CHAPTER 24 – BATTLE OF THE BRETHREN

©OPEYEMI AKINTUNDE
AS INSPIRED BY THE CREATIVE ONE

Voice Note
I assure you, I didn’t sleep well after this one…

Monday morning, 8:06 a.m.

I was sipping ginger tea and trying to recover from Sunday’s “invisible glory but physical blackout” service when my phone buzzed.

Group Chat: HolyFire Choir

A voice note dropped.

No caption.
No explanation.
No name.

Just… 1 min, 56 sec

I almost ignored it.
But something in my spirit said:
“Play it.”

I did.

And from the first two seconds?

My chest locked.

It was Pastor Dan’s voice.

Unmistakable.

Low. Calculated.
But this time… it wasn’t sermon voice.

It was venting voice.
Voice of a man talking privately…that somehow got sent publicly.

Here’s what he said … word for word:

“See, the truth is… I didn’t plan to destroy her. I just couldn’t stand how fast people were drawn to her. One girl came, and all of a sudden, even Daddy G.O started watching her like she was carrying Elijah’s mantle.”

It continued…
“That’s when I told Edna: let’s humble her. Give her time to cool down.
Let her know this is not Ibadan or wherever she’s coming from.
Here, we have structure. Protocol. Rank.”

“As for that so-called blackout? Tell me how a mic cuts, backup fails, and generator freezes … unless someone who understands tech made it happen?”

“We only meant to pause her. Not poison her,” he said “That water incident? Me, I wasn’t even part of that mess.”

There was silence. Then he sighed and confessed what he thought he’d never say aloud.

“And about the retreat… I was this close to sleeping with her. The plan with Edna was to get something we could use to blackmail her. We agreed I’d sacrifice my purity for it…twist the story and frame it like she seduced me. Tell me, who would the church believe? The familiar choir Pastor or the mysterious new girl?”

He swallowed hard.
“But… that night… that girl nearly ended me. I don’t even know where the strength came from…one moment I was closing in, the next I was on the ground gasping for air. She pushed me down with force I can’t explain and screamed like thunder. I ran. Oh Boy! I didn’t just run…I fled.”

He paused again. You could hear Guilt sitting heavy on his shoulders now.

“And now… witches in the choir? Real witches! Who knew? But you know what? Thank God. God used her to expose them.”

“Her assignment here should be over. She’s done enough. Honestly, I pray she never returns…not because I hate her, but because her presence was too bright. She made us look like we had no oil… no fire… nothing. Before they now make her Choir Pastor and turn me to her assistant!”

He gave a dry, bitter chuckle. “ She don try.. Make she go another church”

Then silence.

One sigh.

And the note ended.

I froze. I checked the number who sent it. Sister Sharon… She used this her gossip talent well this time…

The chat didn’t freeze…
34 new messages… 9 left the group…4 crying emojis… One person wrote:
“God… how did we become like this?”

Within the hour, the voice note had been forwarded.

Pastors group.
Media team group.
Intercessors circle.
Even elder’s wives prayer group.

By noon?

Church leadership called for emergency investigation.

That evening?

Pastor Dan deactivated his WhatsApp.
Someone said he Left town.
Turned off phone.

Some said he went to “wait on the Lord.”

Me?

I knew.

He was running from what his mouth had finally exposed.

And Edna?

She came online and dropped this:

“I was manipulated. I thought I was preserving order. I didn’t know I was partnering with fear.”

That post?

Lasted 5 minutes before she deleted it.

But screenshots?
Ah. Those ones have eternal life.

Wahala be like what?
Wahala be like voice note wey suppose stay inside one phone, but Holy Spirit forward am Himself.
( Trouble is when God decides to let the truth leak, and He uses digital tools to do it.)

That night, church people were quiet.

No prayer chain.
No drama.
No choir rehearsal.
Just reflection.

Because finally?

The enemy had a name.
And it wasn’t T.J.

To be continued… ( TO PAY FOR THE THE FULL ACCESS TO THE E-COPY of this Story, Kindly Chat +234-9069926797 to buy your copy)

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