The Man That Married

Episode 12

After I was discharged from the hospital, I moved out of the house immediately to a friend’s place. He was discharged the following day but he got home and discovered I had moved out. I wanted to change my phone number so that no one – not even my husband or any church member would be able to reach me but v won’t be possible because I work in the same office with Mr Alfred.

Mr Alfred was really suspicious and almost got to know all that had been happening between me and my husband. He knew I wasn’t happy but the lifestyle we portrayed in church could never make anyone suspect that we were having problems in our marriage. My husband had be best skill in pretence and drama. Sometimes it baffles me how the power of God still moved through him. If we weren’t living together, I would have thought he was using diabolic powers to do what he was doing in church. How would anyone ever suspect Bro David to be a wife beater, a pretender, or a a wicked man? A man who could pray for hours and make it seem like seconds? A man knows the Bible like someone knows his name. Nobody will ever believe my story if I try to expose him. This time he’s surely going to be caught in the web of lies and deceit because of the injuries he sustained during our last fight. When I got to the office on Friday, David started calling my number but I ignored all his calls. He sent me several text messages but I replied none. I have been avoiding Mr Alfred because he’s is yet to see me to ask why we were not in the church on Wednesday. I have also been wondering why church members haven’t called to ask me why we were not in church on Wednesday.

Later in the afternoon I got a text from the pastor and it read thus: “Good day Sis Fola, how was your trip? I hope you are back now? I called Bro David but his number was switched off.” Trip ke? My husband had sent text message to the pastor the day of the last fight that we will be embarking on a 3 day journey and we won’t be in church on Wednesday. I rushed to Mr Alfred’s office if I could hear more gist about my husband’s lies to the pastor and the church members but unfortunately he didn’t go to church too on Wednesday. I made up my mind to be in church that Wednesday to see how my husband will cover up all these evil. When we finished the service that day, pastor requested to see me in his office.

As I entered pastor’s office my husband came in behind me. You are both welcome, pastor greeted. I thought he called us in relation to our quarrel but I was shocked when he stretched his hand towards my husband, “congratulations, your letter of ordination as assistant pastor has finally arrived. He shook my husband and shook me also as he brought out the letter from his drawer. I was speechless because I couldn’t say anything with the way the pastor was so excited.” He also brought out other forms in triplicate and handed me one of the copy. This is your copy Sis Fola, fill it and submit back to me latest by Sunday so we can send them back to the headquarters first thing on Monday.

I collected my copy and had a quick glance while pastor was still talking about the office of an assistant pastor and its responsibility. It was an attestation form, one to be filled by the senior pastor, the second by wife of the ordainee and the last by any of his neighbours. After we left the pastor’s office, he ran after me to the church gate, ‘my dear, I bought you these.’ He tried to force a polythene bag containing some items into my hand but I let it drop on the ground without looking at it. When did you start addressing me as “dear” I asked him mockingly. ‘Pastor David, so you want to be a pastor? I took time to make jest of him. You are now trying to be a good boy because you wants me to fill the form favourably right?’ He begged me to come back to the house but I refused. He tried to drag me but I assured him I was going to create a scene if he did not leave me alone. He left me immediately and I walked away.

Do you think I should fill the form favourably? Or I should fill the true state of things there?