Diary of a pastor’s son episode 15 – 16

Diary Of A Pastor’s Son

Episode 15 🔞🔞

Written by Frank The Writer

***

“Good morning, sir,” Desiré turned to my father and greeted him in the best manner. He simply nodded his head without uttering a word. Agatha was looking unkempt and she had a long neck too. I wondered where she had been all this while.
“Femi, let me have your phone,” thundered my father. He got my heart beating faster than usual. “Be fast about it,” he added, still standing beside Agatha. My eyes moved in the direction of the center table where I had kept my phone. He followed my direction and sighted the phone on the table. It was much closer to him. He bent down and picked it. “Unlock it,” he said, stretching it in my direction.

Subconsciously, my hands were shaking as I placed my forefinger behind my phone, and it got unlocked as soon the tip of my forefinger felt the sensor. Desiré twisted her fingers, patiently waiting to see what was about to unfold. I wished she wasn’t in our apartment at that moment. I badly wished she could just get up and start going home. She wasn’t even making any move to stand up.

I watched my father as he scrolled my phone and I wondered what particular app he was going through. I suddenly felt a lump in my throat when he began to shake his head in what appeared to be a sign of disappointment. “Femi, take off.” This was exactly the thought that rushed through my head but my father was standing beside the door, so it would be hærd to attempt to run away. He would surely get hold of me.

“Femi, so you have been messing around?” he queried. I tried to say something but nothing came through my mouth. I was dumbfounded and I couldn’t think of any lies to tell at that moment. What did he see? I had pondered.
“I thought you told us Bukola was your secondary schoolmate?” He let out a devil’s smile. “Isn’t that what he said that day?” He turned to Agatha. She just nodded her head like an Agama lizard. She seemed to be enveloped with fears that she couldn’t talk. I was already sweating under my feet.
Damn! He was going through my conversation with Bukola.

“Femi, your cup is filled up,” he said looking into my eyes. I quickly averted my eyes.
“This boy is not what you think he is,” he turned to Desiré but she didn’t say anything.
“By the time I’m done with you today, you’ll never forget it in a hurry,” he added.

Desiré finally stood to leave. “Femi, hope to see you in the program next tomorrow,” she said. I simply nodded my head. “Goodbye, sir,” he turned to my father who was still busy scrolling through my phone while he shook his head disappointed. “My regards to your father,” my father said to Desiré who was already at the door.
“Alright, sir,” she said and walked past the brown wooden door.
My father turned and bolted the door as soon she left. My heartbeat went faster. It’s been years since my father pounced on me. And it seemed he was going to do that. “After I told you to avoid going to those new occupants, yet you disobeyed me. The other day too, I caught you outside their door and you told me you went to repair their light. Ahhhh! Femi, o ti wa ni ijakule.” He meant I’m doomed.

“And you have been messing around with Agatha too because she told me everything,” he yelled, causing my heart to thud against my ribs. How could she possibly tell him that? How could she? Who asked her? Oh! God. Why did I even fall for her trap in the first place?
“Don’t worry, I’ll wait till when your mom comes back, you’ll tell us why you have chosen to be this disobedient and wayward.”
“Daddy, please, forgive me. It’s the devil’s handwork,” I stuttered. I haven’t finished speaking when he rushed me and whacked his right hand on my face. I heard the sound of something cracking on the tiled floor. My heart skipped a bit when I saw it was my phone. He quickly picked it up again. I felt the screen had broken with the way it landed on the floor but I wasn’t sure if it broke.

My father dragged me angrily in,side his room. “You’ll stay there till whenever I come back,” he slammed the door and locked it up from outside. “And as for you Agatha, go in,side his mother’s room,” he said. I overheard him locking it up too. Both rooms were directly opposite each other. So I was locked up in my father’s room while Agatha was in my mother’s room. “Get ready for me this night. I’ll be back!” He slammed the door. It was obvious he left the house thereafter.

Well, my father still hasn’t changed. He still hasn’t changed his ways of punishing us. Getting us locked up in a room wasn’t new to me, maybe new to Agatha who joined us a few years ago. Locking us up in a room had been part of him while we grew up as his children. Sometimes, he won’t tell you to fast but indirectly he would lock you up for hours, and in that way, you have stayed in the room without food or water for hours. But this time, I knew, he won’t just lock us up and let us go like that. I’m sure before he comes back, the Holy Spirit would have directed him on what to do as he had always believed.

I lay on my back on his bed while my head was bombarded with random thoughts; several of them. I had the thought of breaking the door or escaping through the ceiling but that would only worsen the issue.
“Why did you come back?” Agatha broke the long silence from my mother’s door.
“Where did you run to? And why did you even spill the beans.? Did he point a gun on your head or what?” I queried back.
“Femi, you won’t understand what I went through. You won’t!” She answered.
“What did you go through? Why run away in the first place?” I asked.

Silence.

