“Look, Makoti. I have something to confess,” said Maggie.

Lisa sat upright.

“Simba was cursed by a mermaid,” said Maggie, staring at the floor. Lisa opened her mouth, her eyes sparkling.

“The woman wants him for herself,” Maggie explained.

Lisa stood up and turned away.

“Woman and mermaid? How does it mix?” she asked. Her hand flew to her chest.

“He slept with a mermaid, that’s why I warned him not to go home. I was happy he came here but I wanted him with me,” she said in a low voice.

Simba was sleeping: they had put him to bed because he was acting like a crazy person.

“What did you mean when you said you wanted him with you?” asked Lisa.

Maggie walked towards her and rubbed her shoulder. She pulled Lisa slowly and they sat down gently.

“I am not a Christian but I see things,” she said slowly.

“You pray, I know, and I want you to help my brother. You are the only one who can save him,” she continued.

Lisa still didn’t understand anything at all.

“I can’t save him, only God can…” she said, welling up.

“Yes, you better pray to your God to save him.”

Lisa still couldn’t digest this thing with the mermaid. She never believed they existed, like ghosts, but she knew they were evil spirits. Maggie left but asked her to call her if Simba had any mishaps.

Lisa locked the front door and went into her bedroom to pray to God to reveal the solution to her.

“Prayer is the solution.”

“Don’t you dare, you aren’t strong!”

“Pray till something happens!”

“Young lady, remember I am more powerful than you!”

“Kneel down and call upon the helper, our God.”

Lisa could hear voices in her head. She screamed, “Hey, leave me alone! Stop confusing me, I will pray to God!”

She forced her knees down and prayed.

For the next three days Simba appeared the same but stable: he sat still like a robot, not moving or even blinking. She would help him sleep, and though his eyes were open, she could feel his breathing. There were times he wanted to jump or hit his head on the wall. He tried to get out of the house. Lisa still prayed every day after her dry fasting. She had notified Simba’s boss that he was sick. Maggie visited them but she was not happy.

“You are not praying. He would have changed long ago. Please, Lisa, my makoti, pray hard, I don’t care if you don’t sleep, just pray,” she pleaded, tears on her face.

There was a shadow of doubt that weighed heavily on Lisa’s head because of Maggie’s words. She began to wonder why God was not answering her prayers. She thought she wasn’t strong enough. She took the Bible and read about Job. Job suffered but he cried unto God. He lost a lot of things. His wife told him to curse God, but he didn’t, he cried to God for help.

She realised the battle Simba was in was not hers but God’s, and that the time wasn’t God’s time. He had his own time. She noticed that when she prayed for herself, answers took longer. But when she prayed for others, answers came sooner. She realised she was created to help others. She had to put everyone first and pray for their welfare. She knelt down and prayed. Then there was an unbearable knocking at her door, getting louder. She leaped up and opened it.

Simba’s face looked different, he looked unwell, wrinkled.

“Sorry I…I need you to teach me how to pray,” he said.

His body shivered and she held his hands and looked at him. She was happy that he finally found the light.

“Are you ready to accept Jesus as your Savior?” she asked.

He nodded his head and lifted his face up, “Yes, I need Jesus,” he murmured but he looked weak.

There was thunder and lightning that frightened them both. Lisa looked out of the window and saw that it was still bright with the sun shining. The thunder and lightning was happening in her room. She rushed and held his hands tightly as she prayed. Sweat appeared on her face as she continued praying.

The thunder got louder with lights striking inside the room. Simba looked scared and couldn’t concentrate, staring all around them. Lisa had her mouth speaking the blood of Jesus. Simba pulled his hands off when Tariro appeared in front of him as a mermaid but Lisa kept praying. She stood up like a statue then she started to shake like a tree blown by the wind. Simba couldn’t control the fear and he peed on himself slowly, with his body shivering. He was horrified. Tariro looked at him with a devilish eye. Lisa lifted up her face and saw Tariro. She held her hands tightly and continued to pray.

“Noooooooooo!” Tariro screamed as she was hit by lightning and disappeared. Simba buried his head in his hands, trembling.

The lightning and thunder stopped suddenly.

“She is gone,” he said loudly.

“She is gone.”

Lisa looked up and felt like a victor, relieved. Simba hugged her tightly.

“Thank you, Lord,” he said, with eyes pointed to the sky.

Tell us: Do you think Simba has won the battle?