Congo Inc. by In Koli Jean Bofane

Author:In Koli Jean Bofane
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Published: 2018-11-19T16:00:00+00:00

“Are you done?”

“Almost, Reverend.”

A machine made to count banknotes was finishing up rustling hundred-dollar bills.

“How much?”

“A little less than last Sunday, Reverend.”

“God Almighty!”

The Reverend Jonas Monkaya had just returned to his office after shaking hands, giving lots of advice and blessings to the faithful who had approached him at the end of the service. He was standing in front of a large table behind which sat Brother Kasongo, half hidden by a pile of tens of thousands of Congolese francs and dollars. The pastor was wearing a dark gray Armani suit and a pair of black J. M. Weston shoes with a buckle on the side. He took a pair of Cartier glasses from his breast pocket and scrutinized the Congolese francs, careful not to touch them, since many of them were in deplorable state. Then he grabbed a wad of hundred-dollar bills, smelled them with closed eyes, and delicately put them down again.

“Brother Kas, this won’t work anymore. That Church of Heavenly Abundance won’t stop taking shares of the market from us. I had a premonition that the launching of that congregation would cause me harm. If it keeps going this way, you’ll soon see them listed on the stock market.”

“But, Reverend,” the deacon intervened, “we can’t complain; we did take in enough money to cover our expenses, and quite comfortably at that.”

“Let’s talk about that, shall we? Everything is going up: electricity, water, maintenance, food donations for the poor, my entertainment allowance, trips to every corner of the world to spread the gospel. It’s no easy task, Deacon.”

“I agree, Reverend. We should pray more, call upon the Lord.”

“Brother Kas, you really think I was waiting for you to suggest I do so? I have prayed, the Lord heard me, and I had a vision. Listen carefully. I was dozing; it was late. Suddenly I heard sobbing and I sat up. I saw a people in chains, captive, a luckless situation. Just like our financial one, which hasn’t been increasing for a long time now. Where were these people held prisoner? You’ll never guess. In Egypt, Brother Kas! How do I know?”

“Because you saw Moses as a baby in a basket?”

“No, Brother Kas. What I did see, under a blinding sun, was a gigantic golden pyramid that towered high up into the sky. And Moses? That was me, in a night-blue shantung suit by Hugo Boss. I was delivering God’s people by erecting the highest pyramid ever—not one of those built by clambering slaves, but one created for the bold: the financial pyramid that will yield more than we can hope for. Deacon, what would you say if I were to give you a quarter of what’s on this table, in one fell swoop?”

“Halleluiah!”

“Exactly. Imagine that in order to receive this money it would be enough for you to wager one-hundredth of the sum this quarter represents. What would you do?”

“I’d bring that one-hundredth to the offering plate, dancing and singing, carried along by the joyful prospect of receiving a lot of money.

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