Diary of a Pastor's Wife
(Episode 1)
That morning, my husband David c@m£ to pick me at the airport. He was dry faced and tensed, very unusual. Other times, David would be so excited to come pick me, he would k!ssme and hvg me p@ssionately, but now, everything bec@m£ different. "You kept me waiting for hours in there." I said, gazing angrily at him.
"Don't tell me it's traffic honey, today is Saturday." "I am sorry, I had to pick the kids from summer lessons, and then rush to church to counsel a few couples."He said soothingly. "you now prepare the kids for school, What happened to Ifeoma? She is the kids nanny." "And you are the Kids mom!" He Screamed suddenly. "you've been away from your family for 5months Ekom, the kids don't even talk about you anymore." David deliberately slowed his breathing in a bid to calm himself down. I was silent for a while. Myl-ips quivered, but David ignored that he saw tears glistening in my eyes. Catching his eyes as he tried to look at me, I s-en-sed a shiver of unease go throu-gh him. He was right, I was away from my family for four months or more, I had women's conference and hundreds of women to mentor in Houston. It was a moment I didn't want to miss. Then I broke the silence; "what of Ifeoma?" David looked uncertain. "she fell ill, so I asked her to go see Doctor Dennis." We were both quiet until we got home. I sat on my be-d now, I sli-pped off my sli-ppers and sank my feet into rug and decided to keep them sunk in so that my toes would feel cushioned. So that a p@rt of me would feel safe. "mummy!" my daughter screamed, breathing de-eply. She smuggled into my arms and I gr@bb£d her ti-ght to myself. "where is your sister?" I whispered into her ears. "she is slee-ping." Not long I heard tiny foots running along the corridor that led to my room.
"mummy, mummy…" She jumped on me and k!$$£d me on my cheeks, leaving me in the sweet comfort of motherhood. They looked so healthy and chubby. "what has aunty Ifeoma and Daddy been feeding you with?" "Golden morn and banana porridge!" they chorused shrilly. "Mummy, Church people said that you are no longer daddy's wife." My first daughter Teye said, her eyes bec@m£ sad. De-ep and sad. "Aunty Ifeoma Now sleeps in daddy's room." Mfon the youngest said. My heart jumped, I knew at that moment, that there were stories In their eyes that I was yet to know...
I was still devastated with the thoughts Ifeoma and my husband David. After I watched the kids sleep, I strolled into the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. Just after I poured the milk in a mug, I felt someone was in the kitchen too. I looked back, quic-kly surprised. "Welcome madam." She said, almost stuttering. I slowly poured the h0t water from the flask into the mug, stirred it a bit and sipped. Then I noticed a protruded stomach, she had tried to cover it with her handbag. "Are you pregnant Ifeoma? You look it." I asked in a soft tone. Her expression was in earnest. "Yes madam, didn't pastor tell you? I am pregnant for him, we are expecting a child." Her voice had a tremor in it, even though her face was bold and firm. Her words were like the score of a sharpened blade across my heart. I s-en-sed the wound gape open even before she'd finished speaking. "You were slee-ping with my husband while I was away?" "I am sorry madam, I think pastor is in the best place to answer that question. It was an agreement." She said calmly and walked out of the kitchen, ma-king a fl@ppy sound with her shoes. I stood there for moments like a mannequin, the tea cup in my hands, and then my eyes right at the door. The sound of my ringing tone, brou-ght me back from the shock I had. "Hello Ekom?" "Yes Lizzy." I responded with a sigh of relieve. "Thank God I have been able to reach you, I have been dialing your American lines but not going throu-gh." She sounded a bit terrified. "well, I am back in Nigeria now. I c@m£ in this morning. Is everything fine?" "Not at all, pastor brou-ght your girl for maternity scan at my clinic last weekend.
What's that her name again?" "Ifeoma?" "Iyaaa, Ifeoma. I was shocked to see her all over him like they were lovers. What is happening?" Tears rolled down my eyes as Lizzy went on talking about things that went on while I was away. Something flared de-ep in my eyes, but myl-ips remained sealed. I was stricken silent, but the thud of my heartbeat sounded like cannon fire in my ears
I wanted to talk to David. When I knew he was home I decided to go to our be-droom. "May I come in?" My expression inscrutable, I walked into the room when I noticed that someone was having a bath, without waiting for a reply. Then I saw David on the be-d, he was almost half n-ked, p@rtly covered with the duvet. He stared at me, slightly muzzy headed after being woken abruptly. "We have to talk." I said, almost whispering. "I know." He said. "Who is in the bathroom?" "oh, it's Ifeoma." "Ifeoma now uses our bathroom?" I looked at David and suddenly wished the look in his eyes meant guilt and shame. "Yes. She is having my baby." "I am aware David. But why have you taken yourself so down?"
"I am a human being Ekom!" He said huskily, raising his voice. "So I am what? Am I not a human being too? I went to America with the church's name, with the family name. I went there to make a name for us! To get Hills of grace ministries a br@nch in Houston takes so many churches years, but I used my charisma, and did that in few months….." "What I mean is….." He faltered. But my heart was going wild. "let me finish!" I screamed! Just after a pause, Ifeoma c@m£ out of the bathroom, she had my towel tied around her. "Who gave you my towel?" I asked meanly. "I did." David replied. "Ifeoma, why were you slee-ping with my husband while I was away? You were paid to take care of the kids, and clean the house." The look I gave, and my voice tone practically froze the blood in her veins. I walked steps by steps towards her, dragged the towel off her b©dy, leaving her n-ked. "Aunty plea-se…." she whimpered. "Did you remember all the good things I did for you and your family while you were having S-x with my husband! Did you?" I held her n£¢k f0rç£fully while David ran and held me backward. They both s-en-sed the tension in the room and ran out. Slowly I let out the breath I was holding. Leaning back on the luxurious upholstery, I let a smile steal myl-ips like the sun peeping from behind the cloud. God was watching, and I needed to talk to him.
To be continue