STORY BY DEBORAH PAUL
PASTOR FEMI
EPISODE 11
subtitle: silence
All the way from Abuja down to kogi state, the only time pastor femi spoke to me was when he asked me if I was hungry and wanted to eat anything.
I told him I was fine and wasn’t hungry…. finally we arrived at lokoja around 7pm, pastor was driving very slow, I guess he didn’t want to freak me out.
you know I didn’t ask him anything about the trip, I have no idea which part of kogi we are going to stay and how long we are even staying… I only agreed to come with him.
He drove into a fine restaurant and parked his car.
PASTOR FEMI
let’s have our dinner before heading home, our flight was supposed to land by 5:15pm but it’s already 7pm, I’m sure that whoever people that would be waiting to receive us must have been tired of waiting and had gone home.
KENDRA
okay
I came down from the car and followed him into the restaurant…. from outside you would think the restaurant isn’t big, but when you enter you will be amazed.
I couldn’t help but feed my eyes with the beautiful frame hung on the walls.
PASTOR FEMI
what would you like to eat?
KENDRA
I will have whatever you are having.
He nodded his head and went to the counter to make our order…. he came back and joined me, not long our food arrived.
He had ordered for fried rice and chicken, but beef in his food.
As if he could read my thoughts he said
PASTOR FEMI
I ha-rdly eat chicken, and I know you will like Chicken very well so I ordered it for you.
KENDRA
thank you.
He said I prayer before he started to eat his food, I didn’t say any prayer…. I was too hungry to pray.
We are in silent again and left the restaurant…. in the car, that was when I decide to ask.
KENDRA
is lokoja our destination?
PASTOR FEMI
lokoja is where the convention will hold, but we ain’t gonna stay here.
KENDRA
you mean we still have to drive again? I’m tired you know.
PASTOR FEMI
it’s just an hour drive to our destination
KENDRA
an hour?
(I screamed)
He looked at me but didn’t say a word, he started his car and drove away, just five minutes to our drive he stopped in front of a white building and parked.
KENDRA
what are we doing here?
PASTOR FEMI
this is our apartment till we leave this place.
KENDRA
(Shocked)
where you kidding me when you said we still have to travel an hour?
He once again kept silent on me, he was right people who were waiting to receive us had all gone house…. he took his phone and called someone, surprisingly the person , opened the gate and came out.
YOUNG GUY
good evening daddy, it’s been a while.
PASTOR FEMI
(He shook hands with him)
Ayomide, how are you? you are now a big boy
AYOMIDE
it’s God sir, how was your journey sir?
PASTOR FEMI
it was successful, we thank God.
AYOMIDE
alot of people gather earlier to welcome you, but we where later inform you will be arriving late because your flight was cancel… they promise to come say hi to you tomorrow morning before the convention sir
PASTOR FEMI
that’s so thoughtful of them, I’m sorry for keeping here this long…
(he took the keys)
say me well to your parents, and I would be really glad to see them tomorrow.
AYOMIDE
No problem daddy, I will make sure to tell them…. goodnight daddy, goodnight anuty.
he went into his car and gave ayomide money for transport, Ayo refused it but he insisted and the young boy accepted if, thanked him again and left.
Since ayo already opened the gate for us, he entered his car and drove inside…. immediately he parked I came down and started to bring down our luggages from the car.
I carried my bags and he carried his, I walked to the front door and Waited, he joined me and opened the door with the key Ayo gave him.
I wonder why they didn’t give us one big house, I mean us with the other pastors that were coming… but I later found out that each churches made reservation for their pastors.
The house we are staying belong to the church his pastoring.
Like redeem pastors have their own accomodation that has been arranged for them by the Redeemers, likewise de-eper life Bible Church…..
We entered the house and the first thing I did was to look at the rooms, the house was really neat and the couch still new, the members must have really worked ha-rd to keep everywhere to clean and good like this.
KENDRA
I will take the room by the left.
I said and started to pull my things to the room by the left, our rooms were facing each other, the only different is, his is the master bedroom, his bathroom was inside the room but mine was outside but clsoer to my door.
Which means I have to pas-s throu-ghthe living room to enter my bathroom…. I would have given that to pastor femi but it would be very awkward seeing him leave his room with boxer just to enter the bathroom so I chose that one….. I didn’t have plans on following him to any of his conventional programs so I had the as-surance I would only bath when his not around.
