Chapter 43: Chapter 43

Mark kept his eyes on the marble of the pulpit as the Bishop began to talk about restoration. Occasionally, he would pause and the whole church would fall silent except for the almost silent chords of the keyboard.

"God's promise says, and I will make you anew. I'll turn your life around, I'll redeem you, I'll restore your hope- your life. I'll heal you. Just turn back to me. " The Bishop said.

Mark looked at his back to meet  very familiar faces of his family members. They  occupied a row while Papa was in his separate seat close to the window with Mama in another empty pew in front of him . In the midst of the rise and fall in pitch of the Bishop's voice, Kamsi who was seated beside him, was nodding to the ground in sleep. He put an arm around her and pulled her closer so she could rest on him.

"Pele," Joseph mouthed to him from the other edge of the pew. Mark shook his head at his brother who was then carrying his little son, then he turned back to the preacher.

" Do you know what happened when  that woman touched the hem of Jesus cloth?  " The Bishop asked with a smile as he looked around the congregation. "Restoration. Her life was restored to a new level of normalcy."

The Bishop was silent with his gaze fixed at the Western door. Mark had to join other heads to look at what he was looking at with a frown. The ushers had removed the wooden cross that earlier blocked the entrance and people were surging into the Church.

"Please lock that door. Whoever is coming when I'm almost done with the sermon came for the offering. God does not need their money. "

"But the Church does," Joseph said with a shrug patting a sleeping junior.

Mark looked around for Ella then and noticed her where she was at the bandstand staring at the pianist with fascination.

"Broken relationships, broken homes, broken marriages, it is a divine restoration that can fix it all." The Bishop said. His eyes darted around then paused and he fixed it on Mark.

"Young man, stop cuddling your wife in the church. Stop encouraging her to sleep. That's how most people miss the restoration! "

Michelle tapped Kamsi's lap while Mark rubbed her arm and whispered, "Wake up."  Kamsi opened her eyes but still bent her head while peering into her phone to note her facial appearance.

"Now take someone's hand close to you, speak into their life and say, peace will be restored unto you, progress will be restored unto you. Today, you are born anew."

In all of it, Mark held Kamsi's hand as he repeated those words in a mutter after the Bishop but Kamsi looked into space like she did not understand what was going on in the church.

Visitors swam in and out of the house after church service . Different cars parked in front of almost all the buildings in the compound and even took up the space between the first gate and second gate. The cars lined by the side of ixora flowers planted along the fence,  staying clear for newcomers to comfortably fit in their cars or for people to leave  without being blocked by other vehicles .

Mark left Kamsi in their room upstairs and came down to greet guests as they came. She complained of dizziness. He was not sure which was her problem any longer because he had been trying to convince her to come down and greet a few people when she said she wanted to sleep, suddenly she  lay on the bed saying , she was feeling dizzy.

He joined his parents in the parlor, standing at the bar with a glass of wine and a permanent smile at the side of his lips as he watched them make attempts to be funny and still laugh at their failed jokes. Joseph came in, carrying Junior. He greeted the guests and returned inside. Michelle also came out, going round and bending for the elders to pat her back. He dialed Kamsi's number  but she did not pick up. He then chose to direct his worries to the food in the kitchen.

Kamsi's phone vibrated. She was not sleeping because all the time she lay on the bed, she was aware of the cars that parked in front of the building or the ones that left. Then the unmistakable voice of Papa as he walked his visitors to their cars. She reached for her phone and stared at the message from Okechukwu:

"Kamsi, I just saw your husband. Where are you?"

She sat up and groaned knowing that she had skipped her antenatal appointments  twice and he probably wanted to scold her. She slipped her feet into her slippers and made her way downstairs  after changing to a more comfortable  gown.

The guests had reduced. Mama was in the parlor with  a man , his wife and children.  She did not know  them but she went closer and greeted them.

"Bia, have you eaten? " Mama asked.

"Yes ma," She lied.

Joseph was sitting outside with Okechukwu who had Junior in his arms . Papa stood beside one of the cars talking to one of the guests. Mark was nowhere in sight. She sighed and approached  Okechukwu, grateful that Joseph was there, to avoid sending wrong signals to Mark. Somehow also, she did not mind sending those signals.

"Nwanyi, this one we no dey see your brake lights, any show?" Okechukwu greeted first.

Kamsi laughed and dragged a plastic seat to sit with them. "Good afternoon, " She said.

