Chapter 63 SET UP 1

Miraya was desperate. She'd heard rumors about all that had happened in her absence, and Pastor Melvin had continued to behave strangely towards her, in seeming confirmation. She was determined not to be used and dumped. She connived with her friends and they set up a show for Sobrina.

Sobrina had gone to midweek evening service, it was the following week after the symbolic meeting at Pastor Melvin's house. She was carrying a love letter she intended to give to him after service, only to discover he had left the gathering before the end of the service. She disappointedly walked towards the exit to the church building.

"Sob... Sobrina?", someone called after her. She turned around to see a strange lady beside her. The lady was definitely a member of the church, but Sobrina had never had a reason to notice or speak to her. She looked much younger, like an undergraduate.

"Yes?", she responded.

"Good evening ma",

"Good evening, how do you know my name?",

"It was just a wild guess", the younger lady responded, smiling mischievously. "Have a good evening ma", she concluded.

"Thank you, and you too", Sobrina didn't find it strange. It was the custom of the members of the church to greet each other with little conversations after every service, before they dispersed. Some ladies even made it a custom to move around hugging almost everyone, it was seen as a display of love and oneness.

Sobrina walked out of the church's entrance and into the night, towards home.

Unknowingly to her, she was followed by another lady; a prominent lady of the church. One of the girls Kate had bitterly complained about, many months ago.

When Sobrina got to the University's shuttle stand, there was no vehicle available. She decided to wait a little, before deciding to walk, all the way off campus, and to her house. It was dark and she was worried about walking home alone. Osano whom she regularly walked with had traveled for the long undergraduate vacation.

The lady turned on the torch on her cell phone, and placed it next to her ear, as if listening to something. Her aim was to make sure to be properly noticed and identified in the dark. She walked past Sobrina without saying a word. Sobrina called after her as she expected, and followed her. She knew the lady lived off campus, her house was not too far from her own place.

"Are you going home?", Sobrina questioned. She was surprised to see her walking, she was never the type to walk home from church. The lady was one of the classy ladies of Gracedome, and always paying for transportation was a 'big girl' sign.

"No, I'm going to Elizabeth hostel", the lady responded. Elizabeth was the only hostel set apart for post graduate students. "The hostel got burnt this evening while we were in service. The fire actually started from Pastor Miraya's room", the lady explained. She was actually listening to a recorded prayer and signaled to Sobrina to stop talking.

Sobrina was alarmed, a large hostel such as Elizabeth, belonging to such a great university, was burnt down?

The lady began taking a call, totally halting the conversation. Sobrina decided to join her to Elizabeth, since it was located close to the school's back gate, which led towards their area. The call lasted until they arrived at the entrance of the hostel, Sobrina was surprised the building was still intact. She had expected to find chores all over the place, she also suspected Pastor Melvin could be in Miraya's room, and by this time in the night - it was almost 9:30pm.

"Pastor Miraya... Pastor Miraya", the lady called from outside the room, when they arrived. She was pretending to be searching for the same room she was used to visiting regularly, while actually happily giving off the prearranged signal. She was happy because she had succeeded at her own end of the plan, by bringing Sobrina along with her.

Pastor Melvin was in the room, seated on a low plastic back chair facing Miraya who was seated on her bunk, his face was almost between her wide spread laps.

Miraya was putting on a tight jeggings. She began to happily slap between her laps as soon as she saw Sobrina and the other lady. She also happily raised her tone, pretending to be lost in conversation. There were other church ladies in the room, they were standing by the side of Miraya's bunk.

Pastor Melvin had been happily enjoying the conversation before he turned around and noticed Sobrina, he quickly withdrew, sitting back on the chair. He had not expected to find her here.

Miraya noticed the sudden change in his attitude, and Sobrina noticed the brief worry on her face.

"Pastor Miraya what actually happened?", the lady who had brought Sobrina, questioned.

"I was cooking with my hot plate cooker before I left for midweek service this evening. I couldn't finish because the lights went out. I mistakenly dropped a plastic plate on the hot plate cooker, and forgot to unplug it. My roommates were out, and the room almost caught fire when the hostel's generator was turned on. Look at the remnant of the plastic", Miraya hurriedly explained, pointing towards a half burnt plastic plate on the top of her waste basket. If her explanation seemed rehearsed, it was. "The hostel Porters broke the lock to the room and ceased the hot plate cooker", she finished.