Must Read: The Player

Episode 6 years ago

Must Read: The Player

Kiki moved in about a month after Ezekiel did. I wondered if all her belongings would fit into the apartment. Didn’t she remember that she only paid for a room? She gave the house a new look.

Her smell was everywhere. The kitchen now had utensils that beautified it.

I remember when Ezekiel first set his eyes on her.
She had moved in on a thursday when Ezekiel usually came home late after attending one of his numerous fellowships. When he entered the apartment he went straight into his room to give thanks to God and all the plenty things he did, then he came out with a bowl of uncooked beans. I was sitting in the parlor when he ran out the kitchen closely followed by Kiki.

“Fifi, we have an intruder in the kitchen”
“Oh, you are Ezekiel, Fifi told me about you, nice to meet you”.

He ignored her handshake.

“Why are you dressed like this, sister Kiki?”

Kiki was dressed in a micro-mini skirt and a tank top. I wondered if she shouldnt be free to dress the way she liked in an apartment she paid for.

“Oh, is that why you are not going to shake me?”

“But you are not dressed in a decent way”.

I wanted to walk out of their discussion but i was busy studying for GCE.

“Mr Ezekiel, I suggest you get used to it. If you cannot stand my dressing, I suggest you unlook”.

“Fifi, we are Christians in this house, you have to do something about this”.

“Like what, Ezekiel?”

I wished I could tell him about tolerance. How much I have tolerated his all night prayer battles with his family from the village, the city, overseas and ancestors.

“If she doesn’t dress like a Christian sister and save us from sin, her rent will be refunded to her”.

“And you will pay for the room?” I asked.

Kiki started shaking her head incredulously, “Times like this, I wished I had not stopped smoking,” she said hissing.

“Ezekiel, we will live peacefully with each other, as long as nobody is encroaching on another person’s space”.

Kiki hissed again and went back to the kitchen.

“I want to cook beans now I cannot go into the kitchen, Fifi why did you collect this type of tenant. Na our salvation you they play with o”

Kiki came back to the parlour later with two plates of rice and turkey. She gave one to me and took the other to her room. I was very grateful. Ezekiel was muttering some things to himself that I really wanted to hear but couldn’t. His eyes were fixed on the meal.

He stood up abruptly, went to his room and came out with a bible, a new one. He knocked on Kiki’s door.

“Ezekiel, what can I do for you again?”
“Ahn ahn, Sister Kiki. It is not like that. See I brought you a bible”.

“You don’t know how to talk to people”. She said

“Oya no vex. I brought you this Gideon’s bible, it’s a gift from me to you”.

“I thought it’s free. Missionaries share it and it’s even written on it that it is free?”

“You are missing the point, precious one”.

“I am listening”.

“A gift is a gift, either free or not”.

“Ok, thank you dear”.

She collected the bible and wanted to close her door when he stopped her.

“What is it now?”
“Has the rice finished? You see, I have beans but no palm oil”.


“Oh, perhaps you can pray that God should turn water to palm oil?”

“Stop am, hungry dey nack me”.

“Go ahead and take as much as you want, I was just kidding with you dear”.

He didn’t wait for her to finish before dashing into the kitchen.

After about four spoons of rice I told him I didn’t see him pray before he started digging. I was used to him praying fervently whenever beans and garri was the dish.

“Praying is more of spiritual than physical bro. I prayed with my spirit”.

More than once, I had suspected that Ezekiel was a false prophet.