Stepping Into Maggie’s Shoes

Episode 27

It was about 10:30pm and the search party had returned. Everyone except my mum and I had gone in search of the mother of the triplets but no one found her.

When all the passengers came back, it was obvious I had become the mother of the babies…

“ Madam, it’s seems you are now the mother of the triplets” someone said jokingly
The driver asked us to get back into the vehicle, but I couldn’t get back into the bus. Confusion had taken over me, my mother was also confused. We refused to join them in the vehicle, then out of the blues, someone who had recognized me said…

“ Please Ma, are you not Pastor Happy, Apostle Ray’s new wife?” She asked
I nodded in the affirmative
“ Ma, God dropping these babies in your hands is not a mistake, you will be able to take care of them better, I believe they are glorious children…” the young lady had said
The number of “ Really?” That sprang up in the vehicle was uncountable as people started flashing their phone torches to have a good look at my face… They saw it as a miracle and the act of God.

After all the exaltation of God as being a great God, the driver sped off with the other passengers leaving my mother and I at the spot.

“ Mummy, what are we going to do?” I asked Mum
For the first time my mum was short of ideas as she nodded in the negative.

“ Mummy, I think we should go to the nearest police station” I suggested as I knew that was the right thing to do. Mum nodded in the affirmative to indicate her support.

“ But, how do we leave here right now?” My mum asked
“ I don’t know, you see mum, that’s why I told you to get one of these cab apps on your phone… God!, I don’t understand what is happening to my life right now, but just lead me out of all these problems”
At that point,it flashed through my mind, “ MY WISH” to have three kids with Apostle Ray… I almost dropped the two babies in my hand…

“God!, I don’t have the capacity to care for these babies. No, please don’t grant that wish this way…No please, I am sorry for everything I have wished for that is not according to your will…” I said screaming in my heart.

I watched as my mother was dialing a number on her phone…

“ Julie, please come and pick Happy and I at…..”

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Aunt Julie had driven us to the nearest police station. We had lodged our complaint and stated the real situation of things… The D.P.O had recognized me as Apostle’s Wife, so he treated me with respect.

After explaining everything to the DPO, his comment furthered dampened my spirit…
“ Ma, I believe these children should be kept with you, if we take these children from you, we will hand them over to the government and this I tell you will not Favour these babies. First they will be seperated and put in different orphanages, Number 2, they may not recieve the kind of care you could have given them. Ma, I suggest you take these children as souls God has just added to your husband’s ministry.”

This comment did not sit well with me, one bit, but my mother as usual jumped to ask
“ So you mean, if we keep the children, there won’t be a problem?”
“ Not at all ma, I will write a letter stating the police is aware of the situation.” He said
My mother jumped up and started dancing…
“ Thank you, Lord, For years I have cried that I had just one child, but in one night, you have given me 3…”

All the necessary statements were taken and together with the babies, I returned to my mother’s house with Aunt Julie…

Early the next morning, my mum came to wake me up that she was going to the shopping mall to get some baby items. You should have seen the excitement on her face, but I guess she was missing something…
“ Mum, are we no longer going to my husbands’ place?”

“ See, forget that, Aunt Julie and I have spoken at length and she has said if half of everything you told me is true, you shouldn’t return back to that Apostle. God has been faithful to you by giving you these children, we will help you nurture them, while you live your life”
I watched my mother in amazement at how inconsistent she was in her decisions, she was always carried away by the situation at hand.

I heard the cries of the babies from the living room. I really wanted to see how they looked like in the daytime. I followed my mum and the sight I saw was beautiful, Mum had taken care of them and had wrapped them in some of her wrappers. They were all girls and they were beautiful…

“ We have given them names” Aunt Julie said in excitement
“ Mary, Martha, Melody” My mother said
“ Okkkkk!” I said laughing
I carried the one whose name was Melody…She was the fairest of them all…

“ She is my favorite too, but she cries a lot, and that is why I gave her the name Melody, I hope she uses that voice of hers to sing beautiful melodies when she grows up” Mum said cheerfully…

Dad walked in and said while switching on the T.V

“ I hope her husband accepts them”
“ If he doesn’t we will keep them”
“ We?” My father asked
“ You and I, can’t we take care of our grandchildren?”

“ Well, let me inform you, I don’t have the strength to start running after little children at my age?”My father said
“ That is not a surprise, you have never had the strength for anything good, the only good thing you have ever produced in this life is Happy and that is because I co produced her with you…” Mum retorted
My phone rang, and surprisingly on checking the screen, it was Apostle calling. I looked at my mother who encouraged me to pick up…
“Hello!”
“ Yes “
“ Where are you and what’s this talk about you having three babies?” he said
I was so shocked….

“What… I mean who told you?” I asked
“ Maybe you need to check the NN news station, your face is plastered on the screen and people have been calling me, asking me questions I have no answer to” he said
Without hanging up, I took the remote from my Dad’s hands and changed it to the station Apostle was referring to…
True to his words, my picture was on the screen with the caption…

TRIPLETS FIND NEW HOME….

A lady was the one anchoring the show, as I looked closely at her, her face seemed familiar…

“ The Women literally dumped the babies in Pastor Happy’s hands and thereafter disappeared.” the lady was saying
“ At least, we are grateful she didn’t kill them, obviously from the way you described her, She must have been suffering from depression” the other presenter said…
“ Possibly, Pastor Happy, in case you are watching, I was in the same bus with you last night when the triplets were dropped in your hands, we know God doesn’t make mistakes and I am so sure this is a divine act. It shows you are a good woman and God believes you can take care of those babies. May God strengthen you for this great task, we hope to see them emerge as great vessels in God’s hand…”
I dropped the remote and sat down gently. My phone rang again…
“ That was a very good act of yours, I suggest you start coming home, because Co-pastors are calling and wives of general overseers are calling already… They all want to come and see the babies. Soon, I know the press will be here as well… Where are you, so I can ask the driver to come pick you up…”

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I returned home and true to Apostle’s Word, our home was filled with visitors. The triplets became the center of focus, because Days later the corpse of the woman was found, as she had committed suicide in the bush…
Men of God came to our home and prayed for the children. People made promises to sponsor their education. Even the United Nations reached out to us as the story went Viral.. All these happened within the space of two months. Apostle was behaving like a proud father. I was seen as a heroine.
However, my joy and pride was short lived. I recieved a strange call.
“ Hello” I said
“ Hi, Pastor Happy, You suddenly have become a heroine all of a sudden without people knowing your wicked past…”
“ Sorry, who is this?”
“ This is Chaba, who you stole Apostle Ray from… Listen, I don’t have much airtime to waste on a wicked soul like you, here is my proposition, you pay me 300 million NAIRA, and I will keep quiet, but failure to do that I will tell the whole world how you poured Acid on your church member’s face in order to Marry the Apostle, plus my own version of how you were the one who murdered Pastor Maggie. That way, they will know you are a beast and those babies shouldn’t be left with you…I will be sending my account details shortly…” Chaba said before ending the call…