I dropped my bags in my room and went into the kitchen…I was very impressed, the fridge was filled up with different foods and fruits….. if we had known we wouldn’t have even gone out to eat.
I heard pastor femi praying and casting in his room, I gently tiptoe into my ro before he would invite me to join him in the prayer.
I changed into my towel and went into the bathroom to shower, I was fast so pastor won’t come to the living room, it would be awkward if I pas-s by just tying towel around my wai-st.
I was very fast, I came out from the bathroom and went into my room to dress up, I finished and came to the living room to turn on the TV.
I was very grateful pastor femi didn’t come out after bathing, my phone started to ring, so I ran into my room to answer it.
it was chioma calling, she said she has been calling me since but my number wasn’t going throu-gh…. I told her how boring my journey was and how pastor was silent all throu-ghthe ride.
she scolded me and said of course pastor was still mad that I called him a liar, she urge me to go apologize to him immediately.
I told her I won’t, she got angry and ended the call.
“what’s wrong with this girl this days? every small thing she will just get angry or is it the pregnancy that is worrying her”?
I went back to the living room, pastor femi had still not come outside….. I w£t into the kitchen and carried one pack of fruit salad and came back into the living room to eat.
Soon i felt sleepy and went inside to sleep without seeing him.
story continues
not editedSTORY BY DEBORAH PAUL
PASTOR FEMI
EPISODE 11
subtitle: silence
All the way from Abuja down to kogi state, the only time pastor femi spoke to me was when he asked me if I was hungry and wanted to eat anything.
I told him I was fine and wasn’t hungry…. finally we arrived at lokoja around 7pm, pastor was driving very slow, I guess he didn’t want to freak me out.
you know I didn’t ask him anything about the trip, I have no idea which part of kogi we are going to stay and how long we are even staying… I only agreed to come with him.
He drove into a fine restaurant and parked his car.
PASTOR FEMI
let’s have our dinner before heading home, our flight was supposed to land by 5:15pm but it’s already 7pm, I’m sure that whoever people that would be waiting to receive us must have been tired of waiting and had gone home.
KENDRA
okay
I came down from the car and followed him into the restaurant…. from outside you would think the restaurant isn’t big, but when you enter you will be amazed.
I couldn’t help but feed my eyes with the beautiful frame hung on the walls.
PASTOR FEMI
what would you like to eat?
KENDRA
I will have whatever you are having.
He nodded his head and went to the counter to make our order…. he came back and joined me, not long our food arrived.
He had ordered for fried rice and chicken, but beef in his food.
As if he could read my thoughts he said
PASTOR FEMI
I ha-rdly eat chicken, and I know you will like Chicken very well so I ordered it for you.
KENDRA
thank you.
He said I prayer before he started to eat his food, I didn’t say any prayer…. I was too hungry to pray.
We are in silent again and left the restaurant…. in the car, that was when I decide to ask.
KENDRA
is lokoja our destination?
PASTOR FEMI
lokoja is where the convention will hold, but we ain’t gonna stay here.
KENDRA
you mean we still have to drive again? I’m tired you know.
PASTOR FEMI
it’s just an hour drive to our destination
KENDRA
an hour?
(I screamed)
He looked at me but didn’t say a word, he started his car and drove away, just five minutes to our drive he stopped in front of a white building and parked.
KENDRA
what are we doing here?
PASTOR FEMI
this is our apartment till we leave this place.
KENDRA
(Shocked)
where you kidding me when you said we still have to travel an hour?
He once again kept silent on me, he was right people who were waiting to receive us had all gone house…. he took his phone and called someone, surprisingly the person , opened the gate and came out.
YOUNG GUY
good evening daddy, it’s been a while.
PASTOR FEMI
(He shook hands with him)
Ayomide, how are you? you are now a big boy
AYOMIDE
it’s God sir, how was your journey sir?
PASTOR FEMI
it was successful, we thank God.
AYOMIDE
alot of people gather earlier to welcome you, but we where later inform you will be arriving late because your flight was cancel… they promise to come say hi to you tomorrow morning before the convention sir
PASTOR FEMI
that’s so thoughtful of them, I’m sorry for keeping here this long…
(he took the keys)
say me well to your parents, and I would be really glad to see them tomorrow.
