Episode 14
I introduced the four pieces of
drumsticks that I had bought from a
chicken sto-re today into the boiling oil
in my enamel frying pan.
As the pieces of chicken cried, I danced
to the rhythm of the song emanating
from the television in the sitting room.
Joy! Joy!! Joy!!!
My phone rang and I went to the socket
above my microwave to check who the
caller was.
My heart started racing really bad!
Tony!
Since the blunt experience I had with
him at the Pastor’s house, i couldn’t
look into his face anymore.
I allowed the phone to ring on.
He called again but the limit alarm of
frying pan sounded so i rushed there to
turn the content, thereby missing the
call again.
I laughed… Really satisfied that i was
getting a ‘hvge’ revenge.
He tried calling again
My heart rang fast to Pastor Idile and
his wife.
Could it be that he had an urgent
message to pas-s across?
I picked the call.
“Hello” he started
“Yes?” I really didnt have much tine to
spend with someone who would tug at
my emotions and then would leave me
empty.
“How are you?”
“Fine”
“How was work today?”
I was getting bored abeg!
“Great thanks! Anything the matter?” I
asked so curtly.
“Woukd you be around for the choir
practice today?” He asked
I racked my br@in so badly.
Today is Monday for God’s sake.
Choir practice was Wednesday.
“Oh sorry… Don’t mind me” he quic-kly
replied and laughed sheepishly
“I forgot today is Monday…. But would
you be around for the Bible Study?”
Funny question
“I have never missed it” that was my
response.
Why was he behaving like that?
Was he missing me?
I shook my head at that thought.
Miss ke!
“Ok. See you then” he responded again
and I laughed.
“Why are you laughing?” He asked
“Your behavior today is weird… ”
“In what s-en-se?”
“You kept on stuttering as you spoke
and i am left to wonder if all is well”
“All is well”
I went to my g@s cooker and switched it
off.
“Are you missing me?”
I didnt know when i asked the
question.
“Yes” that c@m£ the prompt answer
and my heart dropped.
I never expected him to reply and I felt
blood gushed into my face.
“I really do miss you” he said again
My heart couldn’t bear it anymore.
I dropped the call and when it started
ringing again, I switched off my phone.
Let this guy allow me eat my
drumsticks in peace abeg!
I wasn’t just re-ady for any adrenaline
malfunction that very day!
>>>>>
The pas-sing out of the outgoing Batch A
corps members was very near so the
church decided to organize a special
Sunday service for them as a s£nd forth
package.
The serving Batch B corps members
were the ones organizing the
programme and as I got to know that
very day, Tony was the General Corpers
Liaison Officer (CLO) for that local
government so he was on the high
table.
It had been two weeks now since I last
saw Pastor Idile and when I asked
mummy, she said that he was fine and
he would be back soon.
The as-sociate pastor had been the one
in charge since then and though the
services had been power-packed, it was
nothing compared to Pastor Idile’s
vibr@ncy and authority.
I really missed him, hoping that all was
well with him since mummy was not
opening up.
“We call on our general CLO to pres£nt
his own thanksgiving message on
behalf of his outgoing colleagues” the
announcer said and there was a hvge
round of applause.
He stepped forward and I saw his
attire…oh my!
It was hvge!
Fully embroidered in pink, the well
starched and ironed brown adire cloth
hung down his slim frame.
He looked heavenly.
“Thank you Lord for this great
opportunity. Thanks to my fellow corps
member. Corpers wee o” he called out
“Waa oo” they echoed in response,
jubilating happily
“It is not my turn yet to go but you guys
have successfully ended your own
portion of service to your fatherland
and I say a bi congratulations to you
all” he started and they screamed as
they put their hands together
“You have achieved one or two things, I
am sure, right?” he asked and they all
chorused ‘Yes’
“Oyo State is a very good place to serve
o. with about 6 months still remaining
for me to spend here, I could say of all
certainty that the lord had really done
it in my own life as much.” He said and
everyone listened with ra-pt attention.
“For me, God had done it in all
ramifications. I left my job in the US to
carry out an as-signment in Nigeria and
many job opportunities are lined up in
front of me now that if I choose one, I
would just have to resign at my
working place in the US. So, in my
career, God has done it!” he announced
and everyone screamed, cl@pping.
I cl@pped too
“God used Pastor and Mrs. Idile for me
so much, guiding me in the way that I
should go and revea-ling the real truth
of God’s word to me. So, spiritually,
God has done it!
“Accommodation, relationsh!pwith
people, financially, everything, God has
done it” he said on and there were
cl@ps again
“Halleluyah!” someb©dy cried out from
the congregation.
“Also, to cap it all, the Bible says he
who finds a wife had found a good
thing and obtained favor from the
Lord. So, martially too, God has done
it!” he said, smiling happily.
Everyone stood up, cl@pping,
drumming, pla-ying different
instruments and all.
