S.I.M.S Episode 18 – 19 by Opeyemi O. Akintunde

S.I.M.S Episode 18

(STEPPING INTO MAGGIE’S SHOE)
©️ Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde

“ I have this Phobia of sleeping with someone else on the same bed with me, so you have to stay in Maggie’s old room” Ray had said to me, and based on the atmosphere that had been the order of the day since we woke up at the hotel, I didn’t say a word, as I obediently followed him upstairs to the room he was referring to…

As I opened the door, I saw a messed up room, everything was upside down. Drugs were on the floor, the bedsheet and duvet on the floor. I stepped back in shock, and was even more shocked when Ray said
“ You need to clean up the room, ever since she died, I have not been able to step into the room.One, because she hurt me and two because I feel her presence there, but I know you are a prayerful person, you will be able to cast her presence away..” he said

With that, he left me at the door way… I didn’t know what next to do as Ray’s behavior was still baffling and seeing Him leave Pastor Maggie’s Room the way it was didn’t make sense…

What did he mean by she hurt him?

I turned and followed him to his own room…

“ Ray, why on earth are you acting strangely?, we just got marrried yesterday and you are acting like I forced you to get married to me. This was not the Ray I have known for months. If you know you have a phobia of sharing your bed or room with someone else, why get married…? I can’t cope …” I said in anger

“ Maggie coped …We never slept on the same bed for 12 years, You will be fine!” He said as he opened the door of his room with a key. That was weird , as I wondered why he locked his room in his own house…

“ Well, I am not Pastor Maggie…and besides what about the maid or housekeeper, I mean you should have someone who cleans this big house for you” I asked looking around

“ No, That was Maggie’s work, I don’t like having strangers in the house..We never had anyone living with us” he said as he dropped his travelling bag on the bed….

“ What? you mean Pastor Maggie was the one cleaning this big house of about 6 rooms and 2 large living rooms, a giant sized kitchen…” I was saying before he cut in

“ Yes…Like I said I am a private person, so I don’t like strangers around me…” he said with a tone of finality

I was dumbfounded to say the least, then it began to make sense, this was probably why Pastor Maggie was always looking tired and exhausted.

I looked around in his room and it was a beautiful sight… I wondered what kind of phobia he had that would not allow me to stay with him…

I eventually retired to Pastor Maggie’s room and spent the rest of the day trying to sort things out… As I arranged the room, I perceived there was more to the scattered room, but what it was I couldn’t explain. The arrangement of the room took me about two days.

I planned on giving pastor Maggie’s clothes and shoes to an orphanage. I treated her things with caution in respect to her and I kept talking to her like she was there…

“ Pastor Maggie, I am sorry to have judged you too quick, I am sorry for setting you up.. I am really sorry for everything”

I came Across a small book under her bed, where she wrote poems. I kept it among her books I was planning to also give out…

For those two days, Ray stayed indoors, anytime I went to his door to knock, he would reply that he was busy…

This continued for close to a week after our wedding… He didn’t open the door until Sunday morning. At this point I was broken and distraught. I was wondering why the attitude, but also at the same time, I felt probably I was under a test.

I felt Apostle was trying to know if I could persevere, so I kept calm till that Sunday Morning when he came knocking at my door.

I had knocked at his door the previous night asking if we were going to church and he replied No!

“ Get up ! Happy , We are going to Church, Change of Plans, You have just 8 mins, I will be waiting in the car” I was still sleeping when he was saying those words so how on earth did he expect me to take my bath and get dressed in 8 mins, I suspected he was joking…

I walked to the door of my room and as I opened the door, I was surprised to see Ray completely dressed…

“ Are you serious?” I asked looking at him from head to toe

“ Yes..please make it snappy” he said with a smile as he turned to leave

“ You expect me to be through in 8 mins…but I asked you yesterday if we were going to Church and you said No..”

“ That’s the way of a Pastor’s wife… Impromptu events, one of my Special members will be coming for counseling today” he said smiling as he kept moving away. His responses were really irritating

“ But you could have woken me up earlier, I don’t like impromptu events, I plan my life..” I said

“ You will learn soon, Maggie coped well…” he said

“ Indeed…” I muttered under my breathe “ No wonder, she was always wrongly dressed” I said realizing maybe one of the reasons why Pastor Maggie’s dressing was always catastrophic…

I had a quick bath and dressed in a gown I would ordinarily not have worn on the first Sunday after my wedding. Through out the service, I was unhappy at my look and how Ray was treating me…

I could see a lot of young ladies admiring me and I could read from their expressions that they wished they were in my shoes, because Apostle kept praising me on the Altar, as bringing him happiness and comfort in such a short time..

I managed to give smiles at intervals but the question that kept running through my mind was

“ What is happening? Am I under some form of test or is this the life I will be living forever?, Would intimacy with my husband be once in a week” This were some of the questions torturing my heart as I kept a fake smile plastered on my face through out the service…

What do you think ?

