Pastor’s Second Wife Episode 11 – 12

Pastor’s Second Wife
Episode 11
On Friday, the wake keep was characterized with tears and grief. My mother’s people came with three eighteen seaters buses for the burial. Nobody could say anything to me but the look on their faces said it all. Some mourners will come and greet my father and my siblings but will ignore me. The message was clear in the action; you killed your mother. I wept like never before.
I was so devastated that my son had to stop br-ast milk. Throughout the wake keep, I was moody. “Tomorrow” is the burial proper and my traditional wedding ceremony. The burial will hold by 10am while the traditional wedding will come up by 3pm.
To further humiliate me, I was not allowed to pour sand on my mother at the graveside like my other siblings did. We moved from the graveside to the family compound for a short reception. When it was some few minutes pass 2pm, my uncle came and informed me of the proceedings of the traditional wedding. I was to dress in black clothes as a sign of respect to my late mother.
Few minutes to the commencement of my traditional wedding, mummy pastor showed up with three men in a police van. A lot of people were wondering what was happening and why police came to the venue of the traditional wedding. Myself and Deji looked at each other’s eyes. Of course, we knew what was cooking up. The men stood with mummy pastor for about 5 minutes to discuss and thereafter moved closer to me. Mummy pastor pointed at me and said to the police men “that is her”. Madam, I am officer Peter and these are my colleagues. Please are you Mercy Kwashi? Yes I am, I replied. You’re under arrest and you have to follow us to our station now. Everyone stood afar off watching the drama. One of my brothers stepped in. Officer what is her offence? He asked. You will know when we get to our office, the police team leader answered. Madam, move, he ordered me. So I moved and they drove me away.
My brother followed us with his bike to the station. As soon as he ascertained the police station, he went back. Few minutes later my brother, Deji and some of our elders came to the station while I was writing a statement. I couldn’t look at mummy pastor to her face for shame. I have betrayed a woman who genuinely loved me. I took her husband away from her but she was on a mission to takeover her husband back.
Our elders and mummy pastor held a short meeting and proceeded to the DPO’s office. My bail was discussed and I was released immediately because of my baby.
While we were going back to my family house, mummy pastor was raining insults and curses on me. I was really ashamed. I felt I should just disappear to thin air so as to escape further embarrassment. When we got to the family house, she was scre-ming at the top of her voice, “this wedding will not hold while I am alive”. She will insult me and turn to Deji, “you liars and traitors”, husband snatcher, pr-stitute, fake pastor, etc. She ranted angrily.
Episode 12
She insisted the marriage rite will not hold. All her troubles and gymnastics did not stop the elders from taking the bride price. There wasn’t any formal ceremony but the marriage was conducted traditionally. I became the second wife of my pastor in an ironic way.
After the marriage rite, the elders held a meeting with mummy pastor for about three hours. I was later informed that she was pacified by the elders. She initially threatened that she will walk out of the marriage if Deji marries me but she was advised not to leave since she will be the one to loose especially now that she has no child for Deji. All her years of suffering and sacrifice will be wasted if she leaves. She was advised to accept me as her sister and my baby as her baby. And the presence of baby in the home may cause hers to come. She was left with no option than to accept her fate. Sincerely, I felt for her too but I was the source of her disappointment and bitterness.
She embraced me with tears in her eyes. She collected my baby and said “you shall be called Olushina”, Olushina means God has opened the way. We adopted the name and began to call him Olushina. After the marriage rite, Deji was to go before Akombo to swear an oath to forever be committed to me and my baby. I was really afraid for Deji because my late grandfather used to tell us how terrible Akombo can be. But the question still remains if Deji will accept to swear the oath.
Everything for the swearing of the oath was ready at the shrine and the chief priest had sent his servant to come and fetch Deji. I thought he was going to resist the call, rather he was speaking in tongues as he followed the chief priest’s servant. Two elders, one from my family and one from his accompanied him to the shrine. He took the oath without considering his faith. After all had been done, my fears shifted to what will happen to me as Deji’s wife. Will he leave me in Kabba or take me back to Lagos? I began to weigh the options. If he leaves me in Kabba which is the most likely, I will have to stay with his family members in the family compound house. All my dreams and aspirations will be suspended because they can’t be realized in such a locality. If he takes me to the city, how will I face the shame? What will I tell Stella if she eventually comes back? Would I still be able to return to the church?
Deji was not talking to me so I was left in the dark on my next move. On Sunday morning, mummy pastor came to inform me that we will be going to Lagos together on Monday. But my things are still in Kabba ma. Don’t worry about those things, Daddy will arrange how they will be sent to Lagos. She collected Shina and backed him. On Monday morning, we set out for Lagos while others who came from Kabba went with the bus that brought us.
Una goodnight ooo