Stepping Into Maggie’s Shoes

Episode 24

For a week, I didn’t see any of the women and neither did he eat my food. I wasn’t bothered about the food, because at least I had achieved the part of the women not coming over. He kept malice with me for that week, whenever I greeted he gave me silence for an answer.

When I saw Mrs. Beecroft in church on Sunday, she didn’t pretend to be happy with me as she eyed me anytime our eyes made contact.

“Shameless Woman!” I thought to myself as simultaneously I saw Gabriel walking towards me on the Altar. I quickly moved away from the person I was speaking to and made way to my office. I could perceive he was following me. As I got to into my office with the hope of shutting the door behind me in a rush, he put his leg in the door way…
“What do you want?’ I asked
“You started this whole thing making me crazy about you, and suddenly you think you are just going to discard me like that!”
“I was trying to get back at your mother for sleeping with my husband!”

“Then let’s say, I am trying to get back at your husband for sleeping with my mother!”
“Stop It, Gabriel, this is not you, don’t try to play dirty like what I was trying to do, please don’t make the same mistake I made, other people’s shoe have always been attractive to me, and out of greed , I have found my leg in one that is way too big and uncomfortable for me…Don’t try to get me by all means, you might hurt yourself…Just accept things the way they are. See me as the woman you could never have, and I will see you as same. Move on and Let God find you a good girl who deserves your undiluted and drama free love…”

“I don’t want any other woman, it’s you I want…” he said
“And you can never have her, because she is my wife” Apostle said as the door to my office opened…

Gabriel jumped up from his seat and you could still sense some respect for the Apostle as he had his head bowed…
“Good Afternoon Sir!” Gabriel had said
“Good Afternoon Gabriel, Have a seat….” Apostle said to Gabriel who obediently sat…
“Gabriel, I know what it feels like , when it’s another man’s wife that interests you, so I don’t condemn you, but you are about to end your life, because my wife is off the rack, I can sleep with other women, but no other man can sleep with my wife, you know just like the kings of old, like King David..” Apostle said this and pulled me closer to himself, which was a way of silently telling Gabriel, I belonged to him…
“I strongly disagree sir, if you can commit adultery what stops your wife?”
“I can’t and won’t commit adultery not because of him, but because of Him who is God” I said as I got myself rid of Apostle’s hands…

“With all due respect, Apostle, I would love to be left alone” I said as I went to my table
“I know exactly how to get Happy out of your grip, I will have your story told on every newspaper” he said threatening Apostle
Apostle laughed out loud
“ Remember to include your mother’s name in the story, and watch how you will be labeled as the son of the woman sleeping with her pastor.” He said walking out laughing .
There was a brief moment of Silence as Apostle’s threat made sense to Gabriel and I. Exposing Apostle was like causing damage to Gabriel’s personality as well… I shook my head in pity at how cocky Apostle was sounding..
Gabriel stormed out of my office colliding with Mrs Jaiyesimi, one of my husband’s sleeping partner.
“ Good Afternoon Pastor Happy” She said not trying to maintain eye contact with me
“ Yes!, Mrs Jaiyesimi, how may I help you, are you here to insult me?”
“ No, I am here to apologize for what I have been doing with the Apostle. It was my husband who pushed me into this, his lack of care made me close to the Apostle. It started casually by way of me calling to report my husband to him. I started finding succor in him, till one thing led to the other. When Pastor Maggie was alive, she was very supportive as she would prepare food for me anytime I was at your place, I felt I wasn’t doing what was wrong since it was my husband that pushed me out, but looking at how you handle the situation calmly despite seeing me coming to your home every week to have intercourse with your husband, you are still sane and on fire for God…I really feel ashamed of myself and stupid for letting my husband’s lifestyle push me in to sin…, Please Forgive me , pray for me and I promise to stay away from him…”
“ Hmmm…, it’s ok ma… I am not the one who should forgive you, once you make your way right before God, You are free of guilt…”
“ Please keep this as a secret between us”
“ It is fine!”
I stood up and gave a sisterly hug, as I understood no one was a saint.
We drove home with the church driver, with no words said in the car. This gave me time to think about the statement, Mrs Jaiyesimi had made about Pastor Maggie supporting Apostle in having extra marital affairs under her roof…
“Was that Christian Like?” I asked
myself
“ Was That been a good wife?,”
I was ruminating on this in the car, so I didn’t know when we got home, until Apostle touched me…
“ Honey, we are home.”
The moment the church driver left, all hell was let loose…
“ So you have taken Mrs Jaiyesimi from me right?, you will regret this” he said angrily like someone having a fit
“ Me… take Mrs Jaiyesimi from you?, how?”
“ Yes!, she just sent me a text in the car, telling me she had spoken to you and it was over between us”
“ Ok?, so is that a bad thing?”
The next thing I felt on my face was a loud and painful slap….
Emotional pain was one thing, but I didn’t know Physical abuse was part of what Apostle had for me in this shoe called Marriage… Hmmm.. Maybe this was one of the reasons Pastor Maggie kept quiet, and maybe this was why Sapphira in the Bible Lied alongside her husband, Ananias…
Should the fear of my husband make me condole and support evil?