Spoilt at the church
EPISODE 5
Mrs. Johnson spent weeks brooding over the issue of Kike’s misdemeanor. She came up with different reasons to justify herself on why the Pastor mustn’t know of what happened to her daughter.
How will I tell him? She asked.
What will happen to the new position as the coordinator of the virgins’ club? She equally asked.
To Mrs. Johnson, honor and position meant everything, and she would do anything to gain and retain respect. She weighed the pros and cons and got to the conclusion that, the Pastor must not know.
The issue almost led to a fight between her and her husband, who for once was bent on asserting his authority as the Head of the household. He insisted on doing what was right no matter the consequence. He had to bow to pressure after relentless fire from his wife.
One evening, Mrs. Johnson invited Mrs. Williams and her son – Jide, to the house for a meeting. It was a closed door meeting between the four, without the knowledge of the fathers. There, she revealed what happened to Kike. Before then, she had claimed Kike had a severe case of malaria and typhoid fever.
Looking at Jide in the eyes she said, “You can’t deny you did this one.”
Jide dropped his head dejectedly.
“Why are you defiling our girls?” she asked.
“Girl you mean?”
“Girls,” she repeated. “You know what I mean. Why are you allowing the devil to use you?”
“I’m sorry ma,” he pleaded.
“Sorry my foot. Look, this will be the last time you will try this. My daughter almost died from the drug you gave her to induce abortion.”
“Jesus!” Mrs. Williams shouted.
“She told me all that I needed to know. She told me it was the second abortion, in the space of three months.”
“Ore, sorry,” Mrs. Williams pleaded on her knees. Why did you have to go to that extent Jide?”
“The issue is this,” Mrs. Johnson stated. “Because my daughter was defiled and had a complicated abortion, Jide should know that he has gotten himself a future wife. With the abortion, we don’t know the state of things in Kike’s body system. Though the doctor gave assurance that there will be no problem, but who knows what might come up in the future?”
“No evil will happen in Jesus name,” Mrs. Williams prayed.
“Amen! But I insist that he has gotten himself a wife. At least if there is problem in the future, they will bear the consequence together. Thank God he’s already a graduate, while she will soon be in the high institution. I wouldn’t mind them getting married even in her hundred level. Moreover, I don’t want my daughter to have to give long explanations of how she was broken to another man.”
“I was not the one that deflowered her,” Jide grumbled.
“Hen?” Mrs. Williams said in surprise.
“Yes! She was exposed before we met. I’m not under any obligation to marry anybody. I will marry whosoever I want at the right time.”
Kike, who had all along sat like a dummy, seeming unconcerned with all that was going on around her, looked up at Jide sorrowfully. “Jide!” She called, “Your promise was that you will marry me. It is why I have been giving my body to you. Why are you saying this?”
Kike looked pitiful, pathetic and disheveled, with the ordeal she had undergone showing on her emaciated body.
“What’s even the certainty that I was responsible for your pregnancy?” Jide asked. “I’m not under obligation to marry anybody,” he repeated. “I will marry whosoever I want at the right time.”
“And you will rot in jail,” Mrs. Johnson threatened. “If you don’t behave, the Pastor will get to know that indeed, you r@ped Martha. My daughter confessed to me that it was true she visited you and met Martha at the gate to your house on the day you r@ped her. You had s*x with my daughter before releasing her to go back to the coaching center. She was suspicious of what could happen between you and Martha so, she went back, peeped through a little breakage in the glass door and waited long enough to see you forcing yourself on her.”
“Ha!” Mrs. Williams exclaimed.
“If you don’t behave,” Mrs. Johnson continued, “all I will do is to expose your evil deeds to the Pastor.”
“I’m ready to own up,” Jide responded and stood up. “I have not been at peace since the day Martha was punished. I will own up and take responsibility for the pregnancy. Martha is a decent girl. More so, I was her first man.”
“Go ahead,” Mrs. Johnson said and pointed to her friend. “Your son will rot in jail. You think Professor Aboderin will take it lightly with you? After the humiliation that you put his family through. I will tell you if you don’t know. The penalty for rapists as it is, is 14 years jail term. You better sit down and hear me out.”