What expression was supposed to be
on my face?
Happiness?
Joy?
Should I start crying?
I felt a real jab on my che-st.
Why was I feeling this way?
Why was it too painful for me to bear?
“Tony never told me about the last
aspect of his speech o.” the as-sociate
pastor said as he took over the
microphone
There were different reactions from the
people- excitement all over!
“So should we call on him so he could
tell us what he meant by that ir so he
would tell us who the lucky lady is?”
the as-sociate pastor asked, beaming
with smiles.
How I wish the pastor knows that he is
tampering with someb©dy’s heart right
now.
How I wish!
I felt like my heart was arrested and the
rib cage ransacked and broken into
different pieces.
The pastor handed the microphone to
Tony who was just laughing as he held
it.
What a guy!
For his mind now, he thinks he is
funny o…
I hissed as myl-ips shook out of anxiety.
“Sir, I wouldn’t like to disclose her
identity now because I know the state
of her heart. She doesn’t like this kinda
public thing” he said and I sighed
de-eply
That was a nice one my guy!
I wonder what he meant before by
disclosing all about him like that, all in
the name of testimony!
The lady is lucky sha!
But I pity her o… that Tony guy is too
blunt abeg!
As I smiled to myself, satisfied that he
didn’t disclose what could have killed
me that day, I looked around me to see
if nob©dy had watched my reaction and
all and from among the congregation,
to my right hand side, I saw a solemn
face looking de-eply into my face.
I was dazed!
Who was that?
The look was not just sad…it was
attacking!
It looked like it wanted to swallow me
up.
Abigail!
Why was she looking like that?
I gave her a questioning face and tears
dropped down her face.
She wiped it quic-kly and placed her
head on the pew in front of her.
My heart jumped into my mouth.
Was anything wrong with Pastor Idile
and his wife?
None of them was around in the
church.
I stood up since all was standing and I
walked over to her side.
I placed my hands on her shoulders
gently and she turned to look at me.
As if my hands were fire, she shook my
hands off her with a great alacrity.
“What’s the problem?” I asked her
softly, trying not to interrupt the
service.
I was confused.
“Leave me alone” she said almost
loudly.
I was embarras-sed as few people
looked towards our side.
Thank God for my big stature.
With a hand covering her mouth, I
pu-ll-ed her out of the church, despite
her struggling.
Oh God!
What sort of a thing is this?
“Leave me alone” she almost screamed
I did
She looked at me and charged at me.
“Wicked, hefty monster” she cried out
and my heart froze
This was the best treble singer in the
whole church
Sister Holiness unto the Lord!
What were these words coming out of
her mouth?
Oh my goodness!
“Were we fighting before sister
Abigail?”
“Don’t sister me! Miss se-ductress!” she
continued to howl insults at me and I
felt like dying as some women leaders
were gathering alre-ady.
“Why would someone like him, choose
you over me? Why? If not because jazz
and se-duction is involved. Why?” she
started crying.
I was more than confused
What was she talking about?
“I don’t un-derstand you” I tried to say.
“Liar! You think I don’t know of your
vices? You think all your s£dûçt!veacts
eluded my eyes? You would come with
the pretence of coming to take care of
mummy but both of you would not
even…” she continued and my spirit
was vexed
That was an unclean spirit talking!
I refuse to be ignorant of the Devil’s
handiwork
“I command quietness from above
upon you unclean spirit in Jesus’
name!” I prayed from my spirit and she
held her head and screamed.
She fell to the ground while the leaders
watched on.
She started crying
“But, I am the one Tony loves…I loved
him first before you did” she said.
Now I know why she was doing this.
“You had a crush on him?” I asked and
she nodded
I pitied her
She was just like a small girl whose
lolli-pop had been snatched away from
her.
“Sorry dear. But you are wrong. I
wasn’t the one he went up stage to talk
about. I am a bit close to him too but I
am just hearing this for the very first
time” I tried to explain to her.
“It’s a lie!” she spat it into my face and
I was embarras-sed the more.
One of the leaders c@m£ to my side and
hvgged me gently
“Don’t be embarras-sed my dear. It
sometimes happened to her like that.
We have warned her against such
costly as-sumptions especially in regards
to marriage but she has roped herself
into another one, it seems. Sorry
dearie” she said, trying to pu-ll me away
with them
I was speechless!
What exactly was happening?
I don’t have anything with Tony, so
why this one?
Then, I remembered that very day we
both went to the pastor’s house and
she was trying to bar me from entering
into the house and the look on her
face…oh my!
I never even suspected much!
How Tony held my hands and pu-ll-ed
me inside, authoritatively as if I was
his…
This sister re-ad another meaning to
that action!
Oh God of mercy!
This Tony guy won’t put someone into
wahala o….what’s all these now? what?
How I wish Abigail could un-derstand
that she was not the only broken-
hearted lady crush in this case.
…I was broken hearted too