Holy Manipulators

Manipulators cannot control the
impulse to play God
They are predators who walk the grey
areas of reality causing chaos and
destroying trust
Their lives are mostly spent trying
to put others in messes and tie
illogical knots of complex schemes!
For the antics of a manipulator to
work, there has to be a level of trust, 
belief, desperation or emotional
engagement and involvement!
They were both lawyers
She and her best friend
They were both working in the same
firm but their office locations were
different
Though the office complexes were
located on the same street
They were both called to bar the same
day
They have been best friends for six years
They were both single
Her best friend was very religious
One of those dedicated to the followership
of the doctrines and norms of a uniformed
church from when she was young
Her best friend was also very sensitive
One of those type of Christians who has
prophets on the speed dial and wouldn't
take a step without seeking spiritual
guidance and instruction from "Men
who were deemed closer to God than
others"
They were both waiting to fall in love
Waiting for Mr. Right!
She met Mr. Right on her way to work
She was late and her car was with the
mechanic for some minor repairs
She ordered a taxi on her phone
Within minutes, the driver arrived
He was very polite and courteous
She was busy with work
One of her clients was placing orders
via Whatsapp
The drive was uneventful until they
connected to the third mainland bridge
There was heavy traffic
She finished her transactions and 
said something about the traffic
He responded by explaining to her
the cause of the traffic in a very
simple way!
Wow!
She was taken aback
It wasn't as if she didn't think taxi drivers
can be well educated
He just resonated well with her
That was how they became friends
She wasn't sure how their conversation
crossed into the relationship lane
There was nothing wrong with dating him
But she couldn't ever marry a man
driving a taxi
It wasn't her kind of thing!
Although she was very impressed with
him and likes everything about him,
the job was a no-no!
Apart from that, she had other
toasters
Serious-minded guys with better 
prospects
One of them was in America
That was the one she was really taking
serious
They had been dating for two years
She met him at a social event on the
Island just a month before he traveled
They do video and audio calls daily
and try as much as possible to overcome
time and space with technology in their
relationship!
He was her main man!
Her backup plan was a divorcee whose
office was just a few blocks away
from hers
The divorcee takes her out once or twice 
a week
They both form "Busy" for each other
The date nights were to keep body and
soul together
They were like friends with benefit
She had been dating the one abroad 
before she met the divorcee
At that time she hadn't really taken the
relationship she had with the one abroad
very serious
The divorcee was rich and present
He was flesh and blood
The issue she had with him was because
of his status
Although he was divorced from his wife
He was still considering getting back
with her
They had three children
They got divorced because of his infidelity
Technically, she was his backup plan in
case his wife refused all his moves to get
remarried to her
Since she also didn't want any long thing
She felt they could meet each other's
needs
She needed the attention and the 
intimacy
He also needed the attention and the 
intimacy
They were both matured and had no
expectations apart from the present
As far as she was concerned that was
good enough
Everyone around her knew she was
dating a guy based in New York
That was her official guy
The divorcee was her secret bedmate
They meet in hotels and guest houses
There were no strings attached
Although he sometimes bought her gifts 
and sent her some money 
She also bought him gifts but they were
just friends
The Taxi driver didn't walk away
She tried to discourage him from pursuing
her affections
But he wouldn't go away
He parked at her office thirty minutes
before she closed every day, waiting to
take her home
He waited by her gate every morning to
drive her to work
He was warm and extremely likable
He was a graduate
He was from a very good background
He said he was driving because he didn't
want to be idle
He didn't say more than that at the beginning
but as they grew closer she found out
he used to live in the UK and was unfortunate
to lose his international passport on the 
flight back to the UK!
The International passport had five years
Visa on it
It was all a tangled mess
They flew him back home because he 
couldn't clear immigration
He tried to get back to the UK but
kept meeting with one brick wall or the
other
One day he decided he would let things
cool off a bit
He was already getting hypertensive over
the whole issue
He took up driving as a past time
He just wanted to do something every day
until he resolved his complicated issues
one 
She listened to him half-heartedly
She was determined not to date him
She was determined not to bite more than
she could chew
But she did!
One Saturday, he took her to the airport
She had to do a conference in Abuja
She took off
As she was emerging from the conference
venue that evening
She found him waiting for her
He said he decided to come to Abuja
He needed to see his family members
She was the reason he came but he 
had other things he wanted to do
She didn't know what to say
The next day, he took her home
She met his father, a lecturer with 
One of the reputable universities in
the country
The mother, also a lecturer but in another
University
She also met two of his younger ones
His elder brother was abroad!
His mother treated her very well
She had to behave herself
She realized he was very serious about
being with her
That night they had a serious discussion
She was not interested in long-distance
relationships and she has no interest in
relocating abroad
She wanted him to see that their paths
were different
He told her she was what he was seeking
for and he was ready to settle down 
with her
What about the job?
