Igyeseh:

Paul is the devil.
Did you remember the girls started dying before Paul came back from the city?
And did you also remember since Paul returned, no casualty has been reported.
Let me give you some clues to the devil...a peel of banana, an empty bottle of alcoholic drink and butt of cigarates.
Did you remember who always seat under a tree in market square?
Should I mention the devil's name?

souloho19:
Osi's sleeves were rolled up to his elbow. He was sweating profusely as he balanced on the ladder to fix a light bulb. He was yet to set up the speakers, tune in the amplifier and run sound tests.

Gregory and Ovie were setting up the drum set and piano respectively while Bukky set up the banner and arranged the podium.

Pastor Bartholomew had promised to bring people to help with the set up but presently there was no sign of him.

"Arrange the chairs three here, two there so that there would be space to walk through the middle" he pointed with his hands as he instructed Samuel the driver who was busy arranging the chairs.

As Osi got down from the ladder and began rolling up the excess wire he noticed a white man making his way towards him.

"Good evening pastor, anything I can do to help?" The man asked cheerfully as he offered his hand for a shake.

Osi was surprised the man had figured him to be the pastor and not the deacon. Probably because the deacon was not around.
He shook the hand vigorously, noticing the man had a firm handshake.
"its a pleasure to meet you sir, if you wouldn't mind assisting to set the chairs, I'd be very grateful"
"Its my pleasure, you can call me Steve"
"I'm Osi, that's Greg and Ovie, the lady laying the carpet is Bukky and the young man setting the chairs is Samuel"

The European waved in their direction. "Nice to meet you all"
He then proceeded to greet each of them personally. Offering each person a firm and enthusiastic handshake.

"What a friendly person" Osi thought to himself as he tried to place the man's accent.

°•°•°•
"Dé I'd like to go to the evening service" Amara told her father as she set a bowl of water before him.
Dé Nwachukwu washed his hands studying his daughter. "I don't have any problem with that, as long as you don't go alone"
"I won't papa, Oluchi would go with me"
"How did you find out about the service. Did you go to the market square?" He stopped rolling the ball of fufu and frowned at his daughter.
"No I didn't, I met one of the pastors earlier and he invited me"
Dé Nwachukwu continued eating, satisfied with her answer.
"Speaking of Oluchi, her elder brother came to see me today" He announced after a while. Amara remained quiet.

"He's a fine young man" her father continued "I remember him as a young rascal and very stubborn but now he has really grown up and matured.
Amara still had nothing to say. Instead she sat opposite her father and continued sifting the grounded cassava into a basin.

"He wants to settle down and he wishes to marry you. Of all the suitors who have come for you recently he stands out and its my wish that you two get married"
"Papa I do not love him, when I marry I want to marry for love. I want to have something like you and mama shared"
"You know your mother was chosen for me, we grew to love each other. Love is something that grows and develops" her father said as he attacked a piece of stock fish.
"I promise I'd think about it" Amara assured her father. This was the first time he was speaking to her directly about a suitor. Paul must have really made an impression on her father.

°•°•°•
The man of the hour himself showed up half an hour later. He strolled into the compound whistling cheerfully and waving at Joy who was spreading clothes on the line.
"Where's Oluchi?" Amara asked with a frown.
"She couldn't make it, she has been having stomach pain since we got home so she asked me to escort you to the service while she rested" Paul said with a charming smile.

Amara didn't really believe him, she sensed it was all a ruse, a setup to get her and Paul alone together.
"Okay lemme just get my scarf and we can go"
"All right, what of Dé Nwachukwu, is he around?"
"Yes but he's sleeping" she replied hurrying into the house.

°•°•°•
Osi was pleased and surprised with the turn out for the service. The chairs which numbered up to 200 were almost filled up with just a handful unoccupied.
He stood behind the amplifier board, tuning the knobs as he followed the melody of the worship song led by Bukky.

When he saw Amara his face brightened immediately and he was glad she came. He noticed she was with somebody and felt a foreign feeling come over him. What kind of pastor am I? He asked himself as he almost went off key.

She looked at him and smiled and he looked away hurriedly, his eyes running into the stare of a short thick man who glared at him in a way that got him worried. He noticed the man had a bottle in his hand and he didn't need anyone to tell him it contained alcohol.

The man wasn't involved with the worship, his eyes were wide open and he looked like he had only come to check out the strangers, Osi in particular judging by the way he kept glaring at him.

Osi shut his mind from all thoughts and focused on the worship song, singing along "you are alpha and omega...."

°•°•°•

The devil had seen the exchanged looks between the pastor and Amara. He had noticed the way she had responded to him earlier, blushing and smiling like a school girl while he boiled with rage and animal lust.
He was beginning to suspect the pastor was going to be an obstacle.
That wouldn't be a problem, he knew how to take care of obstacles.