Doyin took the already slippery, wet soap in her right palm and gently
squeezed it. It slid out of her palm into the ceramic sink. She turned
on the tap and began to wash both her hands again- for the fifth time.
She had escaped from the ongoing service to the church toilet to avoid
Tosin and was killing time by washing her hands repeatedly. She
calculated that no one else in her family knew Tosin and as such she was
safe. Her mom, the only person whom she had told about him, only knew
of his name. From the church toilet, she could hear Tosin singing over
the loudspeakers. His remarkable voice- the reason she first took note
of him still blessed her, even more now that she had become born again.
The lyrics of the chorus she heard him sing, brought tears to her eyes.
'In my darkest hour.
When no one's around.
And the waters overwhelming, rise.
When I, even I, is against I.
Yet, Jesus comes to me to help,
Saviour, lover and friend.
Jesus, you're ever near to me.'
The mercy, grace and the great love of Jesus to the undeserving, was much more than song to her- it was her experience; he reality.
Back inside the church, Olamide turned away from his dad without replying. 'Tosin Adedeji, huh? Could this be the culprit?' He wondered to himself. The young man definitely had something exceptional about him, his voice and the grace with which he ministered. Inside Olamide, he burned with anger though. Under separate conditions, he would have been truely impressed with Tosin's voice, songs and charisma but not when the minister is responsible for your younger sister's unwanted pregnancy. He exhaled heavily.
'Silly boy! Won't you answer me?' Deacon interrupted his thoughts sharply in low tone, his teeth gritted. 'This young man singing on the stage is responsible for Doyin's pregnancy?'
Olamide had reached his boiling point. Everything irritated him about the moment. That his younger sister was pregnant outside wedlock, their mom's seeming indifference to the pregnancy, their dad's obsession with protecting his reputation- his family made him feel nauseous at the moment. He turned and looked at his dad, 'Take your on advice dad: show some reverence for God by not talking while worship is on in church!', then he got up from his seat and walked off to another section of the church.
Deacon Cooker just watched, thoroughly stunned at the audacity of his son, walking out on a father. Well, this was church, he couldn't go all god-of-thunder on him, not in front of people. That would tarnish his reputation. He turned back, looking to the stage. As he looked at the young man on the pulpit. His mind raced on how best to stand up and wreck the ministration and disgrace the 'fake minister.' He had just two hesitations: firstly, he was not a hundred percent sure, this 'Tosin Adedeji' was the same one who had impregnated his daughter. He did not know the young man's face. Secondly, announcing that his daughter was pregnant would begin to corrode the image he had created in church: that of a perfect disciplinarian who had his family under 'perfect' Christian control.
'What would other deacons and church elders think? That I, deacon Cooker, am incapable of raising my only daughter?' His face furrowed in deep thought while he looked on, at the pulpit. Bishop Hanson had come up and was preaching.
The only one totally unaware of the family drama playing out was Mrs. Cooker, his wife. She looked contented, being in church. Occasionally, casting a curious look at her husband who looked troubled. Immediately the service ended, she tried to engage her husband.
'Woman! Let me be, there are pressing issues to be handled...' he pulled his hand out of her loose hold.
He walked away towards the area where the stairs led up to the church office, the ushers had escorted Bishop Hanson, Tosin and the entourage up. He had a look about his eyes she didn't like.
******
'Arggghhhh!' A masculine cry rented the atmosphere.
It briefly interrupted the atmosphere in the ministers' lounge where Bishop, the entourage and some deacons were resting. Deacon Cooker was just opening the door to come in, he stopped with the door half open.
'Cooker! Kindly check up on that...' Reverend Moffat tailed off. Though he was the resident minister at Holiness First Assembly, he too, threaded softly when it came to Deacon Cooker- the man was too strong willed and confrontational when he disagreed.
'Ah Rev, I came for something urgent...I want to meet with the young man who sang before the Bishop came up.'
'Oh? Well, he went out with your son...' Reverend Moffat was still speaking when they were interrupted again by a more horrified scream.
'Ahhh! Help! Who's there? Help oh!'
Bishop Hanson jumped up, 'That's him. That's Tosin Adedeji's voice!' The other ministers got up too. Deacon Cooker ran out ahead of them. When the men got to the area where the noise had come from they found deacon choking out Tosin near the railing of the church office balcony. He had arrived far before the others on the scene and had started the ruckus. They both were engaged in a scuffle of which deacon was obviously overpowering, being by far bigger and more well built than Tosin. Reverend Moffat and the other deacons finally freed Tosin's neck from deacon's grip.
'Deacon Cooker! What is this?!' Reverend Moffat screamed as they tore Tosin from deacon's grip. Without a reply he walked away briskly. Some of the other deacons went after him.
Down the railing Olamide had fallen off, from the first floor of the building down. Tosin was too stunned to move or talk. Olamide looked dead from up where they stood.
