Jeremiah sat up in his bed, restless in his spirit. It wasn't full morning light yet. His beautiful Deb was fast asleep beside him, peaceful, serene, looking amazingly divine and unaware of the troubles in his mind.

He smiled as sweet memories of their honeymoon adventure danced in his head. No other honeymoon could come close, he was sure.

Tearing his eyes from her alluring form, his mind automatically settled on the bile that was slowly rising in his throat.
The bile of disgust and hate for the man that had borne him into the world.

Ella had called in panic, hysteria even, yesterday, telling him about the letter from Mr D.

Their father.

He loathed that man with passion. And if indeed Mr D was dying as he had claimed in that letter, then he deserved every bit of pain he could get. This was God's vengeance on a wicked soul.

After the ruckus about Ella's disappearance and return had settled, she and Rouge had together recounted their experience in that inhumane dungeon and told of their miraculous escape.

Jeremiah had decided there and then, that he had no father.

His decision was made. He'd not take Ella to that man.
What if it was all a coy to enslave them again?
He'd not allow that man to carry out his plan. No, not again!

Then, why was the soft voice of his Heavenly Father whispering for him to let go? Why was the inner Spirit telling him to forgive. Something about blood being thicker than water.

Jeremiah knew he should forgive and move on. It wasn't that easy though.

He sighed deeply, massaging his temple. Deborah, entangled in sheets of the bed spread, stirred with a moan.

Well, at least he had the desire of his heart, a streak of silver in his present dark clouds. Wonderful Deborah.
He was more than content to be the Lapidoth to this warrior woman.

He felt her hand grope up to his bare chest.

"Jay," she murmured, awakening, still groggy.
He leaned over her and pecked her forehead as she roused.

"Hey, darling," Jeremiah greeted.
She replied with a grunt and sat up to match his position.

She looked at him with half-lidded eyes, yawned and stretched.

"What's bugging you, Love?" she asked softly.

While Jeremiah still fiddled with himself and was contemplating whether or not to tell her of the tug-of-war threatening to split his heart apart, Deborah took a better look at his worry-striken face and said, "It's that call from Ella, isn't it?"

He replied with a sad lopsided smile—this woman read him like a book—and a nod.

"Jay, you know that sooner or later, you'll have to face your father. You can't keep hiding forever." She paused and allowed that to sink in.

"You need answers. What if he is indeed at the point of death? You need to free yourself by letting go. You know that's what God would want."

Jeremiah said in exasperation, "That's what terrifies me, Deb. What if I hate him so much now that I don't want him to be free? What if I prefer it if he suffers and rots in hell? You don't know the gravity of all the evil things he's done. Even I didn't know until recently."

"Oh Jay," she said, trailing her hand from his chest up to his jaw as she made him turn to face her. "We all deserved hell but Christ forgave us. You can't let bitterness blind you. I know it's hard, but please, for God's sake. He said we should forgive all those who hurt us so that we can also be forgiven."

When he didn't replied she added, "For my sake. You know I can't bear to see you festering inside."

Jeremiah closed his eyes and steadied his breath to shut down the wind of rage that was stirring in him.
"I'll try. I'm making no promise, Deb, but I'll try. I need your prayers and support to be able to pull this through."

She fingered through the stubble on his jaw, smiling.
"We're in this together, Jay. I'm with you. And God is too."

He drew her closer and sighed into her hair, "Oh Deb, whatever would I do without you!"

Jeremiah lifted her smiling face, looked into her honey eyes and kissed her softly.

Peace.

He felt the bitterness and anger melt away as he enjoyed the bundle of unmerited love God had given him.

Lord, please help me to forgive my father.

Manuel and Jael, hovering in the spiritual air just above the couple, guarding them, watched the scene unfolding below with keen interest. 

"He'll forgive, won't he?" Jael said with a smile of relief, her right hand on her waist where her whip was curled while her left hand leaned on a wall.

"Most likely," Manuel responded, bobbing up and down as his wings fanned slowly in the spiritual air.

Then, as the scent of his heart prayer rose, Manuel and Jael received instruction from heaven.

