A candle in the wind
Episode 2….
I heard on knock on the pew which I
was seated on. My eyes still firmly shut,
I smiled.
“Is that Jesus?” I asked, very happily.
Jesus had come to speak to me in a
very different way. Wonderful!
“Speak on Lord. You daughter
listeneth” I said when I didn’t hear any
sound.
“Very funny. Ok, it’s not Jesus o. It’s
His son” I heard a wonderful male
voice.
Eyes still shut, I racked my br@in.
Jesus’ son?…Jesus has a son ?
Still in my fantasy, i asked on.
“Angel, you mean?” I asked and I heard
a very loud laughter.
I opened my eyes wi-dely but it was
blurry because I had closed my eyes
firmly for a very long time.
When my sight cleared, right in front
me was Tony!
He had drawn a plastic chair and was
seated, staring into my face with a
funny smile on his face. He obviously
was not done ma-king jest of me and I
felt so foolish.
“Sis. Precious, you are supposed to be
in the drama unit. You can really act”
he said and I smiled
What could I say now so this brother
wouldn’t think me weird?
“Well, you wouldn’t un-derstand” I
managed to say and he smiled again.
The way his cheeks raised whenever he
smiled was beautiful and my heart
stirred again.
“I can relate to that. We just get to a
point where we are so confused that
we just want God to speak to us. We
become so desperate that God just
calms down and says, if I don’t talk to
her, let’s see if she would still stay.” He
said and I smiled
“Hmmmm, that’s profound!” I nodded
as the words sunk into my skulls.
“Yes my sister. When we so de-sire that
he speaks probably so we could br@g
about it to our neighbors that God said
this or that to us, he withholds his
voice. Then, when we do not expect, he
would speak, he drops it gently and he
waits to see who cares to even notice
what He had done” he said on and I
watched on with great awe.
He paused and smiled
“Sister Precious” he called out and I
woke up from my fantasies again.
“Continue my brother. I am being
blessed” I said and he laughed, clasping
his hands together
“I am not a pastor o. this look you are
giving me be like say you think say I be
one kind apostle” he said again and we
laughed together
“But really, that was de-ep. So so
thoughtful! God bless you” I prayed
heartily
“You are very funny Sis Precious.
Whenever I see you, you remind me of
my mum. Your stature, your clichés,
your voice, your long hair, and your
funny talks, everything, just like her!”
he said and I blu-shed
“That’s wonderful.” Was the only
s£ntence I could utter
“Yes…why haven’t you been coming for
the choir practice? I had wanted to ask
for a long time now but whenever I
looked at your side when the service
ends, you would have gone. God held
you down for me this morning” he said
again and I shook my head.
Only if you know what these praises of
yours is doing to my heart right now.
plea-se, just st©p abeg!
I st©pped because I couldn’t face you!
Because of you
These thoughts filled my head but I
shook then off and smiled
“I will resume soon. I just had to step
aside for a while. Thanks for your
concern” I said and he smiled
“Ok ma. Thanks too” he said and he
stood up.
I felt bad of a sudden. I hope I hadn’t
said something that had made him feel
bad o.
“Which side are you going to if I could
give you a lift?” I asked in
compensation and he smiled
“Iwo-Road area” he responded, looking
down at me. He is quite tall…nice one!
“Ok. Let’s go” I said and as I tried to
start, I felt something we-t down my
Sk-irt.
Jesus!
Stains…Blood Stains? Oh no! Not at this
point.
I was wearing a white Sk-irt since I used
heavy flow pad in the morning with the
mind that there couldn’t be any stain…
What $h!t!
“Is anything the problem?” he asked,
concern written on his face.
“No. Let’s go” I didn’t want to appear
foolish. It might be the sweat that was
ma-king me feel we-t. I stood up
suddenly, checked the white pew and
nah! It was soa-ked with blood. I sat
down right back in the chair. My
perspiration started. My heart started
beating fast.
Oh why today o God!
“What happened that you suddenly sat
down?” He asked and I smiled faintly,
obviously embarras-sed but grateful
that he didn’t see it.
