Prison Apostle

By Vutlhari Tlakula

This is the story of a man named Jackie, who has just arrived from the city to his hometown with his wife of two years. Jackie has been a Christian for two years, and is totally sold out to the things of God. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of his wife Trudy, who does all that she can to prevent him from pursuing ministry. One early morning just before dawn, Jackie stumbles on the dead body of his long-time friend Nel. He makes mistakes about the crime scene that land him a ten-year prison sentence. Discouraged, disillusioned and almost bitter, he embarks on a spiritual journey of self-discovery and seeking answers to the events befalling him. In the process he experiences several spiritual encounters that give him a different outlook of his prison term. He is confronted by the powerful forces behind the thriving drug business behind bars. He begins to deal with one confrontation after another, from both the spiritual and physical realms. The embodiment of the thriving evil behind bars goes by the name of Olu. Olu has a host of prisoners and prison wardens at his beck and call, being empowered by the powers bestowed on him by the prince of the kingdom of darkness. Jackie's assignment from God is to turn this particular prison into a garden spot of God. Is this going to be an easy task? Read about the sacrifices, the pain, the confrontations, the threats, the deaths that it takes for purpose to be realised.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vutlhari Tlakula
• Release date: Jan 31, 2015
• ISBN: 9780620644044

Vutlhari Tlakula

I am a former professional teacher, a business management consultant and administrator , a church administration consultant, an accredited trainer and assessor, a motivational speaker, author and editor. I am also a passionate teacher of the word of God. I am based in South Africa - born and bred in the province of Limpopo, and have been involved in editorial work for several works not of my own, content writing and editing. When I am not busy writing I occupy my time with training people and giving advice on different issues that include business, education, and spirituality. I enjoy viewing life analytically rather than accepting things and events at face value. I always strive to keep my writing of fiction works at more than just entertaining, seeking to feed my readers with valuable lessons about life.

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PRISON APOSTLE

Copyright 2015 Vutlhari Tlakula

Published by Vutlhari Tlakula at Smashwords

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ISBN 978-0-620-64404-4

Preface

Reader, I am so glad that you managed to secure a copy of my work for your pure enjoyment. I have spent countless hours, days, weeks and months to prepare this work only to make sure that it lands in your hands perfect and second to none. This is the first of my many more works of fiction, or Christian fiction if you will, to come. But as you should know, there are many valuable lessons to be learned from works of fiction, and my desire is that you learn as much as there is to learn from this one. This one was concocted with you in mind. I do not only want you to be entertained, but I also want you to see life in another dimension.

As you go through this work you will realise that I adopted an unusual style of narration in that I maintain the tense in the present. The reason for this is so that the work may perpetually stay current, and create the effect of you seeing the events as they unfold in your mind’s eye. Each time you pick up the work to read, it must be events that are taking place now, and you are there watching them unfold.

At the end of this work are contact details that you can use to connect with me and share your thoughts on the work. I will greatly appreciate all comments, praises, suggestions and constructive criticism. And when you are done, why not take a moment or two to visit your favourite retailer’s site and just leave a review of this work? That will, amongst other things, encourage me to be more creative in the works that will be following this one. And whist at that, why not also recommend the work to your friends via any form of media that you have at your disposal?

Jackie is a man that returned from the city to his hometown. He lives with his wife Trudy, and has been a Christian for two years. One fateful night he leaves home in disagreement with his wife and goes to attend a half-night prayer meeting. On his way home from the prayer meeting he stumbles upon the dead body of his long-time friend Nel. He makes mistakes that change the course of his life forever. Find out how Jackie turns his prison stay around and walks into his destiny filled with adventure. In this story you will learn how to make every misfortune, including the shameful ones, work for your good and for the good of others around you. A must read for everyone wanting to understand how purpose can unfold from unexpected events.

Let me not keep you in suspense over this work because I know that by now you just want to devour every letter in here just for your enjoyment. Please, by all means, be my guest…

CHAPTER 1

Hi, Jackie. Been a while since I last saw you, man.

