CHAPTER 7 – “CORDELIA”

©️ Opeyemi Akintunde
As Inspired by the DEEP ONE

As I stood fixated to the spot, ruminating over the words “Expecting you” in my head, I suddenly felt him walking back toward me. His presence was overwhelming, so even if you couldn’t see him , you could feel him.

This time, he spoke very loudly, almost theatrically.

“Like you know, I just returned from the Presence of the Lord, and I have a few spiritual blessings I want to deposit into lives. Who desires more depths?”

Of course, everyone raised their hands.
And me? I didn’t want to look rebellious.
So, I raised mine too…carefully. Not too high. Just enough.

“Guess what?”
I was the chosen one. I laugh in Hebrew! Why me?

The lucky one?
Or the unlucky one?

He walked directly to me and said,

“The Lord has chosen you to receive the blessing.”

He stood before me.
And suddenly, it felt like he was carrying a hundred invisible men with him. Their weight, their presence…it all came crashing into me like a spiritual wave.

Before anyone asked me to, I was already on my knees. Not because I wanted to, I had no choice. It felt like a giant was towering over me.

“Wow! You are a great vessel,” he said, staring intently at my forehead.

Why my forehead? Was he reading something from there. I tried to cover my forehead with my hand, but it suddenly felt like my hands were locked to my side.

Then he began to speak things about me…things very few people could know.

“You love the Lord so much… You have served in the house of the Lord like Samuel. From your cradle, you have dwelled in God’s house.

Saint Mabel… You have served in children’s church, teenage church, choir, prayer warrior…

You even served a great woman of God… as her personal adviser, her assistant… You literally became a slave for her…”

By this time, I was weeping.
Sobbing.
Broken.
I felt invaded.

“Saints, let us celebrate this Daughter of Zion!” he said.

The hall erupted in claps and cheers.

“In fact,” he added, “it’s the zeal of the Lord that brought her to us. She came here to ensure Cordelia was safe. That’s how much she loves the Lord.”

Ha!
I had been exposed.

Why would the Lord expose me like that? I thought in fear.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t exactly a divine revelation.
After all, I had been openly asking about Cordelia since Day One.

Maybe they had just put two and two together.

Then he laid his hand on my head.
And I kid you not…

It felt like an ocean wave hit me.

I was falling. Rolling. Tossed about by the current.
I began Screaming…terrified that the waves would swallow me.

I was drowning.

Then suddenly… I landed.

Safely.

In a strange realm.
And before me was a throne.
A majestic throne.
But somehow… I couldn’t look directly at it.

“Stand up, Saint Mabel.”

A voice called out.

I opened my eyes…I was back in the devotion hall.
It was MS. Laura, pulling me up gently from the floor.

I must have fallen.

I was weak. So weak.
But I managed to gather my strength and sit upright.

The hall was empty…

” Where is everyone? I asked in my mind.

MS. Laura answered as if she heard me:

“Everyone’s left. You ascended for close to an hour.”

“An hour?” I gasped.

“Yes. Check the clock.”

I looked up. It was 8:15 a.m.
Devotion usually ends by 7:00 a.m.

“Are you saying after Father touched me, I slept for one hour?” I asked, still confused.

“You didn’t sleep. You ascended.”

“Ascended. Slept. Same thing to me. What was I doing for an hour?”

“You should know. You were there.”

“No. I don’t. I just closed my eyes for what felt like a few seconds.”

“Then enjoy the ride. You’ll understand more as time unfolds.”

“Please… can I ask a question?”

“Go on.”

“When does all of this end? I mean… living in the Household? When can I return home?”

She looked at me.

Hurt flashed in her eyes…like I had just betrayed her.

“You want to return home?”

“Not leave the ministry,” I clarified quickly. “I just thought this place was a sort of physical orientation… for a few weeks. I thought we’d go back to life, business, career… eventually. Or do people live here forever?”

“Oh, you mean that!” she chuckled, regaining composure.

“Well, there are two categories of members: those who live in the Household… and Saints who have been tested, passed, and qualified to live outside.”

“Okay…” I said slowly.

“After one or two months here, you can request for the Sacred Test. You only get to write it once a year. Cordelia wrote hers. She failed woefully. So, she’s here for another year before she can try again.”

I swallowed hard.
So that was Cordelia’s fate.

“The Sacred Vigil is coming up soon. You’ll meet some of our members who live outside. People you already know. You’ll be surprised.”

“Who sets and marks the test?” I asked.

“Father,” she replied simply.

“When can I sit for mine?” I asked, boldly this time.

I had to get out.
My faith, my sanity, my sanctity…they were under attack.

And to make things worse, Tijesuni still hadn’t shown up.

She was supposed to come with the last cohort a few days ago.

But she wasn’t among them.

This place was messing with my mind.

I was beginning to disappear. To dissolve.

“Let’s go have our breakfast,” Ms. Laura said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

But I had no appetite.

No desire for breakfast.
I just wanted to BREAK OUT FAST…

From this prison.
This holy-looking cage called church.

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