“I just realized that I wasn’t done with
the prayers I was doing, I was praying
for someb©dy when you interrupted” I
said. Was that a lie? Well, maybe
p@rtly. Forgive me Lord. I just had to
do it.
“Ok then. Thanks for the offer then.
Pray for me too o” he smiled again as
he walked away.
I heaved a sigh of relief.
“Let’s just as-sume that he is the person
sef, would this be the right way for him
to see me? Stained with my own blood?
No, that would only show him how
careless I am. I wouldn’t want that” I
said aloud, laughing with satisfaction
that I was not caught.
But I do I get out of the church like
this?
I turned back and saw some men
counting the offering and all…why
wouldn’t they do that in the office ehn?
I turned forward and saw some others
too, discussing in groups. What do I do
oh my redeemer? I am done for right?
There was a tap at my shoulder and I
looked up- Tony
“Yes?” I asked, almost sharply. He
smiled
“You were supposed to be praying” He
said, almost in a challenging tone
“Yes and you are intruding” I said
defiantly. What a bother! He smiled
once more
“I have this for you. I thought of
s£nding someone but I found nob©dy
around. plea-se, don’t be offended” he
said, dropped a black polythene bag on
the white chair before me and off he
went before I could say a word.
I was perturbe-d.
What could be in the bag?
I opened and the contents of the bag
dazed me, leaving me in total shock!
A new pack of sanitary pad, a small
white towel, four sachets of water, a
roll of tissue paper and a small white
wra-pper.
Tears streamed down my face.
Was I supposed to be angry at this guy
now or be appreciative? Which?
What an embarras-sing day to
remember for me oh God!
A paper fell from the bag and I picked
it up.
I unfolded it even as tears clouded my
eyes.
“I am sorry. I just seemed to find out. A
medical doctor would just know!”
Geez!
Is this guy for real right now?
I folded myself in the corner where I
was seated as if something should take
a hold of me and make me disappear!
A candle in the wind
Episode 3
It was raining so profusely…
As the wipers of my car wiped the
heavenly tears of rain off my car, I
switched on the heater of my car and
hummed ‘Amazing Grace’ so happily as
my alre-ady cold-infested b©dy c@m£
back to life gradually.
Though the road throu-gh the
wilderness that I was driving throu-gh
was rou-gh, I kept on driving
confidently.
I didn’t even know where I was going
to…
Just then, I saw some images afar off
and I slowed down to get a closer view.
When I couldn’t get a proper view, I
drove closer and peeped throu-gh the
window.
Who am I seeing?
Jesus Christ!
Mrs. Idile, my pastor’s wife was seated
on a gossip chair on the road fully
drenched in rain. She was shaking so
vehemently as her teeth gnashed
against themselves.
I drove closer to her side but as I
opened the door , the breeze from the
windy rain was too much that I had to
close it back hurriedly.
How do I approach her?
Why was she in the rain being beaten
that way?
Where is her car?
What about her caring husband?
Taking another look at her, I knew that
I had to do something if I didn’t want
to lose her.
A puddle of water was alre-ady forming
round her and if care wasn’t taken, she
would be swept away completely.
I looked behind me, pu-ll-ed my rain
coat from the back seat and put it on. I
turned the ignition key and opened the
door. Cold breeze rushed inside but I
had to do this.
As I jammed the car door, Mrs. Idile
looked up at me. She was shivering
severely. I noticed that her tummy was
protruding and I was shocked.
Mummy Idile is pregnant?…i never
knew!
Then, she smiled…
Oh that affectionate smile capable of
calming a raging storm no matter how
big in one’s heart!
But that smile…just like the one I saw
on Sunday…herl-ips were blue!
I ran towards her.
“Mummy!” I screamed, very scared. I
held her hand and they were like ice.
“Sister Precious” she called out in a
husky voice, still smiling.
“Mummy, what is happening to you?
Exactly what?” I asked, really
concerned
“It is well my sister” she said,
stretching her very wrinkled hands to
pat my back.