Bet it’s been, Nel. How you keepin’?

Good, dawg. Just a bit bored. Don’t know what to do with myself. Got any idea? Maybe we could make a turn at the local tavern and see how we can kill time, don’t you think? Nel, having never seen Jackie in three years since he went to the city has no clue about his friend’s latest lifestyle.

No will do, dawg. I’m not into that anymore.

What d’you mean ‘anymore’? Somethin’ you wanna tell me?

Sure, dawg. I don’t do that stuff anymore. I’m a Christian now.

Boring, man. Whoever does away with the groovy life? That is so past tense, man. C’mon.

I’m serious, dawg. Just hang ’round me for a while and you’ll see that I’m for real.

What happened? So you’re pastor now? Man, come on, get real. There’s nothin’ like that in this our world. Maybe back then in the Jesus world. But now, everybody wanna have a bite on the good life.

Maybe so, dawg, but I happen to live in one so real to me you won’t believe it; and I’m no pastor either, but Christian I am, and with a capital ‘C,’ dawg.

Man, what they showed you? Have you forgotten how booze tastes? And what about them babes, have you forgotten all about that?

Nel, if you looking for company in that, you’re knockin’ on the wrong door, dawg. Just hang ’round for a while and you’ll see what I mean.

Let’s be serious, Jackie, what exactly happened to you? Who managed to score on you, man?

God did, dawg. Even though you may find it hard to believe, but I’ve been livin’ right for two years now.

Does anything good ever come out from Jo’burg, dawg?

I’m one of those, dawg. What I never dreamt would happen to me did happen. I was in church with my girlfriend one day, on one of those ‘try-to-please-her’ dates to church, and the preacher spoke as though he knew who I was and where I came from. I could tell he was talkin’ to me although he didn’t know me. I couldn’t resist the spirit with which he spoke, and when he gave the invitation, without givin’ it a second thought, my hand went up.

This sounds serious, observes Nel.

Sure. More serious than death. In a minute I found myself standin’ in the altar, givin’ my life to Jesus. Now He’s Lord and reignin’ in my life. Same can happen to you if you let Him take over.

Take over what, dawg?

Your life, dawg. It’s people like you that need a Saviour, you know. I let Him take over my life, and now I’m born again, and I’m also married to that same girlfriend I was tryin’ to please.

Marriage? You’re really into it, aren’t you? You could never get me there.

One thing I’ve learned in the past two years, dawg, is to never say ‘never.’

That’ll work for me while I still have a chance, asserts Nel.

Lord have mercy… But Nel doesn’t let him finish that prayer before he begins saying his see you then, if the Lord allows it mocking farewell.

Jackie was hoping he could minister to his best friend of many years, but obviously Nel is not in the mood for church. He only wants to see himself in the tavern having some fun, even if it means that he would have to do it without his old friend Jackie.

This is a Tuesday evening, and Jackie has to attend an evening prayer meeting that was organised by the local church that he has been attending since he came back to the township near this little town of Henrinna. Jackie has been around for a week now, having returned with his wife of two years, Trudy. He plans on never returning to the city for work anymore, but wants to be involved in a small business of his own to see how far he would go in life.

Though it’s only been two years that he has been a devoted Christian, he is totally into the things of God it has begun to bother the very wife that invited him into it. Trudy has begun to feel like her husband might end up as some sort of a preacher, and might expose them to the suffering she witnessed many preachers and their wives enduring, and she is not prepared for that. She has begun to feel like Jackie is no longer giving her as much attention as he used to before he got himself so deep into Christianity.

The evening prayer meeting is scheduled to start at ten o’clock and continue till three in the morning. Jackie has informed his wife of his intention to attend the prayer meeting, hoping that she would agree to go with him. However, the wife is not in the mood for the prayer as she fears her husband might get even more committed to what she dreaded the most: him hearing God and about him going into full time ministry. So she decides that she does not want to go, hoping that she would discourage him and keep him from attending.

