11 11 LUSTFUL RAGE

But why should Pastor Mandolin make attempts to have his wife, Prislla?

He walked away from the spot he stood for minutes scratching his hair—confused.

Seconds later, he wheeled around backing Prislla. "That dream I had wasn't funny at all, Bread of life bible church sounds like the bread of death to me now. People were in chains, Prislla. I saw blood. Blood of the dead painted all over the doors and—"

He stopped when he heard the table phone rang. He gazed at the wall clock. It was almost 4 am in morning. His eyes focused on the phone for a while, he was reluctant to pick it up. Not used to have calls this early, he walked closer and stared at Prislla and then at the phone.

Its ringing tone has suddenly turned into noise his eardrum can't absorb. "Please pick it up, darling!" Prislla whispered as her eyes shot wide.

Eric's hand was on the phone receiver now. "Hello—" and as the voice from the other end crept in. He dropped the receiver and switched off the phone.

"Who was that?" Prislla asked with a scary look.

Eric turned around and gave her a thoughtful stare. "It was Pastor Mandolin." He responded.

"What does he want?" Prislla demanded as she walked closer to Eric.

Eric shuddered as they both stood gazing at each other.

"Don't you dare touch my shirt or we fight ourselves to death—" Pastor Eric began as he struggled to control his rising temperament. "You lied to me—the truth wasn't in your fat mouth—no, it never was!"

It was almost 6 pm but the noisy rage that had gripped the large sitting room had taken a different dimension when Pastor Mandolin stood up.

Was he ready for a fight?

Or just thinking wild—his thoughts were hidden but his eyes betrayed him.

"Don't you dare talk to me that way—you make me sick Pastor Eric and you know it. How could you accuse me of having an affair with your wife—are you mad or something?"

Pastor Eric spun around and as his eyes caught the wall clock, he knew it was time to walk away. "I am not ready to trade words with you. I see you are a liar like your father the devil—what power do you use in the church, Pastor Mandolin, Satan power, right? Listen to me, you won't go too far before everything starts falling apart—I mean everything. It won't be long Pastor Mandolin. I've heard all the evil you have been doing. You flirt around with my wife, you get the married women looking for babies pregnant, you sexually defile the single ladies and get some pregnant and make them abort the babies. You—"

"Stop, just stop," Pastor Mandolin closed his ears with both hands. "That's not true. You only heard and never saw me did that—" He shouted.

Pastor Eric glared at him and the moment he felt Pastor Mandolin wanted to say something more, he silenced him, "Don't you dare open your mouth. I don't want to hear you talk. The cars, the mansion and the cares of this world can't save your soul and listen. When you die, none of these things will be buried with you. Why the craze over fleshly things? Jesus Christ needs you Pastor Mandolin—the devil is dragging you to hell to burn with him forever. Can't you see that—Jesus needs salvation for your soul—your soul, Pastor Mandolin?"

Pastor Eric walked towards the closed door and stood there for a while. "What will it profit you if you gain the whole world and lost your soul in hell."

He opened the door quietly and spun around. "The people you are leading aren't safe either. God showed me a revelation. Bread of life bible church is in bondage. I saw the blood of the dead everywhere. The Lord wants you to repent, he told me to tell you this—so long, Pastor Mandolin. I am sure you've received my resignation letter."

Pastor Mandolin lifted his hands but before he could let go a word, Pastor Eric disappeared. He slammed the door and walked away.

The memories hadn't faded yet—everything seems to come back to him as he sat down facing the open window. Now, he had lost count of how long he had sat down there, two hours, three hours? Certainly more, his thought searched.

The words of Pastor Eric seemed to have clung so strong but an inner persuasive word seems to have taken force within.

Notwithstanding, he sat back on his chair ruminating over Pastor Eric's words. His words came only a few weeks ago but its tenacity had proved so strong.

As he adjusted himself again on his seat, the words of Pastor Eric climbed faster this time. The demon in him could not pull it down.

"The cars, the mansion and the cares of this life wouldn't save you and listen when you die, none of your properties will be buried with you. So why the craze for fleshly things..."

As these words sank in, others quickly rolled in.

"The devil is dragging you to hell to burn with him, can't you see that? But Jesus Christ needs salvation for your soul—your soul, Pastor Mandolin."

He stood up quickly as he heard his name but it was only memories, memories that can never be ignored. His thoughts compressed and suddenly was released as the words of Pastor Eric pierced more through his spirit like a sword.

"Bread of life bible church is in bondage—I saw the blood of the dead everywhere. He shown me, lot of things—the Lord wants you to change your ways, he told me this..."

How did he know this?

Pastor Mandolin thought stretched again. He said the Lord told him but—the lord?

"He has shown me lots of things..."

And he never said more.

His thought was running wild now as tension climbed through his feet to get his heart pounding fast against his chest. His eyes caught the phone on his reading table. He hurried to it. He wanted to know other things Pastor Eric knew.

Was it necessary?

The spirit within him spoke. As he battles with these thoughts all over, he dropped the phone and walked away.

He sat down with his eyes closed but Pastor Eric words kept on repeating themselves and hitting hard on the walls around him. He knew these thoughts ought to stop or he ran mad.

He reached out for his first aid box hung on the wall. He picked out some sleeping pills, and then swallowed them with water.

A few minutes later, he was fully stretched on his couch. This time, he dosed away—snoring.