I withdrew from her t©uçh
When did her hands become this
wrinkled?
Jesus is Lord!
“Mummy, where is daddy? Why are
you alone?” I asked again, a weird
s-en-sation running down my spine.
She smiled as tears rushed down her
eyes.
Though it was raining, I still could
distinguish her teary face as her face
had gone red. She pointed at her left
side and I looked beside her.
Just beside her!…my pastor!
He was in a very small glas-sy shed that
looking comfortable, mere looking at it.
He was helping some men and women
to get into the same shed. He was
smiling, hvgging and praying for them
and they were all happy together.
“What! Mummy, go inside” I shouted
out of frustration. She smiled and
shook her head in the negative. She
pointed to the shed and I went closer
to it. The inscription on the shed
almost made me mad!
FULL!
What is full when I could still see
empty seats inside.
“Daddy!” I called out, very sharply. I
was enraged. The pastor looked at me,
very happily and opened the glas-sy
door for me.
“Come in my sister” he said but I shook
my head.
“I brou-ght my car sir. But mummy is
outside. Can’t she come inside?” I asked
and he peeped outside
“Which mummy?” he asked and I
shook my head, greatly disappointed
“Your wife sir” he said and he smiled.
“Mummy would be fine. We have to
tend to the sheep first. If you notice, no
family member is in here. That was
why I s£nt all the children abroad so
that mummy can have time for herself.
I must work the work of him that s£nt
me while it is day, the night cometh
when no man can work” he said and
closed the door with a great thud.
I was shaken!
I looked behind me to look at her side
and I was shocked- she had fallen to
her back!
Lord have mercy!
I ran closer to where she was and
lifeless as she looked, I saw blood
streaming down her legs- she was
bleeding!
“Jesus, have mercy!” I screamed loudly.
I was so confused as to what to do. I
didn’t have any knowledge of
medicine, and I couldn’t even think
straight.
“What to do Lord? What to do?” I cried
as the rain fell ha-rder.
I heard the sound of an approaching
car and looked back.
It was my car!
Who was driving it?
Why are these weird things happening
today?
I was holding my car keys few minutes
ago. Where is the bunch of keys now?
The car door opened and a guy jumped
out- Tony!
I was astounded!
He smiled as he looked at me and
immediately wore a frown as he saw
Mrs. Idile.
I was shocked as I watched on.
I checked the cloth he was putting on-
exactly the same Ankara print as mine.
He was looking really good and the
rainfall was good on him- he looked
cute!
“MMR, leave way” He said as he
pushed me aside gently. He smiled and
gave me a big umbrella. I unfolded it
and it was big enough to cover the
three of us.
MMR? What was that?
As he held Mrs. Idile and felt her
temperature, I c@m£ back to life and
concentrated on the dying minister of
God.
He felt her pulse with his stethoscope
and he looked at me, shaking his head.
Tears rolled down his face.
“What?” I screamed, throwing the
umbrella away. I pu-ll-ed at his shi-t and
he just shook his head on and on,
looking downwards.
“We lost her” he dropped the bomb
and I almost ran mad.
“Lost who?” I asked and he nodded
again. I screamed as I held on to her,
crying profusely.
“Mummy, I never knew you were
dying. I never knew you were in the
rain alone. I would have rushed here to
pick you up. I really would have” I
cried and as Tony pu-ll-ed me with his
right hand, the rain st©pped abruptly
and the people in the shed started
trooping out. They rushed to the corpse
and wailed, trying to console the
pastor.
“Why console him? He killed her! The
pastor killed her!” I screamed with all
my strength as if my life depended on
how loud my voice was.
But nob©dy seemed to hear me…
I looked at Tony who only pu-ll-ed me up
and as-sisted me into the car. He la-id
me at the back seat while he entered
the driver’s seat. As he turned the
ignition key, the heater resumed work,
b!owing with a very calming alacrity.
I sat up to check the scene I just left
and I saw them laying her down into
the grave
“Mummy Pastor! She can’t be dead!
Mummy Pastor! She can’t be dead oh
God!”
I screamed on…