STEPPING INTO MAGGIE’s SHOE
©? Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde
Episode 2
“Apostle is the handsome one, You all know I am not as good looking as he is, so young ladies, when on the look out, make sure you look well…” Pastor Maggie said with a dry smile
“ Why?” I almost screamed out
“This is official, my pastor’s wife needs help, Why would she be applauding her Husband and making a mess of herself on the Altar. Who said Apostle was more good looking than she is. I hope this is not how she carries herself at home, telling her husband he is more good looking than her?”
I blanked out from the watery message she was trying to preach which she made worse by creating a bad brand of herself. This was two sundays after her catastrophic dress episode. It was the women’s week and it was mandatory as the Mother of the church to be the one to minister, but here she was pouring out the wrong words. For starters, she could have done better as regards her appearance, but to add salt and pepper to her already terrible case she was a making mess of herself.
“I wish I can get close to this woman, but the security around her alone would ask me a million questions.” I thought bitterly .
Not that I was a stranger, seven years in the ministry was not a joke, but she wasn’t the social kind of person as she had created an invisible wall around herself.
My name is Happiness, but Happy for short and I have always tried to put smiles on people’s faces. God, I feel this woman needs help and I really want to get close to her, before she loses her husband to some wolves out there.
I shifted my gaze to Pastor Ray, and you didn’t need anyone to tell you, he wasn’t comfortable with his wife on the Altar. His body language said everything, as he kept checking his wrist watch.
After about 35 minutes, Pastor Maggie delivered us from the torture of listening to her watery than water speech she called a message.
S.I.M.S
I made up my mind I was going to get close to this woman no matter what, I felt there were things I could contribute to her. For starters, she needed to start seeing herself differently and speaking about herself differently. It wasn’t wrong of her to compliment her Husband but not at her own expense, like one of those comedians who make a mockery of themselves to make people laugh.
After service, I waited and prayed to God about the step I was about to take, I told God how passionate I was about helping Pastor Ray’s wife.
I believed God heard me and got a go ahead.
“ I hope you prayed for me as well” I heard Pastor Ray’s masculine voice from behind me.
“Jesus!” It had been so long I stood really close to Pastor Ray, he was looking really fresh, his cologne was out of this world, my heart did a victory jump like a thousand times in less than a second. Pastor Ray, Pastor Maggie and the security were on their way out, I must have prayed for close to an hour without knowing, ( I prayed about other things as well) so the church was close to empty.
I guessed pastor Ray seeing me praying at the Altar an hour after service had caught his attention.
“ Yes…Yes sir, I actually included you and Pastor Maggie in my prayers” I said beaming with smiles and instead of getting an appreciative smile from Pastor Maggie like the one Pastor Ray was giving me, All I got from her was a cold stare that spoke hatred, disgust and bitterness in volumes.
“Thank you daughter, we appreciate it, you are blessed” Pastor Ray, his wife and the security left, but I couldn’t help but reason why Pastor Maggie gave me that cold stare.
“Or is she psychologically disturbed?” I wondered.
Julius, My Fiance who had been waiting rushed towards me after Pastor Ray left…
“ Did you tell him?” he asked with so much excitement
“ About?” I asked looking blankly at him
“ About? What do you think I am talking about” Julius retorted as he knew I was trying to feign ignorance
“ The financial help?” I said the obvious
“ Of course” he replied
“ Julius,so you expected me to open my mouth to tell Apostle that my husband to be needs Financial assistance to pay my dowry as he is jobless….Brother I have too much self worth”
“ What’s there? Apostle helps people and asking him to help us…” he said
“ I should beg him to pay my bride price, Julius you need help, excuse me…”
I couldn’t stand to hear any of his annoying statements anymore. If not for several heartbreaks, Julius was not even the kind of man I would have settled for in marriage.
Out of anger, I walked out on him, or was I wrong to have walked out on him? Or better still I think the right question I should ask you dear reader is, Was it right for a man to borrow or beg for money in other to pay his wife’s bride price.?
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