Just a little sin episode (21&22)

 JUST A LITTLE SIN

Episode 21

",Hi Tom..I feel comfortable calling you that.."

This particular usher lady that kept watching and following me around like hawk, she is begining to scare me.

What if she's up to something or probably she is a ghost.

".. I'm Omie, I actually mentioned my name the last time. You always looked bothered, is there a problem.. hope you don't mind sharing just a little.."

"I'm alright On.i.mie.." I cut her in before she will finish.

She began grinning.

" I Like the way you called the name but is actually Omie.."

"Please don't get the wrong idea about me.. over what my friend said earlier.."

I try to clear the air.

 She had a fatter grin this time on her face.

She must be a happy soul with no trouble at all

"Does that mean that you don't like me and never thought of me all through the weekend..huh? She asked still grinning.

"Well, you're beautiful lady Omie.. I admire you but that's all to it.. truthfully" I said with a raise of palm

She started laughing seriously.

"Thanks Tom, that's the nicest thing you ever said to me and I appreciate it.."

I smiled while she continued.

"...I just wanted to let you know there's no burden Christ can't solve. He was crucified for our iniquities, bruised for our transgressions, the chastisement that brought us peace was upon him and by his strips, his tears, sickness, pain and difficulty you're whole, you're free and you're liberated from whatever that might be pining you down. Tom, Christ has the answer, taste and see that the Lord is good and he is a deliverer to them that call upon him.."

She said all of this in a very sweet and cordial way.

I might have missed some of the things she said but the echo in her voice hit me right in my darkest soul.

I stopped hearing from the part of the chastisement that brought something to me. There something she said chastisement brought to me, I got distracted and can no longer remember the rest, only the sound of her angelic voice.

Wait a second, hope I'm not gradually falling for this lady.

No, I'm not ready and might not be ever ready for another heart ach.

I'm not even sure that I'm her type of man.

I don't fit in anyway.

"... are you listening Tom?.." she finally asked

I'm not listening, maybe you should stop bothering me with so much Christ talk. I didn't say that out loudly, just within myself.

I only gave her a nod

"... what do you do for a living? She asked again

I was quiet and bored. I looked back to check if Konji was coming but no sign of him.

Hope she won't start insulting me or calling me a jobless man like Chumi.

All this church girls are not to be trusted, Chumi is a good example.

"..i'm sorry, hope I'm not asking too much, forgive me if you feel bad with the way I asked.. She said apologetically

"No, I don't have a job yet but I'm seriously searching for one and hoping to get a Job soon.."

"Oh, come let's go and meet my pastor, I'm sure he can be of help. He will fix you up somewhere.."

"Thanks.. but I'm not interested. I will get a job by myself soon. I replied.

Her pastor getting me a job will chain me not only to him but also to his church and that's the exact thing I'm trying to avoid.

I don't want to be forced into something that I'm not ready for or be in a situation of not having a choice to be the real me.

"Alright, but if you really need a job my pastor is very willing to help. Don't be too hard on yourself and let such good opportunity pass by, this maybe God's way of drawing you closer to him.."

Konji came out in a hurry and saw me

He giggled a little seeing me with Omie

I stepped aside to meet him

"Pretender lover boy. The pastor said I should come and fetch you. The day of your repentant has come, Tomasi come and drink from the wine or water, anyone you want to drink from and taste no more. That was one of the beautiful line I grabbed when the man of God was talking to me..."

"What do the pastor want to see me for, is it for a job..or what?

"I'm not really sure is for job, he asked me if you're a born again and I said no that you're only born of your mother and have been filled with all kinds of sins ever since which you're very stubborn to repent from, then he said I should come and get you. He is waiting, you better not keep a man of God waiting because is a sin and you wouldn't want to add more sin to the multitude of the sins you have already.."

I scuffed and take few feet away from him.

"I'm going home Konji, you're the one that really need to repent. I wondered the kind of repentance you did during Virgil because you're as filthy as always, and maybe I never told you that your room too is filthy, it stinks badly. If you're really going to be a new man, please don't forget to make your place a new room by cleaning, sweeping, washing and taking out dirts. I'm not sure that the holy one.. spirit dwell in a dirty place.."

"Every little opportunity you have you use it to insult me, I really don't blame you. You don't even have half of my house to call yours, you don't have a job either yet you insult anyone that cares to help you. That's why you will always remain like this because you're too bitter and wicked. Atleast I have a room to my name.. where is yours huh?

I smiled. "The man of God has lots of work to do on your life. You've become worst than before. I thought when one repent they become a better version of themselves? And I will rather be a squatter than to have a place like yours. I find it difficult to breath whenever I'm in there, that's why I prefer staying out, the gutter smell is not too bad compared to your stinking room.."

He turned to walk away and then came back at me

"I sometimes get a woman to warm my bed but I'm not sure you know how to talk to a lady. I see how you're struggling with the beautiful usher. Shame on you.."

I suddenly began to laugh because it was begining to sound like two market women exchanging words with each other.

I wasn't ready to accept defeat from Konji, I need to fire back at him since he has forgotten that we are still in church.

"You and that your woman that warms your bed are pigs, dirty stinking pigs. She needs to be checked if she is mentally alright because no normal woman will be able to stand in that room for few minutes, talk more of lying down to warm your scattered bedbugs bed.."

"I will shock you Tomasi, I will get a nice pretty Lady, introduce her to you and she will help me clean up and make my room brand new and then I will shut you out, you won't be allowed in again.."

This Konji is really funny. I laughed so loud forgetting where I was

"First, get a woman before going on with the plan..I thought you already have a bed warmer woman? Hahahaha, Konji go and repent of your sins and Leave me in peace.. lazy bone. You're looking for a woman that will clean your room because your two hands are wrinkled? Don't you have hands? You're searching for who to destroy with that offensive smell.. I'm sure you haven't even wash the clothes you urinated on. Listen, if you're waiting for a woman to tidy up for you, you will wait till enternity, you will grow old in your dirty room and when death comes to pay you a visit after a long time of nobody coming close, you will be too excited and welcome it with open arms.."

He shakes his head sadly, said something and walked back to the church.

I heaved a sigh of relief before turning to leave.

Omie walked up to me grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey Tom, I can see you were having a nice time with your friend. I saw you laughing so hard, I almost thought you don't laugh at all. You're so flexible, selfless and loving when I watch you laugh, you're not as hard as you appear..."

I nodded with a smile.

What exactly does she want from me because I don't understand 

Is this her own strategy of preaching to me. She already knows that I'm not interested.

"... while you were busy chatting with your friend Konji, I decided to ask few friends if there's any job vacancy for the you, I couldn't get something perfect but a friend of mine in choir said her big aunty who just returned from a foreign country is in need of a driver and domestic staff. Can you drive?

I told her no, that I can't drive.

"Then you can learn, I'm willing to help you get enrolled into a driving school, it takes few weeks, about four to six weeks and you can officially become a driver or if you don't like it then you can try out the domestic part of the job. I'm sure it's not that bad. Can you cook..?

I shake my head, signaling a no that I can't cook.

"...with the help of other kitchen staff you will learn on the job, Is not difficult at all.

You just have to be willing, start first and along the line better job will come and you will resign.. what do you think?

I was quiet, this wasn't the exact job I wanted but Omie had put so much efforts in trying to help me and also I really needed a job to avoid further insult from both Chumi or anyone else that will use my joblessness to make fun of me.

"Alright, thanks Omie. I will take it. When should I start.."

"I'm glad to help, about starting..I will collect your mobile number and call you whenever is approved and I will be needing your full name, house address, age, guarantors details and offcourse your number so that my friend Ivina can forward it to her Aunty and from there you will be called to start.."

"I will give you whatever you need.." I replied

She smiled and asked me to hold on so that she can go and get a pen and paper.

Konji came out smiling

"You're still here? I know is not because of me but because of woman. Pretender lover boy. Cunning man, let's go home. Your time with the usher lady is up. If you couldn't convince her to be yours all through the time that I was away then you definitely can't achieve anything in life.."

I remained where I stood ignoring him.

"...see, I was given some cash and a job. Is your lost, if you have followed me you would've received something too. I will be getting paid monthly to clean the church along with others. The amount is tangible, I just can't say no. I have a Job now while you remain jobless..."

