S.I.M.S
©? Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde
Episode 4
(STEPPING INTO MAGGIE’S SHOE)
“ I never knew my wife was suffering from depression, I never knew she was taking depression pills, so hearing the result of the postmortem carried out on her that she died of depression pills overdose still strikes my heart sharply and painfully. Maggie was a good wife who loved God and loved me. She was so passionate about me fulfilling my ministerial assignment she gave me her all, but I guess I failed in my responsibility to her, I wasn’t there when she needed me the most…She smiled when she gave me my food, she personally washed my cloths, she made sure I was always looking good, she was God sent”….
I was seriously tearing up on Sunday as Pastor Ray was addressing the church, but he made a statement that didn’t sit well with me…
“ I have promised God, that When he gives me another woman, I will nurture her and be there for her” he said and I instantly rolled my eyes… Hmm, he was already thinking of another wife, but what irritated me the most was the reaction of most ladies in the church…
“ Awwwnnnn” You should have heard the charade of “ awwws” from the single desperate ladies in the congregation…
“ And That is going to be me” Nneka said in a whisper but she thought she whispered it to me, only for Christabel and Darasimi, (the spoilt and arrogant divas in church ) to look back and give Nneka the look that spoke disgust. Christabel especially checked Nneka out from head to toe and without saying anything , we knew what she implied was…
“ You are way too cheap”
“Somewhere in my heart I know why Maggie did what she did. She had given up on the chances of ever having a child, but I had always told her, God was the giver of kids….( He broke down) ….I want to appreciate all those who have stood by me… God bless you…” He said as he could not help his tears…
As much as I felt sorry for him, but why the early talk about getting a new wife who he will nurture? Hmmm….
Pathetic for Pastor Maggie, she had lived the life of taking care of her husband despite suffering from depression and in less than a week of her death , her Husband was already implying he will marry someone else…
After service , Nneka told me she wanted to get to the rest room. Julius walked up to me and as usual started telling stories…
“ I promise I will nurture and take care of you, it’s just this job search that is not making you see the best of me” He said proudly
“ Tomorrow starts today, Julius if you can not go all out to look for money to pay my dowry, then you won’t be able to go all out to take care of me in marriage” I said staring him in the face
“Looking for where to borrow money is me going all the way out to make this marriage possible” he said trying to justify himself
“ Julius, I have agreed to support you in paying for all the other wedding expenses including renting a bigger apartment for us, but the one thing I cannot help you with is paying my dowry!” I told him affirmatively
“ Happy! Happy!” Joke was calling me from a far distance
“ Julius, is there something else you have to say before I attend to Joke.” I asked him but he shook his head in the negative and walked away…
I knew Julius very well, that was his sign of throwing tantrums like a baby. He would not speak with me again for another one week till I go begging him, but it’s high time I started making him understand I was special and should be taken as serious priority. Apostle Ray had lost his wife and he was already thinking of a new wife. That shows that if a woman does not enjoy her life before she dies, another woman will enjoy it in her place.
“Julius had better work hard to get the dowry so he would appreciate me in marriage “ I said to myself .
I also walked away towards Joke…
“ Joke, what is it?” I asked as I got close to her
“ There is big fire on the mountain” Joke was pulling me towards the toilet direction, but instead of entering the toilet, she pulled me towards the back of the toilet building…
As soon as we got close to where she was taking me to, I had started hearing voices…
“ You are trash… If Pastor Ray is ever going to remarry, you can’t even get on the top 100 list…” Christabel was saying
“ So Nneka the village girl go and join the league of your friends who follow after jobless bachelors who are still going around begging members for money to pay the dowry of their Fiancée” Darasimi said looking towards my direction as I had surfaced in their midst…
“ Were you just referring to me?” I asked
“ I didn’t mention names or do those words describe you?” Darasimi asked me
Darasimi eyed me and pulled Christabel away from us, but Christabel was far from being through as she said in a low voice
“ Nneka, I always clear anything or anyone that stands in my way of getting things I want, Pastor Maggie was one good example…Ray is mine”
“ Jesus!” Joke and I exclaimed simultaneously but to my utmost shock, Nneka moved closer to Christabel and spoke in a low tone too
“ So you think you were the one who got Pastor Maggie off the scene? that shows you think too highly of yourself… Well, I don’t clear people who stand in my way, I am way too busy for that, rather I have bulldozers who help me crush them. After they are crushed, I get to walk over them”
With that Nneka walked away.
Christabel, Darasimi , Joke and I all stood in shock as Nneka never came across to us as a killer or anything close. She was the happy girl that joked around a lot.
Was Pastor Maggie killed? and if yes, Was it Nneka or Christabel? If it was either of them, how did they go about it?
These were the questions in my heart as we all sat silently in the Taxi on our way home. Nneka the chatter box was not saying anything, Joke also maintained her lane… and I kept wishing pastor Ray had not said anything about having a new wife or what do you think?
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