. Yes, I was about a head taller than her. She was wearing a worn-out, ragged, meant-to-be-white-but-brown knee length dress. She looked strange but beautiful. She had long eyelashes, a round face, short black African hair made into an allback didi hairdo, creased coconut brown skin, full eyebrows.

Yes, I looked at her details.

She was really skinny so, her round face and chubby cheeks were put in question. She had dark lips which were plump and full, her nose was twitching in irritation. It was not so pointed and not so flat. Her body fit right into the dress. Her hands were akimbo.

I smiled remembering the words of my Lord, my love. "Remember and never forget, I am always with you."

"Excuse me, leave! This is not your house." I said. She looked at me in disbelief.

"I've been here before you were born! You can not command me!" She said angrily.

"I command you, in the Precious Name Of Jesus Christ, to leave this house now!" I said.

She winced and cried out (in pain) some words in a language I didn't understand.

She left. She disappeared but not before giving me a death stare.

I smiled.

♪What a powerful name it is!
The name of Jesus!♪

I looked around and went to my room. It was exactly the way I left it. I checked my tote bag where I dropped my phone last. I was shocked.

I could remember that my Dad threw a bag at me on August 3 2021, I was buried on August 10 2021 but the date on my phone was August 10 2023.

I shrugged it off. My phone probably had a fault or something.

Abi naw? I'm sure it is 2021. Right?

Everything was the way I left it, just with a layer of dust on them. It was a Thursday. I had no church program that day so, I decided to clean up my room. I swept the room, mopped it and dusted. I opened my wardrobe and found all my clothes intact. I went to have my bath. I bathed and wore a light blue top and black trousers.

I didn't want to brush my hair after angels did it themselves until the Holy Spirit whispered to me to brush it and remove the flowers. I did so. I wore some green slippers.

Argh! My poor fashion sense!

I went downstairs to fix a lunch for my family. I fried yam into chips, I made a sauce out of chicken strips, palm oil, pepper, crayfish, prawns, and an efo vegetable (from my garden), onions, some spices and seasonings. I made a smoothie out of the bananas and yoghurt I found in the fridge. I chilled them.

The aroma was good. I cleaned the kitchen. Then, my Dad arrived. I opened the gate for him. I could see my mother sitting beside my Dad. I could also make out Joe's head at the back seats. I locked the gate, still ignoring the stares that those people outside gave me.

They came back together?
And.., who's that bobbing up and down beside Joe?

My mother came down from the car. She was holding a large plastic bag full of stuff. I went to help her. I greeted my parents. My mother looked at me with an anxious face. I opened the door for Joe.

It's a child!

The person I saw bobbing up and down was a cute little girl of about one or two years old. We went inside.

"Guys, I made food for you all." I sing-sang.

"I'm not hungry." My parents and Joe chorused.

"I want." The cute girl politely/quietly said.

I fed her. She loved the food.
After eating, she pranced upstairs.

Who is she?