Justina sold her wares and instead of her to buy more provisions and replace the ones she had sold, she kept the money and waited for Tolu to take her to the medicine man. Early on the fourth day as Tolu had said, they leave for the medicine man’s place which was in the heart of a forest in a village 7miles from their own.
Justina: “Baba I came here for…”
Native doctor: “Hold on. You do not talk when Odogwu is talking to me. Before you came here, I saw you in a revelation. You want a child but the blood covenant is preventing you. Bring the tail of a 14 days old tiger, the heart of a 7 year old virgin dog, two kola nuts, 7 alligator pepper, 3 white pigeons, 7 cock, one goat, a piece of cloth and N50, 000. The sacrifice shall be performed the seventh day after you provide the items, you shall meet your husband that day and you will conceive”.
Justina was confused as to where to get the items for the sacrifices from and after pleading with him, he accepted to help her get them and she borrowed N20, 000 from Tolu and gave the old man a total of N70, 000.
====
Four months after the sacrifice, Justina was yet to conceive and she began to get worried. She had gone to visit the Baba who told her that the best he could do was to help her perform the sacrifice and that it was left for the gods to provide her with children. Dejected, she had returned back to her shop miserable than the way she was when she went to see him.
Tolu: “Na wa o. This una oath really strong o. This one that you still haven’t been able to conceive”.
Justina: “I told you it won’t work. That Baba ate my N70, 000 for nothing”.
Tolu: “It is not the baba’s fault. At least he did his best by performing the sacrifice”.
Justina: “How are you sure that he even got those items and performed the sacrifice? I mean you weren’t there, neither was I”.
Tolu: “Wo, forgot the past jare. Let bye gone be bye gone. See there is this Prophetess in Ogbomosho, I can swear that she is able to help you. And she doesn’t charge much, only N20, 000”.
Justina: “Oh please, spare me those stories. How are you sure we are not just going to waste our money there like we did with the Baba?”
Tolu: “This woman is a strong Prophetess that sees into the future. Let us go and see her o, it is for your own good. Remember that I have my own children already, I am only trying to help you before another woman starts giving birth for your husband”.
A week later, they set out for Ogbomosho and when they met the woman, she asked Justina to provide 7 green candles, 12 purple candles, 14 black candles, 3 red candles and 21 while candles.
Justina: “Where am I supposed to get all these from? I didn’t even know that such colors of candle exist”.
Prophetess: “Sshh, yeh! Jah Jehova Emmanuel! Holy! The spirit says I should not stress you, bring the sum of N30, 000 and all these will be provided. You will come back here before midnight on Wednesday so that I can bathe you in the stream exactly at 12midnight. After then, you will go to the city and apologize to the hajiya whom you had this covenant with. Then you shall conceive and have as many children as you want”.
Tolu succeeded in convincing Justina and she gave the Prophetess the N30, 000 out of the proceed from her shop.
After the bath, Justina set out for Abuja the next day, she went to Kuje prison where hajiya Hauwa had been sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labor because of her pregnancy. On making enquiries, she learnt that hajiya who had suffered serious ailment and malnutrition in jail had died when she was giving birth. Determined to clear her conscience, Justina went to Alhaji’s house where she had worked as a maid but she was told by the new occupant that the scandal about hajiya had caused alhaji to lose his election as a representative of his constituency. He was also involved in corruption case with the EFCC and his account was frozen and properties confiscated by the commission. He had no option but to return to his village with his other wives and children.
Months after she returned from Abuja to ask for forgiveness, Justina still remained childless. She had used up all her capital and the profits from her business to pay different people whom Tolu said could help solve her problem. Her shop folded up when she ran out of money.
Justina: “I am tired of all these, it seems there is no solution anywhere”.
Tolu: “Don’t be discouraged, we need to keep trying. One day, a potent sacrifice will be able to neutralize the oath”.
Justina: “Did I hear you say that we should keep trying? How? With which money? After I have gone bankrupt paying medicine men and buying items for sacrifices? I had to close my shop because I do not have money to buy goods and pay the rent. I lied to my husband that I was duped so he won’t suspect anything. Where else do you want us to go? You have taken me to more than three native doctors, a prophetess, a mallam and recently you took me to a Hindu man who almost hypnotized me into sleeping with him. No Tolu, I am not going with you anywhere again”.
Tolu: “Listen, there is this powerful goddess that…”
Justina: “Just hold it there. Please, leave my house. Your presence reminds me of my plight”.
Tolu: “Are you sending me out of your house because I am trying to help you? Okay, I will leave”
Tolu was furious when she got home. “So, she had the guts to throw me out after everything we went through? She doesn’t know that I have the secret that will send her packing from her husband house, now is the right time for me to act”. She got up and made her way to Achema’s shade where he does his carpentry job.
Achema: “Ah, madam Tolu. This one that you are in my shop, I hope all is well? Do you want to make or buy any furniture?”
Tolu: “Ah-ah oga Achema. Can’t I visit my friend’s husband again? Anyway I came to discuss something very important with you”.