Luckily some medical personnel that were members of the church were still around. They lifted the unconscious Olamide into the back seat of a van. But it was having problems starting. They could have used another but Olamide was tall and no other vehicle would accommodate him, fully stretched. Two men worked frantically on getting it started.
Bishop Hanson and others rushed down. Tosin dragged behind them. As they came down, deacon flew into a rage. Mrs Cooker had arrived and was wailing loudly! Doyin too had come to the scene, she felt for Tosin, he looked pitifully confused with disheveled hair, clothes and blood streaming down his nose.
'I shall deal ruthlessly with this rascal!' Deacon seethed, pointing his right fore finger at Tosin. The men around tried to calm him and shield Tosin from him.
Bishop stepped in. 'What is the matter? What did the young man do?'
Deacon paused to look at Doyin, she was standing with her mom, both of them had teary eyes as they watched the medical personnel attend to the unconscious Olamide. For a split second, he thought about what to say, he couldn't imagine soiling his public persona and yet he wanted to have Tosin beaten, locked up and to rid him of any further opportunities of ministering on any pulpit by exposing him.
'Imagine, I ran there to find that this rascal pushed my son off the balcony to hide his sins!' Deacon spat out.
'Ahhhh! Deacon Cooker, don't be extreme naa...' another man was saying when he was cut short!
'Me, extreme? This devil here also tricked my daughter and raped her; impregnating her...how can I be extreme with such a hypocrite?' A gasp of shock escaped from the growing crowd in the church compound. Bishop cast a sharp glance at Tosin, being, obviously the most shocked.
'Me, tricked and raped by Tosin, that wasn't how it happened?' Doyin thought to herself. She couldn't believe her mom told her dad Tosin's name! Anyway, how did they recognize him. She felt terrible. Doyin raised her voice and drew closer to the men to speak when deacon slapped her heavily, to shut her up- he didn't want her countering what he said. A case for rape saved his reputation some dignity than to say he raised a promiscuous daughter. He hit her on the side of her head, over her right ear, same spot she had been injured and admitted for. She collapsed. His eyes widened in horror. He didn't mean harm, he only wanted to shut her up.
Bishop stood motionless, too shocked by the news to move. Tosin was his golden boy, he couldn't do such things. He was about to ask Tosin to verify or refute the claim when he saw him rush, first as others hesistated, to pick up Doyin. That for Bishop was a confirmation of what the man had said: rape and attempted murder. That's hard by a stretch for any Christian, not to mention a minister. Bishop turned and walked towards his car, the other members of his entourage followed. Reverend Moffat, the host Pastor went after them, apologizing. They boarded the vehicles and drove off without Tosin. Mrs Cooker was screaming hysterically at this time, she didn't jump to check on her daughter, she just threw her head gear to the ground and lay there shouting. She was close to loosing her sanity: Olamide lay unconscious in the van, Doyin lay unconscious on the floor.
'How can one loose two children in a day?'
'In my darkest hour.
When no one's around.
And the waters overwhelming, rise.
When I, even I, is against I.
Yet, Jesus comes to me to help,
Saviour, lover and friend.
Jesus, you're ever near to me.'
The mercy, grace and the great love of Jesus to the undeserving, was much more than song to her- it was her experience; he reality.
Back inside the church, Olamide turned away from his dad without replying. 'Tosin Adedeji, huh? Could this be the culprit?' He wondered to himself. The young man definitely had something exceptional about him, his voice and the grace with which he ministered. Inside Olamide, he burned with anger though. Under separate conditions, he would have been truely impressed with Tosin's voice, songs and charisma but not when the minister is responsible for your younger sister's unwanted pregnancy. He exhaled heavily.
'Silly boy! Won't you answer me?' Deacon interrupted his thoughts sharply in low tone, his teeth gritted. 'This young man singing on the stage is responsible for Doyin's pregnancy?'
Olamide had reached his boiling point. Everything irritated him about the moment. That his younger sister was pregnant outside wedlock, their mom's seeming indifference to the pregnancy, their dad's obsession with protecting his reputation- his family made him feel nauseous at the moment. He turned and looked at his dad, 'Take your on advice dad: show some reverence for God by not talking while worship is on in church!', then he got up from his seat and walked off to another section of the church.
Deacon Cooker just watched, thoroughly stunned at the audacity of his son, walking out on a father. Well, this was church, he couldn't go all god-of-thunder on him, not in front of people. That would tarnish his reputation. He turned back, looking to the stage. As he looked at the young man on the pulpit. His mind raced on how best to stand up and wreck the ministration and disgrace the 'fake minister.' He had just two hesitations: firstly, he was not a hundred percent sure, this 'Tosin Adedeji' was the same one who had impregnated his daughter. He did not know the young man's face. Secondly, announcing that his daughter was pregnant would begin to corrode the image he had created in church: that of a perfect disciplinarian who had his family under 'perfect' Christian control.
'What would other deacons and church elders think? That I, deacon Cooker, am incapable of raising my only daughter?' His face furrowed in deep thought while he looked on, at the pulpit. Bishop Hanson had come up and was preaching.
