Short Story
The sheets and the pillows lay scattered on the floor from their romping last night. She didn't care to put things in place just yet. The excitement from their engagement still lingered. But there was one regret. It was 9pm. and her lover had to leave to go home to his wife and kids.
It was early Sunday morning. She imagined he was getting ready to attend church with his family. She tried many things to get him to stay, but he couldn't. He had to be in church. His special responsibility did not allow him to be absent at any time at all. He was the lead pastor. The 25 year-old woman got up and switched on the television that was in her room. She changed channels frequently. She was looking for some show that would help relieve her loneliness. A few religious programs promised that if a person changed their lives everything would be fine. But here she was a preacher's lover.
Earlier, the pastor, his wife and two kids prayed earnestly for protection and blessing before they left for church. On their 20 minutes drive to the place of worship, gospel music blared over the car radio. The kids sang along as they were familiar with most of the songs. These kids and their mother were proud of the man who was revered by the church and the society at large.
On the other side of town, the young woman reluctantly stuck to one television program--her lover was preaching. The 1200 capacity sanctuary looked packed. The preacher got up and delivered a fiery message. He identified some of the failings of the world and gave recommendations for their correction. The congregation concurred by the accoustomed "Amen" response. Admonitions were also given especially to those who yielded to temptations. "Amen", ecoched throughout the tabernacle once more. The service ended with the usual prayer. Members made their way home.
When the preacher arrived home he asked his family for some privacy and locked himself in his office. He called his unmarried buddy who was not a devotee and confessed that he felt like a hypocrite. They were both in their early 40s and had been friends from middle school. His friend knew of the affair but made no judgement. His buddy listened as his friend broke down in tears. The preacher wanted to know why as an ardent Bible reader, he still gave in to his temptations. His buddy told him that, that alone was no guarantee for his conflicting decisions. And added that it is usually a much deeper reason. He threw out the option of counseling. The pastor was reluctant as he most likely would have to get help from a secularist --the people he often targeted in his messages. His friend assured him that these professionals are trained to deal with various groups, and are mostly non-judgemental. The pastor promised to give his buddy's advice some serious thought and ended the conversation.
The forlorn woman got up from her bed after watching the preacher. She tried tidying her room but was unmotivated. She switched off the television, hurried to the fridge to find anything for comfort. A bowl of baked chicken stared at her. She grabbed it without heating it. She managed only a tiny piece. She sank herself in the sofa. Anger filled her mind. For the last time she was promising herself to end the relationship with her lover. But, she had said that a thousand times before. © Wallace Paul ( April 2024)
The sheets and the pillows lay scattered on the floor from their romping last night. She didn't care to put things in place just yet. The excitement from their engagement still lingered. But there was one regret. It was 9pm. and her lover had to leave to go home to his wife and kids.
It was early Sunday morning. She imagined he was getting ready to attend church with his family. She tried many things to get him to stay, but he couldn't. He had to be in church. His special responsibility did not allow him to be absent at any time at all. He was the lead pastor. The 25 year-old woman got up and switched on the television that was in her room. She changed channels frequently. She was looking for some show that would help relieve her loneliness. A few religious programs promised that if a person changed their lives everything would be fine. But here she was a preacher's lover.
Earlier, the pastor, his wife and two kids prayed earnestly for protection and blessing before they left for church. On their 20 minutes drive to the place of worship, gospel music blared over the car radio. The kids sang along as they were familiar with most of the songs. These kids and their mother were proud of the man who was revered by the church and the society at large.
On the other side of town, the young woman reluctantly stuck to one television program--her lover was preaching. The 1200 capacity sanctuary looked packed. The preacher got up and delivered a fiery message. He identified some of the failings of the world and gave recommendations for their correction. The congregation concurred by the accoustomed "Amen" response. Admonitions were also given especially to those who yielded to temptations. "Amen", ecoched throughout the tabernacle once more. The service ended with the usual prayer. Members made their way home.
When the preacher arrived home he asked his family for some privacy and locked himself in his office. He called his unmarried buddy who was not a devotee and confessed that he felt like a hypocrite. They were both in their early 40s and had been friends from middle school. His friend knew of the affair but made no judgement. His buddy listened as his friend broke down in tears. The preacher wanted to know why as an ardent Bible reader, he still gave in to his temptations. His buddy told him that, that alone was no guarantee for his conflicting decisions. And added that it is usually a much deeper reason. He threw out the option of counseling. The pastor was reluctant as he most likely would have to get help from a secularist --the people he often targeted in his messages. His friend assured him that these professionals are trained to deal with various groups, and are mostly non-judgemental. The pastor promised to give his buddy's advice some serious thought and ended the conversation.
The forlorn woman got up from her bed after watching the preacher. She tried tidying her room but was unmotivated. She switched off the television, hurried to the fridge to find anything for comfort. A bowl of baked chicken stared at her. She grabbed it without heating it. She managed only a tiny piece. She sank herself in the sofa. Anger filled her mind. For the last time she was promising herself to end the relationship with her lover. But, she had said that a thousand times before. © Wallace Paul ( April 2024)