S.I.M.S(STEPPING INTO MAGGIE’S SHOE)
Episode 18
By Opeyemi O. Akintunde
“ I have this Phobia of sleeping with someone else on the same bed with me, so you have to stay in Maggie’s old room” Ray had said to me, and based on the atmosphere that had been the order of the day since we woke up at the hotel, I didn’t say a word, as I obediently followed him upstairs to the room he was referring to…
As I opened the door, I saw a messed up room, everything was upside down. Drugs were on the floor, the bedsheet and duvet on the floor. I stepped back in shock, and was even more shocked when Ray said
“ You need to clean up the room, ever since she died, I have not been able to step into the room.One, because she hurt me and two because I feel her presence there, but I know you are a prayerful person, you will be able to cast her presence away..” he said
With that, he left me at the door way… I didn’t know what next to do as Ray’s behavior was still baffling and seeing Him leave Pastor Maggie’s Room the way it was didn’t make sense…
What did he mean by she hurt him?
I turned and followed him to his own room…
“ Ray, why on earth are you acting strangely?, we just got marrried yesterday and you are acting like I forced you to get married to me. This was not the Ray I have known for months. If you know you have a phobia of sharing your bed or room with someone else, why get married…? I can’t cope …” I said in anger
“ Maggie coped …We never slept on the same bed for 12 years, You will be fine!” He said as he opened the door of his room with a key. That was weird , as I wondered why he locked his room in his own house…
“ Well, I am not Pastor Maggie…and besides what about the maid or housekeeper, I mean you should have someone who cleans this big house for you” I asked looking around
“ No, That was Maggie’s work, I don’t like having strangers in the house..We never had anyone living with us” he said as he dropped his travelling bag on the bed….
“ What? you mean Pastor Maggie was the one cleaning this big house of about 6 rooms and 2 large living rooms, a giant sized kitchen…” I was saying before he cut in
“ Yes…Like I said I am a private person, so I don’t like strangers around me…” he said with a tone of finality
I was dumbfounded to say the least, then it began to make sense, this was probably why Pastor Maggie was always looking tired and exhausted.
I looked around in his room and it was a beautiful sight… I wondered what kind of phobia he had that would not allow me to stay with him…
I eventually retired to Pastor Maggie’s room and spent the rest of the day trying to sort things out… As I arranged the room, I perceived there was more to the scattered room, but what it was I couldn’t explain. The arrangement of the room took me about two days.
I planned on giving pastor Maggie’s clothes and shoes to an orphanage. I treated her things with caution in respect to her and I kept talking to her like she was there…
“ Pastor Maggie, I am sorry to have judged you too quick, I am sorry for setting you up.. I am really sorry for everything”
I came Across a small book under her bed, where she wrote poems. I kept it among her books I was planning to also give out…
For those two days, Ray stayed indoors, anytime I went to his door to knock, he would reply that he was busy…
This continued for close to a week after our wedding… He didn’t open the door until Sunday morning. At this point I was broken and distraught. I was wondering why the attitude, but also at the same time, I felt probably I was under a test.
I felt Apostle was trying to know if I could persevere, so I kept calm till that Sunday Morning when he came knocking at my door.
I had knocked at his door the previous night asking if we were going to church and he replied No!
“ Get up ! Happy , We are going to Church, Change of Plans, You have just 8 mins, I will be waiting in the car” I was still sleeping when he was saying those words so how on earth did he expect me to take my bath and get dressed in 8 mins, I suspected he was joking…
I walked to the door of my room and as I opened the door, I was surprised to see Ray completely dressed…
“ Are you serious?” I asked looking at him from head to toe
“ Yes..please make it snappy” he said with a smile as he turned to leave
“ You expect me to be through in 8 mins…but I asked you yesterday if we were going to Church and you said No..”
“ That’s the way of a Pastor’s wife… Impromptu events, one of my Special members will be coming for counseling today” he said smiling as he kept moving away. His responses were really irritating
“ But you could have woken me up earlier, I don’t like impromptu events, I plan my life..” I said
“ You will learn soon, Maggie coped well…” he said
“ Indeed…” I muttered under my breathe “ No wonder, she was always wrongly dressed” I said realizing maybe one of the reasons why Pastor Maggie’s dressing was always catastrophic…
I had a quick bath and dressed in a gown I would ordinarily not have worn on the first Sunday after my wedding. Through out the service, I was unhappy at my look and how Ray was treating me…
I could see a lot of young ladies admiring me and I could read from their expressions that they wished they were in my shoes, because Apostle kept praising me on the Altar, as bringing him happiness and comfort in such a short time..
I managed to give smiles at intervals but the question that kept running through my mind was
“ What is happening? Am I under some form of test or is this the life I will be living forever?, Would intimacy with my husband be once in a week” This were some of the questions torturing my heart as I kept a fake smile plastered on my face through out the service…
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