EXODUS

5

"Ki la ri? This one you're dressing nice to church today. What's the event?" Mrs Ojo cheerfully queries as Grace majestically descends the stairs dressed in a flowing yellow sleeveless gown and black stilleto heels. She completes her dressing with a black Elizabethan aged hat and holds her blue leather covered Bible in her right hand, her mobile phone in the other.
  "Is it bad to suddenly want to dress nice? Besides you complain about my boyish dressing every Sunday." She replies as she goes to sit on the cream colored arm chair in the living room.
"You really can't blame me for wanting to make sure my first daughter doesn't appear in church looking like a basketballer. Do you know how many members of the Good women actually notice you?" Grace mutters a "who cares?" under her breath not knowing her mother clearly heard her.
"Well, I do. How do you even feel comfortable in a pencil skirt, round neck, cotton shirt, face cap and sneakers every Sunday. It's like everyone knows your style already." The elders woman looks directly at the younger version of herself hoping her message was driven home.
  "Can we go now?" Eunice interrupts. Deborah joins the family and everyone picks up their properties pertaining to the Sunday service.

      At church, Grace busies herself with her phone. After checking a million times and there's no one chat with on WhatsApp, they're probably busy with church; she resolves to checking the books on her All document app. She selects a book by P.C Cast; Divine by mistake. She settles to read before three bubbling teenagers walk up to her.
"My love." A tall, model looking guy pinches her cheeks. She looks up and places her phone in her bag.
"Joshua!" She acknowledges. He settles down beside her while the other guy; not so tall and the plump short girl take their seats too.
"You look beautiful today. More like a girl now. Different from your usual style." The other guy notes.
Grace raises her eyebrows in question as she turns to face him properly. "Ehn ehn, Segun so I have always looked ugly."
"No nau. That's not what I mean. You just look girly today." Segun chuckles after replying.
"Don't mind him jare. You look beautiful anyhow. My own special girlfriend."
"Joshua when did that one start? Don't implicate me abeg."
  "Don't tell me you're scared. Even Mary, her S.U isn't complaining."
"See this boy sha. Shey is me that is S.U?" Mary counters.
  It's always like this whenever they were around. It's not always though. Joshua only stays home when school resumes while Mary and Segun mostly go over to the main church because they are workers. They're probably here today because Joshua came over. And yes; she's still in the teenagers department. It's not like she's willing to leave soon anyways. Just that age is really against her.
"Let's go to main church na. This place doesn't have life." Mary speaks after a while.
"Egbami. Where did you keep the oxygen?" Grace playfully replies as she makes to bring out her phone from her bag. It's not really her bag; she doesn't fancy bags. Her sisters dumped it with her when they got to church.
"Isn't it rude to press phone when they're people with you?" Joshua jokes.
"Thought you guys were leaving na. I'm used to being alone in church anyways."
"Just say you're stylishly sending us away." Segun adds.
"Na you sabi."
Mary rises up to her feet while Grace looks up to her. "It'll be drama period soon, so Segun and I need to leave. You know we're under training and our coordinator will complain if we aren't there."
  "It's okay. Take care."
"Bye shortie." Segun jokes. Turning to face Joshua,"Won't you follow them?"
"Why should I?"
"I don't want trouble oo. Your tutor will soon be here." Joshua was training to play saxophone.
"Bye then. See you on Sunday. Chat you before then." Joshua leaves and she remains alone like always. She appreciates her space.

     "So, when you add that, you multiply it by 6." Grace instructs while guiding Deborah through her assignment. Eunice is in the sofa while their mother occupies the other armchair. Immediately she clears her throat, Grace knows something is in the offing.
"Ehn Grace!" She calls.
"Ma!"
"Kilode? You have refused to join any department in church. The only thing you do is sit in that teenage church that is already lacking teenagers. Why?"
"Nothing Mom. It's just because I'm not yet 18."
"Just now I said the teenagers department is lacking teenagers. You know why?" Without waiting for a response she continues, "Because all the teenagers except you have signed up for different department trainings. Every single teenager. Even Eunice your younger sister."
  "Well, I will do something about that when I join the main church. Do that now. Ehn, Grace, now!"
"Okay ma. I will." 'This woman sha. She will not cease to unnerve me.' Grace thinks as she rises up to go to the kitchen.
"Mom!"
"What is that?"
"I can't find the Lipton drink in the fridge."
"Oh. Your sister said she wasn't feeling too well in the morning so I told her to take it."
"No nau. I don't appreciate this kind of situation Mom. Everyone has their own drink in the house and Lipton is mine. That's the last piece I have." Grace complains annoyingly.
"When your sister needed it nko?"
  She doesn't reply and goes up to her room. She sits on the bed and finding nothing to do faces the ceiling.
"Jesus, it's been a while. Overcomer said to tell it all to you. See ehn, I'm really frustrated. Like extra frustrated with everything going on here. I'm being neglected and Eunice is favored every single time. Assist me Jesus. Strengthen me. Lengthen my patience cos I might break down any moment from now. I need your help Jesus......." She trails off as she slowly drifts to sleep and slowly lies on the bed.

That's it readers. Which department do you belong to in church? I'm a chorister as well as an interpreter.
Please don't forget to vote and comment. Exodus is nothing without it.

Yours In Ink; Bethel ™