I began to laugh again

"You can't even clean your room, how will you know how to clean an entire church. Whoever gave you such a Job must have been mislead by the spirit. I thought there is a place in the Bible that says remove the log in your eyes so that you can see clear and be able to remove other people's own. I have heard Yoara reading it severally...now I understand what it meant. Go and clean your house first before going to clean a holy place like church..."

I was still talking when Omie came out,

I left Konji standing and getting ready to fire back at me.

Omie and i sat down inside the church as she began to collect my details.

JUST A LITTLE SIN

Episode 22

While Konji resume his job as one of the church cleaners, I stayed home waiting and hoping Omie will call me with a good news.

I gave her all the required information, Yoara was the person I used as a guarantor and I also informed him about it immediately I got home that day.

He was very okay with it and said we should be praying that it works out this time.

Another week came and I decided to call Omie. The last time she called was last week Saturday to remind me of Sunday service but I asked her about the job and she said that she submitted all my details and her friend's Aunt was yet to call her back but I shouldn't worry, I need to relax because it will work out.

The confidence in her voice was all I was banking on and i didn't feel like going anywhere last week Sunday, I stayed back home.

Konji called early in the morning to ask me if I was coming but I told him I wasn't.

I'm not sure Konji was taking his new faith very serious, even though he said he has repented I don't believe him. I haven't seen anything convincing about him. It must be because he was a worker in church that he had to attend their mid week prayer, be in church everyday and goes off very early on Sundays to make sure the place is tidy.

I asked him few days ago when I managed to visit him why he haven't still tidied up his room despite he was now a church cleaner, Konji told me that I won't understand how having a good paying job makes him very busy, I should wait until I have a job first then I will understand.

I was supposed to feel insulted but I was not in the mood for his banter.

I only sighed and told him since he was too busy to clean his room, maybe he should pay somebody to do it for him because according to what I heard Yoara say "cleanliness is next to godliness"

Is not just Yoara that said that but several others.

He began to laugh and told me he doesn't have any money to pay me, if I can't stay in the room I should leave or clean it without asking for anything in return.

I remembered I angrily fired back at him that day, I made it known that even if he offered me millions, I will still not accept to clean his room. When I said he should get somebody I wasn't referring to myself, I mean getting a cleaner to help him out.

He wasn't obviously taking it all serious, Konji was more after getting his first salary from his church cleaning job.

I wasn't happy with the way things were going, it was over a week and the second week was gradually approaching yet no good news from Omie.

She said I should try to come to church the next Sunday.

I will try and be there maybe she will have something to say about the work.

Chumi comes most weekends and may probably be around this coming week because she didn't come last one.

Which is a good thing because I won't be around too.

I will manage to strol out on Saturday and off to church on Sunday.

If not that she wasn't around last week I could have gone to church.

As just like I planned it Yoara said Chumi was coming over with her niece that Saturday.

He said I should avoid getting into a fight with her or the usual quarrel.

That advice isn't meant for me rather he should be dishing it out to Chumi. His woman is trouble personified and I have always avoided her.

I don't even reply whenever she starts ranting, I have mastered the act of silent and never to say a thing no matter how much I'm pushed.

Yoara asking me to not to get into a fight sounds awkward. Because he knows clearly that I have never gotten in the ways of his woman. 

She was rude with no training. She makes a grown man like me babysit her niece and the thank you I get most times is Chumi asking me irrelevant questions like"hope, you didn't pinch her or make the little girl cry because I know you can be a bit scary and most kids will be scared of you, but my little Ellie is scared of no one. I just hope you didn't threaten her while we were away?"

I will ignore and pretend like I didn't hear her. 

 Ellie, her niece wasn't so little and she talks and disturbs alot just like her aunty Chumi. I'm sure she will run her mouth if I happen to do anything bad.

I'm very careful whenever I have to babysit her. I never ask or say anything implicating but Ellie will run her mouth until Chumi returns

I know this weekend won't be any difference but the good thing is that I won't be totally available for their ridiculous activities

On the friday of that week, I decided to call Omie

I wanted to know my fate, how strong I should keep hoping and waiting.