Achema dropped the saw he was using, drew a stool and sat beside her. “What could that be?” he asked her.
Tolu: “It is about my friend”.
Achema: “My wife?” his heart beating wild against his chest. “Is she sick, she was fine when I left her at home this morning”.
Tolu: “She is not sick. I am about to tell you a top secret about your wife that nobody knows. Your wife entered into a blood covenant with that hajiya whom she worked for in the city. The blood covenant says she will never get pregnant again after having her first child. Your wife sold her womb to the devil because of material things. Why am I telling you this? Because you are a good man and I can’t bear to see you die childless. You know how I admired you years ago before you asked Justina out leaving me miserable. I am already married but I would advise you to look for another girl and marry. The woman you are married to has no womb”.
Achema: “What! Are you sure about what you are saying? My wife; barren forever? And she never told me this? Justina! Ah, women are dangerous”. He ran out of the shop taking the direction of his house.
Tolu: “Ah, take it easy now, come back. You don’t have to act this soon”, she called after him.
=====
Justina was on her knees in tears. “I am sorry, my love”. She kept pleading with him.
Achema: “Will you get your filthy hands off me? Who is your love? Can you do this to people you love? And to think I have been having sleepless nights all these months because I thought I was the one who is unable to get you pregnant”.
Justina: “I am sorry. I wanted to tell you but I was afraid that you won’t want to marry me afterwards. I love you so much and I was willing to suffer the shame of being barren just to be your wife”.
Achema: “So, why did you tell an outsider?”
Justina: “Because I wanted her to help me look for solutions. I spent all my business money looking for solutions. Please forgive me; you are all I have in this world”.
Achema who had a soft spur for his wife relaxed when he saw her in tears. He loved her too much to abandon her and as a pious and devoted believer, he made up his mind to stay with her no matter what.
Achema: “It’s okay. Get up. We are husband and wife and we should go through this together. This is a spiritual case, get dressed, we are going to see my pastor”.
===
The pastor who was seated in his office with his Bible and anointing oil on the table before him listened attentively to Justina as she narrated all that transpired between her and hajiyaHauwa.
Pastor: “You took the wrong decisions, my sister. First of all, it was wrong for you to attempt to abort a child that God freely gave to you. Abortion is murder no matter how you explain it. If you had not indulged in premarital sex, you wouldn’t have been pregnant. It was also wrong of you to run away from home when you had no means of survival in the city. Thirdly, you committed a grievous mistake by going into that blood covenant. Also, you were wrong to go seeking solutions from diabolical men and women, you were even compounding your problems but you didn’t know. The word of the Lord says that whoever the Son has set free is free indeed. Only God can break this oath. The devil is not one to be toyed with. Haven’t you heard that he who dines with the devil should use a very long spoon? There is nothing as strong as blood ties and that is why the white man in all his wisdom and innovation has not been able to produce blood”.
Justina: “I had to do that so that I can survive with the pregnancy so that hunger and homelessness won’t kill me in the city. I regret all my actions and I ask God for forgiveness”.
Pastor: “That was the wrong step you took. There are several others in your shoes who didn’t enter any blood covenant to survive. You could have returned to the village and get something legitimate to do. It is not about you to worry about the future, the Bible makes us understand that God feeds and clothes the birds of the air, how much more we who are created in his own image and likeness. He knows we need these things and He will provide them in due course. Anyway, what has happened has happened. I am glad you have returned to the most High God. There is nothing that is too difficult for him to do; your case is no exception. He is a merciful and forgiving God, ever willing to draw his children to him. We shall embark on a series of fasting and prayers, we shall call on God to break and free you from every evil yoke and he shall hear us. For his word assures us that we should call on him on the day of trouble and he would hear us”.
The pastor gave them some prayer points and asked them to embark on seven days fasting and prayer accompanied with charity works. “Make sure you pray diligently and without ceasing. Go on your knees and cry to God for mercy. Your husband, I and other prayer warriors will join you for his word says that when two people agree on a thing, it shall be established in heaven. We shall hold an all night prayer vigil and deliverance session in your house on the seventh day. Victory is guaranteed afterwards by the grace of God. Let us pray before you leave”. He said.
======
After the fasting and prayer vigil, Justina felt better and made up her mind to serve the Lord even if she remains childless till she dies. She tried to reach out to her friends, Vicky and Amaka whom she stayed with in Abuja so that she can preach to them to turn from prostitution but she was told that her friends had followed a rich man to his house in the night after he had promised to pay then N500,000 each. The man had in turn used them for rituals. Passerby saw their bodies on the street with their private parts missing.
Tolu too had turned over a new leaf and had become a devoted believer after she apologized to Justina and her husband for all she did.
=====
Ten months after the deliverance, Justina gave birth to a bouncy baby boy. 3 years later, she was blessed with a set of two beautiful female twins. She and her husband lived their lives preaching the gospel even as her husband continued to experience unprecedented favor in his business.
