Sister Deborah episode 3

SISTER DEBORAH ♥️♥️

Episode 3

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I stood on the altar, neatly clad in my black suit, full of ecstasy.

The bells rang in a blaring, loud sound. The audience stood up with sheer expectancy. The back door of the church opened wide like heaven’s gate.

And, as we all expected, there she was… beautifully dressed in her white, ever-glowing apparel, coupled with the attractive bouquet she held and the veil covering her face.

She walked down the aisle buoyantly as the crowd cheered and clapped merrily.

With a joyful heart, I sealed the ring on her finger and she did the same as well.

“Do you take her to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, in life and in death, in riches and in lack, till death do you part?”

“I do.” I answered calmly.
“Do you take him to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, in life and in death, in riches and in lack, till death do you part?”

“I do!” She said softly.
“With the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife! You may kiss the bride.”

•
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•
A resounding slap landed across my back that jolted me up into reality from the blues, out of nowhere.

“Chineche, are you mad!” Hakeem’s voice stirred in annoyance as he kept on slapping me at my back repeatedly.

Out of my state of shock, I pounced upright with panic.

“Hakeem! Hakeem what is it again! What is your problem!?”

“Are you asking me?” he yelled back angrily. “When have you suddenly turned to an ogbanje spirit overnight?”

“Hakeem take your time. I’m warning you o!”

“You should warn yourself instead, pappi water! You wouldn’t let me sleep. You kept touching me all over, placing your legs on my body and disturbing my ears with whatsoever you were saying in your sleep! What is wrong with you?”

Right then, it suddenly dawned on me that the whole thing was a dream from the onset. No wedding ever happened. No marriage ceremony took place either. It was all, from the beginning, nothing but a dream.
In order to avoid any more trouble from Hakeem, I muttered a silent “sorry” to him. He only hissed and sat upright on the bed, stood up with a pillow and went over to join Fatai on the other bed.

I glanced at the wall clock and realized that it was early after six. It was raining heavily outside. I had a lecture to attend to at seven thirty. I also had no dime on me. That was, except for the little change for my meals through the day, and my transport fare.
I took a quick shower and freshened up hastily to beat the time. Fortunately, by the time I arrived at the lecture hall, it was only half past seven. Regardless of how early it was, the lecture hall was virtually half filled with a good number of students already. Many of which were in groups altogether, studying and bantering questions seriously at each other.

I wasted no time to occupy a seat at the middle row, next to a guy and a lady studying as well.

“Bros, how far.” I greeted politely, hoping to get his attention.

“What’s up?” he answered in a friendly manner and offered a handshake. We shook hands together in a guy-like way, and I waved to the lady seated beside him.

“I don’t understand. I am just coming now and…”

“And you are confused, isn’t it?” He interrupted me.

“Exactly.” I affirmed.
“You are not alone, my brother. I was lost as well when I came in and met the whole class this way. From what I heard, I think we are having a test.”

“A test? How come?” I said aloud, almost screaming.
“If you ask me, na who I go ask my brother!” The guy said jokingly, somewhat in a mocking tone, which made the lady seated amidst us let out a quiet laugh. I noticed she hardly talked, so I seized the chance.

“Aunty, are you laughing at me?” I asked in a teasing manner.

“Does she look like your auntie?” The guy cut in abruptly.

“Richard!” The lady called out in a reprimanding tone, giving him a scolding stare.

“Did I say anything wrong? He called you Auntie and I asked a question. Simple!”
“Don’t mind him. I am Annabel.” She introduced formally.

“Chinecherem!” I introduced likewise.
“Chine wetin?” Richard cracked up with laughter. “Is that a name? Good Lord!”
“Richard!!” Annabel reprimanded again, loudly. “Behave mature for once!”
“Bro, no offense. It’s nice to meet you.” Richard stretched a handshake to me casually, which I shook in a brotherly way.
“Nice to meet you two, too.”

All of a sudden, the class started murmuring noises and parading rowdily as someone walked in. I noticed the figure was none other than Mister Tunji, the much awaited lecturer.
“Take out your bags, your phones and any other thing that could implicate you. And be fast about it.” he instructed sternly.

Thankfully, the only asset I had on me was a small handbag clutched across my shoulder, coupled with my phone and my wallet. I wasted no time to join the clique of students trooping out of the hall to drop their valuables.
The moment we got back inside, the sharing of scripts and answer sheets had begun.

•
•
•

Moments later, a few minutes into the test, there I was — seated with a blank answer sheet as I chewed the lid of my pen. I had barely answered anything, save for one or two attempts, owing to the fact that I wasn’t well prepared.

“30 minutes more!” Lecturer Tunji’s voice resonated across the hall loudly. Murmurings and whispers filled the air almost immediately. I as well, on my own part, wasn’t left out either. I chewed more and more at my lid with absolutely no clue of what to write down.

“Chineche!” someone called from beside me. I turned to face the figure only to realize that it was Annabel.

“Take this!” She whispered and stretched a piece of paper to me. Sharply, I collected it and started off with a rush, as quickly as I could.

After downloading the whole content of the sheet of paper into my answer sheet, I made sure to tuck it properly well beneath my shoe and also gave a thankful gesture towards Annabel.