He told her it was not a problem
He didn't take on any serious job 
because he was hell-bent on traveling
He would take up a job and settle
down with her if she would have him
WOW!
She told him she needed to pray about it
He said it was fine
But later that night, he came to her hotel
to see her and one thing led to another
He needed to know if he should start
calling his contacts for a job or forget
about it and face his traveling path
She needed to show him that she was
open to the idea!
They kissed and well...
They had sex!
He went home happy
She was just confused!
She loved him but the timing was
too close
She had three guys in her life and
she didn't want to make a mistake
She had to choose the right one!
She called her best friend, she
told her everything
She wanted her counsel 
Her best friend knew about the guy
in New York
She also knew about the Taxi driver
But she had never told her best friend
anything about the divorcee before
Her best friend listened to her and told
her to send the picture of the three guys!
Her best friend said she would send the
picture to her prophet who would pray
on the pictures and get back to
her in the morning
She did!
When she woke up that morning, she had 
clarity!
She just knew he was the one
The next morning, her man picked her
in the morning and dropped her off at the
airport
They talked
He said he would be flying to Lagos
later that evening
She went home dancing
Everything felt just right
Until later that day, he didn't hear from
him at all 
It was weird!
Even when they were not involved
He would use every conceivable excuse 
to call her or send her a ping or a chat
She called and sent him messages
He didn't respond!
It was puzzling!
Her friend called her around 4 pm
She said her prophet has gotten back
to her
"The taxi driver was destined for a short 
life
Her true husband was the one in New York
She should stay away from the divorcee
because her involvement with him would
confuse her way in life"
They talked about other things
She was confused all of a sudden
There was this unsettled feeling she 
had before she met her taxi driver
Something about both the guy in
New York and the divorcee didn't
sit well with her
And she was free of that feeling with
her taxi driver
It was all so jumbled together
He still didn't come around 
And he didn't call!
She sent him a message
He didn't respond!
It was sheer torture!
She thought of so many things
From disaster to "He had gotten
what he wanted"
She realized by the third day that she
loved him
But he seemed to have disappeared
from the face of the earth!
When she closed from the office the
third day, she drove to his house
She had never been inside his 
apartment in Lagos
But she knew his apartment
She just wanted to check if he was
back in Lagos
When she got to his apartment
She found to her shock, her best
friend's car
It was parked right outside his apartment
It was a congested street
She eventually found a parking space
She didn't want to assume
She had to be sure
She walked into the compound, the smell
of incense was everywhere
Her friend was there (standing), 
her taxi driver too was there (On his knees, 
in their midst)
Three prophets, one male and two female
They had incense in their hands
That was what she saw!
She went back to her car and waited!
After one hour and a half
Her friend came out of the compound
followed by the prophet
They all got into her friend's car and drove
off
She went back into the apartment
Her taxi driver was still in the compound
about to lock the gate
She knocked
He opened the gate
His jaw dropped in a good way
She sashayed into the compound
He locked the gate
He led her into his apartment
He said "I got a call from your friend
that morning after you left Abuja,
she said you use devilish enchantment
to entrap men and that I had fallen
victim!
He sent me pictures of your other
victims which you sent to her
She told me she can help me but I
have to keep away from you for three
days!
She came here with her prophet
as soon as I got to Lagos
Her prophet gave me a fast, we read 
some portions of the Bible and we 
prayed!
Today was the last day of the spiritual
work!
We just finished!"
She was stunned!
So you believed I used enchantment
on you?
He didn't say anything
He just held her hand and said he was
sorry!
She told him everything
About her best friend
Her past relationships
Her involvement with the guy in
New York and The divorcee
Her call to her best friend and
how come she sent her the pictures!
She hid nothing!
Just as she was concluding her
explanation
Her best friend called her man
Her best friend said she was at his gate
The time was well past 10 PM
What was her best friend looking for
that late?
She didn't want to know
She took the phone from her man and
calmly said "Ibidun, I am with Yomi,
kindly leave us alone. Thank you"
Her best friend left!

PS: That was the end of the friendship
She broke off her relationship with
the guy in New York and Divorcee
They got married a year later
The best friend said "When she called her 
prophet for prayer and told the
prophet that her friend had many suitors
while she had none!
The prophet told her that her friend was
using an enchantment to trap men!
Her prophet also went on to tell her that
the taxi driver was her husband from 
heaven and she must not lose him!
She said her prophet was the one that
told her to do everything she did in order
to set him free of the charm
As for the reason she came to his house
that night?
She said her prophet gave her  powder
she was to use to win his heart by going
to see him at home that night
She didn't see the irony in the whole
situation!

GSW's note: Both friends are married with
two children
Her best friend was the one that contacted 
@gbengawemimo on Twitter in reaction to 
a story he wrote titled "Sons of Balaam"
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt
was asked to broker peace for the 
sake of conscience
The Holy Spirit did His thing!
Malice was dislodged and friendship
restored between the two friends and
their families!

This event happened in Lagos, Nigeria

BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS!