Did turning down Apostle Elkana’s prayers jinx us?

With the just ended 2023 KCPE being the last KCPE, it was always going to be special. And the fact that this was the first national examinations with me as a full HM was significant.

If you remember well, we had denied Apostle Elkana, The Revered Principal Spiritual Superintendent of THOAG (The Holiest of All Ghosts) Tabernacle Assembly, an opportunity to bless students with his expensive anointing oil, instead using a young but simple Anglican Church pastor to pray.

Apostle Elkana did not give up, he kept calling me over last weekend, but I did not answer. On Saturday evening, my father came to see me. My father doesn’t see me unless there is something special.

After beating around the bush for sometime, he came to the main points. He had been sent by Apostle Elkana. 

“My son, the good apostle is the reason why you are somebody today; you cannot just abandon him like that,” he said.

He went only to remind me that the Apostle is a prophet and if he tells one that he is seeing something ahead, one needs to listen.

I told him that I had not stopped Apostle Elkana from praying; we just had no money to pay him, or to buy his anointing oil.

“We did not ask parents to collect any money,” I said.

“I understand that, son,” my dad said. “But you are not just an ordinary person. You are a headmaster of a school, with a budget. You can find a way.”

I told him that there is no vote head for prayers or anointing oil, as the government gave funds to schools but for a specific reason.

“I know that, my son, but the Apostle is ready to get you a receipt for whatever vote head you want,” he concluded.

“There will be no trouble.” 

I stood my ground.

On Sunday morning, the apostle called me to say that he was now ready to pray and bless the students with anointing oil on Monday for free.

“I bought the oil for them, and God had talked to me and told me that the oil must be used for what it was meant for. God will pay me in heaven,” he said.

I consulted Kuya, who advised against that saying that we would confuse the students. I did not get back to Apostle Elkana, nor did I pick his calls.

On Tuesday morning, as the centre manager, I went early to go pick the exams. There were two exams, KCPE and KPSEA (Kenya Primary School Education Assessment) for grade 6 learners.

On our way back, a boda-boda rammed into us. It wasn’t a serious thing, as the police car only had some minor scratches. But the boda-boda rider, seeing he had hit a police car, took off. A crowd milled around, but we left shortly after.

News of the accident spread fast, and as we drove to school, I considered calling Apostle for the prayers. Indeed, I had an SMS from two teachers asking me that we call Apostle Elkana to avoid more problems.

Meanwhile, in school there was another problem. One of the candidates, Rasto’s grandson had not arrived, just half an hour before the examinations began.

I called Alex, one of our teachers, who came to school, and I told him to do whatever was needed to bring Clement to school.

Clement’s mother was married two villages away and Alex suspected that the boy, afraid of KCPE, could have gone to visit the mother.

He was right, for he met the mother bringing the boy back. They arrived just 5 minutes before the first paper began.

Other than that, the exam went on well. That evening Apostle Elkana sent me an SMS saying that were it not for his prayers, the boda-boda rider would have killed me.

“There is still time to bless the school,” he added.

I did not respond.

On Wednesday, I picked the papers with no incident.

On arriving at school, however, the deputy HM, Kuya, had not arrived. And he was unreachable. This was a challenge since as per the rules, he was the manager of the KPSEA examinations, and I needed to hand over the exams to him.

I consulted and was told that I could delegate. I immediately called Alex who came, and we briefed him about exam procedures then handed him the papers to continue with other invigilators.

I was engrossed in KCPE and was called at 10am to go sort an issue with KPSEA. I rushed there and found Kuya and Alex quarrelling. From the look of things, blows had been exchanged.

“I know Dre prefers you, but right now I am the deputy HM and I am responsible for KPSEA examinations. Go home!” Kuya was telling Alex as I arrived.

Kuya was not amused that Alex had been called in to stand in for him. And Alex had refused to hand over back to him.

I had to intervene.

“It is true that as the deputy, you are in charge but for today, since you came late, the manager of exams is Alex.”

Kuya differed with me.

“Yes, I came late but I am here. Why is he still in charge?”

I told him that according to the rules, the person who unsealed the papers must be the one to complete the process.

Disappointed, Kuya left, and we finished the day with Alex, smoothly.

That evening, Apostle Elkana sent me a message telling me to expect more trouble on the last day, unless we allowed him to pray for us.

On Thursday, the last day of the exams, one of the candidates did not turn up, and we proceeded with the exams without her.

We would later learn that she had eloped with a boda-boda rider, and they had left for Nairobi that morning.

The end of KCPE was a big relief from me. Although nothing serious had happened, I am wondering if things could have been different had we allowed Apostle Elkana to pray!

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