"Have you been going for checkups in another hospital? " Okechukwu asked in response.

Joseph laughed. "I almost thought you were worried about her not knowing you were scared of losing a customer. "

Kamsi and Okechukwu laughed. "If my fear of losing the customer is good for her health and baby then this my fear is for the better o," Okechukwu said  .

Joseph laughed loudly while Kamsi just smiled. "Kamsi, did you hear about the Mad woman that put to bed last night? " Joseph asked.

"Dede, what is my business with a mad woman? " Kamsi laughed.

"That was exactly the same thing Okechukwu said, " Joseph said. "Your actual business is what happened to the baby. It is, thinking humanity."

"Hmmm," Okechukwu hummed, then adjusted Junior who was already sleeping.  Kamsi just stared at her phone instead  slightly thinking of what Joseph said.

"Let me take him in," Joseph said, suddenly standing to take the baby from Okechukwu.

There was a moment of silence after Joseph left then Okechukwu asked, "How are you doing? "

"I'm very well and you? "

"The Lord has been faithful to us." He answered. "My little girl turned six yesterday. She should be somewhere running around with Ella right now."

"Really! I would love to see her," Kamsi said, her eyes lightening up.

"You will," he said, then tapped his hands on his thigh. " You are being careless. You should be in your second trimester and you have not bothered to know how your baby is doing."

Kamsi knew he was right but still replied, "I do know. I feel her movements."

He raised his hands in mock surrender, "I'm not your doctor for today so whatever you say."

Okechukwu's daughter  who looked nothing like him, later ran out. She pulled down her father's ear to whisper and Kamsi watched with admiration . Even though the little girl whispered, Kamsi had all she was saying about buying more toys that looked like the ones Ella owned.

"Let's stroll to the gate and back," Okechukwu said, rising to his feet.

"What's her name ?" Kamsi asked, rubbing a hand on the little girl's head. The little girl looked up and eyed her. "Ihuoma," she replied gruffly.

"You are beautiful, Ihuoma," Kamsi said, stooping to her level.

Ihuoma's grumpy face suddenly brightened as she put a hand to her chest in a show of affection. "I like you, " She said.

Kamsi laughed, watching her. " De Okey please who is training this child ?"

"Honestly, I can not answer that, " Okey replied as they walked the tarred road to the gate.

"She seems smart. I like that," Kamsi said.

Okechukwu looked at his daughter who was visibly blushing under the compliments. He pulled her cheeks and smiled.

"You should be engaging in this sort of walk from time to time, jogging or even exercises at home. It is good for the baby" He said, looking at Kamsi. She nodded then kicked a little stone out of the way.

"Oya,Oma race Aunty to the gate,"  He challenged.

"Okay," Oma said excitedly, jamming her knuckles together.

Kamsi laughed. " You will be the referee."

Before Kamsi started to run, Oma took off and was flying in the wind to the gate while Kamsi just jogged behind, letting the little girl win.

"And the winner is... " Okechukwu said and left the words in playful suspense. "Oma! "

Ihuoma jumped up and down excitedly then ran back to her father as they began walking back to the house.

"I got you something. I almost forgot," Okechukwu said  as they got back to the house.  Michelle was seated outside with her husband.

Kamsi stood at the stairs while  he went to his car and later returned with a white nylon.

"Prenatal vitamins," he said, handing the nylon to her.

"Thank you ?" She said questioningly, with obvious confusion on her face.

He laughed. " Vitamins. It's good for you and your baby. "

" Thank you," She said.

"Kamsi, Mark has been looking for you.  Better go and answer him before I'm tagged a bad in-law, " Michelle said and Joseph laughed.

It was said as a Joke but Kamsi did not receive it as such. "Is he upstairs? " She asked, climbing up to where they were.

"He might be in the parlor, " Joseph replied, then faced Okechukwu, "Okey, come and talk to your sister o, she has turned me into a Nanny."

Ihuoma sped past into the house probably to look for her playmate and Kamsi squeezed Michelle's shoulder, "See you guys at night," then turning to Okechukwu, she said, "Have a safe trip. "

Okechukwu nodded, "And you take care."

Mark was not in the room when she got to their room. There was an empty can of Heineken on the table which was an indication of his earlier presence. She put the can in the dustbin and proceeded to the bathroom. It was as she washed her face that she heard the door open and then the sound of the keys as it rattled in the lock.