THE DEVIL ON THE ALTAR
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
It was another Sunday morning, a time to join other worshippers across the globe to worship God in spirit and in truth. Celestina and Patricia were always thrilled about Sunday mornings as it was a time where they could have an uninterrupted fellowship with God in the company of other students. They both got ready in a sprint in order to be part of the early arrivers. Patricia was gradually getting over the ugly incidence and she was grateful to God for sending Celestina into her life to help her find her way back to the cross. She now had untold peace and the joy of the Holy Ghost but she had her regrets which sometimes overcame her, making her to cry uncontrollably.
The service went on as other services and everyone was engulfed in the presence of God. Pastor Raphael was also present in the church which was something he normally did but when he mounted the podium to minister instead of Paul, Patricia began to suspect that something was wrong. Pastor Raphael only ministered to them during special programs.
He apologized to the students for not paying enough attention to them and allowing the devil to use one of them. He said many other things that most of the students could not piece together. But when he called Patricia Adams to come to the front, it was then Patricia’s greatest fear came to pass. She had had that strange feeling that Pastor Raphael was not done with her and that he had more things to do but she had never thought he would call her out in the presence of thousands of students.
She bent her head to avoid people seeing her since she was determined not to answer the call but an usher came to her to tap her and everyone turned their attention to her till she had no choice but to move forward with every eyes trailing her like a condemned criminal. She was hoping that Paul would also be called so she wouldn’t bear the shame alone but what was coming her way was more than what she bargained for.
“This sister here came to me on Tuesday and said some shocking things that I would implore her to say once again to the hearing of everyone,” Pastor Raphael said and Patricia began to shiver and panic. The microphone was offered to her but she just bowed her head while facing the congregation without taking it.
“If she is not willing to say it again then I would have to play the recorder but I want to implore you all to be calm and listen to the end,” he said again and it was like every time he talked, he sent shiver down Patricia’s spine.
“Recorder? Did he record my voice?” Patricia thought to herself and wished it was not true but when she began to hear herself over the speaker, she wanted to run away and hide but her legs suddenly became so heavy that they could not carry her.
“What! Hmm! Really! Jesus! Impossible!” Were remarks coming from the students intermittently as they listened to Patricia’s confession. Patricia could tell that it was the second time she narrated it when Pastor Raphael summoned Paul that he had her voice recorded.
When the recorded voice stopped, he spoke again and asked if any of the students ever suspected that Paul and Patricia were close enough to be having an affair but they all said no. He played the tape again and that time it was Paul when he was explaining that Patricia wanted to seduce him and when he refused she cooked up a lie against him.
“Haaah!” All the students chorused and other comments started rolling in. But Patricia could no longer hold it, she had cried her eyes out but she needed to do more than that. She took to her heels and ran far away until her leg gave way and she sat there on the road weeping.
“What kind of a pastor is this? Can’t he even discern that I was telling the truth? He has been bewitched by Paul. I was condemned while the real criminal was arrayed like a saint. I’m a big fool!” Patricia thought to herself as she wept on.
To be continued…
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The Pastor himself is not helping the matter