Chapter Seven

“ A reading from a letter to the Hebrews”, the lector said as we moved to the pulpit, while I held a microphone to his mouth, absentmindedly watching him move his lips as he looked at the congregation and back to the lectionary, paying no attention to what he was saying.

“ The word of the Lord”, he said in a final tone, signifying that he had finished his reading.

“ Thanks be to God”, the congregation replied and my mouth was benevolent enough to also speak along with the congregation.

“ Your days shall be filled with gladness, all you who trusts in the Lord”, the lector started the responsorial psalm, maintaining his reading fluency and eye communication, just like that of a news anchor.

“ Your days shall be filled with gladness, all you who trusts in the Lord”, the congregation replied.

“ He who walks in the path of righteousness, who detests the ways of the wicked, who closes his eyes lest they see evil, who shuts his eyes lest they hear of bloodshed”, the lector continued.

“ Your days shall be filled with gladness, all you who trusts in the Lord”, the congregation replied.

I treaded off, completely.

The event of the previous night had left me a little shaken up. Even while walking the lonely streets to the church building that morning, I didn't feel as chilly as I normally did. The morning breeze didn't hit me, or rather it did but I was so drowned in sorrow that I didn't take notice of it, just like when you're running for safety and you keep running without realizing that you've actually been shot. You won't just feel the pain at that very moment - that was me. Even while setting the chalice and the wine and the bread for mass, I still wasn't myself, and I still wasn't.

“ Collins”, Joachim called me but I just didn't hear him.

“ Collins”, he called again but all the same, it was still inaudible. He then stepped out of the altar and patted me by the arm, and only when he did so did it come to my mind that the lector was done and it was time to invite the priest to the pulpit.

Everyone was now staring at me awkwardly, probably wondering what the hell was wrong with me, even Nuel, all dressed up in his priestly garments that even though I was angry with him, I still couldn't help but want to hug him, or at least touch him.

I comported myself, gathering my mind from wherever they must've fallen off, and then proceeded to the altar with Joachim. We bowed down and then invited Nuel to the pulpit.

“ The Lord be with you”, he said as I held the mic to his mouth, his hands outstretched as a sign of pouring out blessings on the people, those same hands that had held my dick and slapped my ass, even caressed my whole body.

“ And with your spirit”, the congregation replied, with Miss Eucharia placing both of her hands to her chest. The old lady who still thought that she was young was always acting all holier than thou. The fact even though she's in like her late fifties and is still praying for a husband is like very commendable; she like has an immense faith in God, one that I could never have. If I were in her shoes, I would get myself pregnant, have the baby, and go on living like the classy single moms of see on social media.

“ A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke”, Nuel continued.

“ Glory be to you O Lord”, the congregation replied, making the sign of the cross on their forehead, on their lips, and his their chest.

I stood there as usual, body present, absent minded, just watching his lips sway and sway as he performed a more perfect anchoring act than the lector that had read.

“ Today's homily will be centered on the response of the responsorial psalm, and please remind me what it is again?” He said, holding the mic himself after I and Joachim has gone to our seats.

“ Your days shall be filled with gladness, all you who trusts in the Lord”, the congregation replied, and Miss Eucharia was busy nodding her head, nodding in affirmation to what Nuel hadn't even started talking about. I told you that woman was acting all holier than thou.

“ That is it”, Nuel continued, his voice pitched high like that of a motivational speaker, “ your days shall be filled with gladness child of God. The scriptures affirms to that. I didn't say it, the word of God did, and we also know that God is all knowing and all truthful and that his words can always be trusted, the only question to ask here is, do you really trust in the Lord?” He was looking around, definitely looking for something that wasn't looking for him. “ Do you trust in the Lord?” He asked again, as if he was expecting an answer or something, “ if you say you do then why do you go against his will? Why do you not do as he commands you to do? Why do you live in perpetual sin? Why do you live in hate? Why do you not love one another? Why? These are questions that we should ask ourselves and reply to them very sincerely, because only if we are truly truthful to ourselves and abide by the Lord's inclinations, only then shall our days be filled with gladness, and we pray that through the intercession of our blessed mother Mary, that God will give us the grace to be his true children. We ask this through Christ our Lord”.

