He dressed in his grey suit because a day before he was researching the church and noticed the congregation was dressed in fancy clothes. It was his first time they had to go to church since he became a man. He only went to church while he was in his teens ,in the village. After noticing it wasn’t vibey as his friends described it he never attended again. Today he was going to seek help.
It was a beautiful Sunday morning with bird chirping in the sky and the street were with people going to their church. Everyone was on the same mission with neat formal wears except for the teenagers who stood on corners with babalaz teasing the by-passers.
” You look great,” he kissed her cheek. She was dressed in a floral suit with her hair tied down in ponytail. He fidget with his blazer as Jessica stared at her one last time if something was not alright and fixed his collar.
” Let’s go,” she ordered and both strolled down the road with hands entwined. Their neighbors were jealousy of them because they noticed their great love.
” Morning best couple,” a voice said in front of them.
It was their noisy neighbor,Clara who was married but not a day did she walk with her husband in public especially with hands entwined like teenagers. Bright laughed hysterically that she was exaggerating.
” Where you off to now?” she smiled gleamly while scanning their elegant clothes.
Bright and Jessica looked at each other quizzically and back to Ciara before smiling.
” Church ….. Clara we don’t want to be late,” Jessica dragged Bright by his hand and walked down the street.
” Did church strengthen your marriage? I envy you. …………Sam won’t walk with me ever especially like that,” she frowned with jealousy .
But they didn’t look back but sensed her tone was sad and Clara gestured with her hands , sighing.
The church was in a Cinema Hall. It had two ushers who were dressed in black skirts and white shirts escorted seats in front but Bright was reluctant. He didn’t like the seats,he wanted to sit at the back so that he could watch whole congregation. He felt a cold shiver pass his back. Jessica was smiling but he felt like he was in a wrong place.
“Welcome ….We have those who have come here for the first time…Please stand up,” a man with a microphone said cheerful and the congregation applauded.
Jessica stood up fast but Bright bowed his head. Every stared at the standing people. There was about 20 people who were new in the church. Jessica dragged his hand but Bright remained sitting without giving eye contact.
“Welcome…We will give you new papers to fill. Thank you for gracing us with your presence. This is the house of the Lord,” the MC spoke cheerful and everyone roared ,applauded in joy.
There was a great praise and worship team for half any hour. A man in the middle 30 then gave a sermon which whole congregation was murmuring as if they agreed on what he speaking about.
“,God can cure any disease …. If there is anyone suffering with any sickness step forward and I will pray for you. Those with HIV will be negative today,those with cancer will be free today. I will touch you and you will fell on the ground. Don’t hesitate to fall because sickness is a disease which must come out today. Hallelujah!,” he ordered.
” Come on to the front if you are sick ” he added and a few stood up then the praise team sang a song’s My healer’ and many stood up. Jessica dragged Bright’s hand who was reluctant.
” Let’s go…We said we will try ,” she whispered in his ears.
Bright stared at the floor near the pulpit,it was getting overcrowded and people still were going there. He pulled his hand from Jessica’s grip.
” Mister … The one with his wife…,” the pastor shouted on microphone.
The pastor was pointing at them with his finger.Bright eyes jump on people who were sitting near them. They drew attention to the crowd and people who were still on seats. Jessica gestured with her hand asking if it was them.
” Yes,come forward. God want to heal you,” the pastor added.The whole congregation applauded as if the miracle had already happened.
Bright finally saw his feet walking towards the pulpit. Jessica followed him and they stood behind the pastor who was speaking in tongues. Bright felt the atmosphere hot and something was on but he didn’t know what. His spirit became heavy.
He thought he was going to fell on ground and roll on ground like what he saw on the church service station on TV.Then the pastor declare the demon was coming. He was scared to hurt his body when he thought of woman who rolled her body on ground for a period of time . The pastor declare the demon was out and in a flash shhe was still like still water. He shook his head petrified.
” Raise your hands ,mister and Mrs,” he ordered and gestured the crowd to do the same.
He layed hands on Bright and Jessica ‘s head.and spoke in tongues. Bright felt his body weak that he swayed as the pastor kept praying in tongues. He couldn’t take it anymore and fell on the ground but the ushers made him not hurt his body by balancing it. He opened his eyes and saw Jessica beside him .He wondered if the disease that had ravaged his and Jessica’s body had disappeared.He touched every part of his body.He looked at other side and saw other people had fallen as them.
‘Why do I feel the same?’He wondered.
” You are healed… Go and get tested and soon HIV positive will be negative. All this with cancer… You are cancer free… Hallelujah,” the pastor shouted and people applauded.
” God is good,” the pastor muttered in his breath.
” All the time ,” the congregation recited in a chorus.
“He is good,”Bright lift his hand in confusion.
Bright didn’t believe in it anyway and helped his wife up and everyone was praising God. Both Bright and Jessica found themselves joining the congregation.Hands swayed left and right and mouth confessed that He was Lord. Bright thought it was good to be true that he was healed but he vowed in his heart that early tomorrow morning they will go to a centre and get tested to confirm what the pastor had said. If it was true,he wished they knew about the pastor before Lovemore died. He pouted and looked away.