Features
Big catch – Part 3
Sabina was still fuming with anger when she got home, and her dad noticed and asked. ‘Dad, Tamara did not attend the interview, so I decided to find out why she didn’t, because she told me yesterday. So I went there, and her explanation was that Yooku had offered her a good package to stay on to manage the fishing boat.
Naturally I got angry, and I tried to tell her that I had stayed in that very job for one year without seeing any sign of progress, and I took her there because I thought she would make use of the few coins that fell her way, until something good came.
Now this bank job has dropped, and she says she won’t take it. As I was leaving, I noticed a Toyota car parked at the house, and she said it was a gift from Yooku, in appreciation for her loyalty. You see what’s happening, Dad?’ ‘You mean Yooku has either borrowed it or even come to some arrangement with the owner to use it to convince Tamara to stay on?’ ‘What else could be the explanation, Dad?’ Yooku is certainly a nice person, and I will always be grateful to him for getting us this job. But he can also be very stubborn. I kept telling him that the fishing business will fail, and I advised him to stay in the corporate job for a few years till he was sure of his steps, yet he left and started this so called publishing business with no profit in sight. Dad, I will call him in an hour or two and try to reason with him, to allow Tamara to do what is good for her. Hopefully he will do the right thing’. ‘Great. I think you owe it to your friend Tamara. She needs to get a job to support her parents’.
Yooku and Tamara had just ended a meeting with Ernest Asante, the owner of Ernestos, a ten-branch fast food business, and they had struck an interesting agreement. Yooku would supply a quantity of fish, which would be processed into a variety of products and sold at the ten branches. The company was young, so Yooku would provide the facilities required for the new venture, in return for a twenty per cent share in the business, in addition to a compensation package. The new products would go on the shelves in a month.
Over the course of time, they had drawn closer and spent more time in each other’s company. Yooku decided it was time to discuss his plans for their future. But just before he could start, the phone rang. It was Sabina.
‘Yooku, first of all, I would like to thank you once again for your efforts which have secured me the job. I will never forget it. My parents will also call you to express their gratitude. Unfortunately, I have to express concern about the fact that you are asking Tamara to continue managing the fishing boat, knowing very well that for the whole year that I spent at the harbour, nothing came out of it. My whole time was wasted. So I’m wondering what has changed in these few months to merit asking her not to take up the job. Please, think about her future, and think about her parents who sacrificed to educate her’. ‘Okay, Sabina. I have listened to your sermon for a while, so let me also explain. One of the main reasons why we were not getting any returns from the business was that the crew were stealing the fish. They would stop some distance from the landing bay, sell the bulk of the fish and bring only a small part to us. Many people at the fishing harbour knew this, but they never spoke to you because you hardly interacted with any of them, apart from the occasional greeting. I’m not blaming you for anything, but Tamara is simply a different kind of person.
She established a bond with them the day she started work, and they told her everything that was happening. So the following week, we caught them in the act, and changed the crew. Would you like to come and see our catch and sales records now? I can also tell you, madam, that we have just concluded an agreement with a fast food chain to process part of our catch into a variety of products. I bought Tamara a car, and offered her a generous package.
I am going ahead to give her half of the ownership of the company. So my suggestion is that it is great that you have landed a good job at the bank, but please stop preaching to me and Tamara. We don’t need lessons from you. Both our parents are firmly behind us. As I said, I believe you mean well for Tamara, but your approach is wrong. And let me also say, that I have heard a few things you have said about me, during our relationship and after the breakup. I am not a loser as you said, but I think over the long term. I have not regretted any of the steps I took. Apart from the fishing business, I have started selling some publications in French, and have received some royalty payment. So if you can’t wish me well, stop destroying my name. Goodnight’.