“ Amen”, the congregation replied. The choristers started the offertory hymn and Nuel then went up to the altar to perform the altar sacrifice.

If I had known Nuel better, if he wasn't my sugar daddy; ex sugar daddy, I would never have been able to believe that he was capable of committing sin, not even venial sins. I mean, the way he talked during the homily was totally different from the “ yeah baby, I'm gonna fuck that ass, I'm gonna drill your hole, gosh, baby you're on fire” that I was so used to hearing from him, especially when we actually have sex or when we chat. Totally different.

“ May Almighty God whom you have served today at his holy altar, bless you in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy Spirit”, he said to us after we proceeded back to the sacristy after the mass, making the sign of the cross on the air to us while we made it on ourselves.

“ Amen”, I and Joachim replied and I immediately dashed out of there as he went on to remove his vestments. I just couldn't face him acting like he didn't know me or anything, and the best solution for me at the time was to avoid him.

I quickly rushed home after the morning mass, has breakfast, changed into something casual and a little bit fancy, and then headed off to school.

“ Carmella! Come let's go”, I called out to my youngest sister who was probably still making her hair. She was in kindergarten and would always come back home complaining that all her friends and classmates wore different hairstyles to school everyday while she wore only one throughout the whole week. She just couldn't understand the fact that those friends of hers were either the first or second child in their family, or rather they had a maid or a stay-at-home mom who was ready to do something as unimportant as changing hairstyles every single day, and after complaining on several occasions and still not seeing anything done about it like the U.S government doesn't do anything about racism, she took it upon herself to start making her hair by herself. As for mom, after having five children, she certainly allowed us to be the boss of ourselves in things like cooking, making hair, washing, cleaning the house, even getting our own underwears.

“ I'm coming, I'm almost done!” She screamed from the girls’ room, and without a doubt I knew that she was still finding it hard to make the kind of hair she wanted. She hadn't even had breakfast.

I went upstairs and when I got to their room, it was exactly as I had predicted.

“ What gave you been doing?” I asked as I saw her still struggling to comb the hair.

“ I have an undergrowth, okay”, she replied sharply for someone her age.

I exhaled, totally helpless.

Ella and Omi has already left for school. They never cared so much for her. They were already big girls who apparently didn't have time for making a younger sister's hair.

“ Give it to me”, I took the comb from her and worked my magic, and within a few minutes, I had made her hair into the ponytail Rapunzel style that she wanted. Not too perfect but at least manageable.

“ Now, get your backpack, go downstairs and have your breakfast, it's on the dining”, I said.

“ Okay”, she replied with smiles on her face, probably ready to show off her new hairstyle in school.

“ Hurry, we don't wanna be late for school”.

“ Okay, I've heard”, she quickly ran downstairs to do as I had said and I just couldn't help but laugh at the thumping sounds she made on the staircase, like that of a baby evil spirit.

While she had her breakfast, I decided to clean up their room a little bit. Ella and Omi were definitely pretty girls, but were certainly not tidy girls. I arranged their clothes into their different wardrobes, arranged their dressing mirror, made the bed, and then headed downstairs.

“ Are you ready?” I asked as I saw Carmella finishing off the pancakes on her plate.

“ Yeah, let's go”, she said, taking the last pancake into her hand and carrying her backpack with the other hand.

We headed out, first to Carmella’s kindergarten school. She skipped all the way to her school, unlike some kids who were apparently dreaded to have to come to school.

“ Bye colly”, she said as we reached her school gate.

“ Bye Carmella”, I said as I waved. She waved back and ran into the school building while I turned around to find my way to my own school.

The morning breeze was soothing, and the silent walk to school was therapeutic.

The school bell rang immediately I stepped into the busy locker area and most students started making their way to their different classes. I rushed to my locker to get my books and as I was still trying to get my Comprehensive chemistry textbook which was way up inside my locker, someone slammed the locker door, banging my hand against it.

It was definitely Franklin and his crew, nobody else enjoyed bullying me like he did.