Madam Kate was a strong woman. She was a widow with three children. Her husband died many years ago. He was a rich man, but he had seven wives. When he died, many of his family fought for his property
But Madam Kate was lucky. Her husband gave her four buildings in a rural area before he died. She kept the papers. Those four buildings were the only thing she got from the man. She started renting the houses and using the money to feed her children, pay school fees, and take care of them.
Madam Kate did not have a regular job. She wanted to work but she also needed to stay home for her kids. So she focused on taking care of them and collecting rent from her houses. Life was not easy, but she was managing.
One day, the state government announced that they wanted to develop the area where Madam Kate's houses were. They wanted to build a big road and some new buildings.
When Madam Kate heard this, her heart broke. If the government did this, all her buildings would be destroyed. She had no other income, no other house, and nowhere to go with her children.
Not long after, two of her houses were demolished. She cried bitterly. She went to the office of the people doing the project. She begged them, "Please, leave at least one of the buildings for me and my children. We have nowhere else to go."
One officer there checked the map and said, "Only one building can be adjusted. But you must pay a big amount of money so we can change the plan."
Madam Kate did not have the money. She ran around, begged people, and tried to borrow. but no one helped her.
At last, she remembered her late husband's old friend—James. She went to him to beg for help.
But James was a wicked man. Even when her husband was alive, James always wanted to sleep with her. He smiled when she came. "I will give you the money," he said, "but on two conditions."
"What condition?" she asked.
"You will pay me with interest, and you must spend three nights with me."
Madam Kate felt pain in her heart. She did not want to do it. But she had no choice. Her children would suffer if she lost that building. She agreed.
She slept with James and got the money. She paid the officer quickly. The officer promised to leave one building for her.
But two days later, another rich man came to the officer. His house was on the other side. He also wanted his house to be spared. The officer said they could shift the road again, but it would affect Madam Kate's last two buildings.
The man said, "I will pay five times what Madam Kate paid."
The officer agreed and collected the money.
Two weeks later, Madam Kate came back from the market and saw that her last two buildings were destroyed.
She screamed. Her three children were crying. They were now homeless.
From that day, Madam Kate and her kids started sleeping under a bridge.
Madam Kate and her three children had nowhere to go.
All their houses were gone. Everything they had was lost. So they started sleeping under a bridge not far from the area they used to live.
Life under the bridge was hard and dangerous. The place was dirty. There was no toilet, no good water, and no safety. Every night, Madam Kate held her children close so nothing would happen to them
Her children—Joy, Femi, and Peace—tried their best to be strong. Sometimes they went out to beg for food. Sometimes kind people gave them leftover food. Other times, they slept hungry.
Rain fell on them, sun beat them, and they had no rest. But Madam Kate still prayed and hoped for better days.
One day, something terrible happened.
It was a cold night. Madam Kate and her children were trying to sleep when suddenly they heard gunshots. Pa! Pa! Pa! Loud sounds filled the air.
A group of armed robbers had attacked a bank nearby. The police arrived and there was a heavy shootout between the robbers and the police. The whole area was in panic.
Madam Kate shouted, "Lie down! Lie down flat!" She covered her children with her body.
But suddenly, one bullet flew from nowhere.
It hit Joy, her first daughter.
Joy screamed once… and then became silent.
Blood poured from her side. Madam Kate turned and saw her daughter not moving.
"Joy! Joy!! Talk to me!" she cried. But Joy was gone. She died instantly.
Madam Kate held her dead child and cried through the night. People gathered in the morning and helped bury Joy by the riverside.
From that day, something changed in Madam Kate.
She stopped talking much. She looked into the sky every day, with red eyes full of pain and anger.
She said one thing over and over:
"I will not forgive. I will take revenge."
She remembered everything—how the officer took bribe and destroyed her houses, how James used her body when she was helpless, and how they all left her to suffer.
She swore in her heart that she would not die until she made them pay.
She made up her mind to look for spiritual power—no matter the cost.