AYOMIDE
No problem daddy, I will make sure to tell them…. goodnight daddy, goodnight anuty.
he went into his car and gave ayomide money for transport, Ayo refused it but he insisted and the young boy accepted if, thanked him again and left.
Since ayo already opened the gate for us, he entered his car and drove inside…. immediately he parked I came down and started to bring down our luggages from the car.
I carried my bags and he carried his, I walked to the front door and Waited, he joined me and opened the door with the key Ayo gave him.
I wonder why they didn’t give us one big house, I mean us with the other pastors that were coming… but I later found out that each churches made reservation for their pastors.
The house we are staying belong to the church his pastoring.
Like redeem pastors have their own accomodation that has been arranged for them by the Redeemers, likewise de-eper life Bible Church…..
We entered the house and the first thing I did was to look at the rooms, the house was really neat and the couch still new, the members must have really worked ha-rd to keep everywhere to clean and good like this.
KENDRA
I will take the room by the left.
I said and started to pull my things to the room by the left, our rooms were facing each other, the only different is, his is the master bedroom, his bathroom was inside the room but mine was outside but clsoer to my door.
Which means I have to pas-s throu-ghthe living room to enter my bathroom…. I would have given that to pastor femi but it would be very awkward seeing him leave his room with boxer just to enter the bathroom so I chose that one….. I didn’t have plans on following him to any of his conventional programs so I had the as-surance I would only bath when his not around.
I dropped my bags in my room and went into the kitchen…I was very impressed, the fridge was filled up with different foods and fruits….. if we had known we wouldn’t have even gone out to eat.
I heard pastor femi praying and casting in his room, I gently tiptoe into my ro before he would invite me to join him in the prayer.
I changed into my towel and went into the bathroom to shower, I was fast so pastor won’t come to the living room, it would be awkward if I pas-s by just tying towel around my wai-st.
I was very fast, I came out from the bathroom and went into my room to dress up, I finished and came to the living room to turn on the TV.
I was very grateful pastor femi didn’t come out after bathing, my phone started to ring, so I ran into my room to answer it.
it was chioma calling, she said she has been calling me since but my number wasn’t going throu-gh…. I told her how boring my journey was and how pastor was silent all throu-ghthe ride.
she scolded me and said of course pastor was still mad that I called him a liar, she urge me to go apologize to him immediately.
I told her I won’t, she got angry and ended the call.
“what’s wrong with this girl this days? every small thing she will just get angry or is it the pregnancy that is worrying her”?
I went back to the living room, pastor femi had still not come outside….. I w£t into the kitchen and carried one pack of fruit salad and came back into the living room to eat.
Soon i felt sleepy and went inside to sleep without seeing him.
STORY BY DEBORAH PAUL
PASTOR FEMI
EPISODE 12
Subtitle: malice
the next day I woke up with the heavy noise coming from the living room.
People who promised to come see pastor to welcome him had started coming in…i carried my phone and checked time …it was already some minute after 8:00pm, I wanted to go outside but I was to embarras-sed to go.
How could I have slept so de-ep that I didn’t even know when it was dawndawn and when pastor got up to attend to guest.
From my room I could hear them discussing on how powerful the program would be and all that.
That did a quick prayer and they all left to go prepare for the program.
I came out few minutes after, daddy was about going into his room when I opened my door
KENDRA
good morning sir
PASTOR FEMI
morning, how was your night?
KENDRA
my night was okay….. how was yours?
PASTOR FEMI
I give all thanks to God almighty.
KENDRA
okay… so
PASTOR FEMI
the program is by 10am, I hope you will he ready by then……excuse me
He said and went into his room before I could even ask him what he would like to eat for breakfast.
I sluggishly went back into my room to lie on my bed.
“who told this man I came here to follow him to a program meant for pastors? I’m not a pastor so why should I go with him?
come to think of it, if this program is meant for pastors why did those guest talk about going home to prepare for the program? well what do I know .. all I know is that I don’t want to go and I won’t go”.
I stayed in my room till it was time to go to church, I had not taken my bath or even wash my face yet… I was working on my laptop when I fell asleep again.
He knocked slightly on my door and I came to open the door for him.
His eyes popped opened immediately he saw that I was not dressed and to crown it up I was just waking up from another sleep.
PASTOR FEMI
you are not dressed?
I looked at my body as if he was lying on my head, or to confirm if I was nak-ed or something.
