Chapter 5: Pastor’s Suspicion

As I no fit reach Spiritual Awakening, Pastor begin dey worry. Elder Pastor Obinna, over two hundred years old, white hair and beard, wear white agbada, hold horsetail whisk, na real spiritual elder e resemble. No wonder people from Middle Belt dey hang im picture, dey pray to God make dem reach im level.

For my village, people dey hang Pastor picture for parlour, some even put candle under am. Dem dey call am 'Baba Palm Grove', believe say e spirit dey strong pass ogun. The day I see am for real, e no be like picture again—e tall, beard full, e dey waka like spirit.

But now, e just dey look me with sharp eye. “Tunde, why you never reach Spiritual Awakening?”

“Disciple no know.”

“Your heart no pure?”

“Disciple heart pure.” I lift my robe, kneel down. “Make Pastor see clear.”

For the big chair wey dey up, Pastor keep quiet for long. Then e wave im whisk, one force lift me up. Sharp sharp, ‘spiritual energy’ just rush my body. E search me finish. The more e check, the more im face dey squeeze. “True true, not even small sign of spiritual vein… e strange.”

E drop the whisk, I fall kneel down, bow deep. “Maybe na because I from southern side, my talent no reach.” I look my white robe wey dey for ground. “…so I no fit reach Spiritual Awakening.”

But Pastor shake im head. “You sabi water flow, fit see earth vein, find spring for dry land: your gift dey natural, no doubt yourself.”

E reason small. “See ehn: I go find another tonic for you, make you fit break through Spiritual Awakening.”

Pastor voice dey gentle, but I dey feel the pressure, like say im eye dey see through my bone. I dey nod, dey humble, but my mind dey spin, dey find escape. The white robe for ground na sign of respect, but as I dey kneel, I dey reason my next move.

The Palm Grove Spiritual Camp get big, fine buildings. For main hall, seventy-two palm pillars dey stand. As ordinary person, to get chance become spiritual leader: I suppose dey happy. I no get reason to say no. I just pretend happy, say, “Disciple thank you, Pastor.”

I still talk, “Tunde know say e don break rules, dey shame for Pastor and camp wey carry am. If you wan collect another tonic, abeg make I follow you, so I fit thank the elders myself?”

Pastor look me up and down, then smile. “Nobody don ever ask like this before. You get heart.”

“Okay: I go first tell the elders.” Pastor praise, “See your sincerity, dem suppose gree.”

For my mind, I dey pray make Pastor no suspect my plan. The way e smile, e show say e dey proud, but I sabi say for this place, small mistake fit cost life. I dey use every Naija sense wey I get, dey play humble, dey act innocent.