Bury my sins 28

EPISODE 28

TITLE: “BURY MY SINS,NOT ME”

(AT A LAPTOP TECHNICIAN SHOP)

A laptop technician sat in his shop, watching footage on his laptop. He was so engrossed in the video that he didn't notice his friend entering the shop behind him.

Suddenly, his friend cleared his throat to announce his presence, and the technician quickly closed his laptop, looking guilty.

"Don't close it now, I've already seen what you're watching," his friend said, walking closer to sit beside the technician.

"Seen what I'm watching? How?" the technician repeated, trying to play it cool.

"Yes, I saw you watching CCTV footage. Bring it, let's watch it together," his friend said, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

The technician hesitated for a moment before unlocking the laptop, and his friend sitting beside him gasped as he had a clearer view of the footage on the screen.

"What the...? I know that pastor! Isn't he the deceased Pastor Solomon from the Anglican Church?" His friend exclaimed.

"Yes, that's him," the technician replied with his eyes wide with excitement. "I've been wondering what he's doing in a c*rime scene like this."

"How did you get this footage?" the technician friend asked, his eyes still fixed on the laptop screen.

"I sent it to myself when one of their members came to remove a laptop password. I saw the file and sent it to myself," the technician explained.

They both watched the video in silence, and when it ended, they turned to face each other. The technician friend asked again, "What do you plan to do with this video?"

"I want to post it to complete my Facebook watch hours and get monetized immediately," the technician replied with a sly grin. "Since this whole monetization thing started, I have been searching for videos like this because they have the tendency to go viral, you know."

His friend raised an eyebrow and said, "You are a bad boy. I see it's all about the views and the money, right? So when do you want to post it?"

"I am posting it tonight," the technician replied.

(AT THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF GOD)

The next day was Sunday, and the Anglican Church was filled with the joyful sounds of singing and dancing.

Pastor Solomon's wife and daughter were among the congregation, praising and worshiping with the choir, unaware that a video was already trending online.

The youth who had been sent to remove the password by the new pastor, before it got damaged outside the church was live on his Facebook profile, dancing and recording himself as the choir sang. But then, a message popped up on his screen and it read: "Isn't this your former church pastor?"

Curious, the youth clicked on the message, and a video began to play. At first, he danced along, but his pace slowed down as he realized what he was seeing. His eyes widened in shock, and he finally came to a halt, unable to dance anymore.

With a sense of urgency, he walked up to the altar and played the video for the new pastor, Mr. Thomas.

Pastor Thomas adjusted his glasses, took the phone from the youth, stretched out his hand far from his body, and watched the video from a distance, probably because of his vision issues.

As the video played, Pastor Thomas's expression changed from calm to shock. 

He shouted, "Jesus Christ of Nazareth!" and jumped to his feet. The congregation, who were still dancing to songs of praise, wondered what made their pastor behave like that. But Pastor Thomas quickly composed himself, sat back down, leaned his head forward, and asked the youth, "What are people commenting?"

"Ahh, the comments are not nice, Pastor," the youth hesitated before continuing. 

"Nigerians are dragging Pastor Solomon, dragging you, dragging the bodies of the pastor all over Nigeria and all."

"They are dragging me too?" Pastor Thomas asked while adjusting his glasses.

"Yes, Pastor," the youth nodded and read out a comment from the viral post "@s*exy_diva said she doesn't trust the new church pastor either, with the way he looks at members with eyes under glasses as if he is seeing their future," the youth read and was about to read another comment when Pastor Thomas said it was enough.

Pastor Thomas understood the gravity of the situation and the viral video. He knew he had to act quickly to restore the church's reputation.

As the praise and worship session came to a close, Pastor Thomas took the microphone and climbed up to the altar.

The congregation was buzzing with murmurs as many of them had already seen the incriminating video on their phones.

He cleared his throat and began to speak, his voice filled with frustration. "My dear brothers and sisters, I know many of you have seen the disturbing video circulating online. I must admit, I'm at a loss for words, but I will address this urgent matter."

He paused, trying to collect his thoughts. "We will not let the actions of one person tarnish the reputation of our church. I have decided to relieve Pastor Solomon's wife of her duties as Deaconess, effective immediately. Additionally, their daughter will be placed on leave from the choir until further notice."

The congregation erupted into murmurs again, and those who hadn't seen the video yet began sharing their phones with other church members, looking shocked.

Pastor Thomas raised his hands, appealing for calm, and began to speak again. "Let us pray for guidance and wisdom during this challenging time. We will get through this together, as a family in Christ."

The congregation bowed their heads in prayer, and Pastor Thomas began to pray, his mind racing with the daunting task ahead.

He knew that rebuilding trust and restoring the church's reputation would be a long and difficult journey. But with faith and determination, he was committed to leading his flock through the storm.

(AT AN OLD HUT)

The herbalist apprentice dashed out of the hut with his face alight with excitement. He struggled to catch his breath when he saw the old herbalist before speaking, and his words were tumbling over one another as he spoke.

"The...the lady, Officer Abimbola...she's moving! Her fingers are shaking!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with wonder.

The herbalist, amazed by the news, followed his apprentice back into the hut. There they saw it - Abimbola's eyes were open upon their return, and they were happy after close to a year of her being in a vegetative state.

The apprentice's excitement turned to joy, he is jubilating as if Abimbola is a family.

"She's awake! She's finally awake!" the apprentice exclaimed, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Praise be unto my ancestors," the herbalist showed gratitude to his gods with a warm smile spreading across his face. "She's back with us. Thank you, Orunmila, ìba re re ooo" he thanked the gods in his dialect.

Abimbola stared around the hut with her eyes heavy with fatigue. She tried to sit up, but her body felt weak and heavy, as if she'd been asleep for a lifetime. She collapsed back onto the mat, breathing heavily.

"Where...where is Paul?" she managed to ask in a barely audible voice.

The herbalist and his apprentice exchanged a concerned glance. "Paul? Who is Paul?”