Written by Mofoluwake Omololu.
They woke up at about noon the next day. Kola remarked that the bed was excellent because he hadn’t stirred through the night. Lara concurred but added that they were also jet lagged.
Too comfortable to leave their bed but hungry, they called for room service.
Their meal came with an order of activities designed for couples. The resort, apparently, was involved in some kind of couples ministry and they conducted retreats. Their trip now coincided with one of such.
After the meal, Kola fell back to sleep while Lara went touring the suite they were to inhabit for the next few weeks. Everything was royally laid and exquisite to the touch. Their room had a view of the sea and Lara sat with a drink on the balcony. She was gladly taking in the view and breathing the freshest air, a welcome change from what she had at home. It was all very exhilarating.
Uncle Dede seemed upset with them after the pastor and his wife left their home.
The pastor and his wife had come to their house that Sunday evening when they had stormed out of the service. They had been concerned about their reaction to the preacher. What had he said that had been so wrong and offensive that got them so riled up they left the service?
Lara was being respectful and tolerant of their presence so she turned to her husband letting him know she didn’t have an answer for them.
Kola too hadn’t known what exactly to say, whether to be honest or just tell them something to soothe their aching ears. He’d decided on the later, since the pastor and the preacher were friends and must share similar points of view there was no need explaining.
He told them that he and Lara had been distracted by something else they had needed to do and had stood up in a rush because it was urgent, he said it had nothing to do with the preacher or his sermon.
Anybody watching could tell that Kola was lying through his teeth. The pastor and his wife took their cue from there, said a quick prayer with them and bade them goodnight.
Uncle Dede who had sat in the corner through the visitation sighed at Kola and Lara’s lack of hospitality and offered to see the pastor and his wife out.
Outside he apologized on their behalf and the pastor gave his number, just in case anything came up.
Inside, Lara and Kola had remained in the position they had been in when their visitors left. Each lost in thought.
Lara was embarrassed, she wondered why she had acted so off-putting just then? Why had she stormed out of the church? For one keeping a low profile that was very notable, it was a misstep. What did the preacher even say that was so annoying? Now as she thought she couldn’t place a finger on it. Was she leaning towards defensiveness now? Or was she running mad?
Kola was just sad at how bitter he had let their predicament make him.
Uncle Dede had admitted that he had been tempted to bare all to the pastor and his wife, maybe they could be of some help, but it wasn’t his story to tell. The two of them had a few things they had to learn for themselves. First was not interpreting things out of the context that they’re being said.
He reprimanded them for their attitude that morning in church and for the one they had put up for the pastor and his wife. He had listened to their self justification as to why they couldn’t afford to sit through the service of ‘condemnation’ for the ‘cross they had been called to bear’. He told them off and counselled them. They weren’t the first going through what they were going through and they weren’t going to be the last. So it would be utter folly on their part to think that every word that wasn’t for them and their situation was against them.
He pointed out to them that there still was an unaddressed elephant in the room. If they couldn’t live amicably and communicate on the slightest things as husband and wife then how did they intend to do it in the larger world. They needed to talk as man and wife, and quickly, before things began to go wrong outside their home too.
When Kola tapped her the sun had mostly set, she didn’t know she had even slept off. She recalled her thoughts and consciously purposed to make sure this trip wasn’t wasted.