They brought out the balm of Gilead jar, uncorked the lid and allowed the scent to fill the whole room, causing the current to spread evenly as they beat their wings.

~~~

It was evening and they were in riding in his car.

Matthew could feel waves of nervousness oozing from Ella's skin from where she sat like a statue in the front passenger's seat

Jeremiah was the one who told them that from what he knew of his father, he wouldn't let his pride and ego be rubbed in the mud and he would rather stay in his own room rather than be an helpless dying man being tended to in a hospital.

Jay, Deb and Pastor Mike were up ahead, leading the way in their Venusi7, while he, Ella and equally fidgety Rouge
who was huddled in the back, surprisingly mute, were trailing them in his FelCoaster Sport's car.

They arrived at the house—no, it was a mansion—without a fanfare.
He was awestruck at the sheer magnitude of the structure.

But still, he knew this was a critical place.
The Mr Drestor he knew from the years past was a sneaky man and he couldn't shake off the feeling that they'd got their work cut out for them.

Lord, please help us. Be a strength for my Dewdrop, will you?

He thew a glance at Ella, took her hand in his and rubbed calming circles with his thumb on her palm. He wished he could knead all her apprehension away.

~~~

Ella felt so pale when her one-day-old fiancé opened the door for her.
With effort, she got out.

Why was this so hard? Was she scared? Not really, just downright nervous. 
She'd prayed for the most part of the night and gotten confirmation to go see him, but not alone. 

"You okay?" Matthew asked, his face contoured in worry.

She swallowed and nodded.

The whole team walked in silence towards the imposing structure's entrance door.

Jeremiah knocked, and immediately, a young, pale-skinned girl opened the door. Ella suspected at once that she was one of her father's servants. She knew what that meant.

As they entered and took in the scene—a massive chandelier hung in the high ceiling, minimalistic interior decor making the place almost depressing, a huge center rug with a design that caught Ella's eye because it looked awfully similar to the insignia she was so familiar with—the young girl announced that their host would join them soon.

Ella felt like a caged rabbit, restless. She glanced at Jeremiah and saw that she wasn't alone in this.

They were seated in the half circle sofa arrangement from left to right thus: Rouge, Matthew, her, Jeremiah, Deborah, Pastor Mike. Mommy Ruth couldn't come because she had to overseer her business.

When Mr D emerged from a tiny door at the far corner of the lounge, Ella gaped at him in shock.

When she received the letter yesterday—a short and crisp 'I'm dying'—she had envisioned the worst. Him lying helpless in a death bed. Him with a  stroke. Him struggling with the last bits of life. 

The man that walked towards them looked as he usually was.

Ella would have panicked and thought this was a terrible mistake and maybe a trap, but the subdued and maybe even scared factor in his eyes and gait made that thought to flee.

~~~

Jeremiah felt the anger rise as he watched his father walk towards them.
He was sure the man had conned them all.

But still, the Spirit of God in Him wouldn't allow that thought.

Forgive...

~~~

Awkward silence hung in the air as he heavily took a seat.
He broke the silence.

"Aquifer, chosen of the seven seas, my daughter..." he said, almost in a whisper.
"Thank you for honouring my invitation. I wasn't expecting you to come so fast before the reaper comes for my soul. And with an entourage at that," he said, scanning her backup crew that was seated in the lounge.

"Father," Ella choked out, fighting back ugly memories, trying to remind herself that she'd forgiven him. 

"I don't deserve to be called that."
Was that pain in his voice?

Mr D turned to observe and address Deborah and Jeremiah.
"Son, I congratulate you. Many times, I tried to lure you into my powers, or should I say bondage. But you were not moved. You fled from the evil that surrounded me. You proved that one could be successful without dinning with the devil. I'm happy that you fled the infernos of hell. I'm happy for the woman you chose. She's a strong one."

Jeremiah let the frown on his face remain.

"I'm sure you know by now that Ella is your half sister."

He sighed, "It's a long story. I'll summarize."

"It all began hundred years ago, according to the legend recorded in the ancient chronicles made in infernal flames. I just happened to be a desperate man in a quest for power and money. I consulted the forces of the underworld. They said I had to sacrifice my first daughter in fulfilment of the agreement made by one philistine princess about a century ago. She would be a vessel for them to gain access to the earth realm, especially for the ancient Lord Dagon. She was to be sacrificed when she comes of age."

