Joy noticed the way that I ran out of the church compound and concluded that all was not well. She ran after me and asked what the problem was.

“There is no problem. I have been in the church for a while, I need to go home,” I answered .

“Judy there is something that you are hiding. It’s even showing in the way that you are talking” Joy insisted.

I had no choice than to show her the paper.

“What! Has it gotten to this? Pastor must see this,” Joy said firmly.

“No please I don’t want to have problem with anybody,” I pleaded.

“You are not having problem with anybody. Just meet pastor and show him the paper. He knows how to handle it.”

I did exactly what joy told me to do and reported the matter to pastor. On hearing that, Pastor invited Gift and questioned her concerning the written note.

“Daddy, it’s not me. I can never do such. I am even yet to recover from the guilt of the last encounter.”

“I didn’t call you here to know if it is you or not. Just remember that you are the only one that had a confrontation with Judy. If anything should happen to her, you will be held responsible. Talk to yout friends and followers. Warn them to stop harrassing Judy. My eyes are on you.”

After that encounter, I decided to be careful of how I interract with the young girls. I felt that the mother’s will show more understanding.

One of the Fridays, a wedding was to take place in our church the next day. As is the custom, the married women in the church gathered to prepare food for the occasion. Though I was not yet married, I decided to join them. Involving myself in every service in church was my own little way of showing appreciation to God for the great deliverance he granted me.

From the afternoon of the Friday till Saturday morning, I sweated all through. All the small errands which includes fetching water from the tap, washing dishes, unwrapping seasoning cubes etc. where left for me. Of course, I happily did them all. The fact that the mothers were chorusing: God bless you even made me happier. I felt that they appreciated my coming to join them. I quickly took a decision that I would always join them whenever such activity was to take place.

By 6:00am Saturday morning, we were through with the cooking and washing of all the cooking utensils. As everyone was getting ready to go home, the women president, Mrs. Dickson pointed out that someone needed to stay behind and take care of the food and meat. Another is that the person will be the one to serve the bride and her entourage when they were ready to eat.

“Sister Rose please stay behind and help us out. Let’s quickly go home and dress up. When we come back, you can then go home.”

“I can’t Ma’am. I left my husband and children since yesterday. I need to go home and check how they are faring.

“It’s alright. What of you Sister Kate. Can you stay behind?”

“No Mum. Please try another person. My whole body is itching I need to go home have my bathe and a change of cloth. I can’t stay here any longer.”

“Who else do I call? Sister Peace please stay behind,”the women president pleaded.

“Sorry to disappoint you Momma. My eyes are heavy with sleep. I need to go home and get some sleep. If not, i will have headache to contend with.”

“Ah! Women, what do you want me to do? You know that I always stay back to handle this by myself. It is just that my attention is needed in the home front. I left my sick child at home because I needed to be here to organize things. Now that it is morning, the proper thing is for me to rush back home and check how he is faring. Please someone should volunteer herself. I know that it is not easy but God will not forget this sacrifice.” the women president pleaded.

I was touched by her pleadings and decided to save the situation.

“Don’t worry Mummy I will stay,’’ I volunteered, thinking that it would make her very happy.

“My dear, you have been working since yesterday. You needed to go home, freshen up and even have some rest before coming back for the wedding,”she told me.

“That is not a problem ma. After all, every other person has been working too. I insist that I will stay since no other person is willing to do so,” I told her.

“Judy dear, the truth is that I cannot leave you alone with this food. It amounts to leading you into temptation. Let’s give God time to accomplish the good work he has started in you.”

I didn’t know how to hide my face in shame but I managed to ask her.

“Mummy, does it mean that you don’t believe what is written in the book of 2 Corinthians 5:17. Don’t you believe that stealing has passed away in my life?”

As I said that, some of the women chuckled. One of them even murmured that I was an unrepentant criminal.

“Our great bible scholar! You may be right but I want you to take note of something. In the first epistle of that same Corinthians that you quoted, chapter 10 verse 13, if you read through, you will discover that God may be using me to make a way of escape for you. So that you will not be tempted above what you are able to bear,”the women president told me.

“Alright Mum, thank you,” I responded in tears.
At that point I knew that continuing that discussion will not yield any positive result. Rather it would attract more embarrassment. Though she quoted that scripture out of context, there was no need to start a war I would never win. I managed to drag myself out with shame, even as as some of the mothers were hissing at me. When I was out of view, I could not resist the temptation to eavesdrop. An action I later regretted. That was when I heard mummy Rose’s voice.

“Wonders shall never cease. A cat wants to guard a mouse.”

The mothers could not suppress laughter when she said that.

“I wonder who invited her; did she see any other young lady here,” Mummy Peace asked.

“Do she need to wait for your invitation when she had a hidden agenda. May be she was hoping that PHCN will cease light in the night so that she would strike but our God pass her,” Mummy Rose replied her.

“Did you notice the way she worked throughout the night without getting tired? I have been hearing that thieves have extra ordinary power when it comes to work. I just confirmed it today,” Mummy Peace said.

“Hmm! I was never deceived by that theft motivated strength she was displaying. I was monitoring her steadily. If she had tried anything funny, I would have killed her here,” Mummy Rose threatened.

I continued to listen to the conversation. Each word that they uttered pierced my heart like bullet.

“Women it is enough! Let’s leave that girl and face our life. We are all mothers and she could be our daughter,” the women president cautioned.

“God forbid,” some of them chorused in unison.

“If I discover that I am pregnant with this disgraceful kind of child, I will abort the pregnancy,” Gift’s mother said firmly.

At that point, Mrs. Jackson who had been silent all the while they were talking confronted her.

“What of your daughter Gift who gave birth outside wedlock? Is that not a disgraceful act? Why didn’t you kill her?” She asked.

Some of the women who were laughing suddenly kept mute.

“Mrs. Jackson, how dare you tell me that?” Gifts mother reacted in anger.

“If you don’t respect yourself this morning, I will open the chapters of your life,” Mrs Jackson continued unwaveringly.

At that point, fear gripped me and I ran off in tears. As I was going, I was contemplating whether to continue to worship in that church or bid them farewell.

Watch out for the next episode.