Jide sat back terrified. He looked towards his mother for help. She was equally terrified. She pacified Mrs. Johnson on her knees. “Ore, we are sorry,” she said. “We will do whatever you want.”
“Fine. The two of them must get married at a set time. You know Kike is my only daughter. Don’t you think I also want to be called by the Pastor the morning after their wedding? – To receive the news that my daughter’s husband called to say he met her at home. Don’t you like the way the Pastor’s wife praise mothers whose daughters are found chaste? I also want that honor, and this union will guarantee that. I know your son will not dream of eating excreta. He should never think of backing out because as my people will say, a pounded yam of twenty years can remain hot on one’s palm.
“What about my grandchild in Martha’s womb?” Mrs. Williams asked. “Now that we know that Jide had his way with her. Will it be right to allow her face the consequence alone?”
“You can go to the Church and announce that you are now a grandmother, and see how your son will waste away. If Prof. refuses to press charges, I will personally report that Jide also r@ped my daughter. You better borrow yourself sense.”
They agreed that Jide and Kike would marry in the nearest future. Before the Williams left, Mrs. Johnson gave a stern warning to Jide. Pointing at him she said, “Go and learn how to control your instrument. Make sure you tie it with rope, wire, cord, anything, until when you will be ready to father another child. Omo iran Kiran.”
An angel prevented Martha from committing sui.cide. As she was about severing the radial artery that would make life drain out of her via bright red blood, a knock sounded on the door, and she dropped the k.nife in confusion.
She had forgotten to lock it in her haste to get things done and face whatever eternity held for her. She never even thought anyone could be around at that time, to come and knock on the door.
The person at the door refused to go away. Martha also refused to stand up. She sat on her buttocks with legs spread wide, staring pointedly at a spot, as if she had already seen the spirit of death. With repeated knockings without response, the door was opened by the knocker; an elderly, plump and nice matronly looking woman, with the characteristic Christian -mother fleshy arm.
She was surprised at Martha, who continued looking at the same spot, oblivious to her entry. Moving towards her, she assessed the situation; Martha in a trance like posture, the kitchen kn.ife beside her and the note, which she scanned through at a glance.
She bent towards her and drew her up, taking her small frame into her large one. As Martha’s head rested on her chest, she felt a kind of warmth she had long longed for, a welcome home, a motherly bosom.
Emotions overran Martha and she burst into uncontrollable tears; venting, pouring, washing her innermost of all that was bottled inside. The woman allowed her to cry and even offered the edge of her wrapper to clean her face afterwards. She wasn’t in anyway concerned that Martha was soiling her wrapper with catarrh from the nostrils.
Mrs. Ndukwe was a neighbor to the Aboderins’. She was a spirit- filled child of God; who promptly acted on the nudging of the Holy Spirit to knock on the door. She was glad that she did not disobey. She allowed Martha to cry, then led her to her house. It was the next flat. She offered her a hot cup of tea and a plate of well prepared, steaming catfish pepper soup. Martha ate like a wolf. She confessed that she had been craving for pepper soup for a long time. Mrs. Ndukwe explained to her that, craving for different varieties of food is part of the issues of pregnancy. She said that Martha could always come to her for anything.
That encounter heralded the beginning of an enduring mother and daughter relationship between the two. Martha found solace in the fact that, Mrs. Ndukwe was a mother to the core. With all her children married and out of the family nest, she saw Martha as a gift from God to nurture, until she could stand on her feet again.
Martha not only benefited from her deep spiritual knowledge emanating from a close relationship with God, but also from her versatility in different skills like baking, bead making, tailoring and decoration.
Mrs. Ndukwe was a replica of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31. She possessed all required qualities. Mrs. Ndukwe became Martha’s discipler.
With them getting closer, Martha made her home a second home. Mrs. Aboderin was too glad to get someone that would relieve her of Martha’s problem. Martha on her part, was never tired of asking questions, and sitting silently to learn from Mrs. Ndukwe on daily basis. Mrs. Ndukwe would tell her that, “It is the duty of every parent to train and bring the child up in the fear of the Lord. Though, many lack the know-how. Even those that know what to do are often too busy to create time for the children. Some claim they are engaged in Church activities, not knowing that the home is the first mission field of the parents.”
