Casimir, Sarah and I said nothing to each other as our driver drove us home and we knew better than asking him about our parents. In no distant time we drove through our gate, each one of us rushed to the door and was greeted by mum. Her countenance hasn’t changed but I noticed something; our belongings were being parked into travelling bags as though we were parking out of our home. All efforts to get mum talk to us proved abortive as she promised us a bright future. “Mum, don’t you think you owe us some explanations” to lead you by the hand” “No Casimir, what dad and I are going through is too big for your consumption” “We love you and we want the best for you and your siblings, just trust us enough All that didn’t go down well with me. Yes, we were very little but not so little to understand what mum was going through. Even if she didn’t want to involve all three of us, I was the eldest and her favorite too, I should be carried along or so I thought. Mum served us lunch as usual and we all retired to our separate rooms. Days turned into weeks and our belongings were still being parked and neither mum nor dad told us if we were either relocating or actually leaving the country. I made up my mind not to talk to mum anymore since she didn’t want to relate the problem to us. We lived in the same house but we had become far apart. What held us together was just our morning and night devotions. Casimir and Sarah on the other hand began acting strange. I noticed they stopped greeting our parents and little Sarah stopped talking to mum too, her excuse was; “If she doesn’t talk to me, why should I talk to her”? I scolded her to stop such attitude as I didn’t want her to grow with it. Our parents brought us up in the way of the lord and so keeping malice was not even an option. Dad came home in no distant time still weary and moody, I gave a stern look to my siblings and that prompted them to greet him, he came home together with our family friend; Uncle Samson. Uncle Samson has been a good friend to mum and dad ever since I got to know what was good and bad, but just as I predicted; my siblings and I were sent to our rooms to enable mum and dad have a heart-to-heart discussion with Uncle Samson. We grumbled our way up the stairs and neither of us ever thought of eaves dropping for the fear of being flogged by father. Few hours later, I heard mum call out to me and I ran as fast as my legs could carry me down the stairs and there was Uncle Sam offering me a brown envelope. I didn’t need a soothsayer to tell me there was money in there. But why should Uncle Sam give me such money? Or have my parents lost their jobs? Even if they did, I shouldn’t be the one receiving the money when mum was present! I maintained my cool and gave a corner eye-look to my mum and from the look in her eyes, she encouraged me to receive it. I thanked Uncle Sam as I have been thought and we bade him farewell. The next day was Sunday, the most important day in the home of the Aderopo’s. Every one of us looked forward to Sunday as it was either Dad was ministering or mum was leading the choristers in the day’s special anthem or even both!. My siblings and I looked forward to Sunday as it made us the most envied kids at our local church. Not every child lived with both parents and even the ones that do, don’t have them function in the lord’s vineyard. Owing to mum and Dad’s engagements in the church, they encouraged us to live exemplary lives both at church and in all places. But this Sunday seemed so different in the sense that mum asked me to share the money Uncle Sam had given us into three equal parts, when I did that, she asked me to get a one –tenth of everyone and replace it in three different envelopes. Sarah, Casimir and I were going to pay our tithe for the first time today. Mum and Dad explained to us the biblical principles of giving to God what he gave to us saying that all good and perfect gift comes from God. Dad and Mum wore a matching traditional outfit, while Sarah and I wore a mint green floral dress with a peach shoe to match. Casimir on the other hand wore a mint green cashmere material and a pair of pastoral black shoes to match. As we approached the church premises, all eyes were on us and I muttered to myself; “If only these people knew that our parents were having a hard time and they weren’t communicating to nobody, they wouldn’t wish to be like us one bit”! Good morning sir, how are you today”?
By his special grace, I’m bouncing in the lord” “You ain’t looking bad sir” “Thank you sister Titi God bless you” Sister Titi had a habit of greeting and complimenting my Dad whenever she sees him and she left my siblings especially me with no option other than she was lusting after our father. I mean why doesn’t she greet and compliment mum or any of the children? Why must it be only daddy?? The funniest thing was that mum saw nothing wrong in her behavior! I eyed sister Titi and walked past her to the church auditorium, I had enough problems to deal with it at home and sister Titi was not even near the least important. All through the service, I sat still and quiet as I watched my own father announced: preach today’s sermon. There’s this feeling of satisfaction I always get when daddy is on pulpit. The awaited time for tithe offering came through and the moderator “If you have your tithe, please step forward” It was not the first Sunday of the month and so not many people came out to offer their tithes to God. Just when he was about to take away the box, there came my siblings and I in a glorious apparel walking forward to the altar to offer our tithes. I could imagine the reaction of members of the congregation as we walked graciously to the altar…..
Read Episode two
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