I didn’t take my father’s threat lying low. I knew he meant every word of it. But I was also not ready to allow him ruin my life in the name of matchmaking.

As I was in my room lost in thought , my mother came in.

“Judy Omo mummy. How are you doing?”

“Mummy I am not happy.”

“What is the matter?,”mummy inquired.

“It’s about daddy’s threat,” I replied.

“I understand. That is why I am here. I don’t like that Femi of a guy too. He is so full of himself. I don’t know why your father is not noticing that. Can you imagine that during his father’s birthday, he commanded the printer to reprint all the programmes because barrister was not attached to his name?”

“What! Is he the one celebrating the birthday?”

“My dear, if you ask me, who will I ask. It was at picture section of the programme. On a picture that he shared with his father, the printer wrote ‘Dr. Gbenga and his son, Femi’ He said that they were supposed to write ‘ Dr. Gbenga and his son Barr. Femi’. The worst is that his mother supported him.”

“But his father does not behave like that,” I noted.

“He took after his mother. She is so arrogant,” mummy informed me.

“Ha! Mummy, what do I do?”

“When he come tomorrow. Tell him your story. Tell him how you were stealing. He will run away. Just make sure that your father will not hear it,” mummy advised.

The next day, Dr. Gbenga and his son visited. I welcomed them very and was all over Femi just to make my father happy.

After a while, my mother suggested to my father that they should excuse us so that we can get to know ourselves very well.

As soon as they left, I quickly downloaded my story to Femi. As I was talking, I was shedding crocodile tears. Immediately he heard the story, he quickly got up and pretended that he has an appointment to catch up with. He didn’t even inform his father that he was going.

When our parents came and ask of him, I told them that he quickly excused himself to meet up with an appointment.

“But that is not nice, at least he should have informed us that he was going out,” mummy noted.

“Please ,I apologize on his behalf. He really needed to go,” I told them.

My day looked at his friend and they smiled.

“I told you. See how they understand themselves,” Dr. Gbenga told my father.

“I’m surprised, my father responded with smiles.

I knew my mother will be laughing at them in her heart.

My father told me to try and keep in touch with Femi. Of course I agreed.

I had to quickly leave my parents and ran back to my house to avoid further drama.
I tried my best to keep myself busy with my business and church activities even as I waited for God’s time for my marriage.

As a worker in the church, I teach in the children department. I always look forward to the one hour I spend with them in Sunday school each week. Mine was a vibrant class full of intelligent and respectful children. I felt relaxed and happy whenever I was with them.

The topic for the day was ‘The wages of sin’ I tried to explain to them the meaning of sin and how to avoid it. I also pointed out to them that the final destination of a sinner is hell fire. As I continued with my teaching, one of my girls raised her hand, indicating that she want to talk.

“Yes, Princess.”

“I want to ask a question,” she informed me.

“Let’s hear the question.”

“Ma’am, as you were teaching, you mentioned that stealing is a sin.”

“Yes,” I answered, wondering what her question could be. Then she released a bombshell.

“If that is the case, why do you steal? Sorry Ma’am I mean, do you steal?”

“That was in the …” I started with because the question threw me off balance. Then I recalled myself.

“I don’t steal. Did anyone tell you that I am a thief?”

“Yes. My mummy told me that you are a thief. I did not believe her…oo.” She raised her two hands in a defensive manner before continuing in her speech.

“She also told me that I should not be staying in your class so that you won’t transfer the spirit of stealing into me. And she was very serious about it. The other day, she was discussing with her friend that you are a thief. Aunty please tell me the whole truth; did you steal from my Mummy?”

“My dear Princess, I am not a thief,” I answered as tears welled up in my eyes.

“I want to ask a question. How many of you had ever taken what your mother kept without asking for permission?”

They all raised their hand.

“Put down your hands. That was somehow similar to my case. Sometime ago, I used to take what people kept without asking for permission. Then I don’t attend church. But since I became a child of God, I don’t do it anymore.”

I managed to round off the lesson. They day was already spoiled for me. I have been enduring the mockeries from adult but the knowledge that these children who look up to me have been fed with the news of my ugly past devastated me. I tried to console myself and moved out of the children department. As I was about entering the main church auditorium, another innocent child spoiled the day totally for me.

One of the Sapphiras’ that we had in the church, sauntered into the church compound with her son. As soon as the small boy spotted me, he pointed at me and hit the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

“Mummy, see that aunty that you said…..” I could guess that the woman knew what the boy wanted to say. She tried covering his mouth but the boy was faster than she was.

“….that she stole money.”

“I can’t do this anymore. These people are wicked,” I told myself.

I felt that there was no other way to describe such, if not an act of wickedness. I wondered what could make a mother to feed her child with such news or even hold such discussion were a child will hear. As I was on my way going home, an inner voice whispered to me that though human beings may not care, God cares but I shrugged it off.

My decision was to change church and start afresh in order not to loose my sanity.

Watch out for the next episode!