“I bet you, this is not going to end well. Now, my phone is broken,” I sounded bitter.
“But you told us Bukola was your classmate and not the one in our compound. Ahhh! Femiiii,” she said, stressing the last syllable of my name.
“What? Were you not the one that initiated me into this act? I was on my own that day…”
“What did I do? Did I also push you to flirt with Bukola? Hope you haven’t slept with her?”
“No! I haven’t!” I lied.

It was crazy how we stood at the door of both rooms and discussed, despite the fact we were in for big trouble. My major concern was my phone. I was ready to face any punishment as long as I get my phone back.

“So where have you been all these days?” I broke the short silence.
“A friend’s place. I don’t know what your father would have done when he caught me in the bathroom that day, so I ran for my life.”
“A friend’s house? Now, you’re back again. You never thought of how my parents would feel when you disappeared,” I paused but she didn’t reply.

“I don’t even know who told him where I was,” said Agatha.
“You mean he came there to pick you up?”
“Yes. He even told me you have exposed all our doings in the secret. He made me confess everything we have been doing,” she said to my discomfort.
“Oh! My God. You did what? He played a mind game on you and you fall for it. I didn’t tell him anything and he didn’t ask too.”
“Do you mean he never asked anything and you didn’t tell him anything?”
“Of course, yes. I never told him anything. You should have known him before now. He only did that to find out everything he had suspected.

Silence.

“So you told him everything we have been doing?” My voice went low and I felt my legs go weak.
“No, I told him small.”
“Which one is small?”
“Yes, small. I didn’t tell him everything,” she said.
“Damn, you shouldn’t have told him anything.”
“Please, I’m very hungry. I haven’t eaten today. I don’t have the strength to talk,” she sighed slowly.

Diary Of A Pastor’s Son

Episode 16

***

After some moment, I overheard the whining of the door. Someone was trying to unlock the entrance door. My heartbeat went faster immediately. I presumed Agatha must have slept off since she said she was hungry. I was lucky I had eaten with Desiré before my father and Agatha came in. I really felt for Agatha who has eaten nothing since morning. The door finally opened making a loud noise. Who could it be? I pondered. My father was the only person that crossed my mind. I overheard footsteps from one end to another. Then I saw the person turn the doorknob, followed by a knock.
“Daddy,” came Shola’s voice. I heaved a big sigh of relief on realizing it was Shola.

She was finally back from school which meant it was past 4 pm. I remained mute in my father’s room, and I noticed she reached to the other door and turned the door handle too. “Who locked these doors?” she said. It was unusual because both doors were always open.
“Shola,” I finally broke the long silence. I watched her through the doorknob. Shola turned but didn’t know where the voice came from. She looked in the direction of my father’s room and also turned to the other door.

“Bro Femi, where are you?” She stood before my mother’s room.
“I’m in,side here.”
“Where exactly?” she turned.
“in,side here naa. Daddy’s room.”
“Oh! Both rooms are locked. What happened? Who locked you in,side? She queried in one breath.
“Who else if not daddy. Please, can you give me some water?”
“Please, me too. My throat is dried,” came Agatha’s voice from my mother’s room. She couldn’t pretend anymore.
“Ahh!, Agatha, ati iwo no?” She meant, even you too? But Agatha didn’t reply.
“Where have you been all this while?” Shola added.

Silence.

“There is no key here to unlock the doors. Trust daddy, he must have gone out with the keys.” Shola announced to my discomfort. I heard Agatha hissed loudly from the other end. She must be regretting why she even talked in the first place.
“Have you checked very well? Check under the table too,” I said.
“It’s not there. No single key is here.”
“Okay then.”
“Bro Femi, what actually happened?” Shola asked.
“Something happened.”
“You don’t want to tell me or what?”

“Wo, I’m very hungry. Just leave me alone,” I answered, indirectly dodging her query, knowing she wouldn’t bother asking further.
“Okay oo. If you say so. I’ll soon leave you both,” she taunted.
“To where exactly? Where are you going to?” I replied speedily.
“WAEC lesson of course. Have you forgotten my exam will be kicking off next month?
That was the last thing she said to me and eventually left when she had changed her clothes.

Later in the evening, my father came back and released us. He said he’s yet to decide what next he would do to us. I guess the Holy Spirit was yet to decide what punishment was best for us. “Have you eaten today?” he turned to Agatha. She replied in the negative. He wanted to ask if I had eaten then he remembered he met Desiré and I earlier in the day. “Femi, no food for you again today. As for you, Agatha, you are free to eat dinner. Then by tomorrow, I’ll tell you both what I have for you.” He said. When mom came back later around 7 pm, she was shocked to meet Agatha. She began her interrogation and all those scolding stuff. Agatha was calm as a dove as my mom bombarded her with hurtful words. I even pitied Agatha at a point.