Ella squirmed. Matthew held her hand protectively.
That was all she ever was to those gods. A chicken, fed and fattened to be slaughtered eventually.

Oh, Redeemer...

Mr D continued, "My wife gave me male sons instead. That meant a possible delay. The gods of the underworld gave specifications. I was to get a virgin lady from the same lineage of the ancestral princess, to make the covenant more potent."

He turned and looked at Ella. "So I searched and searched, and I found your mother, Kiera. After months of chasing, I got her pregnant with you. And it was from then the gods took you up and began to groom you. Your water bending powers are actually inherent, not a gift from the gods as they made you think. It's always been yours because of your ancestry and because you're a special breed."

He grimaced and closed his eyes.
"Kiera's death wasn't a coincidence. It was issued as a command by the gods. When they realized that she had met the Holy One, they became afraid that she'd contaminate your spirit and cause you to eventually see the light as well. They sent me to kill her. You weren't supposed to be there that night."

Ella sucked her breath as she remembered that horrible night. Tears flowed.

Oh, mother...

Mr D shuddered. "When you ran off, I wasn't particularly bothered. I knew where you were and just let you be. I knew when the time was ripe, the gods would fetch you and have their way."

Mr D turned to face Deborah and Jeremiah.
"But then, this lady started interceding and eventually brought Ella under her spiritual covering. Jeremiah had told me that his fiancée was this same Deborah; that was a major reason I was opposed to their union."

"Oh, the gods were raging alright. They issued several attacks on Deborah and failed repeatedly because she was a mighty intercessor. I bore the brunt of that many times. But I wasn't going to give up!"

Mr D placed his face in his palms and heaved a dry cry.
"How foolish I was! After all I had done for them, even going as far as providing a plan B just in case getting Ella somehow failed, they turned against me."

He lifted his face and looked at Rouge who was watching his confession from a safe distance. "Rouge... She too is my offspring."

Ella felt a wave of nausea wash over her and heard the gasps that filled the room, Rouge's being the loudest.

"Yes, her supposed father, Mr Clatrava is my very good friend. Unable to conceive, his wife, who I discovered is also from the same ancestry of the ancient princess, came to me for comfort. I made out with her and got her pregnant. It was a girl; I was glad. That's why Rouge has the ability to weld fire. It's the same transmitted genetic thing, only accessible in the physical to those who are a specially chosen and marked."

Ella watched as all the colour in Rouge's face slowly drained off as she heard his words.
She couldn't breathe properly herself.

Rouge was her sister!

Despite her shock, Ella looked at Mr D and had compassion for him.
He was a victim of his own making. A lawful captive.

Jeremiah obviously could not take it in any longer. He rose and paced the length of the big room. Deborah tried to calm him down.

"I cannot believe this is the man I called my father. First, I find out Ella is my sister and now you're telling me Rouge is the same? You cheated on Mom and broke her heart. All in the name of getting power. Now I'm beginning to wonder if Joshua's death wasn't natural. Maybe you also killed him!"

The guilty expression on Mr D's face said it all.

"I should have known," Jeremiah said, shaken to the marrow and fighting hard to keep the stinging tears at the back of his eyes.

"Son, I regret every single thing I did. I am so sorry. It was not worth it. Yes, they gave me power and money and influence for a fleeting moment. Now it's all gone with the wind. And now that the grand plan has failed, they're demanding for my soul."

"They're tormenting me day and night, sent the grim reaper, telling me my share of hell awaits me. After all I had done. Even the presidency I was eyeing, which was supposed to be the climax and to have come at the same time the gods took full control of Ivory, is gone. Death is at the corner. I can sense it."

Pity for him also washed on Jeremiah.
In that moment he knew it would be pointless to keep fighting God's demand.
What was done was done. He had to forgive his father or else he would be the one chained.

Jeremiah breathed out a big sigh.
"I forgive you, father," he said simply, meaning every word, and sat back down.
Deborah gave him a sweet smile, and his hand a squeeze that said, 'I know how hard that was for you. I'm so proud of you."

"Me too," came Rouge's small voice, "Mr real Dad."
Oh boy, Rouge obviously had lots and lots of questions.