The only one totally unaware of the family drama playing out was Mrs. Cooker, his wife. She looked contented, being in church. Occasionally, casting a curious look at her husband who looked troubled. Immediately the service ended, she tried to engage her husband.
'Woman! Let me be, there are pressing issues to be handled...' he pulled his hand out of her loose hold.
He walked away towards the area where the stairs led up to the church office, the ushers had escorted Bishop Hanson, Tosin and the entourage up. He had a look about his eyes she didn't like.
******
'Arggghhhh!' A masculine cry rented the atmosphere.
It briefly interrupted the atmosphere in the ministers' lounge where Bishop, the entourage and some deacons were resting. Deacon Cooker was just opening the door to come in, he stopped with the door half open.
'Cooker! Kindly check up on that...' Reverend Moffat tailed off. Though he was the resident minister at Holiness First Assembly, he too, threaded softly when it came to Deacon Cooker- the man was too strong willed and confrontational when he disagreed.
'Ah Rev, I came for something urgent...I want to meet with the young man who sang before the Bishop came up.'
'Oh? Well, he went out with your son...' Reverend Moffat was still speaking when they were interrupted again by a more horrified scream.
'Ahhh! Help! Who's there? Help oh!'
Bishop Hanson jumped up, 'That's him. That's Tosin Adedeji's voice!' The other ministers got up too. Deacon Cooker ran out ahead of them. When the men got to the area where the noise had come from they found deacon choking out Tosin near the railing of the church office balcony. He had arrived far before the others on the scene and had started the ruckus. They both were engaged in a scuffle of which deacon was obviously overpowering, being by far bigger and more well built than Tosin. Reverend Moffat and the other deacons finally freed Tosin's neck from deacon's grip.
'Deacon Cooker! What is this?!' Reverend Moffat screamed as they tore Tosin from deacon's grip. Without a reply he walked away briskly. Some of the other deacons went after him.
Down the railing Olamide had fallen off, from the first floor of the building down. Tosin was too stunned to move or talk. Olamide looked dead from up where they stood.
Luckily some medical personnel that were members of the church were still around. They lifted the unconscious Olamide into the back seat of a van. But it was having problems starting. They could have used another but Olamide was tall and no other vehicle would accommodate him, fully stretched. Two men worked frantically on getting it started.
Bishop Hanson and others rushed down. Tosin dragged behind them. As they came down, deacon flew into a rage. Mrs Cooker had arrived and was wailing loudly! Doyin too had come to the scene, she felt for Tosin, he looked pitifully confused with disheveled hair, clothes and blood streaming down his nose.
'I shall deal ruthlessly with this rascal!' Deacon seethed, pointing his right fore finger at Tosin. The men around tried to calm him and shield Tosin from him.
Bishop stepped in. 'What is the matter? What did the young man do?'
Deacon paused to look at Doyin, she was standing with her mom, both of them had teary eyes as they watched the medical personnel attend to the unconscious Olamide. For a split second, he thought about what to say, he couldn't imagine soiling his public persona and yet he wanted to have Tosin beaten, locked up and to rid him of any further opportunities of ministering on any pulpit by exposing him.
'Imagine, I ran there to find that this rascal pushed my son off the balcony to hide his sins!' Deacon spat out.
'Ahhhh! Deacon Cooker, don't be extreme naa...' another man was saying when he was cut short!
'Me, extreme? This devil here also tricked my daughter and raped her; impregnating her...how can I be extreme with such a hypocrite?' A gasp of shock escaped from the growing crowd in the church compound. Bishop cast a sharp glance at Tosin, being, obviously the most shocked.
'Me, tricked and raped by Tosin, that wasn't how it happened?' Doyin thought to herself. She couldn't believe her mom told her dad Tosin's name! Anyway, how did they recognize him. She felt terrible. Doyin raised her voice and drew closer to the men to speak when deacon slapped her heavily, to shut her up- he didn't want her countering what he said. A case for rape saved his reputation some dignity than to say he raised a promiscuous daughter. He hit her on the side of her head, over her right ear, same spot she had been injured and admitted for. She collapsed. His eyes widened in horror. He didn't mean harm, he only wanted to shut her up.
Bishop stood motionless, too shocked by the news to move. Tosin was his golden boy, he couldn't do such things. He was about to ask Tosin to verify or refute the claim when he saw him rush, first as others hesistated, to pick up Doyin. That for Bishop was a confirmation of what the man had said: rape and attempted murder. That's hard by a stretch for any Christian, not to mention a minister. Bishop turned and walked towards his car, the other members of his entourage followed. Reverend Moffat, the host Pastor went after them, apologizing. They boarded the vehicles and drove off without Tosin. Mrs Cooker was screaming hysterically at this time, she didn't jump to check on her daughter, she just threw her head gear to the ground and lay there shouting. She was close to loosing her sanity: Olamide lay unconscious in the van, Doyin lay unconscious on the floor.
'How can one loose two children in a day?'
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