Pastor Mrs. Ivie Onovo sat on the bed deep in thought, her
mobile phone lay on her ample lap. She sighed heavily as she glanced down at
the phone, this was the fifteenth threat she was receiving.
And they were all viciously worded against her husband. What
did a wonderful man like her husband ever do other than to help people and
bring them closer to Jesus? The man in question entered the room, and shrugged
off the suit he had on, it was almost midnight
and he had not eaten.
Ivie struggled up and went to him, he was tall, six feet and
several inches and broad shouldered, he made her five feet eleven inches 254 pounds body look diminutive,
she smiled as she allowed herself to be held,
“You work too hard” she murmured against his left breast.
He rubbed her back more vigorously, “only as the Lord
admonishes, someone has to do the work” he murmured kissing her upturned face,
“how was your day?” he asked quietly, “hectic, you know we had to go to the
market for the foodstuffs for the women’s Sunday banquet, then I had to rush to
your sister’s place because she wanted me to pick Urie and Jude up, then I
drove her to the airport and…”
“You’re right it was really hectic” he cut her off with a
yawn,
“Did you manage to prepare any sumptuous meal for your
starving husband?” he teased kissing her some more, “will pounded yam and
vegetable soup with stock fish and goat meat do?” she asked smiling, knowing it
was his favorite meal, “I will manage it” he replied with a straight face
before they both started laughing, she looked up at his kind face and wondered
again who the demented texter was and what a man as gentle as her husband ever
did to warrant such hateful words…
*
Tina waited patiently as elder Orosanye entered the pastor’s
office, she looked down on the book on her lap, Tim Lahaye’s Spirit-controlled
Temperament, she knew the book had helped her understand herself more. She was
more controlled and tolerant now than before, she knew the pastor had given it
to her for specific reasons and she was thankful for his insight. She smiled as
a thought came to mind. She smoothened her pleated skirt and reflexively
touched her lower abdomen. Sister Agnes, the pastor’s PA walked in noisily and
sat down behind the clustered table.
She ignored Tina who after eying her looked down on the book
on her lap again and sighed, then turning to stare pointedly at her, “sister
Agnes, I dey greet o!” she said forcing a smile, Sister Agnes raised her head
and looked at her with barely veiled hostility, “Madam I greet you back!” she
spat out and turned back to the report she was writing. She hated Tina, the
airs the stupid girl had, as if been the choir leader made her the most
important person in the whole world, if anyone should assume airs, it should be
her, after all she was the one that planned the pastor’s itinerary, yet she
tried to be humble she thought hotly. She was going to make her wait today; she
resolved and felt instantly better.
The sun was bright; the curtains moved lazily in the breeze,
the room smelt faintly of Dettol and some flowery aerosol freshener.
Aisha sniffed and tried to sit up.
She gasped as the pain shot from her navel to her lower
abdomen.
Cradling her flat throbbing stomach on her hands she blinked
the tears from her eyes and tried to look around without moving.
Her mother was sleeping, folded on the worn armchair the
color of yeast.
She wiped her tears with the back of her palm and agonized
on what to tell her mother when she woke up.
Ada stirred and sneezed twice before opening her eyes, she
groaned as she straightened stiff muscles, then staring belatedly on the bed
she met her daughter’s pensive look, rushing to her side amidst moans of pains
she dropped to one knee and took Aisha’s cold hand, kissing it she stroke her
forehead as she started to weep, “I’m so sorry I didn’t protect you better” she
whispered into the frail girl’s ear.
Aisha managed to turn
and buried her head on her mother’s neck sobbing openly.
Ada was not sure whether it was in pains or shame she wept,
it didn’t matter, her daughter was hurt and she did what any mother would do
naturally; console her.
*
“…it doesn’t matter what you’re passing through, Jesus
knows, and He’s here for you…” the choir sang on as the pastor made the altar
call, several people; in various throes of emotions were already standing in front
of the well decorated altar.
Pastor Onovo wiped the sweat from his handsome face and
beckoned to his wife to take the damp handkerchief from him as the church continued
to pray for the new converts. Sister Tina sang on, wondering how much longer
before the service ended.
She was starving.
The choir members were not allowed to eat until after church
on Sundays, she wondered if she could sneak out during the announcement period
to buy some snacks from across the church, but decided against it, it was too
open, if the other members saw her, they will tag her an unserious leader and
she wanted to be the first to see the pastor today after church.
She had waited for four hours yesterday before that cow, his
PA had told her that he had gone for a meeting in another church. The stupid
witch! She thought as she rounded up the song she was singing.
The fight started at three that afternoon.
The members of the church committee had just finished saying
the grace when they heard raised voices coming from the pastor’s office which
was two doors away from the boardroom where they were.
Elder Bartholomew Esezobor reacted first, he quickly yanked
the door open and waddled towards the noise, Elder Chinyere Uko who was behind
him pushed him aside and ran headlong into the office.
They all stopped when they saw it was the pastor’s wife and
Sister Tina.
They all stared at each other shrugging, helplessly.
Everyone knew of the animosity between them, “you are the devil’s incarnate!!”
Pastor Ivie shouted shrilly as she moved closer to Tina, shoving her with her
shoulder, Tina staggered back,
“And you are a barren cow!”
Elder Chinyere threw her skinny frame between them, “please
pastor Ivie calm down” she had to shout to be heard, the men took cues from her
and started pulling the two screaming women apart.
They were able to calm them down after a while, when Elder Jude
Orosanye, the oldest and the wealthiest in the committee asked what transpired,
the shouting match started again. It took a bellow from retired engineer Kufre,
the most educated member of the board, as he always loved to say to shut them
up. Silenced, Tina started to cry, elder Chinyere hugged her and asked what was
wrong, it was unusual to see her cry.
“I just wanted to inform this dried cow that I was going to
be a blessing for her home when she attacked me!”
“You are a curse to your generation, imagine this witch! God
Forbid!!” Pastor Ivie shouted trying again to reach Tina; she was held back,
“what kind of blessing?” Elder Ekanem Udo, who had been a silent observer since
asked, he was after all the treasurer of the church if there was something that
will profit the church, he wanted to know about it, Tina sniffed and looked
around self consciously, “I am pregnant for Pastor Patrick” she said, wiping
her nose, Ivie made another dash to hit her as the five elders stood stunned
staring at her, “which Pastor Patrick?” Elder Chinyere asked, she knew that
there was a youth pastor, recently ordained who was also called Patrick.
“The Pastor of this church, Pastor Patrick Onovo!”
“You are a big liar! You hear? Tell the devil that he has
failed!!”
“I am not lying, you stupid fat cow!”
“You want to tarnish the name of God’s own servant, you will
fail, you hear? Spiritual wickedness in high places!”
“Look at the witch calling me wickedness; are you not wicked
for sucking the pastor dry all these years and you have nothing to show for it?
Eh? Answer me now!”
The elders looked at each other then Elder Kufre stepped
forward, “brethren, let us stop hurling accusations around, let us sit down and
discuss this like matured adults” there was a collective yes from the other
elders, “ah, my elders you want to take this witch seriously?” Ivie asked,
“Pastor Ivie, let us just sit down and discuss it” Elder Chinyere cajoled.
They all filed out of the pastor’s office and made
their way back to the boardroom, Sister Agnes, who had been hiding under her
desk got up and clapped her hands together, “nnsogbu di na Katanga!” she muttered as she started to pack up for
home in feverish excitement.TO BE CONTD...
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