Chapter 52 2

Sobrina lifted her eyes and Reverend Saul was staring directly at her. She did her best to conceal her feelings. He had not only written rubbish about her, he had also stigmatized her and signed her name on it, without her consent. Only a few people knew about Sobrina's health status - her sister, Pastor Melvin and recently, Reverend Saul.

There was one more testimony written on the flier. It was about a cured malaria, but without any names.

Sobrina's head was aflame. She was popular in the University environment, she had been in the city for over eight years, starting from her first degree. She felt like she was going to faint.

She gently stood up, went in search of Osano who was attending a different meeting somewhere around the church environment. She couldn't get his attention, so she quietly left.

She got to a nearby provision shop, and took a sit, she needed to catch her breath.

She reread the writing on the back of flier, in the hope that it would miraculously disappear. But it was still there. She called Pastor Melvin and requested a meeting. He said he was evangelizing with a friend, at a nearby hostel.

She went to see him at once, she desperately needed a mental support. He had left whoever he was with, and seated himself close to the entrance of the hostel, in anticipation of her arrival. He normally did that. If he was aware that she was visiting a place, he would wait by the entrance, as if he couldn't wait to receive her.

She couldn't speak, she handed him a copy of the flier.

"Turn it over and read!" she commanded. He read and was grieved.

Sobrina was so much in pains that she couldn't cry. Tears just refused to come.

Pastor Melvin did his best to consoled her. He saw the way she reacted in excruciating emotional pain. He tried to help her calm down, and bought some fruits for her.

Fully understanding her predicament, Pastor Melvin insisted against her judgment that he would call Reverend Saul and talk him about he had done.

Sobrina slept on empty stomach that night, she didn't even touch the fruits Pastor Melvin had bought.

The following day was Sunday, she was supposed to be in church as early as 6am for the first service. But she couldn't get up from her bed.

She gathered enough stamina around 8:30am and decided to attend the remainder of the services. She met another pastor on her way. The young pastor had been showing interest in Sobrina over the past months.

"Ah Sobrina, the Reverend asked me to come and bring you to him", the Pastor said to her, "Why are you late today?",

"It's nothing, I just wasn't feeling too well".

"You can tell me anything Sobrina", the young pastor assured her.

"Well, I don't like what was written on the back of the fliers, they are lies and were written without my consent", she reluctantly responded, after much ado.

"Sobrina, you receive things by faith. It's the attitude you have towards such issues that will quicken your miracle", the young pastor responded.

When they arrived at the church premises, the young pastor asked Sobrina to wait behind the church while he went in to alert the Reverend about her arrival.

But Reverend Saul refused to see Sobrina. The young pastor came back to where she was waiting.

"You should probably join the service, the Reverend may see you after church".

Sobrina obeyed, it was one of her duties to take pictures using her cell phone during every service, for the media.

She began to move around after some time, taking pictures. At the end of the service, Reverend Saul asked the ushers to distribute the fliers among his members, so they could in turn distribute to others, inviting them to the upcoming program.

Sobrina took the last picture, and was returning to her chair when the Reverend began.

"Everyone, turn the fliers in your hands around and read the testimony behind them. Anyone who is ungrateful to God and refuse the printing of their testimonies, God will perform no more miracles for them. Make sure you share that story as you invite people to our 'Night of Wonders", the Reverend commanded from the pulpit.

Sobrina looked around in panic and shame, she imagined everyone would turn around and stare at her. She wished she could disappear. Even if nobody knew her in the city, she was well known by every member of the church.

She sneaked out with the crowd as the second service dismissed.

She wished she could stop her Cell members from attending the Cell meeting scheduled for that evening at her house. She was still not able to eat.

That evening, her Cell members came, she was performing her duties in line with the church's directive, when she heard footsteps outside her room. The footsteps suddenly halted so she concluded it could be one of her neighbors. Reverend Saul jumped into her room a minute later, and joined in the meeting. The door was wide open, therefore there were no obstruction.

Sobrina was grateful she hadn't allowed her emotions overwhelm her, she had stuck to the directive of the church in conducting Cell meetings, allowing her problems to remain personal.

The Reverend had paused outside her door to eavesdrop at the meeting. He had feared she would derail his members, or probably refuse to conduct the meeting. So he had decided to pay her a surprise visit around Cell meeting period.

After the meeting, Sobrina served her food to the people who had attended. She didn't want them to leave, she wasn't ready to speak with Reverend Saul. He scheduled a meeting with her for the next day, at his place, before he left.

"You didn't tell me the money I gave you wasn't enough", he began when they were alone in his home office, the next day at his place.

Sobrina hadn't realized the money was supposed to be a compensation for his actions. She was dumbfounded. Even as a Devil worshipper, she was an extremely honest person, who preferred silence over lying. This was amazing. She was so shocked that she couldn't respond.

"Are you aware Pastor Melvin has left WUCC?", the Reverend questioned after a minute of silence had passed.

"Yes, he told me".

"So you went to him to report me? If you wish to make a report against someone, it should be someone higher than they are",

"I told him because I share my burdens with him. What is written behind the fliers could tarnish my image. It has my name on it, I'm a young single woman",

"Few months ago, you were going to remain unmarried, and now getting married worries you?", Sobrina was silent again. "Alright, what do you think people are saying about my childlessness? Don't you agree that they'll be saying how I must have used my wife's womb for money ritual?", the Reverend had been married for over ten years by now without a child, and was constantly in the business of talking about how he had married his wife as a virgin. "Look at people I got married before them, everyone of them have children. Don't you agree that people will be saying that my success is questionable? But do I care about what anyone is saying? No".

Reverend Saul took his time showing her gruesome testimonies about other members, printed over the years on different church bulletins and handbooks.

Almost all the prominent members of the church had a section, but she noticed that there was none about Pastor Melvin.

Reverend Saul told her gruesome stories of people she didn't know, claiming how God had healed them through him.

She had honored his invitation, half expecting an apology and explanation, and half because Pastor Melvin had asked her to. But she left disappointed.