KENDRA
of course I’m dressed pastor…. I’m just not dressed for church.
PASTOR FEMI
you mean you are not going with me?
KENDRA
you brou-ght me here, you said that’s what the holy spirit said….but yo and the holy….. (I paused) you haven’t told me what I’m supposed to be doing here…. this program is pastors convention, that’s what you said, I’m not a pastor so why should I go?
He opened his mouth to say something but closed it back, he shook his head and turn to leave.
KENDRA
you are leaving?
PASTOR FEMI
see you when I get back.
He said and left the house….i immediately went back into my room and picked my towel to go freshen up.
I finished bathing, by then I was already super hungry, I went into the kitchen and microwave one of the soups, I made wheat for myself and went to the dinning go eat.
The rest of my day was uneventful, all I did was press my phone, see a movie and sleep.
Around 8pm he drove into the compound, I had just came out from the shower, I quickly ran into my room and locked my door.
I waited for about an hour after I finished wearing my clothes before I went outside to see him….. I gave him that time because I felt he would nee-d it to freshen up.
I came into the living room but he was not there, I went into the kitchen to heat up jollof rice for him….. I finished and knocked on his door gently.
It took a few minutes before he opened the door.
KENDRA
good evening pastor
PASTOR FEMI
evening ken…. how are you?
KENDRA
I’m fine…. how was the program?
PASTOR FEMI
it was good…. I didn’t see you when I came in….where were you?
KENDRA
I was in my room, I just finished bathing when you drove in….. nee-ded to dress up.
PASTOR FEMI
that’s okay…. you didn’t lock the front door….i have my spare key, so always lock the door….i will use my to opened the door next time.
KENDRA
noted…. dinner is served
PASTOR FEMI
I think I will skip that…… we already had something to eat at the church….I’m okay….thanks.
For some reasons I felt offended, I remembered that first day he came into my house, he refused to eat my food because we had a little misun-derstanding and today his refusing to eat the food I served him… could it he that his still mad at me?
Well that one is his own cu-p of tea, his not hungry, when his hungry he would eat.
KENDRA
alright….
I said and before I could even think of something else to tell him… he went back into his room and locked the door.
I went back into my room and called Chioma.
KENDRA
this man is really annoying me
(I said immediately she picked)
CHIOMA
which man? wait pastor?
KENDRA
of course…. his really making me angry.
CHIOMA
you guys just arrived yesterday…. so is causing fight between you two again?
KENDRA
can you imagine this morning he woke up and asked me to dress up and follow him to the pastor’s conventions?
CHIOMA
okay, and wjays wrong with that?
KENDRA
how can you not see anything wrong in that chioma? I’m I a pastor?
CHIOMA
you might not be a pastor…. but that doesn’t mean you can’t go… if you are not supposed to be there he wouldn’t have invited you in the first place.
KENDRA
well, I turned him down….. I told him I wasn’t going and I didn’t go.
CHIOMA
you did what?
(she screamed)
KENDRA
yeah girl, you heard me.
CHIOMA
what is wrong with you Kendra? why are you getting worse by the day? I don’t care to know what pastor pastor has done to have angered you….all I can tell you is that you deserve it.
KENDRA
Is that what you are going to say to me? I’m your friend chioma
CHIOMA
is because you are my friend that’s why I’m telling you the truth….. drop your ego aside and do the work of God… na you open your heart to w£tin no concern you na God see you ooh.
KENDRA
And what do you mean by that?
CHIOMA
God was on his own, you heard of a dead woman and couldn’t take off your mind and God decided to use you….allow him to use you till the end….. if you don’t apologise to pastor please don’t call my line again.
the next thing I heard was a beef sound that the call has been terminated…I was shocked, is chioma joking or she meant what she just said?
I called her again but this silly girl refuse to answer my call…. I laid on my bed feeling frustrated….for chioma to have behave like this I must have really fuc-ked
up.
I decided to do what my friend asked me to do….i went back to pastor’s door and knocked… it took a while before he came to open, he was on the phone with someone… whoever that person is, he or she sure has an effect on him…because he seem happy.
PASTOR FEMI
(He took the phone from his ear)
kendra…. ?
KENDRA
I will come back later, seem like you are busy.
PASTOR FEMI
let me talk to you later my dear….. yeah.
He said and hung up the call to give me attention.
story continues
not edited