The next Monday was the leaders meeting. I was the first person to arrive, so I decided to arrange chairs for the meeting. Few minutes later, Justine and Godwin sauntered in. I rose up joyfully, stretched out my hand to greet the president but all I got from him was a cold stare. He left my hand hanging and started spitting venom.

He called me an unworthy ambassador of Christ and an unfit leader. He even suggested that I should resign my position as the praise team secretary.

As if the damage the president was doing was not enough, Godwin joined.

“Kingsley, what presido is saying is the truth. Your dressing is out of this world. You are a young man, try and upgrade your swagger. A new shirt will cost you just few thousands of naira. Same goes for trousers. You are university graduate for crying out loud.”

“He told you that he attended a tertiary institution and you believed him. Where you there when he graduated from the so called university? Anyway, I guessed he passed through the university but the university did not pass through him. If not, why will he be dressing like a stark illiterate?”

I stood like a molded statue, watching in silence while my fellow men put me through emotional torture. The most painful part was that, other than the small cash in their pocket, they couldn’t match me in physical combat or even intellectually. But from the look of things, it seemed I was feeling bad too early because more bullets were coming. Godwin was the first to fire his.

“The worst is even the rubber sandals. Has leather products exhausted in the market?”

“Don’t mind him. He is trying to impress me. Yesterday, I told him of the need to upgrade his dressing. He quickly went to buy rubber sandals. The new rubber sandals are his way of upgrading.”

As the president said that, Godwin busted out laughing. Truly, I bought the new rubber sandals because of Justine. I thought that will make him to stop embarrassing me. Instead, it fuelled the insult. I was left with no other option than to react.

“Both of you can go ahead and mock me. I am not perturbed. I may not have the best clothes. I may not even have a link to influential people. But I am connected to Jesus. He has shown me the future and it is so bright. You said I am not qualified to be a leader in my father’s house. Fortunately my father has qualified me by his grace. I implore you to stop fighting me. Anyone who fights me fights God.”

“Enough of that nonsense! Look at this low life. You have the gut to talk back at me. Instead of you to challenge poverty that is choking life out of you. I don’t blame you. If not for church, what else will bring us together? Are we in the same class?”

Justine quivered with indignation as he spoke.

“Presido, don’t mind him. It shall be well is the consolation for a hungry man,” Godwin mocked.

The financial secretary, Lawson walked in and demanded to know what was going on.

“It is the candidate that you nominated for leadership position. The colour of his trouser has turned from black to brown,” Justine informed him.

“Is that what we are here for? Please let’s concentrate on the issue that brought us here. As for Kingsley’s dressing, if you are not comfortable with it, get him new clothes. After all, leadership comes with responsibility,” Lawson replied.

Justine looked at him angrily and muttered, “I don’t have your time. I will surely attend to you, but not today. Anyway, let’s start the business of the day.”

With everything that has happened, one could guess rightly how the meeting will go. Of course it dissolved in ill-humor.