Omie said that I should come to church on Sunday first and she will tell me.

I told her that I was coming nevertheless but still insisted to know what was delaying the Job.

She explained to me that the woman traveled and will return in about two weeks

Omie said I need to be patient and wait until the woman comes back.

I was glad she told me but I felt bad that the job was taking too much time when I desperately wanted it immediately.

I called the man that thought me plumbing job if there was any Job for me and he said there wasn't any at the moment but he will let me know whenever something huge comes up.

I checked on Konji to see if I can borrow some money.

He said he does not have anything on him, it was same week that the money the church gave him finished. Ever since yhi he had nothing and was waiting to collect his salary from the church job once he completed a month.

Everywhere I look I'm greeted with disappointment and i was getting frustrated day by day.

Chumi arrived that weekend with Ellie her niece.

"You still don't have a Job I guess? Anyway I'm going for rehearsal and I need you to babysit Ellie for me until I return. Make sure that she does not cry. When she's hungry feed her, if she wants a particular cartoon Network makes sure you change the television station to that. If she feels like sleeping give her a special attention and I don't want to hear complain until I return. Since you can't get a proper job, atleast you have one now through me, make yourself useful and do it well. the only difference is that you're not getting paid, maybe just a pat at the back will be payment for your services and that only depends how good you're at the nanny job today.."

This time around I wanted to let her know that she was either delusional or crazy.

But Yoara winked at me and with a sign asking me not to react to avoid further problem.

They left, leaving Ellie in my custody.

The little girl started her usual questions and too much talk.

She reminds me of Onmi, my own little girl but my daughter isn't a talkative like Ellie.

I wondered why Chumi won't leave Ellie with her parents since she knows she wasn't going to rehearsal with her.

Why will she bring her each time and leave her at my care anytime she was going out, when the little girl can stay with her parents.

"Are you the only child of your parents.."

I asked the girl. That was my very first question to her ever since she has been coming with her aunty.

 she looked at me surprised.

"I thought you don't like talking, that's why I'm doing all the talking for both of us until momm..no, aunty Chumi returns.."

I repeated the question again and she replied

"Yes, I'm the only child but my momma said she will born baby when she marry and that's why I really want her to marry so that I will no longer be the only child"

That means her mother is not yet married. I see why Chumi kept moving about with Ellie, taking the little girl from her sister when she can't even look after her.

Or maybe Chumi's sister is the busy type, then what of the father of the girl.

"What of your daddy? You don't like staying with him? I asked her

"My momma wouldn't let me and she said my Daddy does not exist, but I will be having a new daddy soon. She said if I continue to be a good girl and do whatever she says then i will have a new Daddy, a new baby, a new home. I want a new daddy and baby too...I will carry my baby..."

She paused and I thought she wasn't going to say anything again but she continued.

"... maybe I will have two daddies and two babies, my momma said the daddy that use to come and visit us has money but he is not caring and not a real Christian. The daddy that we use to go and visit is caring and he is going to be a pastor but he does not have money. Momma said she wants to marry somebody that is a Christian because that is what the church people like. She doesn't like me calling her momma, but I don't know why. She likes it when I call her aunty. I use to make mistake everytime and call her momma. But she said if I keep calling her aunty I will get used to it but I'm still used to momma.."

I was disturbed as she kept talking. Everything she began to say was pointing back to Chumi.

I don't want to conclude easily but what if Ellie is actually Chumi's daughter.

Ellie talks alot like Chumi, they have a striking resemblance and some of the things she said is implicating and pointing to her.

I could have find out more all this while they've been coming around but I hardly pay attention to the little girl anytime she starts talking none stop. Except today.

"Who's your momma and who's your aunty, Are they the same person? I asked her

She wanted to start talking but suddenly kept quiet. 

"Let's play a game, I hide and you seek. Is called hide and sick.."

I told her I wasn't interested. She frowned at me and started talking about her friends.

I need to find out if Ellie was Chumi's child.

Something wasn't right and Yoara is my brother and shouldn't end up with a woman who lied and hide the identity of her child.

I don't know the truth yet but I will find out soon enough.