The Friend

The attacks started like a bad joke
She saw herself surrounded by young ladies
all of them were about her age mate
They had formed a perfect circle around her
She was scared, like a dog that was due some
hammering
Without any form of provocation at all
They started flogging her
She was right in their middle
There was no way to escape, none
She ran for it, tried to break through the
human shield
They locked their arms and pushed her right 
back into the centre of the circle
and continued to flog her mercilessly
At first her cries were muffled
but as the pain persisted and she began
to bleed, she screamed on top of her
lungs
That was when she woke up!
Her body was trembling all over
Her voice was gone
She was gasping for breathe
She was scared stiff!
Her room was pitch dark
It felt as if the darkness was closing
in or her
Terror struck her
She scrambled for the switch and
turned on the light
That was when she calmed down!
She couldn't sleep a wink again
She couldn't even cry
It had been going on for weeks
She had barely been able to sleep
for up to two hours at a time
They would just come for her
They were relentless and unforgiving
The problem started so suddenly
She woke up one morning and had a
brian wave to visit her best friend
She didn't even consider calling 
first
They had been friends since their
university days 
They had done everything in common
until her friend got engaged and she
got admitted to a University in Germany
to study for her Masters!
She travelled right after the wedding
She couldn't have missed it for anything
She was the chief bride's maid
She completed her programme and
returned home to a well-paying job
with a multinational company
She got a job in Germany but she
was posted to her country to work
with a branch of the company located
in the capital city!
She didn't tell her friend anything!
She just wanted it to be a surprise!
It has been so long!
She got to her friend's house
She met the husband
He told her that her friend had travelled
He was very hospitable
They talked about Europe and Brexit
She spent two hours in all
She was given the family album
It was quite a wonderful time
Of course, she was disappointed that
she didn't get to see her friend
But she couldn't take offence,
after all, she also didn't bother to
inform her that she was back in the 
country!
Later in the evening, around 8pm
She was watching a popular soap 
opera when her phone rang
It was her friend!
She picked the call with a friendly shout
of greeting
Her friend slammed her mouth shut!
"Are you crazy? What did you go to
do at my house? What did you tell my
husband? How long did you stay in my
house?
She didn't understand 
She quickly tried to explain herself and
recall everything she said!
Apparently, her friend told her husband
she was travelling to Germany to be
with her!
She travelled with as part of the entourage
of a politician abroad
Her friend's husband had suspected that she
was sleeping with the politician and 
was acting very suspicious
In order to persuade him to let her travel
Her friend lied that she invited her over
to Germany for an NGO project!
WOW!
She had been thrown right in the middle
of a shitstorm!
Her friend said her husband had called
and told her not to bother returning
And it was all her fault!
Her fault for visiting her house without
calling her 
Her fault for not minding her business
She decided to intervene
She decided to reason with her friend's
husband
Early the next morning, she drove 
straight to their house
She met him at home
She said all she felt was reasonable
He was just looking at her
She couldn't reach him
When she noticed she was practically
talking to herself
She fell on her knees and begged him
"Please sir, I don't want to be the cause
of the breakup of your marriage
Please, forgive her!
Please sir"
Her friend's husband wasn't moved
She eventually left
Her heart was sunk!
Later that day, her friend's mother
called her
"You went to sleep with my daughter's
husband when she was abroad and
now you have stolen her matrimonial
space! I heard what you did! I heard
what you did! I will show you that I 
HAVE DEFENDERS! I will teach you
what happens to those who do what
they were not meant to do!"
She was shocked!
What sort of devilry?
She didn't sleep with anybody!
She called her friend and asked her
why her mother called her and accused
her of sleeping with her husband!
Her friend said "I had to tell her
something! Even if you didn't sleep
with him, didn't you go to my house
when I was not there? How do I know
whether you slept with him or not?
What!
She couldn't keep quiet
What arrant nonsense!
The name-calling began and the shouting
match
Eventually, she cut the call!
Two days later, the night terrors started!
At first, she thought it was psychological
But it was worse than that
She had become scared of sleeping
She couldn't even take a nap in the 
afternoon"
She reached out to the Brother
in Jeans and T-shirt!
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt
led her to Christ and filled her 
with the Holy Spirit
He said "You are now a new creature
you have walked away from torture
and affliction!
"Can I sleep peacefully now?" 
She asked him
He said yes!
She promptly sat down, placed
her head on his office table and slept
off!
She had not had any sleep in weeks!
She slept for four hours that day!
And subsequently had no issue with
night terrors again!
Her friend got divorced
Their paths became parallel!
Two years later she got married
She relocated with her husband to
Germany
She never kept a close friend again
She had learnt bitterly how friendship
can turn one into a victim!

Ps: She still lives in Germany with her
family
The event happened in Badore, Lagos (2016)
Not all friendships end up badly
There are good and rewarding friendships
If you are in such please treasure it
But if you are one of those who has never
been lucky in friendship
Don't despair!
The Holy Spirit is 100% better than any friend!