Mr D's head shot up in disbelief. When he realized that they were sincere, his eyes watered.

"Thank you, Son, Daughter. I don't know why you're all doing this. I don't deserve this. Allow me to straighten out something."

He paused and wriggled something off his finger. His ring that bore the seal.

"Do you know what this insignia means?" he asked Ella.

She had a little idea but she decided to toss away it in order to get his.
She shook her head.

"It means the conflict and at the same time the unity between the two most essential elements to mankind. Water and fire. We all know that water and fire aren't friends. Yet if properly combined they can bring about the most productive effect," he said, eyeing the two new-found sisters.

"I want you both to hold on tight to your God. I'm going to be consumed anytime soon by infernal flames. There is no escape for me," he said in despair.

Ella's eyes clouded. "But there's hope," she said so softly that even she could barely hear herself.
"If he could deliver and redeem me, then I am sure that he can help you too."

"No, it's already too late. In any moment from now, death will have its grip on me."

"My Redeemer defeated death. If you'd just come to him like I did, then he'll rescue you. He was the one who gave me, gave all of us, the strength to forgive you."

Mr D kept silent for a long time, processing the touching info.

"Mr Drestor," Pastor Mike spoke for the first time, "I know this is hard to believe, but if you desire a second chance there's only one man who can give it to you."

"Then, show me your God. I don't think I have much time."

"His name is Jesus."

Mr Drestor cringed visibly.
He knew that name, much dreaded in the underworld.

"Then, I'm definitely doomed. He hates me. I have been an outright opponent to him by selling my soul to darkness and leading others in that same path."

Pastor Mike pressed on, "He loves you and wants you to come back and embrace his light. It doesn't matter how terrible and ugly your past might have been. Look, everyone here has their own scars from terrible pasts. Still, Jesus received our mess and showered his love on us. He's your best shot, Mr Drestor. Your only shot."

A few beats passed while Ella quietly prayed, watching the conflict in her father's face.

He sighed and said, "You're right. Take me to your Jesus. What do I have to do? What do I have to pay?"

Pastor Mike smiled.
"He already paid the price. All you have to do now is to believe and confess him as your Lord and Saviour."

~~~

The hooded grim reaper watched, boiling, as their longtime captive submitted to the enemy.

He would have struck the man dead immediately, but the burly angels that stood alert in the lounge were enough to make him cower.

Besides, his aides were very few as most of them had been snagged off during the final war.

This was indeed very annoying.

He watched the exchange, simmering, as the man's formerly-dormant guardian angel was summoned and how he placed a pure white garment on him.

"Again you have routed me and played foul, you nitwits!" the dark reaper of souls snarled at the gleaming angels.

"Back off dude. Your time here is up," Abimael, Mr Drestor's newly-activated angel, said with a smirk of triumph.

The grim reaper puffed his chest and snorted.

"Well, well, there can be a next time."

And with that, he vanished in a puff of smoke.

**********

Author's note: Hello guys, what's up? 😃
Sorry for delivering this chapter later than I intended.

I was a bit strong 🤒🤕 (You get? The Bible says let the weak say I am strong)🙂.

I think it was a combination of the fact that I got my COVID vaccine and I overstressed my body, keeping vigils to write more that I normally do.😓

Anyways, I'm back. Thanks to God who keeps healing me.😁

If you noticed any errors or plot holes, please help a sister and point them out to me. 🥴

This chapter explains the bigger picture of this entire story. Epic and full of eye-openers, right? 😄 I mean, Rouge is Ella and Jeremiah's sister?🙆 That's one twisted family tree!

I think we have just a chapter left and we'll wrap up COF. 🥺 I feel teary...

Thanks so much for your love and support for this story so far.  🤗
Your reads, votes, comments, testimonies and shares make the labour worthwhile.✨💖🌹

Just as Apostle Paul asked many times, please I urge you to keeping praying for me too:🔥🔥🔥

Romans 15:30 (KJV)  Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

Colossians 4:3 (KJV)  Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

2 Thessalonians 3:1 (KJV)  Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.

As you pray, may the Lord Almighty bless you and make it be so in your life as well. Amen. 🙏

Thanks so much peeps. I love you. 😘😘😘

God bless you.😇