Must Read: Saints, Sinners And Stag (18 )

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Saints, Sinners And Stag (18 )

‘Praaaiiiiisssseeeeee the Lord!’ yelled Mrs. Roberts as she manoeuvred herself out of the visitor’s chair in the doctor’s room.
‘Come and join me sing halleluya’ she danced, as she excitedly wriggled her waist to the song she had broken into ‘Jehovah Jireh has done me well.’
‘Calm down, mum’ said Oyinda, trying to speak over her mother’s horrible singing voice. Oyinda was most equally relieved and embarrassed as the way her mother was carrying on. She could however not blame the old lady; after all, no one wanted to die.They had just received the news that the whole thing was just a scare.
‘So Doctor’ began Oyinda. It was really difficult to get her voice over the noise of her mother’s singing ‘What does this mean?’
‘This means she just had a scare. It is nothing and she is free to live her life as she normally would. However, if I am to advise, she needs to watch her weight as she needs to consider her bones as she grows older. She is rather on the heavy side’ responded the Doctor Deinde.



Oyinda had never met him and wondered if she would not be too forward to ask the questions that surged to her lips. If only her mother could keep quiet for a minute!
‘I’m sorry that I’m asking this question, but would you say that there is any need for us to seek another opinion abroad? asked Oyinda
‘Well, it would be your prerogative, I could give you a referral if that’s what you wanted, but I’m the third doctor she’s been to, so I’d say she’s pretty clear’ said Dr. Deinde.
‘Thank you doctor and I’m so sorry for the drama. She can be like this sometimes’ said Oyinda who was now embarrassed by the fact that her mother had taken her thanksgiving a notch higher by rolling on the rugged floor of the doctor’s office.
‘Thank you Father, for the enemies cannot celebrate my death. Thank you Father for keeping me alive. Thank you, thank you thank you’ muttered the older lady
‘Okay mum. Get up and let us go’ said Oyinda brusquely
‘Ah, Doctor. Thank you oh. May you never receive bad news in your life’ prayed the old lady
‘Amen. Thanks’ said the Doctor who smiled at the older lady’s antics.
‘Okay Doctor. I guess we won’t be seeing you soon’ said Oyinda, smiling at the older man.
‘I guess not. Please encourage her towards a healthier lifestyle and let her see her family doctor often, please’ he said
‘Thank you. She’s delirious with joy.’ said Oyinda who felt the need to fill the silence since her mother was refusing to stop.
‘I can see that’ smiled the older man
‘Okay bye’ she said smiling at the older man, ‘Mummy. It’s enough. Let us go’ she said firmly to her mother
‘Ah, doctor! Thank you oh. Thanks’ said the older lady as she gathered her things and they both left the office
‘Congrats mum’ said Oyinda as they both walked down the hospital corridor
‘Oyindamola! God loves me. In hindsight I should not even have bothered, after all Pastor Derin already told me the result, but am I not human? How won’t I worry?’ asked the older lady
‘Ah, yes, Pastor Derin’ said Oyinda as something clicked in her head. ‘Give me a quick moment mummy’ said Oyin as she made a roundabout turn down the corridor and rushed back to the doctor’s office where she quickly rapped on the door and burst in before the man had a chance to invite her in. She met him at the sink, washing his hands carefully.
‘I’m sorry sir. There was a question I wanted to ask you before leaving, but it skipped my mind’ she said
‘Oh, okay?’ said the doctor who expected additional questions about her mother’s condition
‘Please, do you by any chance know Derin Hughes?’ she asked
‘Derin Hughes? Nnnno. I do not recall anybody by that name’ said the Doctor. ‘Is he a specialist too?’ asked the confused man
‘No. He’s not’ said Oyinda, who was a bit surprised that the doctor’s response was in the negative for this was a clear indication that her conspiracy theory was totally wrong.



She’d wanted to see if there was a plan between the doctor and Derin to trick her mother and she had hoped to catch the older man off guard. So far, it seemed that he was genuine in his response.
‘So?…’ asked the elderly man who wanted to know why she’d asked him this question.
‘The both of you have an uncanny resemblance and so I thought he could be a relative’ she lied to cover up her embarrassment.
‘Oh okay. That’s interesting. I would love to see him sometime. I should be interesting to see my doppelgänger ‘ said the kind doctor.

.


Okay sir, perhaps I can arrange a meeting sometime soon’ she said
‘That would be nice’ he responded.
‘Okay bye’ said Oyinda who was disappointed her conspiracy theory did not work. This was clearly no planned ruse, but Oyinda was confused.


How was it possible that a ‘Pastor’ who had made out with her last night, in her own room, one who had hidden in the cupboard overnight could have seen the vision that might have saved her mother’s life? How? Wondered Oyinda as she walked to meet her mother who was excitedly talking on the phone to someone, sharing her testimony. Oyinda came to halt in front of her mum as she listened to the tail end of the conversation.
‘When the doctor said it, I just could not believe it. I rolled on the floor in thanksgiving.


So, I will live to see my children’s children.




God surely loves me’ said her mother, smiling
‘So, help me thank God ohhhhh. Tell Him I’m grateful’ said Mrs Roberts as she quietened down to listen to what the person on the other side had to say
‘Amen!, Amen!, Amen!!!!’ said Mrs Robert as Oyinda finally figured out that she was probably speaking with one of her many Pastors, sharing the testimony of God’s goodness to her.
‘Anyway, I’ve been meaning to discuss something with you. I have an empty warehouse that you can use for a church. Can you come later so that we can discuss the terms and conditions?’ said her mum. Oyinda listened even more intently, curious to know who her mother was speaking with.
‘Ha, don’t worry. Don’t be scared about the rent. Maybe God is using me for your ministry. Just come over and let us talk some more. No, I’m not talking about rents oh, just come!’ said her mother excitedly.
‘Wo, Derin, see you later. Oyinda is here signalling to me. I don’t want her wahala today’. See you in the evening’ Said the old lady as she got off the phone smiling. She really liked this Derin boy.
‘Mum, did I hear you right? asked Oyin who cut into her mother’s reverie. ‘Are you seriously considering giving your warehouse to a pastor?’ asked Oyinda
‘Not giving, just loaning him’ said the old lady who sounded pleased with herself
‘Loaning a building to a church? How will you evict them? What if they destroy the property?




Don’t you have better uses for it? What will daddy say? asked Oyinda in rapid succession.
‘I will sort Daddy out, don’t worry, my darling’ responded the happy, old lady
‘Hmmm… okay mum, but I am very worried’ she said as she lapsed into silence, wondering what hold Derin had over her mother.
Was Derin the real deal? And if he was, how come he was sexually attracted to her? Could Derin be doing her mother too? Oyinda was confused, but she realised that no matter what, she needed to protect her mother and more importantly, she needed to have something on Derin that would keep him in check!