Christianese 1

Advertisement

Every one of us left the choir rehearsal that day boiling with anger. As for me, I decided never to come for any rehearsal again. In fact I decided I was done with the church, I would never step my foot inside it, not ever again. Even if my dead body was brought in, I will wake up, run outside and die back. I have never been embarrassed this way in my entire life.

I was walking to the junction to take a taxi home when Mary stopped me

“Sister Nnenna please wait”

I didn’t want to, but for courtesy sake I just stopped, I didn’t look back because I knew it was her, so I just waited for her to get to where I was. All this sister this, sister that was going to end this night.

“Good evening sister Nnenna”

“Yes, good evening”

“I have a message for you. I saw your wearing a black and white dress while the prayer was going on; one part was white while the other was black. God is forgiving you gradually, once you get home pray more, seek for his forgiveness more he will change that dress to a completely white one”.

I tried not to talk, and simply nodded. I was quick to tears and they were already banging at my eye lids, talking now would throw the doors wide open.

“It’s a pity that you offended God this way”, she continued “How could you do such a thing? I thought we were Christians and we know what the bible says about such acts. Thank God that in His mercy he revealed it to Bro David for us to pray for you, who knows what would have happened to you?”

I was already crying. Who doesn’t know what the bible says about such acts, did I need this reminding? Wasn’t the embarrassment enough already?

“Please let me go, I don’t want to get home late”. I managed to say

“Ok my dear, we will see tomorrow in Church and talk more about it after service”.

I just nodded and left. Who is coming for your church service? I thought

I crossed the roundabout to the other side of the road so those still coming out of the church won’t come and meet me standing there. I didn’t want more questions and visions about me. They were coming in twos as usual, everyone talking to the other person- about me of course.

How could she do a thing like this? I could read the question from their faces. I prayed hard for a taxi to come and take me home before they got any closer. I had to start walking down the street.

I continued for some distance just to get away from the environment. Just then, Mrs Ade drove past me, I knew it was her but I didn’t stop and she didn’t stop too. She used to take me home before but not today, not after what I did. I didn’t want to enter her car either; I needed to be saved from more questioning.

It was as though all the taxi drivers had a meeting not to ply my route today, it was getting darker and I was getting worried, most of my choir members have driven past and none bothered to stop. Who will even carry an unholy girl in his holy car? That could mean contaminating the Holy Spirit.

“We don’t tolerate such in our Church” The Choir leaders’ words echoed in my ears. I held back the tears that were already blinding me.

Finally, a car stooped, but it wasn’t a taxi, it was an old friend.

“Good evening Nnenna what are you doing on the road? Waiting for taxi?

“Oh Jide, long time, thank God it’s you. We just finished choir rehearsals and am heading home, couldn’t get a taxi at the church gate so I decided to walk down to the junction”.

“Please come in on, let me drop you off”

Jide was my elder brother’s classmate in school, we weren’t really close friends but he knew me and he recognized me, he had been to our house to see my brother a couple of times.

 I got in and we got talking, I didn’t say much, I wasn’t just in the mood. Yes we had a lot of catching up to do but not this time, all I needed was to get home, have a cold shower and a good night sleep.

We talked about how we’ve been doing and he asked about my family. He Invited me to their church; they too had a program the next day. When he handed me the flier, I saw it was a 3- day program tagged “Who buried my placenta?”

“Who cares?” I instinctively thought.

But I didn’t want him to be offended so I just smiled and told him I won’t be coming.

“It’s just for tomorrow Nne, it’s the last day. I know you are in the choir and you will be in your church, but this program is very important. You know, when they gave birth to you, you don’t know what happened, your placenta is a very important part of your life and destiny, without securing it you can’t move forward in life. Just imagine how we met today, am very sure God sent me to you to bring you for this program. This is a divine arrangement over your life to propel you forward”.

“Hmmmm!” I wish I could just laugh out loud.

He went ahead to tell me how the devil goes about using his witch Doctors in hospitals to tie peoples placenta when they are born so that they won’t go forward in life. How if I come for the program, the man of God would pray for me and discover where it was buried and deliver me. He also told me testimonies that people have shared in the previous days of the program and how their Daddy in the Lord has a special mandate from God to discover all lost placentas.

I wanted to slap Jide at that point. How could he be so gullible? Am sure he didn’t even know what placenta meant, let alone what they usually do to it after birth. I just kept quiet, I would have had a good laugh on a good day but not today, I just wasn’t in the mood.

Though I was just five months in the faith, I knew better than to be looking for who buried my placenta. I thought Christians were supposed to be preaching to unbelievers and bringing them to Christ not moving them from one church to the other in search of their placenta. I almost said this but I shut my mouth. I simply folded the flier and put in my bible. We were already close to my house and I was really grateful for the ride. He dropped me off and I bid him good night.

“Don’t forget tomorrow 8am, it’s going to be power packed, the address is on the flier.” Jide said as I got down from the car

“When will be program end?” I inquired

“As the Spirit leads my dear. Don’t worry about the time, once you sit under the anointing of our Daddy in the Lord, you won’t even want to leave” He replied

I just smiled and thanked him for the ride.

“Good night, See you there”. He shouted as I made my way to our gate.

I slumped into my bed and wished my mum would come and give me a bath and then sing me to sleep. I wanted to start crying again as I remembered all that happened today. Just then my phone rang.

It was Pastor  Jerry

He had heard it already? So soon!

“Hello sister Nnenna”

“Good evening pastor”

“How are you my dear?”

“Am fine Sir”

“How was the rehearsal today?”

“Fine Sir”

“God bless you. I would like to see you tomorrow before service begins. You should come in time; we have some things to talk about before we join the Sunday school”

“Sir, I…”

“My dear, it’s very important and urgent”

“Am sorry sir, I…”

“You have to make here and on time too. It’s very urgent. I had even wanted to see you thisevening, but was told you hurried away immediately after the rehearsal. Thank you sister Nnenna, do have a good night. See you tomorrow”

“Am not coming anywhere! I shouted into the receiver but the line was already off. I wish he heard me, I was determined not to move an inch from my room tomorrow for any reason whatsoever. I will never go there again.

I was just beginning to find my feet in the Christian faith, but what I was seeing was very different from what I had read in my bible. I was very confused now. I thought about my placenta, maybe Jide was right after all, something must be wrong with me… I cried and loathed myself. I thought God had forgiven me and cleansed me, but I felt the guilt all over again.

I must really need deliverance.