S.I.M.S Episode 19

(STEPPING INTO MAGGIE’S SHOE)
©️Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde

The Church Driver was the one taking us home, so I couldn’t blurt out my feelings. I did not like the show of pretense Ray put up at the church. I didn’t know what was really eating him up, or was it because I was not a virgin?

The moment we got home and the driver left on foot, I said in submission, kneeling in front of him

“ Apostle, What have I done?, Ever since we got Married a week ago, you have not touched me except once, You have not eaten my food, you lock yourself up , Are you disappointed I am not a virgin?. I told you I lost my virginity during my days of ignorance…or is there something else?”

“ Hey, Happy… There is absolutely nothing you have done to me?” He said very kindly “You are not the problem, I am the one who has the problem”

“ What problem?”

“ It’s personal, I am seriously working on it, and that was why I got married to you, I felt marrying you will solve the problem, because of the strong attraction I had for you, but I guess the problem is something I have to live with for the rest of my life, I guess this is the thorn the Lord put in my flesh”

“ The Lord put a thorn in your flesh?” I asked

“ Yeah .. You know the type Apostle Paul wrote about and how he prayed several times to have it removed but God told him His Grace was sufficient for him..”

“OK?” I said expecting him to tell me what the problem was

“ Hmm… Are you sure you are ready to hear what it is…?”

“ Yes!, I am your wife!”

He held me by the hand and guided me to a seat…

“ Ever since I was a little child, I have had this problem, I always crave for something, but the moment I get it , I lose interest in it and I begin to crave for something else. For instance Anytime Mum took me to the mall and bought my siblings and I different biscuits, I might have been the one who choose my biscuit, but the moment I have it in my hands I lose interest in it. I will be interested in taking my siblings biscuits. Growing up, I always had my way as the only son among four girls, but now it has become a big problem….” he said and took a long pause, he looked very sad…

“ Ok?” I said as I didn’t understand where the story telling was heading to…

“ I believe you understand what the problem is? Right?” He asked

“ No!” I said because truly I was blank…

“ Ok… how do I say this? The thing is, my problem is that the moment I have something I have always craved for in my possession, I lose interest in it….” he said and kept quiet

I still did not get it, but I looked at his eyes deeply and like a brain jolt , I got it. Ray had a problem of liking what he owned. He no longer had interest in me because he was married to me…
I didn’t know what to do, I had tears flowing down my cheeks and the only question that came out of my mouth was

“ Was it the same with Pastor Maggie?”

“ Unfortunately Yes!, Maggie had to cope for those years, she was a strong believer who did not believe in divorce, so she stood by me. We only made love to have children which never came!” he said looking ashamed of himself

“ How would they have had children?” I thought madly in my Spirit

“Maggie knew this about me and knew all the women I had interest in, but the bad thing about this challenge of mine is the fact that my attraction is always towards women who belong to other men. I don’t get attracted to single ladies, but those who are engaged and married. That was why I was attracted to you in the first place. The fact that you belonged to Julius made me crave for you, but now that you are mine, I don’t find you attractive anymore” he said

“Jesus!” I screamed as I started walking around the living room in circles. My head was pounding and I heard voices laughing in my head.

“It is not as bad as it sounds, Maggie was able to cope, She was my best friend, I even encouraged her to have a boyfriend, but she would not bulge. She kept telling me I could overcome this… I prayed and she prayed but I am still the same. Happy, the reason I choose you above other girls is because I believe you will be able to cover me…You are the best person who can fill Maggie’s shoe” he said with a plea in his eyes

I felt like I had been cheated, I felt like I was duped, I felt I was defrauded. To think that Apostle married me to find a good accomplice to cover his sexual sin and not out of love tore my heart into pieces. I climbed up the stairs and went to my room. He did not bother to follow me…

I locked my door from within and cried all day long. I couldn’t sleep either. He came knocking at my door early in the morning but I refused to open.

Later that day, I decided I needed to have a cup of coffee to clear my head. I was shocked to see Apostle and Mrs Beecroft in the kitchen. Mrs Beecroft was the wife of the church treasurer, a well respected member of the church. She was in a very short gown. She was preparing coffee for Apostle…. I didn’t understand one bit what was happening…

“ Hello, Sister Happy, Good Morning…” She said

“ Good morning Ma!” I replied as I looked at her skimpy gown. I had never seen her in such a skimpy wear before..

“ Apostle said you were a bit ill, so I offered to come help you the way I used to help Pastor Maggie” she said

“ Ok ma, thanks.. but I am better now!” I said implying she should use the door and get out of my home.

“ You need a lot of rest!” Apostle said as he moved close to me as if to whisper something, Mrs Beecroft understood he wanted her out of the kitchen, so she left the kitchen and walked up the stairs to Apostle’s room…

“ I wanted to inform you earlier she was coming, that was why I was knocking, she is one of the women”

My legs buckled like someone wearing a high heel sandal, that broke unexpectedly …This Pastor Maggie’s shoe was beginning to show its issues, apart from it not been my size, it was showing tendencies of it being unreliable . I concluded the shoe had a faulty heel that was going to break my leg soon….

My God!

To be continued!

#OpraDre

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