Church Chronicles: Part 1

Three: It's A Messy Bun

After accepting the role of being his personal assistant I had noticed on many occasions that everywhere Pastor Mike went, Mandilakhe was there, even if there was no need for a keyboard player but he'd be there and I never questioned it. That's just how things were.

One time Pastor Mike was going to a convention in Durban and I had to make all his bookings, he called to inform me that "Lakhe" as he called him, would be going with him and I asked why, he didn't give me any sort of explanation so I decided not to push it. I had just been appointed for this PA position and apparently that's how things had been, where Pastor Mike is, Mandilakhe is there. Not his wife, but his keyboard player.

I made all the necessary bookings and sent him references and confirmations (Prophet Jimu's PA was going to handle accommodation bookings that side), and on the day of their departure, I called a cab to pick them up from his house because I was at work and it was the month-end rush so I couldn't leave to fetch them myself.

Later that night, his wife called me...

"Hello, Mama?"

"Hey, Yandi... I am sorry for calling you so late, can you talk?"

"Yeah sure, what's up?"

"I just got a call from Prophet Jimu, he says my husband arrived in Durban with a young man who wasn't booked for"

"Oh-Kay"

"Who's the young man and why wasn't he booked for?"

"It's Mandilakhe mama and I don't know why he wasn't booked for"

"Mandilakhe went to Durban?"

"Uhm... Yes"

"Why?"

"I don't know... Pastor Mike said I should book for him and I did. But unfortunately, the accommodation for all visiting pastors was booked for by Musa, Prophet Jimu's PA, and I wasn't aware that she didn't book for Mandilakhe. I just made the flight and other relevant transportation bookings"

She sighed... That felt heavy.

"It's not your fault Yandi, Musa only books for the people she's given a list for. Obviously my husband didn't tell Prophet Jimu that he's coming with an extra person"

"oh okay"

"Don't worry, I'll talk to my husband after the service tonight. Good night"

"Alright... Goodnight"

We hung up.

Why would Pastor Mike not tell his wife that Mandilakhe was going with him? Why would she sound upset more than shocked? What was really going on here?

**** **** ****

They were returning from Durban and I was at the airport waiting to pick them up, I had their flight schedule with me. I did the bookings, but after an hour of waiting, I decided to call Pastor Mike, his phone rang until it went to voice mail. I decided to just give them fifteen more minutes and browsed through social media just to pass time. I bumped onto Mandilakhe's check-in at Garden Court, East London. I checked the display picture just to be sure, it was him. What would he be doing at GC when I was waiting for them at the airport? I started the car and drove off, when I got to the hotel I gave the receptionist Mandilakhe's names as appearing in social media and as I thought, the room was booked under his name. I was given his room number but not the key so I walked to the room and knocked, after a few minutes of knocking and no answer I gave up. I took a deep breath cursing silently and as luck would have it, a housekeeper was coming out of the opposite room so I politely asked if she could open the room for me, I told her I had locked my own key inside... She opened with hesitation and pushed her trolley as she walked away, disappearing in the corridors. I slowly walked in, put a door stopper so that the door doesn't shut completely and then I turned to be met by the shock of my life.