Tru, please let’s go together to this prayer meetin’, pleads Jackie.

No, Jay, I don’t feel like goin’ tonight, and I wish you could stay and not go too. I have a steamy night lined up for us, and I’ll be very disappointed if you drop me on this one. Please…

C’mon, Tru, you know how important this is not just for me, but for both of us. With the way I’m feeling inside regarding this township, it will be a mistake if we venture into anything without proper spiritual preparation in prayer.

Jay, I told you that I’m not prepared to be preacher’s wife. I don’t wanna go through the hell I have seen those people going through, not if I can help it, protests Trudy.

I thought you should be the one encouraging me into this. Besides, there are still three hours left before we go there, and any steamy line-up for the evening could as well start now so that both of us can have our needs catered for. We can go fifty-fifty for each other, what d’you think? he asks, gently pulling her closer to him, ready to kiss her and let the steamy evening begin.

No…, Jay. I’m serious. There’s no fifty-fifty. Let’s just stay and have the whole night to ourselves, she says, turning her face away from him so he should not kiss her. Jackie feels a punch inside as she turns away from him, and decides that maybe she would relent with a bit of persistence.

C’mon, Tru, please don’t be like that…, he pleads further, trying harder to get her to succumb to his suggestion. But it seems she is in no mood for that.

Jay, please do not force me to do what you want.

Tru Babe, I thought that’s what you want, and starting it now would allow us to both have our needs met, he says, picking her up the way he did during their honeymoon two years back and gently laying her on the bed.

Do you want to rape me, Jay? I said I’m not interested in this fifty-fifty of yours. So please, cut it out, and if you insist I will lay a charge against you, she says, resisting and looking more serious than she did a few seconds earlier.

Charge me with what, Babe? Jackie asks, perplexed.

With rape, of course.

Wow that’s a first! How d’you ever accuse your husband of rape? he asks, wondering what is going on in her mind.

Push it further and you’ll see, she threatens, with an unusual look on her face that makes him wonder where all this is leading.

C’mon, Babe…, and before finishing that sentence he feels a hot blow landing on his face. He tries to hold her and stop her from what she seems determined to do. That causes her to take it more personally and begin a cold war, venting all the frustration that she had bottled inside for some weeks about the possibility of him winding up in full time ministry.

Tru…! but before he finishes that one too, more blows of frustration begin to land on him, and this time she is on her feet, fighting a man that is still surprised at what is going on with his wife. She throws a heavy fist that was aimed at his face, which he ducks and it lands on the open door of the built-in wardrobe. Unfortunately for her, she hits the door so hard with her wrist, and turns back to bed in so much pain. As she falls back into bed in pain she hits her head just above the left eye against the wall.

Jackie, why did you do this? I’ll have you arrested! she begins accusing him of assault now that she had two objects that hit her.

Babe… what’s wrong? Why you doin’ this? Was that necessary? Jackie tries to hold her to himself in a bid to comfort her.

Leave me alone, you beast! she retorts, not accepting comfort. She begins to sob from the pain in her wrist and head. In a few seconds she had developed a blue-eye above her left eye. She had not noticed it while she felt more pain on the wrist that felt like it was dislocated, but when she looks in the mirror and sees the bruise, she is even more infuriated, You won’t get away with this, you beast!

Babe, what’s wrong? What have I done? he asks, more perplexed than ever at even what she is calling him.

The police will know about this…, she says, sobbing with her head on a pillow.

Baby, I’m sorry. What’s going on here? Did I do or say somethin’ I’m not aware of? he says, wondering what it is that has to do with the police in all that transpired. He tries to move closer and touch her.

Don’t touch me…, she protests, pulling her arms away.

Oh, are we so touchy…! he wonders at her strange behaviour. "Anyway, I’ll leave you to yourself as you wish. You’ll call for me when you need me. I guess