๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐’๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ MUMMY
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“๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ, ๐ฅ๐๐ญ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ.”
That was the bible quote that dropped from Deaconess Beatrice’s mouth. She stood at the front of the pulpit facing the church. Dressed in a multi colored blouse and a pleated skirt that ran down to her toes and with a fashionable turban around her head, she looked like a thirty-year-old housewife, and not the fifty- something-year-old that she was. Everyone loved Deaconess Beatrice. She was beautiful, had a pleasant personality and was generous.
” ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฌ,” Deaconess continued.
Jumoke, a church member nodded her head at the statement and smirked at the same time.
Dcns. Beatrice removed her glasses and placed them close to her bible. She moved nearer to her listeners to drive a point home.
“๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง-๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ฌ, ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฌ, ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง, ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ก. ๐๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ง. ๐๐ง๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐๐ซ. ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐, ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ; ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ง.”
” I hear you.” Jumoke mumbled under her breath and looked away. Her husband, Kola was seated beside her with his face fixed on the speaker. He was raptly taken by what the Deaconess was saying.
It was the last Tuesday of the month. Every last Tuesday was set aside for marriage seminars at Beulah Salvation Assembly. Normally, it was either the Pastor or his wife that took the seminars, except occasionally when one of the elderly ministers is assigned to teach. Today, Deaconess Beatrice is teaching about cohesiveness between couples.
Kola was fully taken with the teaching, while his wife’s mind ran round like the rotating hand of a clock. At one moment she was in church and by the next moment, she was with her friend and they were talking about Deaconess Beatrice. That was two days ago.
Jumoke raised her head from the bible and looked straight ahead. Her vision blurred and something rose from her inside. That thing pushed her to bounce up and take determined steps to where the Deaconess stood. Grabbing the mic from her, she looked straight into her face. At the next instance, she bellowed into the microphone. The microphone was very loud. It was fixed as such so that people in the neighborhood could always hear messages from the church.
That Jumoke grabbed the mic from Deaconess was a misnormal. People were suprised at her effontery. Revd. Alhassan sat up straight and made wild gestures from his seat. He gasped as Jumoke screamed and pointed at the Deaconess.
“Church! Please tell this woman to leave my husband alone.”
Deaconess Beatrice opened her eyes wide in surprise and held to the pulpit to steady herself. Several ushers rushed forward to drag Jumoke away. She fought them. Now, most of the people were on their feet, keenly watching the unfolding drama. Kola stood to one side in shame. He was thinking of how his wife had gone mad.
Jumoke brushed her right palm down her face and shook herself out of the frightening imagination. That cannot happen, she told herself. She was too soft to carry out such a scandalizing feat. What would be her motive?
…that her husband is getting too close to Deaconess?
Day before yesterday, her bosom friend, Tosin, had casually asked if they were related to Deaconess in anyway. She said that she noticed that Kola had been frequenting Deaconess’ house since she returned from her trip abroad. Tosin and her family were staying in the same estate with the Deaconess.
“Hmmm,” Jumoke had sighed deeply while not giving a definite ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to her friend’s question. She had also noticed the growing closeness between her husband and Deaconess Beatrice, but had choosen to let it pass. Whereas, it wasn’t up to a year that Deaconess lost her husband. Immediately after his burial, she had left for Canada to stay with her children for several months. When she returned, everyone had rallied round her, including she and Kola. But why would Kola be visiting her now without his wive’s knowledge? That must be the mystery behind his frequent and late returns from work. He had sighted overtime as his reason for returning home late but…
Jumoke had been worried since yesterday. She had repeatedly asked herself if Kola could be having an affair with the Deaconess?
Never! Except the whole world is going crazy. She trusted her husband. She’d never had a single reason to doubt his faithfulness. He was a gentleman to the core. He was also a child of God. For the three years they’d been together as husband and wife, he had never given her any reason to doubt him except now.
Jumoke raised her head and heard the Deaconess say. “๐๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ. ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐บ๐ ๐ต๐๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ…”
” Oh…I almost forgot that you are a widow.” Jumoke mumbled under her breath. ” A widow that wouldn’t allow young married wives to enjoy their husbands.”
Kola turned and looked at his wife. He noticed that she wasn’t concentrating and was talking to herself. He tapped her and whispered. ” Your mind is not here. What is the problem?”
Jumoke sighed and pushed his hand away. At the same moment, Deaconess Beatrice noticed that the couple were talking. She smiled. ” Mr. & Mrs. Kola Johnson,” she called. ” What are you discussing that cannot wait until you get home?” She made the statement in a jovial way but Jumoke read meaning into it.
Kola stood to answer the Deaconess but his wife beat him to it. In a sarcastic tone she said. ” Ma, you just taught us that intruders are not allowed in marriages?”
The church laughed.
” Our subject of discussion is not for a third ear,” Jumoke added.
” Leave your love talks till you get home,” Deaconess replied and smiled.
———–
The service ended. Jumoke waited at the front of the church for her husband. When she got tired of standing, she opened the car and balanced in the front seat. She crossed her legs and shook the right one in an impatient move.
It took 15 minutes before Kola emerged from the back of the church. Jumoke raised her head and said in a subdued tone. ” Please let’s go home.”
” I still have somethings to do.” Her husband answered.
Jumoke looked at her watch. ” Like what? Must we always be the last people to leave the church? At least, you are not the church sexton.”
Kola touched her left cheek and asked. ” Why are you so grumpy this evening? Anyway, Deaconess Beatrice’s driver is sick.”
Jumoke’s heart jerked. The Deaconess again? What has her sick driver got to do with them going home?
“She drove herself to church,” Kola continued. “She said she’s been warned about driving at night because of her bad eyesight. She requested that I drive her home.”
Jumoke almost flared up but remembered that they were still in the church premises. She took a deep breath and sighed. The deaconess was few feets away, talking to someone.
” She begged or you offered to drive her?” Jumoke whispered. “Are you the only man that knows how to drive in the church? Why must you please others to displease your spouse? Didn’t she know that you need to drive your wife home? This is getting out of hand. You even go to…”
” Shhhh.” Kola whispered. He sensed that someone was coming from behind. It was the Deaconess. Kola feared that she might have heard part of what Jumoke said. Her next statement gave credence to that.
” Maybe you shouldn’t inconvenience yourself Mr. Kola,” she said. ” I will take a bike and come get the car in the morning.”
” No ma.” Jumoke objected in a most gentle voice. ” I can drive myself home. Let him drop you ma. I’m okay.”
” Are you sure?” The deaconess asked before turning away.
” Sure ma.”
Jumoke frowned the moment the deaconess turned her back to them, especially when Kola followed her like an obedient dog.
Jumoke hissed and moved to the driver’s seat.Tears clouded her eyes as she drove home alone on that cold night.”
To be continued
@Fagbluminous stories
๐Do you think Jumoke has a reason to be worried?
Yes o