December, 2012.
"And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?"
¤
The Chaplain of the All Souls Chapel read from the Bible. The chapel which is the Protestant Church for the institution's Christian Community was built like a conventional Orthodox Church, with backrest benches, arranged in three long rows, for the congregation to sit. The clergy was seated at the altar behind the pulpit in front of the church. The beautifully lit Christmas trees on either side of the pulpit were a constant reminder that Christmas was just two weeks away.
Ese shuffled through the leaves of her Bible searching for the elusive verse that was being read. She didn't pay any attention to the person that had branched off the aisle to sit beside her.
"let's rise up for the the call to worship." The minister said after he was done reading the verse. Ese felt him as she stood up and looked at her side. He was smiling at her.
"You!" she whispered
"Yes, me."
"What are you doing here?"
"Now that, if I may say my dear, is a silly question. What does one do in the House of God?"
"You know what I meant, I mean..........."
"Yea, I do. The church isn't for poor sinners like me." He said with a trace of sarcasm, still smiling.
"Siji, will you please stop putting words in my mouth. I didn't mean that...... I meant...."
"Amen. God bless you all, you may have your seats" the Chaplain said and Ese realised she had completely missed the call to worship.
---it's his fault--- she blamed him silently as she sat down and fixed her eyes on the pulpit. She would not allow him get to her this time. No. Not in the church. She tried, albeit with no small effort, not to look at her side all through the service. She thought he would make another attempt to talk to her, but he sat quietly beside her and that in itself was distracting because she kept wondering why he was quiet. Right after the benediction, she stood up, and without glancing at him took the other side, walking as fast as her heels could permit.
---Coming to church today was a waste of time, I'd rather I did not come--- she thought to herself as she exited the church's gigantic metal doors. Rose was already waiting for her by the car, and but for the few acquaintances she had to stop to greet, Siji would not have caught up with her.
"Isn't it unchristian not to wish the well-behaved Christian brother, who sat by your side during the service, well before rushing off?" He said jokingly.
Despite herself, she had to stifle a chuckle.
"You are anything but well-behaved." She said as she got into the car and unlocked the front door for Rose to get in. The kid was looking at him speculatively.
"Hello Rose." Siji waved at the kid through the driver's side door.
"Hi, good morning."
"Morning, how are you?"
"I am fine, thank you."
Ese was getting uneasy "We've got to go, Rose buckle your seatbelt."
"Can I see you tomorrow? Lunch break?" He whispered.
"You're asking me out in front of my daughter?" She whispered back
"Yea, no.....I mean it's not like she heard or something."
"You think? Kids are..."
"Ese, it's just lunch, not a marriage proposal."
She suddenly felt silly for overreacting, she must have sounded like a teenager. It was only a lunch. "Alright."
"Thanks, I'll get you at the office by noon tomorrow then."
"Tomorrow then, bye." she said as she started the car. He stood at the same spot watching the car disappear from sight before walking to his car while thinking what an awesome Sunday service it had been.
☆☆☆
"Mummy who is that man?" Rose asked her as they approached their home. Ese knew the question would come, Rose was too inquisitive to let it slip by. Ese had a ready answer but she tarried still.
"Which man?"
"The one from the church"
"Oh! He is an old friend."
"But I have not seen him before."
"That, my young lady, is because you do not know all my friends."
"I only know Aunty Teju and Uncle Kalu."
"Yea, right."
"But he knows me." Ese was alarmed, she wondered if Siji had met with Rose behind her back. It sounded farfetched but not impossible, especially with the way he had initially claimed she was his.
"Knows you? How do mean?"
"He called my name, he knows my name."
Ese took a deep breath of relief before answering. "That's because I told him."
"I like him."
"Really?"
"Yea, he is cool."
☆☆☆
The hotel where he had lodged was a stone throw from the brothel, so he had not taken his car. He felt the very familiar feeling of excitement as he walked to the hotel in haste. It was the kind of feeling he got whenever he got a vital clue or information on his hunt. This hunt had been a little challenging, having spent a month with no clue and vexing his client a great deal. Then he had followed a hunch and came to Benin, and now it had paid off, costing him only 20K. He entered the building, took his room key from the reception and went up the stairs, taking it two at a time. When he got to his room he started packing his few belongings. He looked at himself in the mirror before leaving the room. His long moustache spanned from one cheek to the other. Some strands of hair were already straying from his cheeks and hanging away from his moustache. He spat on his fingers and used the saliva to plaster the straying strands against his cheeks. His moustache was his identity, he always made sure it looked the way it should. He closed the door and went down to check himself out then walked to the hotel's car park.
He started his Peugeot 505 and slowly backed the vehicle out of the car park. He was a very careful driver. He would never exceed the 80km/hr mark on his speedometer, not even on the highway. He should get to Ife before dusk. Even at his speed.
About the Author
Soji Adeola Ayanleke was born about 3 decades ago in Kano.
He studied Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, he speaks Yoruba and Hausa fluently and he is trying to learn Igbo and Spanish. His hobbies are reading, writing and playing some indoor games.
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