*Episode 6*
*A CHURCH GIRL’S TALE*
Then something happened.
Bode lost his dad. It was then I got to know that the old man had more than one wife, as a matter of fact, he had four. One was late already, and Bode’s mum was the last and the only one living with him until he passed away. Among the children from the other wives, only few of them were educated, others were either bricklayers, drivers, carpenters,
tailors or petty traders. It was only Bode’s mum that was
struggling to send her children to school. She had three of them for the late farmer. Bode was the firstborn with two kid sisters who were still in high school. The one next to him was preparing to write WASSSCE when their dad passed away.
It was announced in the church and we (choir members) decided to go and register our condolence with Bode and other members of the family.
On getting there, I was so touched by the way I saw the widows sitting down on a mat, wearing black attire with bowls before each of them where people who came to sympathise with them put money. I said within me “if this kind of a thing should happen in my lifetime, I would NEVER allow my mum to be treated this way. This is humiliation in the highest order.Did these women conspire to kill the man?” Well, we greeted them. I didn’t even know what to say, as I never experienced such before. As the leader, I summoned courage, knelt down beside Bode’s mum and whispered into her ear “God will uphold you ma, He will send help to you from where you least expected. Please, be strong”.
She said “Thank you my child. I really appreciate you”. I gave her an amount of money on behalf of the choir. She accepted it, appreciated us, and we left.
When I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about the woman. “Oh!.She was so young. Why did she marry a polygamist?..a man old enough to be her father”
There must be a reason.
Whatever the reason might be, I felt for her. She was such a beautiful young woman!.
“Never!.I can never go for that kind of a man, I will never allow any stupid love to blind-fold me. I can not even marry anybody from that kind of a family, see their house, the moment I stepped into the compound, I could vividly smell the stench of poverty. Where would I tell my dad I found that kind of a man?.Me?.I even trust myself..I,m more than that.”
Then my mind went to what Pastor Mrs Williams told me the day she said she heard a rumour about Bode and me
*“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.*
Fall? Fall for where? Falling is only meant for those who don’t stand well. Me, I can’t fall oo. I trust myself. I’ve been keeping myself since and I will continue to keep myself, I’ve determined that no man shall see my nakedness except my husband, and that wont happen until after marriage. That is it! Period!
While talking to myself in this manner, I slept off.
Then something came up.
Watch out in Episode 7.
