THE CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION

 THE CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION

Bobade walked out of the prison with his bible sitting pretty in the back pocket of his trousers. He walked out a free man, along with a few of his buddies who had survived the 30 torturous years in prison. Continue reading to unravel the story of Bobade before prison.

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The sound of bangers

Bottles clicking in bar houses

Broken bottles on the street

Blood flowing on the street of Igbeba.

    How can a bloody battle of fists, bottles, planks, and knives take place in such beautiful scenery? The sight of the blood the earth was slowly drinking up as if to fully savor the taste bore a striking similarity to the red lights hung all over the corners of the street, almost above the roofs of people's houses. Red and green flowery designs were all over the place; the Christmas tree that stood right at the corner of the street, beside the bar, was already smeared with blood. How ironic that a bloody street fight took the lives of three people on the day the messiah was born to shed his blood for the sins of humanity.

That night, Bobade sat at the foot of his favorite tree, the Iroko tree that sat right in the middle of the "forbidden site," the name his predecessors gave the meeting point of the great BULLS, and his place of solace. Bobade cocked his gun and made a loud whistle; in no time, his guys assembled for a victory meeting. The Great Bulls had just won a street fight against the "Shadows." They vowed to spill the blood of three members of the opposing cult group as a punishment for the damage the Shadow Boys caused at the forbidden site a few days before Christmas. 

    At Bobade's werewolf-like cry of "Awuff," each Bull (every member of the cult is a bull) came forward for their victory dance while pricking themselves with a needle to produce blood that would be put in the calabash of the Great Bull. It was a time of merriment for the Great Bulls. Bobade, the feared capon of the cult, sat at the foot of his tree, smiling at the boys as he sharpened his knife and axe, ready for the next battle. After each bull had had his victory dance, they followed the footstep of their boss as they sat to sharpen their instruments. It was Christmas Eve, but the bulls lived every day in preparation for war.

    Christmas came, and the Bulls were ready for another mission. They had to seek out souls to destroy. They needed to shed blood. That Christmas morning, a carol service was held at the center of the street, and the Bulls blended with the crowd, ready to strike at the sound of the war cry from the capon. As soon as the pastor mounted the pulpit and everyone was calm, Bobade let out a war cry. Guns up in the air, the boys were ready for war. Slippers started flying left and right, headgear swung off the heads of their owners, and drinks spilled all over the floor as people started running for their lives. 

    The great bull had a plan, and God had his. Bobade issued out an order for the boys to start shooting; everyone cocked their guns, but no gun cocked; every bull's hand was frozen up in the air; their knees wobbled till they lost control of them and went on their knees. By this time, the carol service ground was empty save a few choristers and pastors. It was right there in the middle of the street, a stone's throw from where they had murdered the Shadows the night before, that they surrendered their lives to Christ. 

    What greater miracle occurs at Christmas than that of salvation? The fearless captain finally surrendered to the captain of the army of heaven, who was born in the manger with the consciousness of the cross he was destined to carry.

     That evening, the Great Bulls turned themselves in to the police. They were ready to accept the punishment for their crimes, after a day of continuous back-and-forth commotion in the police station, the great bulls were taken to court. The judge issued a 30-year jail term to each Bull, and the rest, they say, is history. 

Thank you for reading, thank you for sticking to my blog throughout the year. I really appreciate your love.