Tamara took Yooku’s hands in hers, and looked into his eyes. ‘You are right she means well for me, but her approach was wrong. And I think she didn’t know you. I always knew you were going to do big things in future. That’s why I joined you at work’. ‘Thank you so much for that. Wow. But are you only going to join me at work?’ ‘What do you mean by that?’ ‘Let me put it simply. We are spending more time with each other every day, and I would like us to do more of that. Would you mind if we took our relationship to another level?’ ‘Why don’t you stop the big English and say exactly what you want to say?’ ‘Tamara, will you marry me?’ ‘Yes, Yooku, I will marry you’.
By Ekow de Heer
Features
The Prophet part 4
Antobam woke up with a terrible headache. He checked the time on his mobile phone, 2:30 am. “What! Where is the money?” He asked aloud. “Where are those girls? Why did I drink so much of that whisky? What were those two girls up to?” He sat up on the bed and noticed a bulge close to the pillow.
He lifted the mattress and picked up the newspaper wrappers with the neatly arranged notes. He saw the neatly written record of the value of the notes. No, those girls are not thieves.
“It was my mistake. If I hadn’t drank myself to sleep they would be here in bed with me, giving me the time of my life. Pretty girls, those two. And so loyal and honest. Tomorrow will be different.”
“I will not drink any whisky, and I will show them that I am a real man. Just then he heard the whispers. Very soon it will be time, they seemed to be saying. This is an important day.”
The gold dealer will bring lots of money. Give him some of the liquid to drink, and we will prepare him. He will do very big business, and he will give you anything you ask for. There will be more miracles and testimonies today.
Antobam smiled to himself. “I am going to be a very rich man in only a few days man. Money, power, and women. Wow! Antobam got to the grounds at 5, but there were quite a number of people waiting.
Mr Kwame Dofu was among them. He greeted them all, and they came around to shake his hand. “My brothers and sisters, I assure you that whatever your problem is, you will not go home without a solution.” Shouts of “Amen” “thank” you Osofo and “you are a true man of God” responded.
“Please take your seats, and start talking to the great one about whatever bothers you. Before the service is over, there will be a solution.” He waved Mr Dofu over, and went with him to the wooden structure that serves as a temporary office.
“My brother, I have done quite a lot of work on the issue you came to see me about. I have prepared a special, powerful package for you. Take this, drink it, and go back to your business. I want to see you in two weeks.”
Beaming with smiles, Mr Dofu drank the foul smelling liquid in two gulps, said a big thank you to Antobam and took his leave. “I believe you, Papa Osofo. And I assure you that I will reward you, big time.”
Just when Osofo Antubam finished with Mr Dofu, Mary and Suzzie went over to him. “Good Morning ladies. I am very sorry about yesterday. I drank too much of the stuff you gave me. Today will be different, I assure you.”
“Don’t worry, Osofo. Since you are now setting things up, our main concern now is to help you to put things in place, and to make you comfortable. We are always there to serve you. This morning, Osofo, we want to go and clean up your place, and prepare something nice for you when you close.
And before coming to church, we will pass by the bank and collect the forms. After you have signed them, the account will be open. You can check the payments anytime and, of course, issue cheques whenever you need money.”
“Suzzie and Mary, I am happy I picked the two of you from the very start. Listen, I will take good care of you, okay? Here is some money. Buy whatever you need for the errands you have mentioned.
And here is the key. Please come back as early as you can. You know I need you here.” The service was very lively. The lively singing of praise songs was followed by one and a half hours of testimonies.
Most of them related to money – big sales, new jobs and overdue debts paid. But there were also testimonies about healing. Barren women had taken seed, and, of course, several men who had lost their bedroom authority had regained them, to the delight of their partners.
As he had promised, Antobam preached for only 30 minutes, exhorting the congregation to attend church regularly, pay their tithes and offerings, and strictly follow his ‘directions’ for securing solutions to their problems.
After another round of praises during which the congregation danced to the floor to drop their offering, he closed the service, grabbed the big bowl which was full to the brim with money, and moved to his desk. A long queue was quickly formed at the desk.
Meanwhile, Mary and Suzzie had gone to give Antobam’s place quite a decent look. A new bedsheet and pillows, a secondhand carpet and four plastic chairs placed in the verandah had done the trick.