***

As soon as they finished eating dinner, they started to prepare for sleep. My father shut the TV and when he turned to my mother, he asked her to lead us in prayer.
Mom began and ended after about five minutes or less. I noticed my father was setting an alarm with his phone. As usual, he would still wake up at midnight to pray. Shola and Agatha went into their room while I sat hungrily on the sofa. My belly was hitting so badly. My mom was seated in the dining room with my father.

“Don’t you think that was fast?” he turned to my mother.
“What was fast?” mom asked, looking surprised.
“The prayer.”
“How do you mean? Are we supposed to hold a crusade before going to bed?” Mom replied jokingly. But unknown to her my father didn’t find it funny. I looked at his face and he wasn’t wearing a smile.
“I never said we should host a crusade but that was a very quick one.”
“How long should a night prayer last? I thought it was just meant to thank God for the day and pray for a night of safe sleep,” replied mom defensively.
“Well, if you do take your time to read the Bible, you will know how unscriptural it is to make short prayers. Men ought always to pray and not faint,” he added by quoting the Bible.

I sat and watched the two love birds arguing over short prayers and long prayers. I was pissed off by my father’s claims and choice of words. I mean, prayer is prayer—be it short or long, as long as it was prayed to God.

“Oh! Has it gotten to the point where you tell me I’m not conversant with the Bible?” my mom said, looking him in the eyes.
“I’m sorry, honey. I don’t mean to be harsh,” my father said, trying to control her temper.
“The thing is, we lead a church which is a spiritual organization. We must be above the par both spiritually and otherwise,” my father added.
Mom kept quiet and peacefully stared at him while he went on.
“And it bothers me that you don’t read the Bible as much as I think you should do,” he said and paused.

“Beautiful! I’m your wife. Go on and teach me more,” replied my mom.
“Well, I can’t teach you how to pray. But I will tell you this: every church needs a spiritual mother, that is a fervent pastor’s wife. That’s why these girls in the church won’t consider you above them because in your private life you act exactly like them,” busted my father.
“Oh! This is it. So why marry me in the first place if I’m not spiritual enough for you?”
“It’s simple. I believe in change. I was hoping you would change with time.”

Silence.

“Come to think of it, when was the last time you fasted? When was the last time you spent considerable time in prayer?”
“Goodnight,” mom said and headed towards her room. She couldn’t take it anymore. I felt for her and I was so disappointed at my father for his choice of words towards mom, even in my very before. I wish I could tell him to stop being too religious. I wish I could just s¢ræm out the anger raging in,side of me. Well, if only wishes were horses, beggars would surely ride.

“As for you, no food for you till 9 tomorrow morning,” he said to me. I watched him as he walked to the kitchen and padlocked the door. “You must change! Whether you like it or not. Tomorrow, we will continue where we stopped,” he added. I was just mopping at him without uttering a word. The Holy Spirit is yet to give him directives as he said. But I knew my father was only trying to keep Agatha and I unaware of his next line of action. He always wanted to stay unpredictable.

Hungrily, I lay on the longer couch in the living room. I was feeling peckish that I could eat a horse. There was no light in the living room. It was all covered in darkness. As I lay there, random thoughts about my life filled my head. I thought of how the once innocent Femi suddenly transformed into something else. Growing up, I had always been that calm boy with an innocent face not until Agatha’s effect. The calm voice that I used to hear was long gone, now things of the past.

Ten minutes later, I heard my phone beep—a message notification tone. I quickly placed my hand on my trouser, and it then occurred to me that my father was still with my phone. But then, the notification tone sounded very close, I opened my eyes and I could see a dim light from the dining room. With the speed of light, I rushed there. Lo and behold, my phone was at the dining table. He forgot to go in with it.
Unfortunately, my phone had a scratch at the right top when I picked it up. I was so annoyed by the line of the scratch. I had always guided my phone that I never wanted it to have any single scratch. I sighed slowly as I turned the back to see if there was any scratch, it turned out negative.

I clicked on the notification bar and I noticed the sender of the message wasn’t the network provider as I had thought. I had presumed it was one of those MTN random texts. But it was Biola texting me for the first time. Our conversation had always been on WhatsApp, and her text read thus: “Femi, check your WhatsApp. You haven’t been online since morning.” I was puzzled by the content of the message. What could it be?

I quickly turned my data on. Messages began to fly in from different groups and private messages. The network was friendly at that time of the night, so Biola’s message came in a few seconds later.
Well, your guess might be closer but not entirely the way you have guessed. Biola wasn’t sure if she was pregnant but according to her texts, she missed her period and she doesn’t feel entirely well. I felt cold a fiver down my spine. My legs went weak as I stood, and subconsciously, I noticed my hand was shaking as I held my phone.

I cleared the WhatsApp conversation between Biola and I. Then I texted her back. “Don’t text or call me for now, please. My phone is currently with my father. There’s a problem. Please, beg you. I will be the one to call you.” I deleted the text after I got notified it was delivered. Damn! Another trouble about you unfold, I said to myself. Sluggishly, I walked back to the couch and collapsed on it.

To be continued…
© Frank The Writer

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