THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 21-30

THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 21-30

CHAPTER 28

BY SOLOMON ADNIYA

“Any pit when them dig for me, I go jump am pass, any pit when them dig for me, I go jump am pass.” Ada kept on singing , until her husband cautioned her to behave like a mother. Ogwuche had saved up over three million naira from his allowance from his uncle and his savings from his salary .

He hadn’t touched even a Kobo from his salary. He had been sneaking out of the house to go and spend the night with Dooshima in the hotel. They had both agreed to find a house to stay, instead of spending money in the hotel.

They got a two bedroom flat near the Government Secondary School Buter. Agada and some elders from the church went to the pastor’s house with Dooshima and Ogwuche to plead for his forgiveness. For the first time in a month Dooshima entered into her family’s house.

Her father’s P. A was waiting for the entourage outside the house by the carport. Senior members of the church had escorted Dooshima and Ogwuche.

“Lillian how are you doing? ” He asked Dooshima. she smiled slightly.

“I am fine .” Dooshima said staring at her shoes. She couldn’t look at his face. Mr Agada placed a hand on Dooshima’s shoulder.

THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 21-30

“Don’t worry everything is going to be fine.” He said, they all walked up to the door. Seember was there to welcome them.

“Welcome sirs, you’re welcome to my house.” She said . She embraced Dooshima, she had gone to see her severally in the hotel without her husband’s knowledge.

“My baby I miss you.” She said almost crying, Dooshima couldn’t look at her mother’s face, She kept fondling with her fingers. “Come and sit down here.” Seember led her daughter to couch.

“Good afternoon ma.” Ogwuche greeted, Seember stared at him from head to toes then hissed.

“Please let me go and call the pastor.” Mrs Seember said. Shania was already serving the guests light refreshment.
A bottle of Pure Heaven wine and glasses were given to the guests. Dooshima refused to touch her glass of wine,
, Ogwuche abandoned his.

Dooshima’s eyes spread in horror when she saw her father descending the staircase, tears rolled out of her eyes, he was a shadow of himself .

His collar bones were clearly visible, his hands were looking skinny, and his skin pale as If he had a terminal illness, his head was bigger than his body, it felt as if his head was too big for his body, in just one month her father looked like a dying man.

He smiled when he saw the deacons and elders from his church, he shook hands with each one of them, smiling like the sun, but in his eyes she could see the dispair and sorrow. He shook Ogwuche and went to his chair.

“Pastor how are you doing? ” Mr Agada asked, the pastor smiled.

“I am doing well by the grace of God.” He said it was clear to everyone sitting there that he wasn’t. He had been scarce in church. His seclusion became worst when he went for a church crusade in Makurdi, that was already being advertised before the earth broke loose.

He wasn’t allowed to preach or take the microphone. He was a guest minister, the pastor told him after the first day of the crusade that he didn’t have to come for the rest of the program.

That people are asking for the confidence with which he could still climb the pulpit to preach, when he couldn’t put his own house in order. He wept silently as his driver drove all him all the way from Makurdi to Gboko.

He had not preached in his church headquarters for two weeks, it wasn’t unusual, because he was less often in Gboko, his base was Makurdi and Abuja.

“Sir I am so sorry for what my nephew did to your daughter. ” Mr Agada said. “I wasn’t in the know all this while, I just got to know a few days back.

We are here, this is my senior cousin James here, with some elders from the church we came to apologize on behalf of my nephew sir. They are young people temptation do come.” Mr Agada said.

“Sir we are very sorry, our son Ogwuche here is a good boy, he’s accepted his mistake and is ready to take up his responsibility. We don’t know if it would be a bad time to beg you sir that you allow them get married.

” James a Ogwuche’s uncle, He was dressed in a white senator. “Please sir forgive him and accept him as your son in-law. We brought this bottle of wine, as it is our culture not to come empty handed to the house of the family we want to pluck a flower from ,so we brought this bottle of wine.”

THE NIGHT WIFE CHAPTERS 21-30

He offered the bottle of Chamdor bottle wine, the pastor hesitated Seember stared at him wondering what his next course of action would be.He accepted the bottle from the old man. Seember breathed a sigh of relief.

“My daughter is already pregnant, I saw the young man and liked him. I thought they would have made a good couple. But I never expected it to be this way. I thank you all for coming.

The deed has been done. We are ready whenever you are ready.” He said, with a superficial smile on his face. “We are here, whenever you are ready. I am sorry I won’t be staying here long. ” He said.

“The maid is preparing something for you to eat.” He battled to get up from his chair, Dooshima fell on her knees and grabbed her father’s leg.

“Daddy am sorry, I made a mistake forgive me.” She held on to his lap, he lay his hands on his daughter’s shoulders, he stared into the ceiling, a strand of tears streamed out of his eyes.

“I’ve forgiven you already Dooshima. I’ve. ” He said as he gently helped her to her feet, Dooshima couldn’t look at her father’s face. Ogwuche’s heart killed him, for being the source of the pain the man and his family were going through.

Seember escorted her husband to the bedroom and returned back to be with the guest, at about nine thirty she escorted them to the carport where they drove away in two cars.

Seember went back to her room she shared with her husband. “Darling you have to come off this. will you cry yourself to death? you’ve been starving yourself!

You resigned your appointment with the governor, you refused to go to the university. You refused to Shepard the church. Dooshima can still be what she was meant to be, put yourself together. ” She begged him.

“Seember I blame myself. ” He said sobbing. “Caused this, I was always everywhere, doing this and doing that, I neglected my role as a father. Maybe if I was… ” He paused , Seember wouldn’t let the lamentation continue.

“You were the best father and pastor, you always made time for them, irrespective of the fact that your ministry and work kept you away.

Dooshima didn’t mess up because of you. I’ve asked Andoor to iron your favorite suit tomorrow Sunday, you have to get up from this bed and go back on the altar or else I’ll join you in sulking . ” She said before she stepped out of the hospital.

The sleeping and nerve relaxing pills that Doctor Akase prescribed, prescribed were no longer helping, he would stay awake all night till morning. Lying next to his wife , he would watch her chest rise and fall in sleep.

The next morning Pastor Gamadi was dressed in his favourite black suit, the trousers was falling off his waist. His wife teased him that he looked like a skeleton, his shirts and suits all became oversized. He managed a small breakfast of fried egg, tea and two slice of bread.

When he came on stage to take the sermon, the church erupted in Joy, the clapping was unending, they gave him a standing ovation. His members saw how so many people criticized the pastor online judging him for being a hypocrite and a bad father , while not knowing him up close.

“Thank you church, I thank you all for srsnding by me and my family at this trying time. I ered as a father, I failed in my responsibility as a pastor, I pray the Lord forgive me and you all forgive me. ” The church went to a sober mood.

The pastor began to preach, he felt a sharp pain on his chest, he paused and tried to cough , to ease the sharp pain, his left hand was placed on his chest, Seember’s heart began to beat at a crazy , she noticed something was wrong.

The pastor struggled to read from the Bible. He collapsed on the glass pulpit , the pulpit crashed on the tiled floor. The pastor landed hard on the tiled altar, he lay still with eyes tightly shut

“Jesus! Jesus! ” Seember cried, she was sitting on the front row. She ran up to the altar to check on her husband.

The five thousand worshippers were left in horror, the Junior pastors rushed to the head pastor, and lifted out into a SUV. they drove our of the church at top speed. A pastor took over the microphone and led the church into prayers.

“Gamadi, Gamadi please don’t leave me now. I need you please. ” Seember cried as Hemem drove the beast of a car at too speed towards the general.

To be continued…..

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