CHAPTER ELEVEN (CHURCH GOSSIPERS)

"Mom why are you cooking so much food this early?" I asked when I saw several dishes on the kitchen counter.

"You know today is Sunday, we are going to church and those little angels at the Sunday School will be expecting their delicious treats."

"You keep spoiling them." I said upset to see her stressing herself out. She came closer and covered my right cheek with her left hand, with a smile she said.

"Let me spoil them Atinuke mi, then God will surely make my only child's life so beautiful that people will say that God is spoiling her."

Whatever mom has done till date has always been for me. When she joined the choir, she joined it to sing to the God so that he hears her voice and fulfills all her daughter's heart desires.

She fed twenty people before I went for my first job interview. She gave the orphanage all of my old clothes so that I would never get an F (Fail) in university.

She has done everything she could for me and that is why I can't afford to let her see how frustrated and disappointed I am with my life. That's why I keep pretending to be living a classy life.

I took out a loan from work to buy a car just to drive my mom to church and shut those loud mouth gossipers.

And only after two months the car started giving me problems and till date, I just had to manage it. Repaint when I have money just so I could show off again to anyone who wanted to mock my mom.

We arrive at the church late like always. The gossipers were right there in the back seat with their loud mouth and sharp eyes to find a new gossip topic.

Mom nudged me to greet them and so I did.

"Atinuke, wow you actually remembered us today." Said Mrs Gboyega, their gossip leader.

I smiled at her and replied her question.

"How can I possibly forget you, you are unforgettable."

"Oh my dear. I always love your sense of humor but I really thought you coming in today will be with a child even if there is no father." Mrs Gboyega said and the others chuckled.

Mrs Gboyega of all people shouldn't be the one to open her mouth and say such things to her Atinuke, considering how all her children turned out to be.

The first Elizabeth, graduated from Oxford university with third class and her mom used her power and influence to get her a job at Shell here in Nigeria.

She was sacked from Shell because of her incompetence, late comings and lack of concentration at work.

Her mom got her a job at five different high ranking companies both home and abroad but she always end up getting sacked.

At the end of all this, she had three children for three different men.

Her second child Daniel is a drug addict always getting into fights at clubs or being disgraced on the street by prostitutes.

Her third and last child David is still in jail for raping his classmate but Mrs Gboyega keeps lying that he is studying abroad and that, the girl who claims to be raped was lying and only want to rope her son because of their money.

Her husband Mr James Gboyega has cheated on her more times than she can count and yet whenever they come to church, she smiles and hold him tight as if they are a happy family.

Actually from what we heard, she bought her husband with money from where he worked at as an ordinary drycleaner.

"Oh Mrs Gboyega, why are you embarrassing our dear Atinuke." Said Forever single Miss Linda.

Ashawo number one who is also one of the ladies that had an affair with Mrs Gboyega's husband. They hate each other but gossip unites them.

"My daughter is doing fine and she is also in no hurry to bring a man home. When she is ready, you will all be informed about her husband." Mrs Dupe said to shut them up and dragged Atinuke after her.

"Those crazy people." I said angrily.

"Church Atinuke mi. Don't forget we are in the church." Mom cautioned me and I sat quietly on my chair.

Anu Philips came out to lead the songs as usual with her overdo attitude and horse voice. Hearing her sings surely made everyone sick.

"Who would like to sing us a special number?" Asked the leader of the choristers, Fred Harriton.

Fred came to Nigeria seven years ago and joined our church in search of a good Christian girl to get married to and ever since he came, he has only found girls who keep misbehaving and trying to seduce him for his few millions.

"Who would like to sing us a special number?" He asked again looking around at any interested person.

Miss Pride got up with her shoulders standing up as if they were eagle wings.

"Miss Sandra, please sit down. You do know that a choir can't give a special number." Fred said and her standing shoulders fell down in shame.

"I know, just wanted to boost their moral." She said with a smile trying to cheer herself up with that lie.

"I will sing the special number." I said out loud and everyone turned towards me at once.

What, Tinuke, I kept hearing them wisper in surprise. Though I have been singing since I was six, I only sang for my dad and mom and I have also never volunteered to do anything in church before.

I have always been forced by mom to do little things for the church like paying my tithe and doing the cleaning.

But today, a spirit in me triggered me to disgrace all this people that have mocked and hurt my mother by singing my soul out.

I walked elegantly to the front and everyone's eyes followed me.

"I hope this their juju eyes doesn't make me slip and fall." I wispered as I kept feeling all their eyes on my skin at every step I took.

Mom looked surprised at first but smiled, she was glad that her daughter wanted to praise God with her magical voice.

Fred couldn't close his mouth because of the beauty standing in front of him.