In My Father’s House

“Brother” the husky yet gentle voice called
the third time. It must be a male voice.
“brother Philip” the voice called this time. I
felt like screaming at the voice to just shut
up and let me be. But the fact that the voice
now called me by name made me keep my
cool and I gently opened my left eye as the
bright lights from the sky fell on it. It was a
sunny day.
I could barely see his face, all I saw was a
human form bent towards me. I noticed he
was leaning towards me and was looking at
my badge that has my name written on it,
that must have been why he could call me
by name this time. I opened my other eye
and suddenly the human form is now
wearing a suit and tie, it must have been
black, oh no it’s brown. Yes a brown suit
with a brown tie to match and he has a
clean shave, by clean shave I mean not a
single strand of hair can be found from the
collar of his suit to his head. His head shone
bright like Jesus at the transfiguration and
as he bent towards me a space between the
sky and his head was created thereby
intensifying the glow as the sun rays fell on
it.
“Ah ah! You wan blind my eyes, abeg carry
this light commot for here” I shouted as I sat
upright from the seat I was lying on. I didn’t
know when those words escaped my lips. I
now placed my hands on my mouth as he
raised his eyebrows and jerked a bit
backwards, he was taken aback. I was about
to feel remorse and apologize for my words
before heads began turning towards us. I
must have captured the attention of people
around with my shout. My intended remorse
and apology turned in anger and more
shouts. “Yes! What is it! Why can’t you guys
allow someone have some rest!” I shouted.
“Brother Philip please calm down” the voice
was still gentle. But I didn’t care I retorted
“Oh don’t tell me to calm down! Did you
bring me here? I came by myself because I
want to listen to the word of God, but I got
tired and decided to take a little nap. I said a
little nap! That was why you wanted to blind
my eyes with this your ‘touch light’ head!”
Noise began to grow as some people around
us began to murmur while others were trying
to suppress their laughter. ” But Brother, if
we had let you sleep then you would have
missed out on some part of this spiritual
program, we have your best interest at heart,
that was why I deemed it fit to wake you
up”. The gentleness in his voice has now
jumped the fence and chilling on the other
side but he was still trying to keep his cool.
“I don’t care! Oh so I don’t have my best
interest at heart? You must be Jesus that
knows everything!” I shouted as I was
getting more infuriated. The murmurs have
now turned into loud shouts of “Take that
young man out of here!”.
The general overseer speaking on the
platform has been alerted about the
commotion and he stopped speaking. I now
have the entire audience to myself even
though my voice couldn’t go round the entire
open hall accommodating three thousand
and something people.
“Who’s saying I should be taken out? You
must be mad! I have every right to stay here
until I feel the need to leave, no one can take
me out, This is my father’s house!. I’m a son
of God as you all are!.” I shouted again.
Pointing at an old lady I shouted “Oh you’re
the one, I know you wanted to sleep too. In
fact your sleepy eyes motivated my sleep, I
know you’re bored of listening to all this
sermons because you have been praying to
God for a husband but he hasn’t been
answering you.” She wasn’t as gentle as the
man on suit and tie, “You dey craze there!
Thunder fire you and your entire generation!
Useless boy!” she shouts as people began to
refrain her from saying more.
By now the general overseer has arrived at
the scene from the platform with his escorts
and zoom! The pounced on me and lifted me
off out of the hall as I began to scream.
“Leave me alone! Leave me alone this is my
father’s house” I kept on screaming.
The nurses now rush into my room. Two
nurses and four able bodied men, one of the
nurses was holding a sedative in a syringe.
In a flash the able bodied men held my
already vibrating body, two of the men held
my two hands and head while the rest held
my legs and as the nurse inserted the
syringe into my veins and injected the
sedative. My mind began to drift away, I
can’t even remember how I got here in the
first place. Last I could remember I was still
in my father’s house.