“Pens up!” Lecturer Tunji’s voice resonated loudly a few minutes later.
In all majesty, I stood up confidently as I trooped along with the clique of students to submit my paper. After that, we all clustered rowdily out of the lecture hall.

At that point all I had in mind was to pick up my bag, my phone and my wallet to head back home, due to my terribly starving stomach. But to the peak of my surprise, as shocking as it was, my phone nor my wallet were nowhere in sight — except for my bag.
I rummaged through the bag, searching every inch of it carefully and also flipped it upside down, but still nothing showed. I even went further to ask people around if by any chance they might have probably seen it, all to no avail.

It was of no use searching for it anymore. It had obviously been stolen. So, without wanting to make a scene out of a small issue, I clutched my handbag across my shoulder and strolled the remaining long distance back to the hostel.

With an empty stomach and a paranoid mood, combined with the scorching heat of the sun, I couldn’t walk too far before I decided to charter a taxi with my last dime.

“Taxi!” I called out but the cab driver was probably out of earshot as he drove past me. I noticed another cab coming directly behind and began waving. Fortunately, the taxi stopped a bit ahead from where I stood. I had to hasten my steps to meet up with the vehicle and quickly got in.

“Hostel three; block four.” I simply said.

“Hold your fifty Naira change oh!” The cab driver said and ignited the engine.

As soon as the vehicle began moving, the frustration I was dealing with before slowly resumed in my head again. I wasn’t still convinced with myself that I had lost my phone and my wallet that easily.

In the midst of these thoughts, I felt a slight touch on my shoulder by my side. I turned to the direction at my side and, to the least of my expectation and to my greatest surprise, the fair-skinned angel-like damsel herself was the actual person seated beside me.

“Deborah!” I gasped surprisingly.

“Neche!” She laughed slightly, showing a perfect set of dentition.

“What a coincidence!” I laughed as well. “Out of all people in the world, I somehow happen to collide with you. God is wonderful!”

Deborah giggled. “God is wonderful indeed. How come you never noticed me sitting beside you all along?”

“It’s a long story.” I simply said, in order to avoid the issue at hand.

“I am all ears. Tell me.” She insisted.
“Well, since you insist to know, I lost my wallet and my phone just now. It was stolen from my bag.” I explained.

“Are you serious?” Deborah’s eyes widened brightly.

“I’m serious. It’s painful.”
“Eyah! Iʼm sorry about that. Take heart,” she sounded downhearted and sober.
I had expected her to say something more, but instead, she took out a jotter and a pen from her purse and wrote something on it.
“But don’t bother,” she continued saying, “hereʼs my number. Call me when you retrieve your line.”

She handed me the paper with a gentle smile and I collected it, staring blankly at her.
“Deborah, no offense but didn’t you hear all what I just said? I said my phone was stolen and I don’t think I would be getting one any time soon.”

“Neche, I said don’t bother yourself.” Deborah simply said, sounding unbothered.
As I was about saying something in response, the cab driver interrupted me. “Bros where’s your money, we are here.”
I looked through the glass and realized that we were at the front gate to my hostel. I then dipped my hand into my pocket to take out my last dime.

“I am dropping here too. Take, for two.” Deborah stretched a thousand Naira note to the cab driver before I could pay.
“What was that for?”
“What does it look like?” She asked back and came down out of the taxi. I opened the door and came down as well.

“Give him the change.” Deborah said, referring to the taxi man.
“I can’t take it. Come on!”
“When you are ready, collect the balance from him. I’ll see you later,” she simply said as she winked at me and turned to leave.
“Deborah. Deborah wait!” I called after her but she ignored me and waved backwards without sparing me a glance.
“Bros take your change abeg. Don’t delay me!” The taxi man sounded vexed as he handed me the balance. I collected it and thanked him, heaved an exasperated sigh and forged onwards into the gate.

When I got to my hostel, the first thing I caught scent of was the aroma of fresh newly cooked noodles scintillating the air. The room was empty and I wondered where such aroma I was perceiving was coming from, so I traced it carefully and, as if I had luck shining on me, I immediately caught sight of the stainless plate hidden beside Hakeem’s bed.
Without wasting time I took it up, balanced properly on the bed and started feasting on the food with haste. I saw a chilled sachet of water on the center table and took it as well to step it down.

“Poverty is a b—–d!” I said to myself as I scooped another spoonful and swallowed.
Almost satisfied, I shifted closer to the wall to rest my back properly. Then I heard noises approaching the door, precisely the voices of two people talking.

In a hurry I quickly covered the plate hastily and kept it back under the bed, and fortunately, I was quick enough before Hakeem and Fatai walked in.

“Chineche how far,” Fatai gestured on sighting me. We exchanged pleasantries together as well as Hakeem also.
“Guys something happened today o!” I said, trying to start a conversation.
“Wetin happen?” Fatai asked, concerned.
“I lost my wallet and my phone, too. Person thief am!”

“You see your life?” Hakeem cut in. “When you are too reckless even in your sleep, just tell me how you wouldn’t be careless in real life!”

“So you still haven’t forgotten this issue?” Fatai laughed out.

Hakeem was about saying something in response when he bent down, stretched his hand under the bed and took out the stainless plate. He opened the cover and immediately shouted, “Jeeesssus!

Tbc