“Did you allow your children have friends of the opposite s.ex when they were growing up?” Martha asked during a discussion on child upbringing.
Mrs. Ndukwe smiled and said, “I wasn’t scared of my children having friends but, I made sure they were involved in healthy relationships. I and Daddy personally led our children to Christ at very early age. The desire for the children to know Christ, should always be paramount in the mind of every parent. We are often preoccupied with the need for them to go to the best schools, wear the best clothes, eat the best foods, that we forget the most important need.”
“The most important need?”
“The salvation of their souls. It has been established that, 84% of people make the decision to follow Christ between the ages of 4 and 14. Only about 10% make the decision between ages 15 and 30.”
“Interesting.”
“It is better when you catch them young. You know, when a child is in God and you plant the word of God in his heart,” Mrs. Ndukwe said, pointing towards her heart, “The child will know that God has a purpose for his existence. At every junction of decision making; having a life partner, choosing a career, choosing friends and even when tempted, the individual will always wait on God to know his perfect will.”
“I see,” Martha nodded.
“Things were easier for me and Daddy because, we are both born again. We have the same principles about God, about religion and about child upbringing. After leading our children to Christ, we kept nurturing them in the truth of the word of God. All the while, we did not spare the rod. We used the rod whenever necessary, and used the word at all times. We never got tired of praying for them. I want you to know today that, what men of valor wouldn’t achieve by their strength, a prayerful woman can achieve on her knees.”
“Wonderful!”
“We allowed them to socialize, while setting boundaries. We also gave them sound se.x education.”
“You taught them about s.ex?”
“Yes! We started by making them know the proper names for se.xual organs, and knowing the key differences between the male and the female gender. Before attaining puberty, we prepared them for what to expect and what to do with s.exual urge. We made them realize the dangers in premarital se.x, phon.ography, mastu.rbation and other vices.
“Oh God! Martha exclaimed, “My Mum never taught me all that, except telling me that I must remain a virgin, if I want to have a white wedding. She emphasized on white wedding so much, that I thought it was a ticket to enter heaven.”
“Well, it is possible your Mum lacked the knowledge of how to go about it. I see people getting into marriages, without proper education on child upbringing. Parents especially the mothers, must have good knowledge of raising children. What you don’t have, you can’t give. On the issue of virginity, I’m an advocate of s.exual purity and not just an intact hymen.”
“How do you mean?”
“Thanks for asking. There are countless young people who are going about, that are technically virgins, but are sexu.ally dirty. They engage in all sort of dirty activities like oral and a**l s.ex, mastu.rbation, phon.ography and even homos.exuality. Their mind is depraved and dirty but, they still go around claiming virginity. Someone who had been s*x.ually active, had repented and vowed to remain pure, is better than them. Se.xual purity is the in thing.”
“I was once like that,” Martha confessed.
“Thank God for your life,” Mrs. Ndukwe responded. “I hope you will remain in the joy and peace that Christ has given you.”
“Amen! All your children must have turned out well,” Martha concluded.
“Yes they did, but it wasn’t easy. Even with all the trainings and prayers, our last baby derailed.
“What?”
“The enemy is always after the children of God, especially when he sees their glorious future. Our last child went wayward in the University and got pregnant for a fellow student.”
“What did you do?”
“We had no choice but to lead her back to Christ. We supported and encouraged her. She deferred a year at the University, delivered her baby, went back to face her studies squarely and came out as a first class graduate of Nursing science.”
“Incredible!”
“She later got married to the father of her baby, after he gave his life to Christ. They are settled in the UK and doing well.”
Martha fell into silence after the conversation, and Mrs. Ndukwe knew something was bothering her. She probed until Martha voiced out. “Is there any hope for me?” she asked with a shaky voice. “My Dad said I’m hopeless.”
“Oh mine!” Mrs. Ndukwe cried and took her into her arms, soothing her like one would a baby. “You are not hopeless,” she said and jerked Martha up. Looking at her directly and pointing a finger she said, “Hear the word of God. Job 14:7-9- For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. You are like that plant! You will bud! You will bring forth fruits and fulfil God’s purpose. Go forth and bask in the glory of God.”
