Speechless

The day he was admitted into the University
His Father ran to the local high chief's house early the next morning to share the good news
This was in 1970
He was the first citizen of their local community to be admitted into the University
The whole community went agog with joy
He had always been exceptional as a student in the local Primary and secondary he attended just fifteen kilometers away from home
He was the only one out of nineteen boys and girls sent to the school from their village who didn't drop out
It was much easier to take up farming, hunting, fishing, local crafts like weaving etc than going to school
Getting an education was considered at the time a waste of good time
By the time a student graduates, his age mates would already be rearing their fourth or fifth child
Marriage was contracted early and poverty was not even an issue
They are a simple people
Everybody had a roof on their heads and food on the table
They had work clothes and everybody in the community has at least one expensive cloth for party purposes
His mother especially didnt get it
He was her only son
She had reared him very well for the purpose of getting grand children from him
He started primary school at the age of 10
He was in his early twenties when he wrote his West African Examinations Council papers
His age mates had begun to have children
The females amongst them had gotten at least two children while the males had at least one
His mother begged him to get married, father a child and then go off to school
Nobody knows tomorrow!
What if he dies on his way to the University or had an accident
He refused to yield to his mother's plea
His Father played it neutral
He didn't want to put undue pressure on his son
In a way he understood his wife's heart cry
He had always desired to have many children but his wife was unable to conceive after they had him
He could have married a second wife but he didn't have the guts for the trouble that would bring
And now that his son was supposed to be siring children for them to take delight in
The boy insisted on going all the way to Ile-Ife (OAU) for his education
The funny thing was, the boy was admitted to study Agriculture
What could anybody teach his son about Agriculture that he didn't know already?
His farmland was the biggest in the village
His family had been farmers since forever!
On the day his son was going off to school there was a community party
A ram was slaughtered and his mother did bean cake for the ancestors
He was given three chests full of charms
Some clothes, money and off he went with the only bus that plies their route
As soon as he arrived on campus, some people came around him to help his settle down
They called themselves Christians
They belonged to the campus fellowship
He really appreciated their help but he was fine
There was no point becoming a Christian before one can enjoy his life!
Lectures began in earnest
He found University very challenging
Academically he could cope but he found so many things they were doing unnecessary
For example, why did he have to take Use of English or Philosophy?
All the general studies nonsense!
Then Chemistry! For crying out loud!!
What has agriculture got to with chemistry?
He particularly hated chemistry because he didn't really do practicals in secondary school
He found the chemistry lab odd and all the equipment very fragile
As a result, he kept skipping practicals
When they had the first test, he did well in all his courses except chemistry
His favourite lecturer called him and asked him what the problem was
He explained himself
The man told him to sit up and get used to the laboratory!
Chemistry was a must pass!
That night he decided to fight fire with fire
He took one of the charms in his box
The one meant for boldness
He took another charm for "Command and do"
This will ensure whatever instructions he gave anybody was carried out without question
He wore it on his arms and said the incantation aloud
Then we walked to the laboratory and told the attendant to open the laboratory for him
The man did so immediately
When he got into the laboratory, he laughed
Today he must bury the phobia threatening his success
He went to the chemicals, he poured some yellow substance into the flask,
then he poured a green and a purple substance
He switched on the Bunsen burner, placed the flask on it and watched
The contents heated up and began to emit a whitish smoke
He picked it up, inhaled the whitish smoke and his head exploded!
There was no better was to explain it
As soon as he inhaled the substance, his throat closed up
His eyes bulged out, his tongue practically extended out of his mouth
He collapsed and few minutes later he was making white foam out of his mouth
The security man called the appropriate authorities
He was rushed to the hospital
The doctors pronounced him dead on arrival
He was taken to the morgue!
The next morning a message was dispatched to his village, to inform his parents of his demise
The messenger got to their village the following day
The message was given to the community head
His parents and the community head arrived his school first thing in the morning three days after he died
They were taken to the morgue immediately
That was when pandemonium broke out
They couldn't find his body!
Who could have carried the corpse of the young man?
His mother was already rolling on the ground
"What has the academicians done with my son's body?"
"Give me the corpse of my son"
The morgue attendants were stammering
Hospital officials were confused
The community head said they would use Sango, the god of thunder to find it
Suddenly the young man appeared as if from nowhere
His mother was the first to see him
She jumped on her feet and started shaking uncontrollably!
Everyone thought they were seeing a ghost
That eerie feeling rend the air
The young man: It is I, I am alive please dont be scared
His father couldn't help himself
He scooped up some sand from the ground and poured it on him
He didn't disappear and he didn't run away
His father approached him and hugged him
His mother also recovered
Everybody wanted to know how a dead man became undead
He told them the story
How he inhaled the chemical
He said he saw his body crash to the ground
He saw his spirit rise from his body
Then he started walking until he came to place where the earth was opened
He started descending into a dark place
Until he came to a place where he saw millions of people
They were just lined up in two files
One on his right and the other on his left
Nobody was talking to anybody
Nobody was relaxed or seated

There was neither night nor day there
Just endless waiting and horror
Everyone was standing there!
Teeth gnashing, arms folded, feet trembling, heart shaking
He didn't see any fire or any devil or demon
The atmosphere was dreadful and terrorizing by itself
He just knew they were all there waiting for judgement!
After a long time, it seemed to him like eternity
He saw Jesus!
Jesus said "You have witnessed the end of your life as you lived it for yourself, go now and live your life for me"
That was when he woke up
In the mortuary
3AM in the morning, stark naked
He got up from the morgue slab, looked for his clothes and walked out
When he got to his room he sat still and cried for hours
in the morning, two people came to his room
They knocked on the door and preached to him about the salvation in Jesus
He accepted Jesus Christ right there and then and his heart was filled with joy!
Three hours later, he was told his parents had arrived and looking for his corpse!

PS: His testimony was so simple
His Father and mother gave their lives to Christ right there
The Community head gave his life to Christ right there
His room mates all became believers
He became a firebrand for Christ
He went on to become a Professor of Agriculture in the University of Ibadan
He Fathered eight Children
He is now a missionary in a Village close to Ibadan, Oyo State
The First time I heard his testimony, I was a 200L student at Bowen University
He was invited for the fresher's orientation week programme
Many people gave their lives to Christ that day
If you end up reading this one day sir, know that none of your words fell to the ground
The Holy Spirit dictated it to me as if I was right there when it happened
God bless you sir!