Cynthia left and soon came back
with the snacks, drinks and recharge card. They ate and waited. A while later,
they heard a familiar voice calling their names. They looked towards the
entrance and saw their mother.
“What is mummy doing
here?” Mabel whispered to Cynthia as they got up to welcome their mother.
“I don’t know o,”
Cynthia whispered back.
They
greeted her and she hugged them.
“What brings you here?”
Cynthia asked.
“We were supposed to
have emergency women meeting today,” their mother replied, trying hard to
conceal the real reason why she came.
“Which emergency
women meeting?” Mabel asked her suspiciously.
“Mama wouldn’t have
asked us to wait if there was a meeting,” Cynthia said. “Besides, I don’t see
women here for any meeting.”
Their
mother couldn’t pretend any more.
“Ok I came to see
you people,” she said.
“You came to hear
what mama will say,” Cynthia said.
They
laughed and sat down.
“Is she around?” she
asked them.
“Yes,” Cynthia
answered.
“So why have you not
seen her?”
“She is not in her
office. She had to attend to some pressing matters.”
“But she should be
in the compound because her car is outside.”
“Maybe she entered
the church auditorium.”
Their
mother checked her time piece.
“If we don’t see her
on time,” she said. “We may have to stay for midweek service.”
“Until we are done
seeing her,” Mabel said. “Until I am done seeing her, I mean.”
“There is no way you are entering there alone
o. It is a general family issue.”
“But I am the one
facing a situation now.”
“Yes but…”
“When mama comes,”
Cynthia said. “She will tell us how to come in and see her.”
Their mother asked them questions
about how their day went especially in the hospital. Mabel summarized every
question she asked but she kept pressing for details.
“Na you fit mummy,” Cynthia said to Mabel
and laughed. “She wan know how many
people cough there and how dem cough be.”
“I wonder o,” Mabel
said.
“I don’t blame you,”
their mother said.
They
laughed.
From
time to time, someone they knew would come in, see them, exchange pleasantries
and pass. After a while, they started hearing the sound of some people testing
the PA system and the instruments in the main church auditorium.
“Mid week service
will soon start,” Cynthia said.
“That means we will
stay and also collect the blessing from the service,” their mother said.
“Ok,” Mabel said.
“Have you spoken to
Mama Risi since morning?” Cynthia asked Mabel.
“No,” she replied.
“Is there any
problem?” their mother asked.
“No,” Mabel replied.
“Just to know if anyone came looking for me in the house.”
“Ok.”
“I think you should
call her and know how things are,” Cynthia said.
“Yes,” Mabel said. “So
I will know if I should get to the house first before meeting you people at
home.”
“That will not be
necessary,” their mother said. “There won’t be time to go to your house and
then come home.”
“Ok o, If you say
so.”
They were quiet for a while as they
still waited for the Pastor’s wife.
“Where is Mama na?”
Mabel asked after a while, feeling impatient. “Service will soon start.”
“She will still see
us,” their mother said. “Even if she comes back after service has started.
Afterall, she gave us appointment.”
“Ok o. Let me use
this opportunity and call Mama Risi.”
As she brought out her phone to
call Mama Risi, Pastor’s wife walked in.
“So sorry for
keeping you waiting,” she said as she greeted and hugged Mabel’s mum.
“No problem ma,”
Mabel said.
“One of our young
women was in labour and they asked me to come. I got the information while I
was still trying to discharge the woman you saw me with earlier. Before I could
come back to see you, her husband drove in like it was an emergency and I had
to go with him to the hospital where I prayed and encouraged her.”
“Has she put to
bed?” Mabel’s mum asked.
“Not while I was
there. She insisted I stayed with her but I knew you were waiting for me so I
had to rush back.”
“Eiyaa. That’s nice of you.”
“What do you expect?
When you are a pastor’s wife, you become responsible for the welfare of a lot
of people, especially women and children.”
“You are strong o.”
“It’s hectic but it
is fulfilling at the end of the day.”
“The Lord is your
strength ma.”
“Yes indeed. So, am
I seeing you all or just Mabel?”
Mabel
said “Me only” at the same time her mother said “All of us”.
She smiled and said, “Mabel, let
me see you first. I will see all of you together afterwards.”
She went into her office and Mabel
went in after her.
“So we will not know
what they are discussing?” their mother said to Cynthia, sounding frustrated.
“Mabel will still
tell us,” Cynthia said.
“She doesn’t tell
everything o.”
“I will find a way
for get every detail from her.”
“Not the Mabel I
know.”
“Trust me. Moreover,
we will see Mama together. You can ask her anything you want.”
After
about 20 minutes, Mabel came out of the Pastor’s wife’s office.
(...to be continued)
Nedu Isaac
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