They also prepared two fish and chicken stews. After all these, they rushed to the National Savings Bank and collected application forms for opening current and savings accounts.
They joined the service a few minutes before the main session closed. Antobam looked round and saw, to his relief, Mary and Suzzie moving towards him. “Hello ladies. What have you been up to?” “Quite a bit, Osofo. We’ve just collected your drink. Here you are. We’ve made a few changes at your place. I think you will like it. You will also have something nice to eat. Now, here are the forms for the savings and current accounts.
If you will sign them, the bank will open the account. From today, we can pay all monies direct into the account.” ‘How can I thank you, ladies?” “You don’t need to thank us,” Suzzie said. “It is our duty to help a man of God succeed.” “Okay, my ladies, please take the offerings and count them as you did yesterday.
You can add the payments made after the consultations. Will it be possible to pay them into the account today?” “Yes,” Mary said. “The bank closes at four. If we leave here at three, we would be there just in time.”
The two friends started counting, as Osofo Antobam gave his clients his directions for solving their problems. On quite a few occasions he closed his eyes as if he was receiving direction from above on what to do.
But as the fetish priest at the Nana Kofi Broni shrine and the dwarfs had assured him, the solutions would certainly be provided. Having heard the huge testimonies earlier in the day, the clients parted with substantial sums of money in expectation.
By Ekow de Heer
Features
The issue of spiritual father in our churches
A student was supposed to go to school as the natural cause of events should be when universities or schools in general opens but this was not the case in a certain young man’s life.
He decided to postpone his trip because apparently he could not get to meet his pastor, his spiritual father. The question is, should this spiritual father die, will the young man’s life come to an end?
Does it mean in such an instance, he is going to curtail his education? This is a worrying trend in a lot of churches where the pastors use this notion of spiritual father to manipulate members especially the youth.
Some unscrupulous pastors utilise this spiritual father concept to have affairs with gullible young ladies in their churches.
Now with homosexuality gradually making inroads into some of the churches, young men are becoming vulnerable to pastors who have hidden homosexual inclinations.
This spiritual father concept is a Biblical concept that runs through both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. We see it in 2 Kings 4:12 where Gehazi is serving Elisha and also in the New Testament we see Paul relating to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:2 as a Spiritual Father.
In fact, the concept of spiritual father is a good thing if executed according to the word of God since it helps in guiding the younger ones. However, it becomes problematic when it is being executed by unscrupulous wolves in sheepskins as described by Jesus in Mathew 7:15.
I see it as a way that these unscrupulous so-called men of God maintain their hold on the congregants so they do not question their unchristian actions.
One of the things I have observed since I got born again many years ago is that, any pastor who often insists that members recognise that he is their spiritual father is a warning sign that he is doing some wrong things or is about to indulge in some wrong things.
A parent complained about how his daughter was being influenced by a pastor of the church she attends and how worried he was. I am sure there are many parents out there with stories to tell about how their wards are being made to see their pastors almost like their Jesus.
These pastors have managed to make their congregants so loyal to them and to believe in them so much that it is terrifying, as a parent.
The way things are going, an immediate intervention is required otherwise I am not a prophet of doom but I forsee unfortunate instances where parents burst into church auditoriums and star shooting some Pastors out of frustration and anger.
We cannot look on unconcerned as a society and allow unscrupulous fraudsters using the name of God to create problems for families. My recommendation is for a certain amount of regulation in order to bring some sanity in religious practices.
I agree that ordinarily regulating religious practices makes it a bit restrictive in terms of freedom of worship as enshrined in our constitution but given the way things are going, a bit of regulation will not be out of place.
Disgusting stuff are being attributed to some men of God. There are cases of manipulation of young ladies and sometimes married women by so called men of God and it is bringing Christianity and therefore the name of the Lord into disrepute.
Christianity is gradually losing its attractiveness as a result of the negative reportage resulting from disgusting stuff happening in Christian circles. The way some pastors have been manipulating congregants to take money from them leaves much to be desired to the point where they are convincing some of the youth to give out their phones. May God help us.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
