In the whole of Nigeria there was no Masonic lodge which means the country was perhaps void of a Mason. Detective Iwinosa Idehen tried to surf the web to see if she could get any information about Masonic activities in Nigeria but the internet gave her no useful result. She could only figure out Grail Centres in Nigeria. At least the Grail Messengers were closely related to the Freemansons. She recalled knowing one Grail Messenger, Professor Damian Akhere, a professor of Religious Management and Cultural Studies. Though she hadn't asked him about it, the professor's ring was enough to give him away. Immediately she searched out his number and put a call through. The erudite Professor picked up the phone on first ring.
"Hello Detective Iwinosa! I understand you are working on a case... hope I am not involved."
"No no no! Not at all my Professor! Good afternoon sir."
"Good afternoon my dear"
"Prof. Please i need your help... 'all is revealed at the 33rd degree' what does it mean?"
"That's isn't Grail you know, that's Masonic. " replied the Professor
"Yes sir i know..."
"Alright... the secrets of the Freemanson are revealed to members who have gotten to the 33rd degree level... the truth about the movement... their believe in God and his words."
"The Mason is a godly movement? I thought it was a secret cult?"
"What is a cult? Cultism, what does it mean?" Asked the Professor. 'Etymologically, cultism means secret. To keep secret. Any body keeping a secret is literary a cultist. The church is a cult." Added the Professor.
"So what does this mean 'It is finish... at 33 he died"?
"That was Jesus the Christ... the 33rd degree of the Freemanson was coined from 3, 33 of Jesus' life. 3 years public ministry, death at 33, rising on the 3rd day, breathing his last at 3pm, denial of him by Peter three times, betrayed by Judas not Iscariot for 33 pieces of silver etc it is to prove that the mason have a direct relationship with the man Jesus."
"Is there a possibility for a Catholic Priest to have been a member of Freemanson?"
"Anybody who is able to meet up with the requirements could be a member."
"Thank you very much Professor."
"You are most welcome."
The whole thing was wasting time, the army General was on the the Chief's neck and the police chief was on Iwinosa's neck. They all wanted results. The church wanted a burial and not to drag the dead unburied for too long. Then Iwinosa requested for an autopsy and when it was performed the investigation changed direction. Perhaps the confession had nothing to do with his death. He died a natural death. It wasn't a gun shut. He suffered from severe internal injuries as a result of acidic reaction. The Priest after a 40 days and nights dry fasting and prayers instead of fresh fruits directly from trees to open his system, he drank juice that had high level of citric acid which reacted with his stomach cancer and then with his tissues too weak to stand the attack, it bust open and it was as if gun shut; through his heart connections. The record was misinterpreted probably because of the gun it was. How can Fr. Balogun who hasn't fall sick since birth have such sickness? Perhaps that was why no one suspected.
Ekaniyere was alone in her new world trying to forget all that Rev. Fr. Balogun Daniel did to her but unfortunately she couldn't. Which made her to stop at nothing but cursed him each time. When she opened her door for a knock, she was frightened for the man standing before her was Fr. Balogun Daniel. She had heard of spirits and have seen them only in movies but this was a man confirmed dead standing before her.
"Leave me alone Father... the dead have no business with the living." She screamed
"I am not dead" replied the Priest. "Please hear me out." He said.
There was one thing for sure, he was fr. Balogun Daniel in everything but the voice.
"I took advantage of you because i wanted to pay Balogun back for what he did to me. I came as he so as to bring him disgrace because it will be disgraceful for a priest to sleep with a woman let alone impregnate her. I wanted to bring him to ridicule and shame. But unfortunately, he died. Dead men don't face shame nor ridicule. And again i was remorseful after all. I know when you accused him, he had no defense whatsoever and i am very sure being accused of what he knows no nothing about and yet couldn't defend himself contributed to his death forget about that autopsy balderdash."
"Padre... you are not making sense." Ekaniyere said helplessly. Then, he torn the face mask of Rev. Fr. Balogun Daniel and there was Dr. Aruniko Stephen the proprietor of Goodluck Academy that as minister, Balogun closed down because it was not up to standard and yet it was a malpractice centre. The man was bittered because it was his only source of livelihood after he lost his licence to operate as a medical doctor because of abortion cases in his hospital.
"Why... why did you do it?" Ekaniyere asked breaking into tears and feeling sorry for the poor Priest and much guilty for everything though it wasn't her fault.
The End
