Chapter 82 HUMILIATED
Sobrina tried texting Pastor Melvin when she got outside the church building, and discovered she had no airtime. She went into the church and in her naivety, quietly pleaded with a lady for a little money. The lady was one of those who were not aware of all that was going on in the church. The lady quietly asked another lady who was with her handbag to give her a little money from her purse, and she did. She gave Sobrina the money. Sobrina went outside in search of where to purchase airtime. But before she could leave the church premises.
"Stop there Sobrina", a lady shouted from behind. Sobrina turned around to see few ladies from the church behind her.
"Give me that money you collected", one of them demanded.
"Why?",
"I said give me that money", the lady shouted.
"No, I won't. It was given to me by Sister Chimda", she protested, because they were treating her as if she had stolen it.
"It is mine", another lady said, and began squeezing Sobrina's hand, trying to force out the money.
The lady who was squeezing Sobrina's shaking hand used to be her friend in the church. They were not so close, but they constantly smiled at each other when ever they saw themselves during church activities, and regularly shared the same seat in the church.
But the lady had transformed from a smiling gentle sister, to a vicious tigress. She threatened to begin beating up Sobrina, and the other ladies calmed her down.
Sobrina finally returned the money to them. She walked out of the church premises, swallowing her surprise, and started begging passersby for a little money to purchase airtime. She told them she had an emergency.
One man finally transferred some airtime to Sobrina's number, and she quietly returned to the church building.
On her way in, she saw the sister who had given her the money earlier, standing at one corner of the premises with the lady who occupied the position of girl's leader in the church, talking.
Sobrina knew they were filling the lady in, on what was actually happening, but she ignored them. She returned to her chair in the church auditorium. The worship section was at it's peak.
Sobrina quietly took another look at Pastor Melvin and Miraya.
"We need to talk", she texted Pastor Melvin, and gently went outside again. The two ladies who'd been previously talking outside had disappeared.
"I know you receive my text messages, Pastor Melvin. We need to talk", Sobrina texted, and began dialing her father's number.
Her father shouldn't have been the first choice of people to call, but she had no one else. He wasn't picking up her calls. He had seen Sobrina that morning carving her eyebrow outside the house.
"Won't you be going to church?", he had questioned, before he left.
"I would", she had responded.
Right now, she wasn't sure why he wasn't taking her calls. Her father was the type who regularly received emergency calls during church services. It was his manner to leave the service irregularly, because someone had called due to one emergency or another.
But that faithful Sunday, Sobrina's father didn't take her calls. She was redialing his number for the fifth time, when Pastor Melvin stepped outside the church building.
"Who are you calling, Sobrina?", he demanded, and Sobrina jumped in shock.
"I'm trying to get to my father", Sobrina quietly responded.
"You said we need to talk. What is the matter?", he demanded.
"What have you done?",
"None of your business",
"Without telling me?",
"I told you",
"When?",
"At that restaurant", he answered while pointing towards the restaurant where he had met Sobrina few months ago with Pastor Sheddy. The restaurant happened to be located not too far from the hotel building which Pastor Sheddy used - the banquet hall - for his church meetings.
"What? You seriously mean to tell me that was how you break up with a lady who you had dated for many years?", Sobrina questioned.
Pastor Melvin couldn't respond because he noticed a familiar presence entering the church premises from across the road. It was the former president of the Fellowship, who had accompanied him many years ago to Sobrina's home, and who was also aware of their relationship. He was also the same person who had told Sobrina to go and never come back, many years ago.
Sobrina had been backing the road, she turned around to see what he was looking at, and behold it was a familiar presence.
"Oh, thank God", she said excitedly.
"Pastor Joshua good morning sir, please come I have something to tell you", she went over to him and began trying to get him to come and join the conversation.
Sobrina was not aware that Pastor Joshua was now Pastor Melvin's convert, and a full member of the underside - a Christocentric or Man in Christ - and had attended Pastor Melvin's traditional marriage yesterday, which was actually why he was around, in the city.
"Should I come?", he questioned Pastor Melvin amusedly, looking over Sobrina.
"No don't worry. Go on, into the church", Pastor Melvin responded.
"No, Pastor Joshua, please come and hear about what your friend has done", Sobrina desperately pleaded. But Pastor Joshua laughed and pretended he was going to approach where Pastor Melvin was standing.
"Don't come here, Joshua", Pastor Melvin commanded.
"Why, are you ashamed of all you have done?",
"Yes I am", Pastor Melvin responded, as Pastor Joshua managed to liberate himself from Sobrina's grip and quickly rushed into the building.
Pastor Melvin began to cross the main road.
"Where are you going?", Sobrina questioned.
He continued on his path without responding, and Sobrina chased after him. He stood by the side of the other side of the road.
"Look at your finger, ha ha ha", Sobrina laughed bitterly, "I feel like pulling out that pathetic ring like you did to me so many times over the years", she said in tears.
Pastor Melvin was not only putting on the customized M. I. R. A. Y. A bracelet, on his right wrist. He was also putting on a cheap glittering ring on one of his left fingers, probably signifying engagement. Which was very pathetic, because it was not a custom for men to wear engagement rings.
He didn't respond to Sobrina, but instead stopped a taxi and attempted to enter. Sobrina dragged him out, he first snatched her little cell phone from her hand and threw it away, then he began beating her up. He beat her until she fell to the ground, then he attempted to reenter the waiting taxi. Sobrina got up quickly and pulled him out again. He resumed beating her.
By now, the other side of the road was gradually beginning to fill with some members of the church, including the girl's leader and some of the hefty young men who bad recently began to join Saint's Perfection.