Kike got admission into the University of her Choice to study Biochemistry. Her utmost joy was in the realization that, she would have the chance to live a free and unchaperoned life; a life devoid of parental restrictions, a life to be lived to the fullest, and a life she had always dreamt of. She would do whatever she like, go wherever she want, and shake off her shackles of bondage. She might need to sieve her clique of friends, since she will now be a “big girl.”
To her, tertiary institution meant unrestricted access to the good life. No one would force her to cook, eat and go to Church or dress in a specific way, since she would be living away from home. She would have to make her own decisions.
Her parents gave the usual advice before she left home and listed additional rules to be obeyed. Reminding her of what had happened before, they made her promise she wouldn’t disappoint them again and soil the family name.
On her own, Mrs. Johnson reminded her of the agreement between her and Jide. Drawing her ear she said, “Ai moko omo, ka tun male re. You must remain true to Jide.”
“I will ma,” Kike responded.
“You must not allow what happened before to happen again. Strive to ensure you remain qualified for a white wedding.”
“I will ma.”
————
After the abortion episode of months back, Kike had realized the development of a stronger desire to satisfy the flesh, but she was scared of getting pregnant again. Therefore, she resulted to the use of contraceptives.
There were times she had wished, that things had turned out differently. Maybe her life wouldn’t be the way it is, if her mother was loving and attentive, if her father was firm and outspoken, if God and not religious doctrines and philosophies was allowed to rule her home.
Settling in the campus wasn’t easy, with the registration, orientation, lectures and other activities taking their toll on her. Kike realized she had no grooming for an independent life and she suffered. She soon found her feet and began living the kind of life she wanted.
Ditching her conservative wears, Kike opted for trendy clothes that were in vogue; topless, bottomless and see- through. She seldom attended fellowship, but pitched her tent with the “happening babes” on campus. Like a bird freed from a cage, she flapped her wings and flew far beyond her boundary.
Needless to say that, she was still that religious and well behaved girl whenever she returned home. Parents would often point her out to their children, as an example of what a Christian youth should be.
Kike needed a man to continue servicing her in school. A man who would not make her feel the absence of Jide; who was serving his father land in Calabar. Calabar is a city of about 720 kilometers to Jos where she was schooling. She decided to seek for an alternative.
With an insatiable urge for s*x, Kike became indiscriminate in her choices of men. She went for anything in trousers. And who would tell her parents? Her school was a little distanced from Kaduna, where her parents lived. Not too far for parents to visit their kid, someone would say. Mr. & Mrs. Johnson were content to put her under the care of a guardian, a supposed Christian they met at a denominational conference. In no time, he became another sexual partner to Kike. Albeit to say that, he would always give false reports of her good conducts and disciplined lifestyle to the parents.
In one way or the other, Jide got to know about her activities. He visited without prior notice and discovered that she was co-habiting with a student staying off campus, a habit that has eaten deep into the fabrics of many undergraduates.
If a good number of parents knew what their children and wards do behind them, especially in tertiary institutions, they would shed hot and bitter tears. A significant percentage of students are single at home, and act married in school, living with sexual partners. It will take the Grace of God for such not to lose focus. It always seemed as if, the higher institution is a world on its own, where immorality is seen as the norm and everyone struggles to join the bandwagon.
Nevertheless, there are always remnants that wouldn’t defile themselves, like Daniel and Joseph in the foreign land. They don’t get carried away, like ‘Dinah’, by going out to watch ‘the ladies of the land.’ Those remnants wouldn’t feed fat on the delicacies of Babylon, knowing it has the ability to weaken and cause spiritual insensitivity and apathy. They wouldn’t dare Potiphar’s wife, since they know she’s a fire that could burn and rob them of their glorious future. They are focused, godly and reliable. Even while on campus, they gladly combine their academic activities with Kingdom business.
Jide saw Kike’s actions as an opportunity to pull out from the planned future pact, but Kike was also ready for him.
Unknowingly to him, she had a contact monitoring him where he was serving. The contact gave her blow to blow account of his frolicking with different ladies.
The disagreement that ensued as a result of the discoveries could best be imagined. It became glaring that any future marriage between them would be a disaster.
TBC
