Visible Essence

CHAPTER TWO

Each new day comes with a fresh beating and scolding from papa which at times we became so scared of him, thinking of him as a demon.

I would secretly pray for papa each time we go to church that the evil spirit leaves him alone so he would be a better husband and father. But I dear not pray it out else I would in trouble for treason against papa.

The next Sunday, after service mama rushed into the kitchen to prepare food for the Sunday. She would had done that before service but she wanted to attend the special service that is being conducted that day, it was called “THE REBRATION SUNDAY” according to people it was a Sunday when the man of God prays extensively for the congregation for; deliverance, divine connection, breakthrough in businesses and marriages and fruit of the womb.

Of course mama’s interest was on the breakthrough in her marriage. A friend of hers had told her about the power service and she had prepared to attend the service since the day she heard of it; to pray for her marriage, and ask God to deliver her from her slavery.

During that service, I watched mom as she prayed like a prayer warrior, sweats soaked her body like one who had just finished running a marathon. Saliva escaped from her mouth landing on my body as I was sitting beside her while the prayer was on. She held me so as not to look for I after the prayers must have ended.

After the service, we left the church heading home, on our way home I could see the bold smile on mama’s face as she was filed with joy for having being to the service. She felt that God would see her breeding heart and heal it. But that joy on her face cleared off just like a black board being wiped by a teacher while teaching as she remembered what awaits her at home.

Papa was at home when we left for service; going to church wasn’t much of his thing and had tried to make mama share his ideas about going to church. But mama wouldn’t oblige to his ideas. Mama had waked us up as early as 4.30 am in the morning to prepare for church. I was so tired I wanted to sleep more, I lay back on the bed pretending not to hear mom’s call, and she wouldn’t speak louder with fear of waking papa up instead.

Ada and Obinna had woken up 5 minutes earlier and had gone to the bath room but I didn’t wake. I waited for mama to come carry me to the bathroom herself.

  We got down from the keke na pepe that brought us to the junction and started trekking down to our house. Mama held my hand so tight; I could feel she wanted to crush it. Maybe I wasn’t waking too fast nor was there something else on mama’s mind that she is so taking out on me. My legs hurt as I fastened my movement to meet up with her.

I envied Ada and Obinna who walked on their own although they had several scolding from mama asking them to walk faster. Finally we arrive at our compound, it was a four story building flat with a red gate and we live at the first floor.

Mama looked up the building to know if she could see papa, but he wasn’t there, a little flow of adrenalin ran through mama’s body as we climbed the stair.  She stood there for five minutes, looked at us as if we were going to meet a ghost soon. She put her hand through the opening in the iron door and open the door. She walked in and we peered in, behind her, and on her face was a great and stark fear; it made her look stripped down to nothing, like a skull with gasping holes.

I could feel her fear as she walked into their room to undress. I looked around but couldn’t find papa, it was like he already left home to his normal MAMA G spot where he goes to drink and eat nkwobi.

*keke na pepe = tricycle

*nkwobi = local delicacy (goat mead especially goat head which is peppered and mixed with palm oil) the locals normally eat it while drinking local palm wine.